Daily Rundown: 6/4/10

IN-Sen: A new Rasmussen poll shows former Sen. Dan Coats (R) comfortably ahead of Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D), 47% to 33%. This is similar to a poll released by them about a month ago, which had Coats up by 15 points. Meanwhile, Indiana Democrats are trying to tie Coats to the gulf coast oil leak, releasing a web video asking: "What do BP & Halliburton have in common? They both share responsibility for the worst environmental disaster in US history ... and they are both clients of Dan Coats' lobbying firm. ... In the Senate, he'd answer to them ... not you."

PA-Sen: A new Rasmussen poll finds former Rep. Pat Toomey (R) retaking the lead over Rep. Joe Sestak (D), 45% to 38%. A Rasmussen poll from two weeks ago showed Sestak up four points, which the pollster attributed to a post-primary bump.

NY-Gov: Former Rep. Rick Lazio won the endorsement of the state Republican Party this week to take on heavy favorite Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) in the general election. State GOP chairman Ed Cox's pick for the nomination was Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, who he got to switch parties to run for governor as a Republican. Lazio's nomination was a huge embarrassment to Cox, who's leadership is now coming under fire. There has even been talk of replacing him as the chairmen after he failed to find a good candidate to put up against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D), oversaw two crushing special election defeats, and failed to avoid House GOP primary fights.

SC-Gov: Gubernatorial candidate state Rep. Nikki Haley (R) has said that she would resign as governor if the allegations of her marital infidelity turn out to be true. Meanwhile, she's getting some last-minute support from Sarah Palin who recorded a robo-call on her behalf. And Haley, who is Indian-American, also become the target of some racial slurs from state Sen. Jake Knotts, who supports Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer's campaign. Said Knotts: "We already got one raghead in the White House, we don’t need a raghead in the governor’s mansion." Yikes.

ID-01: State Rep. Raul Labrador, who defeated NRCC favorite Vaughn Ward in the May 25 primary, needs some help. His campaign is basically broke and has lost much of its staff, and his still not won over the full-fledged support of the NRCC. Mr. Labrador's going to Washington to try to mend some fences with (and get some money from) the NRCC, but don't expect him to be added to their "Young Guns" recruitment program.

NC-08: Former broadcaster Harold Johnson (R) is attacking his runoff rival, businessman Tim D'Annunzio (R), with a new radio ad accusing his opponent of living a "life of drugs, crime and time served in prison." It later adds, "The troubles of the country will only be made worse by a man with such a troubled past." With all of these accusations appearing to be true, I'd peg Johnson as the heavy favorite to win the June 22 runoff.

OH-18: Agriculture Commissioner Fred Dailey conceded the GOP nomination to state Sen. Bob Gibbs today. Dailey ran against Rep. Zack Space (D) in 2008, and lost to Gibbs in last month's primary by 156 votes--triggering an automatic recount. Space is widely considered to be vulnerable this cycle, and has been placed on the DCCC's Frontline defense program. I currently rate the race as: Lean Democrat.