Update on NY 20

Tedisco is now trailing by 8 votes and is not doing as well in the absentee votes from several counties he won on election night ( military votes in every county will not be counted till 13th).  For example, in Renssalaer County — largest of the four counties that completed absentee counts Thursday — Tedisco was ahead by 474 votes on election night, but among absentee voters trailed by 19. Saratoga County, the district’s most populous, has not completed the count of its absentee ballots.

KY Bunning (R)

Attorney General Jack Conway announced he is running for US Senate Seat of Jim Bunning setting up a contested Democratic primary election next year with Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo, who nearly defeated Bunning in 2004.

Conway’s Senate bid is his second attempt to serve in Congress. In 2002, he challenged Republican Rep. Anne M. Northup in the Louisville-based 3rd District and lost by 3 percentage points; that seat now is held by Democrat John Yarmuth. Conway was elected state Attorney General in 2007.

AR Lincoln (D)

Sen. Blanche Lincoln,an Arkansas Democrat, raised $1.7 million during the year’s first quarter for her 2010 re-election bid.

Lincoln now has 2.3 million COH

Wisconsin Doyle (D)

Wisconsin Democrats plan to run an ad Sunday on a Milwaukee TV station attacking Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, a likely Republican candidate for governor next year.

MI Open Seat (D)

Saying he can’t justify leaving his job as Oakland County executive, L. Brooks Patterson said this morning that he won’t run for governor.

He was in a growing field of potential Republican candidates for governor in 2010, including Attorney General Mike Cox, Secretary ofState Terri Lynn Land, U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra, state Sen. Tom George of Texas Township, Ann Arbor businessmen David Brandon and Rick Snyder and Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.

Potential Democrats in the race include: Lt. Gov. John Cherry, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, Speaker of the House Andy Dillon, Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel, former MSU football coach George Perles and former Flint Mayor Don Williamson.

TN Open Seat (D)

Sen. Roy Herron says he will run for Tennessee governor in 2010.

The Dresden Democrat said Wednesday that he and his family have “carefully and prayerfully considered” his decision. Herron said he will make a formal announcement later but didn’t specify a date.

Herron becomes the third Democratic gubernatorial candidate. He joins Nashville businessman Ward Cammack and former state House Majority Leader Kim McMillan of Clarksville.

As for the Republican candidates, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp of Chattanooga and Memphis prosecutor Bill Gibbons have declared so far. Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey of Blountville has formed an exploratory committee.