2010 Midterms: Latest News on the Hot Races

California

Power of Environmental Issues a Wild Card in This Year's Governor, Senate Races

Californians' concern for the environment has long been a factor in statewide politics. As the Los Angeles Times notes, many Republicans who have run for top offices -- like outgoing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Gov. Pete Wilson, when he served in the Senate -- have staked out pro-environment positions.

But this year, GOP Senate candidate Carly Fiorina and gubernatorial contender Meg Whitman are betting economic uncertainty and the state's 12 percent-plus unemployment rate will trump environmental concerns, the Times reports.

The San Francisco Chronicle describes both Fiorina and Whitman as favoring offshore drilling and being cool to one of this year's ballot initiatives, Proposition 23. The measure, supported by the oil industry, would suspend rules aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions until unemployment falls to 5.5 percent. Fiorina has accused Sen. Barbara Boxer, a Democrat, of driving an extreme environmental agenda instead of focusing on jobs.
Meanwhile, a poll by the Public Policy Institute of California, conducted July 6-20, says that Californians' support for offshore drilling has plunged since the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, with 59 percent now opposed, compared with 36 percent in favor. That's a dramatic turnaround since last year, when 51 percent favored offshore drilling and 43 percent were opposed.

PPIC says "an overwhelming majority (79 percent) of likely voters say the gubernatorial candidates' positions on the environment are at least somewhat important." Among those who say environmental issues are "very" important, Democrat Jerry Brown leads Whitman by 50 percent to 16 percent. But for those who say they are only "somewhat" important, Whitman leads by 42 percent to 33 percent.

In the Senate race, voters who say environmental concerns are "very" important support Boxer by 54 percent to 18 percent. Those who say the issue is only "somewhat" important are more evenly divided.

PPIC's horse race figures have Boxer leading Fiorina by 39 percent to 34 percent, with 4 percent preferring another candidate and 22 percent undecided. Brown leads Whitman by 37 percent to 34 percent, with 6 percent preferring another choice and 23 percent undecided. The margin of error is 2 points.

Florida

"Bud" Chiles Not Looking to Be a "Spoiler" in Independent Bid for Governor

Florida Democrats are said to be hoping that Lawton "Bud" Chiles, son of Florida's former Democratic governor and senator Lawton Chiles, drops his idea of running as an independent in the governor's race for fear he'll draw votes away from the presumptive party nominee, state Treasurer Alex Sink. But Chiles insists he's not a "spoiler," says the Orlando Sentinel.

"I'm not looking to be a spoiler," he told the Sentinel. "If I thought the Democratic Party could fix things, I'd be all for it. But they can't."

When he announced his candidacy, Chiles said: "The political parties are not the solution. They are part of a system that pits big money against big money. I won't play that game." But deciding to run as an independent instead of taking on Sink for the Democratic nomination buys him more time to get his campaign going since the Aug. 24 primary is quickly approaching.

The Sentinel said polls show he "could siphon off 10 percent to 15 percent of the vote from Sink," which in a close race "could tip the election to the Republican candidate -- either former health-care executive Rick Scott or Attorney General Bill McCollum."

Colorado

Tancredo Already Showing Signs of Being Headache for Republicans

When former GOP Rep. Tom Tancredo announced this week he would run for governor as the candidate of the American Constitution Party, he said he was doing so in the belief that the two candidates seeking the Republican nomination couldn't win. He also said his own campaign would "solely target" Mayor John Hickenlooper of Denver, the Democratic candidate.

But Tancredo is already sending out some unfriendly signals to former Republican Rep. Scott McInnis, one of the contenders for the GOP nod. Tancredo said he was going to take back the "Platform for Prosperity," which he helped write while advising McInnis, and use it for himself, according to The Denver Post.

The newspaper said that Tancredo's decision to jump into the race as a third party candidate has "sent the Colorado GOP into turmoil" and quoted the state party chairman, Dick Wadhams, as saying that Tancredo would split the conservative vote with the GOP nominee and hand the election to Hickenlooper.