State by State: National, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey

National

Democratic Party committees are significantly increasing their fundraising on all levels, while their Republican counterparts have seen a near-uniform 20-25 percent drop-off since last cycle, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) reported Tuesday.

{mosads}During the first six months of 2007, Democratic Party committees raised 29 percent more than during the same period in 2005, and 98 percent more than in 2003. Republicans, meanwhile, saw a 24 percent decline since 2005 and a 22 percent drop from 2003.

State and local Democratic committees raised 44 percent more than last cycle, while their GOP opponents raised 21 percent less.

The Democratic National Committee is the only one of the party’s three major committees to raise less so far in 2007 than it did last cycle, seeing an 8 percent drop.

— Aaron Blake

Louisiana

In a move that appears to leaves open the possibility of running for Senate next year, state Treasurer John Kennedy (D) decided not to run for state attorney general this year.

Instead, Kennedy will run for a third term at his current post.
Presidential adviser Karl Rove has visited the state to recruit Kennedy to run against Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) as a Republican.

It is not clear whether Kennedy will run for reelection as a Republican or Democrat, but observers say if he switches parties for the race, it could be a signal that he will run for Senate.

— A.B.

Maryland

The anti-tax Club for Growth’s political action committee targeted its first incumbent Republican of the 2008 cycle Monday when it announced it would support Rep. Wayne Gilchrest’s (R) primary challenger.

The Club is supporting state Sen. Andrew Harris, a Republican running to the centrist congressman’s right. In announcing its support for Harris, the Club called Gilchrest “one of the most economically liberal Republicans in the House of Representatives.”

The Club has garnered lots of attention in recent cycles for supporting congressional Republicans’ primary challengers.
In 2004, it backed former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) against Sen. Arlen Specter (R). In 2006, it supported former Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey’s (R) long-shot run against Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.) and Tim Walberg’s (R) challenge to centrist Rep. Joe Schwarz (R-Mich.).

Both Toomey and Laffey narrowly lost. Walberg won and is in his first term in Congress.

— A.B.

Michigan

In an attempt to recall Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), activist James Carr launched a website this week to help him assemble the 50,000 signatures he needs to trigger a recall election.

A local election commission recently approved the language for Carr’s recall petition. The new website is at www.recallwalberg.com.

It is not completely clear whether a successful recall election would be able to remove Walberg from Congress. No member has ever been successfully recalled, and Congressional Research Service attorney Jack Maskell, who drafted a paper in 2003 on the possibility of recalling members of Congress, told The Hill that the U.S. Constitution doesn’t allow for it.

Carr cites the 10th Amendment, which states that any powers not delegated by the Constitution are reserved by the states.

The election commission did not consider constitutionality in its approval.

— A.B.

New Jersey

Republican state Assemblyman Michael Doherty has dropped out of the race against Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) and thrown his support to fellow GOP Assemblyman Joseph Pennacchio, who has yet to launch a campaign.

Doherty expressed the need to unite against the other Republican in the race, businesswoman Anne Evans Estabrook.
Pennacchio is weighing whether to launch an exploratory committee for the race but is currently focusing on his work in the state legislature.

— A.B.