The National Republican Senatorial Committee ramped up efforts Wednesday to tie Democratic lawmakers to the evolving IRS controversy, believing the issue will be an electoral winner for Republicans in 2014 and beyond.

Virginia gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe (D) is touting his work across the aisle to support Gov. Bob McDonnell's (R) transportation bill, an effort to burnish his centrist image.

McAuliffe focuses on his effort to help garner Democratic support for the bill, which passed over resistance from some Tea Party-affiliated Republicans in the statehouse — as well as from Virginia Attorney General and GOP gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli (R), who opposed the bill until shortly before its passage.

TV personality Pat O'Brien suggested in interview he is interested in running for office in his native South Dakota. 

Speaking of his college professor and mentor Dr. William Farber, O'Brien indicated he was open to a run for office on Adam Carolla's podcast.

"[Farber] always wanted me to run for office in South Dakota — which I still may do," he said, according to the University of Minnesota's Smart Politics blog.

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"I made some big mistakes ... But I’ve also learned some tough lessons," the former congressman says in a campaign video. 

Ten House Democrats on Wednesday endorsed Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar (D) as their favored opponent to challenge Rep. Gary Miller (R) in California's 31st district, the latest sign they're trying to push former Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.) to the sidelines in the race.

Combined with two earlier endorsers, Aguilar now has 12 House Democrats in his camp, as well as support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. 

DCCC Chairman Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), who's already held a fundraiser for Aguilar, told The Hill on Wednesday the committee would do all it can to help him prevail over Baca in the race.

"We think Pete Aguilar is the better candidate. We think the consistency of his views accurately reflects the values and priorities of that district and he's proven himself to be a tenacious worker who will be an independent voice for that district," Israel told The Hill on Wednesday afternoon.

Republican Gabriel Gomez has released a new ad in the Massachusetts Senate special election, a negative spot that contrasts Gomez as "something new" against his Democratic opponent Rep. Edward Markey, whom the ad dubs "Dirty Ed Markey."

Heather French Henry, a 2000 Miss America titleholder and wife of former Kentucky Lt. Gov. Steve Henry (D), is contemplating launching a challenge to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and has been contacted by officeholders in the state urging her to run.

"I'm not saying no yet, but I'm not saying yes," she told The Hill on Tuesday.

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) leads all potential GOP candidates by double digits in Minnesota after a number of top recruits have decided against a run, according to a new poll.

According to a survey from the Democratic-affiliated Public Policy Polling, voters approve of Franken by a 51-42 percent margin. Those numbers are relatively unchanged from a similar PPP poll in January.

Franken tops 50 percent against all the candidates listed in the poll. None of the GOP candidates — all of whom lack significant name recognition — garner more than 38 percent of the vote.

Maya Soetoro-Ng joined actors Kal Penn and George Takei on a roster of "Asian American and Pacific Islander" leaders backing Honda.