National

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has made its final payment on about $18 million in debt, Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.) is set to announce Tuesday in a letter to the GOP conference.

Cole says the committee put to rest an $8 million bank loan last week and is debt-free, having also ridded itself of $10 million in vendor debt.

“Going forward, every penny you give the NRCC from your campaign account or raise for our events will be spent only on specials and the 2008 elections.”

The NRCC trailed its Democratic counterpart in cash $38 million to $5.1 million at the end of February and has been consistently out-raised. The GOP has also been forced to spend significant money on special elections in Illinois and Ohio and saw its cash on hand reduced by about $700,000 after investigating allegations of fraud by a former employee.

In the letter, Cole calls it “the worst fundraising environment our party has experienced since 1990.”

— Aaron Blake


Louisiana

Sixth district candidate Laurinda Calongne has won the endorsements of both of her former primary opponents in her primary runoff campaign against former Senate candidate and former state Rep. Woody Jenkins (R).

Michael Cloonan, an Iraq war veteran who finished fourth in the primary, endorsed the businesswoman on Monday, joining Paul Sawyer (R), a chief of staff to former Rep. Richard Baker (R).

Baker retired to lead the Managed Funds Association, paving the way for a special election. Calongne and Jenkins are set to square off in Saturday’s primary runoff.

The winner on May 3 will face the winner of the Democratic runoff between state Reps. Don Cazayoux and Michael Jackson.

“I am honored by [Cloonan’s] support,” Calongne said in a statement. “He has served our country well, and I am proud to be the candidate who he believes in.”

— Sam Youngman


Michigan

A fired Detroit deputy police chief is looking at a potential primary challenge to Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D), according to the Detroit Free Press.

The Free Press reported Friday that Gary Brown, who was pushed out of his job in 2003 by Kilpatrick’s son, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (D), was polling the race and awaiting the results.

Brown had been overseeing an investigation into the mayor at the time of his firing. Kilpatrick was indicted last week and charged with perjury.

A jury late last year awarded Brown and another police officer $6.5 million after he alleged that Kilpatrick retaliated against him. Kilpatrick vowed an appeal but later agreed on an $8.4 million settlement.

The Free Press reported that Brown’s lawyers had obtained the sexual text messages between Kilpatrick and his former chief of staff that led to his current troubles, causing Kilpatrick to drop his appeal.

— A.B.
 

Mississippi

Mississippians will head to the polls Tuesday to settle a trio of primary runoffs for the House seats of Rep. Chip Pickering (R) and Sen. Roger Wicker (R).

In Wicker’s former district, Southaven Mayor Greg Davis (R) and former Tupelo Mayor Glenn McCollough (R) will face off in the marquee match-up of the day. The winner will face either Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers or state Rep. Steve Holland, who will meet in the Democratic primary.

The nominees will run in November and are also expected to be their parties’ lone major candidates in the open special election to be held April 22.

In Pickering’s district, attorney Gregg Harper and former state Sen. Charlie Ross will compete in the GOP primary runoff. The winner will be heavily favored in a match-up with Democrat Joel Gill in November.

— A.B.


South Carolina

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) will have primary opposition, but he escaped a major challenge as the state’s filing deadline passed Sunday.

Former Republican National Committeeman Buddy Witherspoon was the lone GOPer to file against Graham for the June 10 primary, but he has not raised significant money to this point, while Graham had $4.7 million in cash at the end of the year.

Graham in recent weeks launched an ad buy to scare off a primary challenge that featured President Bush.

Graham also appears to have a clear general election path, as two little-known Democrats filed to oppose him.

In the House delegation, Rep. John Spratt (D) won’t face a major challenge after House GOPers targeted him in 2006.

And Rep. Bob Inglis (R), who miffed some local GOPers by opposing the troop increase in Iraq last year, drew primary opposition from former Environmental Protection Agency official Charles Jeter.

— A.B.


New Jersey

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) announced his reelection bid on Monday as a potential primary challenger neared his decision.

Former Democratic state party Chairman Tom Byrne has said he is weighing his options and told PolitickerNJ.com on Monday morning that he was likely to have arrived at a decision within 24 hours. The filing deadline is in less than a week.

Byrne is the son of former Gov. Brendan Byrne (D).

The GOP has recruited businessman Andrew Unanue for the race. He faces state Sen. Joseph Pennacchio and professor Murray Sabrin in the primary.

— A.B.


Oregon

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is launching a website targeting a second Democratic challenger for Sen. Gordon Smith’s (R) seat.

After launching a site devoted to state Rep. Jeff Merkley (D) in recent weeks, the NRSC has put together a site devoted to activist Steve Novick (D), notonovick.com . A preliminary version of the site was posted Monday, but it featured no content.

Merkley, the choice of national Democrats in the race, is the favorite, but Novick has run a spirited netroots campaign that has garnered lots of attention.

— A.B.
 

Minnesota

Physician Brian Davis won the 1st district Republican endorsement Saturday for the race against Rep. Tim Walz (D) and will face state Sen. Dick Day in the GOP primary.

Davis defeated state Rep. Randy Demmer on the first ballot, taking 160 votes, which was three more than he needed.

Day spurned the endorsing convention and indicated that he will push forward with a primary, which will be held in September.

Walz defeated Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R) in 2006 in a changing district in the southern part of the state. None of his potential GOP foes has raised a substantial amount of money for the race.

— A.B.


Pennsylvania

Businessman Matt Shaner spent another $500,000 last week on his primary campaign for retiring Rep. John Peterson’s (R) seat, bringing his total investment in the race to over $1.2 million of his personal funds.

Shaner is a 28-year-old real estate developer and the son of a hotel owner.

Other GOP candidates include former Centre County Commissioner Chris Exarchos, financial consultant Derek Walker and former Woodward Township supervisor Jeff Stroehmann.

The primary is set for April 22, and the district leans Republican.

— A.B.