Republicans hope a fresh crop of business executives-turned-political candidates can bolster the party’s fortunes in November.

Republican House candidate Stephen Fincher hauled in more than $300,000 this quarter, which brings him to more than $1 million raised for his bid to win Tennessee's open 8th district, his campaign said Tuesday.

Fincher's camp was also quick to point out that the farmer and gospel singer from Frog Jump has raised close to $300,000 for three quarters in a row and has not self-funded. He now has some $820,000 cash on hand.

Meanwhile, businessman Roy Herron (D) will report more than $1 million cash on hand after raising close to $500,000 in the last quarter, according to his campaign. Herron's warchest will likely stay flush longer than Fincher's because he doesn't face a competitive primary. 


Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.) spent more than $900,000 running unopposed last cycle. Tanner announced in December he wouldn't seek a 12th term.

Turning to another leading prospect for the National Republican Congressional Committee, state Rep. David Rivera (R) raised more than $700,000 in the first six weeks of his bid to represent Florida's 25th district. As a result, the NRCC announced Tuesday that Rivera was now considered to be "On the Radar," a stage in its Young Guns program.

Rivera will have to survive a crowded primary in the race for the open seat.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has been talking up the prospects of businesswoman Nan Stockholm Walden (D) getting into the race against Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

It's a testament to how vulnerable McCain is perceived to be by Washington Democrats when a woman with virtually zero name recognition in Arizona, let alone nationally, would be considered to have a chance of beating the four-term incumbent.

Alas, the Walden-McCain match-up will have to wait for another cycle. She announced Tuesday she won’t run for the seat.

"After thoughtful and prayerful consideration, I have decided that the time is not right to enter this Senate race," Walden said in a statement issued originally to the Tucson Sentinel. "Dick and I are partners in our family enterprise, and are in the midst of a number of important initiatives for our town, our county and our state. I cannot abandon these obligations to our family, our partners, our 60-year-old farming business, our 250 employees and our Santa Cruz Valley."

The equation for Democrats may change if former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) wins the GOP primary, but in the meantime it's wait and see.

Updated at 6:09 p.m.

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) has taken the lead for the first time in a Public Policy (D) poll of the Illinois Senate race.

Kirk led state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) 37-33.

The last time Public Policy polled the race, before the February primary, Giannoulias led Kirk 42-34. Giannoulias had led Kirk in several other polls taken since the two became their party's nominees.

Since then, Giannoulias has come under fire for troubles at his family's bank, including a front-page Chicago Tribune story that revealed his family bank loaned $20 million to convicted felons, which Giannoulias denied being personal involved in.

Public Policy took the poll from April 1-5. The Chicago Tribune ran its story on April 2nd.

Even more bad news in the poll for Giannoulias: only 54 percent of Democrats support him while 77 percent of Republicans support Kirk. And there are a higher percentage of undecided Democrats -- 36 percent -- compared to 16 percent of undecided Republicans.

Public Policy's Tom Jensen writes in his analysis:

It's clear that the movement in Kirk's direction over the last two months has nothing to do with him and everything to do with Giannoulias. … The large mass of undecided Democrats are the critical bloc of voters in this race. If they come home to Giannoulias he'll probably still win -- this continues to be a very Democratic state. But if they- unhappy with both Giannoulias and [Gov.] Pat Quinn- decide to just stay home or even worse to vote Republican Kirk has a pretty decent shot at winning this. There may not be a state in the country where Democrats have a weaker top of the ticket at this point than Quinn and Giannoulas.

Two of the Democratic candidates for Kentucky Senate are taking pay cuts.

Attorney General Jack Conway and Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo are taking a voluntary 10 percent pay cut, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Gov. Steve Beshear (D-Ky.) announced in December 2008 that he, Mongiardo and five other administration officials would take the reduced salary in 2009 to save the state $100,000.

Conway announced he also would take a pay cut. He sent a letter to the state treasurer in January saying that after he filed his taxes on April 15th, he would remit a check to the state to reflect the 2009 deduction in salary.

Meanwhile, on the Republican side of the race, candidates Trey Grayson and Rand Paul held their first debate Monday night.

The two front-runners shared the stage with three other candidates and spent much of their time talking about how much power the federal government should wield, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Paul, the son of Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and favorite of the Tea Party movement, said Congress needs to end earmarking.

Grayson, the secretary of state, said it would be "completely irresponsible" to end all earmarks.

And one of the candidates, 86-year-old retired Army sergeant Gurley Martin, brought the debate to a halt when he arrived 20 minutes late and without his hearing aid. He had to get the questions in writing before he could respond.

The primary is May 18. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) is retiring.

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) is trailing in the latest Pennsylvania Senate poll.

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) is asking the New Jersey Supreme Court to block an effort to recall him.

Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.) is facing a difficult primary challenge because of his vote against the healthcare reform bill but that doesn't mean he's switching parties.

On Tuesday Barrow tried to quash rumors he planned to walk across the aisle to join the GOP.

"I am not switching parties, nor have I ever given any indication that I would. There is no truth to this rumor," Barrow told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Savannah Democrat faces a primary rematch with state Sen. Regina Thomas (D), who's getting support from MoveOn.org on account of Barrow's "no" vote.

The conservative-leaning American Spectator had reported that as a result of Thomas getting the liberal group's backing "some Georgia Republicans now believe that the Democrat may be contemplating a switch to the GOP."

Colorado Senate candidate Jane Norton (R) reported raising $816,000 in the first quarter of 2010.

Her campaign noted it was 48 percent more than the former lieutenant governor raised in the fourth quarter of 2009. She has raised nearly $1.9 million to date.

Norton is one of six Republicans vying to challenge Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.). The primary is August 10.

Bennet has not released his first quarter numbers yet, which are due April 15th.