Campaign update: Ohio Dems up, Specter up, McMahon in

The new Quinnipiac poll in Ohio shows Democrats’ situation improving. Yesterday, Gov. Ted Strickland (D) started looking better in partial results of the poll, and now former Rep. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) is shown to be losing ground in the general election. Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D) leads him 42-31, while Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner (D) leads 39-34. Fisher, the establishment choice for Democrats, has also created some separation between himself and Brunner, and he leads the primary 26-17.

Joe Sestak and Pat Toomey take note: President Obama helps Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) raise $2.5 million.

WWE CEO Linda McMahon reportedly makes her Connecticut Senate run official today.

The most potent independent candidate of the 2008 election, David Krikorian, is threatening to switch back from Democrat to running without a party – a move that could threaten state Rep. Todd Book’s (D) run against Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio).

Martha Coakley (D) says she favors the state legislature giving Gov. Deval Patrick (D) the right to appoint a temporary senator. That could be a good sign, considering her campaign chairwoman is state Senate president Therese Murray (D), who had been lukewarm to the idea.

Is the White House in Murray’s ear?

A Boston Globe columnist urges Patrick to run for Senate rather than governor. Something tells me his 19 percent approval rating isn’t going to look good on either ballot line.

Danny Tarkanian (R) says Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) would be a welcome inclusion in his campaign against Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

Much like Sen. Robert Bennet (R-Utah), Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.) isn’t doing himself any favors in his impending GOP primary when it comes to President Obama’s health care speech. Inglis is criticizing his colleague, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), for his “you lie” outburst and his refusal to apologize to the House.

Former University of Virginia Center for Politics spokesman Cordel Faulk (R) takes a pass on running against Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.).

Rep. Eric Cantor’s (R-Va.) new Democratic opponent is off to a less-than-stellar start in an uphill battle.

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) says appointing former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff to the Senate would have been better politically than the man Romanoff is now challenging in a primary, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.).

Rep. Leonard Lance (R-N.J.) keeps looking safer in his first reelection bid.

The GOP candidate for Rep. Peter DeFazio’s (D-Ore.) seat continues to struggle with a phantom poll he said he paid his mother to conduct, and it’s getting worse.