The New York Times takes a birds-eye look at the gubernatorial contests in the Midwest. "At stake is far more than local policy making in a few state capitals. The new crop of governors will play a major role in deciding which party benefits from the pivotal redrawing next year of Congressional and state legislative districts, a once-in-a-decade occurrence... The results in the Midwest will also help to define crucial party organizing efforts leading up to the 2012 presidential campaign in some of the most coveted, up-for-grab states -- like Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin."

CALIFORNIA: "Meg Whitman is going on the radio today with a commercial hammering Jerry Brown’s record as mayor of Oakland, and keying off the recent scandal in Bell, Calif., that showed city officials in the small municipality pulling in big, six-figure salaries," Politico writes.

COLORADO: NPR sums up the circus that has been the Colorado Senate and gubernatorial primaries, which take place today. "Plagiarism? Check. Gender politics? Check. Charges of Wall Street coziness? Check. Competing presidential endorsements? Check. Bicycle-sharing as a United Nations plot? Check. Selling house for campaign cash? Check."

The AP: "Colorado's Republican voters face tough -- some might say dispiriting -- choices in Tuesday's primary. Should they vote for an accused plagiarist, or an opponent whose grasp of public policy has been questioned several times? Should they even wait to see if someone better comes along after the primary?"

The AP also jumps into the Senate race: Appointed Sen. Michael "Bennet faced the possibility of being the third senator this year to fail to win his party's nomination, after Sens. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, and Arlen Specter, D-Pa. The race was too close to call in advance polling, and it even divided two Democratic presidents." It also notes, "Colorado's primary is mostly mail-in, and early ballot totals suggested the election could set turnout records."

CONNECTICUT: "In the U.S. Senate race, the [new Quinnipiac] poll documents just how far Rob Simmons, the one-time front-runner in the Republican race, has fallen behind Republican Linda McMahon. Simmons lags 22 points behind McMahon in the poll of likely primary voters," the Hartford Courant writes. http://bit.ly/c0eHg5

"Even as McMahon tried to cement her lead going into today's vote, she was also preparing to pivot quickly to a general election contest against Blumenthal, with a couple of new ads already cut in case she does win today," the Connecticut Mirror writes. "'We are ready to go,' she said."

The Connecticut Post describes the funding strategies of the candidates in today's gubernatorial primary. "Lamont, a Greenwich cable TV entrepreneur, has raised close to $10 million, including millions of dollars from his personal fortune, while Malloy, the former 14-year Stamford mayor who won the endorsement of the party's state convention in May, has about $2.5 million through the public financing program. Foley, a private investor, a longtime GOP fundraiser and the winner of the May convention endorsement, has contributed millions of dollars to his campaign. Fedele has received about $2.5 million in public funds."

GEORGIA: The gubernatorial runoff "careens toward an end Tuesday, and in the closing weeks the bitter fight between Republicans Karen Handel and Nathan Deal has become a proxy war among several leading 2012 presidential candidates," including Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney who endorsed Karen Handel, and Mike Huckabee who gave a nod to Nathan Deal.

INDIANA: A poll released by the conservative Susan B. Anthony List has former Sen. Dan Coats (R) leading Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D) for Senate, 50%-35%.

MINNESOTA: While Republican state legislator Tom Emmer "is the prohibitive favorite in the GOP primary," the Democratic contest "is considered close between former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton, House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and former state legislator Matt Entenza," the AP writes. "Dayton and Entenza had personal fortunes to draw on. Kelliher had the party's backing and was hoping it would give her an edge in mobilizing voters."

OHIO: A Republican poll put out by the National Republican Congressional Committee claims Rep. Zack Space (D) is tied with GOP challenger state Sen. Bob Gibbs 43%-43%. That's despite this in Aug. 7th New York Times: "Representatives Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania, Walt Minnick of Idaho and Zack Space of Ohio are among the Democrats no longer seen by Republicans as easy targets." DCCC spokesman Ryan Rudominer says, "Their poll isn't credible." He highlights that Gibbs "only won his primary with 20 percent of the vote" and that he has had trouble raising money.