We'll Know Next Month

A lot of decisions will be made regarding 2008 in "the coming weeks" or "next month" or "soon." Here are two such decisions:

New Hampshire: The Portsmouth Herald reports:

[Portsmouth, NH] Mayor Steve Marchand said he may be entering the U.S. Senate race in the next few weeks.

The report adds:

Marchand is just one of a number of Democrats being mentioned in political circles for the coveted spot on the ballot, along with state Sens. Maggie Hassan, Joe Foster, Peter Burling, David Gottesman, and Stoneyfield Farm president Gary Hirshberg. Former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, who lost to Sununu in 2002, told the Boston Globe last fall she has not ruled out a rematch against Sununu. But according the recent Roll Call article that cites Marchand, those close to Shaheen say she will likely not run again.

Marchand even has his core message down:

"The right candidate has an ideology that matches the state of New Hampshire, fiscally conservative, socially moderate and environmentally progressive," he said. "I think that's what New Hampshire is, that's what I am, and I think that's the kind of representation we need in Washington."

Former Governor Shaheen would likely be the favorite if she got into the Democratic primary, but Marchand would indeed be a strong candidate to replace Sununu.

Nebraska: The Lincoln Journal Star reports on polling done to see who would win a GOP Senate primary if Chuck Hagel did not run for re-election:

Attorney General Jon Bruning led a December poll measuring the strength of potential Republican successors to Sen. Chuck Hagel if Hagel chooses not to seek re-election next year. ...

Bruning, re-elected last November without opposition, appears on course to bid for the Senate seat in 2008 if Hagel opts not to seek re-election.

Hagel is expected to announce this month whether he will pursue the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, seek re-election or leave elective office at the conclusion of his second Senate term. ...

However, the attorney general clearly appears to be laying groundwork for a possible bid. He spent nearly half a million dollars on positive TV campaign ads prior to his unopposed re-election.

I'd like to see a Nebraska press outlet release polling numbers matching up Bruning against Democrats Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey and 2006 Congressional candidate Scott Kleeb to see what kind of shot we have at this seat.