Given that Democrats are favored to win the June 25 special general election in Massachusetts to fill the state’s vacant U.S. Senate seat, the political world has focused more on Tuesday’s Democratic primary between Reps. Ed Markey and Stephen Lynch.

But don’t lose sight on the Republican primary -- not only because Republicans can win statewide office in Massachusetts (just ask Mitt Romney and Scott Brown), but also because the GOP race features a battle of former Romney aides.

These aides have fanned themselves out and are vigorously -- and, at times, viciously -- swatting at each other in support of their chosen candidates: former US Attorney Mike Sullivan, State Representative Dan Winslow, and Navy SEAL-turned-businessman Gabriel Gomez. 

A recent Western New England University poll -- conducted during a period of time before and after last week's Boston bombings -- found Gomez in the lead at 33 percent among likely Republican voters, Sullivan at 27 percent, and Winslow far behind at 9 percent. Gomez is far ahead in the money race (raising about $600,000 for the period ending April 10), and Winslow has racked up endorsements from the Boston Globe and Boston Herald.

Sullivan is being advised by Beth Myers and Peter Flaherty, two extremely loyal Romney insiders. Both served under the former GOP presidential nominee during his time as governor of Massachusetts -- Myers was his chief of staff and Flaherty was deputy chief of staff. They both remained in Romney's close inner circle during his presidential bids in 2008 and 2012.

Sullivan served as head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms from 2006-2009 under George W. Bush, and currently serves as a partner in former Attorney General John Ashcroft’s Boston law firm. On Saturday, he released a statement calling for Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s citizenship to be revoked, compared with his GOP rivals who wants Tsarnaev treated as an enemy combatant.

Winslow is a former Romney staffer himself -- he says he was the third hire after Romney became governor in 2002, serving as the governor’s chief legal counsel for two years.  (He now holds former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown's old seat in the state Senate.)  Winslow's communications director, Charlie Pearce, worked for the Romney presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012, and his campaign manager, Bobby Talbot, was a Florida aide for the Romney campaign last year.

Winslow is viewed as less conservative than his opponents, and he drew attention to his support for marriage equality by recently filing a query with the Federal Election Commission as to how to file campaign donations made by legally married same-sex couples.

Gomez, meanwhile, has the most Romney staffers on his payroll, and he’s perhaps most Romney-esque in his messaging -- constantly emphasizing he’s not a “career politician” and referring to his (lucrative) time in the private sector. His campaign is being run by Jill  Neunaber, who worked for Romney's 2012 effort in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Romney’s former communications director, Gail Gitcho, serves as senior advisor to Gomez; former Director of Operations Will Ritter is the press secretary; former aide Ryan Coleman is political director; and former Director of Digital Rapid Response Lenny Alcivar is communications director. Additionally, Bradley D. Crate, chief financial officer for the campaign, and Kerry Healey, Romney’s former lieutenant governor, also are on board, as well as a smattering of other advance team and Ann Romney aides are also in the mix.  Former Romney senior adviser Eric Fehrnstrom is advising the political action committee supporting Gomez.

Neunaber believes that her new boss shares some similarities with her old one. "I think they both run an organization similarly -- they pay close attention to details, they're numbers guys, they want to see how you're moving the needle on a daily basis."

But these former aides have also battled over one of Romney’s biggest legacy: his Massachusetts health-care law.

In a recent debate, Sullivan was asked about addressing entitlements within President Obama's newly proposed budget plan. He quickly pivoted from discussing the costs of Medicare to a new hit on Winslow -- tying his opponent to Romney’s health law, pejoratively referred to as “RomneyCare”.

"Dan essentially has talked previously with support in regard to the Massachusetts health-care program. I understood he actually worked on it before he left," Sullivan said.  "I would not use that as a model, Dan, in terms of a national health-care program. I would repeal ObamaCare. This is a big difference between Dan Winslow and myself. He essentially believes that ObamaCare should stay enforced."

Winslow immediately shot back that he had nothing to do with Romney's health-care law.  "I didn't have a hand in the drafting of RomneyCare... On ObamaCare, if there's a vote to repeal, of course I would vote to repeal."

Later, Winslow explained to NBC News that, having served under Romney for only the first two years of his term as governor, he had "zero" to do with the state health-care law.  "In the moment, I was just so stunned that Mike was throwing Obama talking points at me." 

But Winslow spokesman Charlie Pearce says he's confounded as to why Sullivan would be so misguided on the issue, given Sullivan’s connection to Myers and Flaherty.

"If Beth and Peter were behind that attack, they'd be savaging their own record," says Pearce.

Gomez did not comment on the exchange, and one of his staffers didn’t think the connection between “RomneyCare” and Winslow was particularly ill-conceived. "I think he was really trying to make a statement about Winslow running around the state constantly saying that he did things single handedly that Romney really did,” said the aide. “Sullivan was trying to hold his feet to the fire, calling his bluff."

Sullivan's campaign declined to make anyone available for comment on the issue, despite repeated requests.

Even given this back-and-forth over Massachusetts’ health-care law, there seems to be an overall feeling of camaraderie among the three campaigns. Winslow tells NBC that the bonds shared between the staffers extend long beyond this moment in time.  "This is a little family tussle, and we're all going to be family afterwards."  

Ritter from the Gomez camp concurs.  "As long as it's not lies and it's not personal, everybody's got to do what they've got to do. And after May 1, we'll all be working together -- I think that's pretty clear. There's no bad blood."

ALASKA: The Democratic-backed Council for American Job Growth is up with a TV ad touting Sen. Mark Begich (D).

HAWAII: “The lingering fallout from the 2008 presidential primaries could rear its head in another congressional contest — this time in Hawaii,” Roll Call writes. “The two Democrats who will face off in next year’s Senate primary took leading roles on opposite sides of the primary that pitted Barack Obama versus Hillary Rodham Clinton.”

MONTANA: Our colleague Jessica Taylor looks at Republicans who want Marc Racicot (R) to run for the state’s open Senate seat.

NEW YORK: Anthony Weiner says there might be other pictures out there… “If reporters want to go try to find more, I can’t say that they’re not going to be able to find another picture, or find another … person who may want to come out on their own, but I’m not going to contribute to that. The basics of the story are not gonna change,” he said on RNN-TV, per Politico.

Weiner made the media rounds and says he’ll decide on a mayoral run “soon,” per Political Wire.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Referring to South Carolina and Mark Sanford, Stu Rothenberg writes: “Republicans are on quite a streak when it comes to throwing away elections.” More: “This tossup contest tilts toward the Democrat. If Colbert Busch wins the seat next month, it won’t be because most voters wanted her to represent them in Congress. It will be because many voters — Republican voters — concluded that Sanford was unacceptable.”

“An outside group tied to South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is poised to go on the air early in the 2014 cycle,” Politico writes. “The Movement Fund, a registered 527 organization helmed by Republicans close to Haley, has booked about $130,000 in airtime in three major markets starting next week, according to a source tracking media buys.” More: “Haley is expected to face a serious reelection fight: a Winthrop Poll taken earlier this month found her approval rating just under 45 percent among registered South Carolina voters, with 39 percent disapproving of her job performance.”

“Hillary Clinton’s next chapter — the paid speaking circuit — begins today,” Maggie Haberman writes. “The former first lady, senator and secretary of state has overnight become one of the most in-demand speakers in the world — as a a reported $200,000-a-pop fee attests — even before she takes the stage at the National Multi-Housing Council in Dallas. A few hours earlier, also in Dallas, former Florida governor and fellow potential 2016 contender Jeb Bush will give his own address to the World Affairs Council. Both speeches — Bush’s is open to the press, Clinton’s is not — are on the eve of Thursday’s opening of the George W. Bush presidential library.”

“Jeb Bush can check the boxes needed to win the White House — money, résumé and connections.

But he’s also got a problem: his last name,” Politico notes. “Many leading Republicans say the former Florida governor would be a stronger candidate ahead of 2016, if they weren’t worried about Bush baggage. On Wednesday, he’ll be in the spotlight in Dallas, giving a speech ahead of the dedication of his brother’s museum.”

Over the weekend, David Catanese profiled Jon Huntsman and Huntsman 2.0 for the Daily Beast. "He’s begun dipping his toe back into the political pond—traversing the country at a brisk pace and delivering meaty op-eds and speeches that pointedly address the woes of his party. 'They want to see a vibrant two-party system,' he says of the universities and business groups that have extended speaking invitations to him. 'And I think they're curious at how we might regain that diverse debate that the two-party system allows in this country.'"

"But when asked if the reception he’s receiving indicates there’s an appetite for another White House run, it’s clear he’s not even sure of the answer. 'I don’t know.  It’s way premature,' he said."

ARKANSAS: “Mayor’s Against Illegal Guns, the well-funded group co-founded by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is seriously considering a months-long television, radio and direct-mail campaign against Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor, one of four Democrats who opposed expanding a background check for guns,” National Journal reports. “The goal: Make an example of him. Senior members of Mayor’s Against Illegal Guns met at length Sunday to debate potential responses to the failure of President Obama’s gun regulation package, including a watered-down background check provision that fell five votes short.”

MASSACHUSETTS: “The final debate of the Senate Democratic primary devolved into an exchange of insults and character allegations Tuesday night, as Representatives Edward J. Markey and Stephen F. Lynch abandoned collegiality for a heated confrontation with one week remaining in their contest,” the Boston Globe writes, adding, “The sharpest exchange, though, came when Markey said Lynch’s opposition to federal financial assistance for manufacturers prompted an endorsement for Markey from an automobile workers union. Lynch retorted that he had voted for that bailout, frequently praised by the Obama administration as a successful countermeasure to the recession.” 

LYNCH: “I don’t want to call you a liar, but you are.”
MARKEY (to the moderator): “Steve was inappropriately, personally insulting.”
LYNCH: “I take it back, you’re not a liar, you’re just misinformed.”
MARKEY: “He is incorrigible here.”

The Senate candidates are back on air after the Boston bombings.

MONTANA: “The surprise retirement of Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) immediately swung attention to the state’s former Democratic governor, Brian Schweitzer, who declined to say Tuesday if he would seek the job,” the Mark Z. Barabak writes in the L.A. Times.

Schweitzer told Barabak: “I’ll look around once I climb that mountain. There should be a pretty good view from there. I’ll look around and see what I do next.” But he indicated he’s not in a rush to leave Montana: “There’s not a sound to be heard, unless it’s the howl of a wolf or the yip of a coyote. Life is good. You can print that in the L.A. Times." (Irony: Schweitzer lives on Georgetown Lake in Montana.)

NEW JERSEY: Chris Christie leads Barbara Buono (D) 58%-26% for the governor’s race and he has a 67% approval rating in the latest Quinnipiac poll.

VIRGINIA: Writing for the New Republic, David Catanese notes that Ken Cuccinelli could be the GOP’s next big star if he wins Virginia’s gubernatorial contest. “If indeed he’s able to dispatch former Democratic National Committee chairman and uber-fundraiser Terry McAuliffe just as Republicans are enduring a wrenching period of soul-searching about their identity, his timing could be impeccable. He has the social conservative street cred of Rick Santorum, speaks the libertarian language of Rand Paul, and brandishes the constitutional acumen of Ted Cruz. And if he captures the governorship, odds are he’ll have a longer list of tangible achievements in two years than Marco Rubio racks up in five. He'll also, surely, have a longer list of controversies.”

It used to be that being a businessman was a sterling credential on a political resume.

Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, and his allies, annihilated that axiom in 2012, morphing Republican challenger Mitt Romney into an outsourcing, job-killing, vulture capitalist who had something to hide by not releasing (more of) his tax returns. 

That playbook is now in full effect again. But this time it’s being employed by a Republican, Ken Cuccinelli, against a Democrat Terry McAuliffe, best known as a prolific Democratic fundraiser and Clinton ally.

“If you have nothing to hide… then release the documents,” a Cuccinelli video says, excerpting McAuliffe himself, urging the Democrat to release his tax returns. On Thursday, Cuccinelli released eight years of tax returns.

The video is full of quotes from President Obama and former Obama adviser David Axelrod to Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi  -- all from when they were calling on Romney to release his for the sake of “transparency.”

It’s just the latest page in the Cuccinelli playbook against McAuliffe. Earlier this month, the campaign released a blistering video, slamming McAuliffe for his involvement in Greentech Automotive. It blasts him for not creating the jobs he said it would and noting that the car plant was essentially outsourced to Mississippi – instead of creating jobs in Virginia.

It even uses this quote from ex-president Bill Clinton, under whom McAuliffe was DNC chair: “I would buy a new car from Terry. But a used car? I am not so sure about a used car.” (Beth Reinhard at National Journal has previously written about how Republicans are using the Romney playbook against McAuliffe.)

“Terry McAuliffe is running on a perceived business acumen, and that is his credential to talk about jobs and the economy, which is the core of his candidacy,” an operative close to the Cuccinelli campaign said. “That is quickly being taken away from him and discredited, and that will leave him rudderless.”

As for the comparison to the anti-Romney strategy, principally used by Super PAC Priorities USA, which ran brutal ads in Virginia, the operative did not shy away from it.

“It’s not that the Democrats and Terry made these arguments,” the operative said. “It’s that they made these arguments a few months ago, which puts them in a very tough position to defend a candidate, who directly opposes a position they took a few months ago. … To the degree that draws attention to Terry and the position that puts him in, all the better.”

Democrats see it as nothing more than a way to grab attention and change the subject. Cuccinelli -- whose conservative views on everything from gay marriage and abortion to investigating climate scientists at the University of Virginia have called into question whether he is in step with this state Obama won twice -- has also been under the microscope for his investments in a company called Star Scientific. Cuccinelli's office was representing Virginia in a tax lawsuit Star Scientific filed. 

"It's been a month of editorials and front-page stories highlighting Ken Cuccinelli's ethics problems and lack of transparency, so it's no surprise that he's trying to change the subject with misleading attacks,” said Josh Schwerin, press secretary for McAuliffe. “Even the most conservative editorial board in Virginia is calling Ken Cuccinelli's attacks an attempt to distract from his ongoing conflict of interest scandal. Ken Cuccinelli has zero credibility when he is refusing to answer questions about why he failed to disclose that he bought stock in a company while he was supposed to be pursuing them for unpaid taxes."

Noticing the Romney strategy, the Richmond Times-Dispatch wrote, “The move serves two purposes: It deflects attention from the Star Scientific flap, and it flips the traditional partisan script.”

There’s also a question as to whether employing the Romney strategy will work against McAuliffe, because there were two steps to the strategy behind the Priorities USA ads. It wasn’t just that Romney was a rich guy, there was also a policy pivot to his support of tax cuts that benefited the wealthiest.

It’s a point that even Republican pollster David Winston made to the Washington Post. “It’s how you translate it [into] what McAuliffe would do if he were elected,” he said. “Here are these interesting points. Now why does this matter in terms of policies?” 

As the Times-Dispatch concluded: “This is all mildly entertaining, though it has about as much relevance to issues such as education and transportation as the size of a candidate’s hat. No matter. Last week Republicans tried to make political hay out of McAuliffe’s decision to skip the Shad Planking, an event about which few voters know and even fewer care. It is going to be that kind of campaign.”

This story was originally published on Tue Apr 23, 2013 12:00 PM EDT

HAWAII: Political Wire: “Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI) has decided to challenge Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) in the Democratic primary next year, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reports.”

MASSACHUSETTS: ‘The two Democratic hopefuls for Massachusetts’ open Senate seat went toe-to-toe Monday night in a debate filled with fireworks. Representative Stephen F. Lynch, Democrat of South Boston, went on the attack repeatedly against the voting record of Representative Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Malden, who is widely seen as the frontrunner in the two-man race,” the Boston Globe writes.

AP: “Democratic U.S. Senate hopefuls Edward Markey and Stephen Lynch clashed Monday night on homeland security in their first debate since the Boston Marathon attacks.”

On the GOP side, Gabriel Gomez got the endorsement of ex-Gov. Bill Weld. 

MICHIGAN: “Even though a big majority of recently polled Michigan voters don’t know who Democrats Mark Schauer and Bart Stupak are, the two politicians are in a dead heat with Gov. Rick Snyder in head-to-head matchups for the 2014 gubernatorial election,” the Detroit Free Press writes. An EPIC/MRA poll finds: “Schauer holds a slim 39-38% lead over Snyder, while Stupak is a point behind Snyder at 38-39%.”

Snyder’s fav/unfav dropped from 55% in December before the right-to-work legislation controversy to just 42% now with 46% having a negative view. And his job approval was 38%/58%. 

NEW YORK: “Amid a growing perception that corruption is a serious problem in New York, six politicians are up for arraignment in a case that alleges an audacious plot to buy a line on New York City’s mayoral ballot,” AP writes.

So… maybe Weiner’s not so bad? “Former Congressman Anthony Weiner is back on the social network that helped end his career in public service,” the New York Daily News writes. “Weiner, who infamously sent lewd pictures of himself over Twitter in 2011, officially rejoined the social network Monday, the Daily News has confirmed. It’s possibly another indication that he will jump into the 2013 mayoral race.” 

Mike Bloomberg thinks telecommuting is “one of the dumbest ideas.”

SOUTH DAKOTA: Political Wire: “Former Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader she is seriously considering a run for the U.S. Senate and plans to make her decision soon.” 

VIRGINIA: Bill Hamlet Bolling… He tells the Richmond Times-Dispatch that he wished he’d waited longer: "If I have one regret about the decision it's that I wish I had waited longer. Because if I had waited longer I think we may have (seen) the direction these campaigns were going and that may have made it easier to raise more money." (H/T: Political Wire.)

Mark Sanford’s campaign took the unusual step of buying a full-page ad in the Sunday Charleston Post and Courier in which the candidate makes a direct appeal to voters days after it was revealed that his ex-wife Jenny Sanford accused him of trespassing at her home.

The charge, which he does not deny, questioned whether the South Carolina Republican could maintain his front-runner status in the special election for his old congressional seat – despite its conservative leanings -- against Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch.

Sanford, who begins by saying, “It’s been a rough week” -- though he makes no mention of the Boston bombings -- goes on for more than 1,200 words, giving his version of events that brought him to ex-wife Jenny’s house on the day of the Super Bowl, says the news of the revelation caught him “by surprise,” and even tries to blame the media.

“Leaving aside the unusual timing of supposedly sealed documents coming to light two weeks before an election – Jenny and I have both agreed that our efforts at raising our four boys are best considered and weighed privately, rather than over the airwaves,” he writes. “Though we may be public figures, we are still human figures who struggle just as so many other families and divorced couples do in getting childrearing right as best you can. It’s hard enough on its own and it’s nearly impossible when the media is sensationalizing things.”

He adds, “By original accounts you would have thought I was randomly sneaking around the house at Sullivans, when, in fact, I was returning a son from a neighborhood Super Bowl party. I did, indeed, watch the second half of the Super Bowl at the beach house with our 14-year-old son because, as a father, I didn’t think he should sit alone and watch it.”

He also warned of stepped-up spending by national Democrats on behalf of Colbert Busch, ahead of the May 7^th special election. Last week, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Democratic super PAC House Majority PAC both announced six-figure ad buys in the district, running tough anti-Sanford ads. He says the ads “hit hard” but are “untrue.”

“It seems like Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have decided to try and buy this race,” he contends.

He should also be concerned about stepped down Republican spending. The National Republican Congressional Committee announced last week that it would stop raising money for Sanford’s race.

Sanford’s ex-wife has repeatedly said, her goal was to protect her children. On the night of Sanford’s primary victory, his 14-year-old son Bolton was seen in a picture behind Sanford and next to Sanford’s ex-mistress and now-fiancée, Maria Belen Chapur, a TV reporter from Argentina. It was Bolton’s first time meeting Chapur.

“That was indeed Bolton’s first intro and both boys were quite upset and visibly so,” Jenny Sanford texted to the Washington Post.

There has been no public polling since the revelations that had been in divorce documents, but clearly Sanford is worried they will have an effect on his campaign.

As he has in the past, Sanford told readers to call his campaign headquarters if they had questions. But this time, he even offered what he says is his cell phone number. 

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is going up with a new TV ad hitting Republican Mark Sanford in South Carolina's special congressional election.

And the DCCC ad throws the kitchen sink at Sanford -- the affair with the Argentine mistress, misusing taxapayer money, the Appalachian Trail.

"Mark Sanford walked out on us," the advertisement goes, showing the image of someone hiking. It continues that Sanford "violated our trust, secretly used thousands of taxpayer dollars flying to Argentina -- and then lied about it."

"Now he wants our trust again? Maybe Mark Sanford should just keep walking."

The ad buy (April 19-28 at $205,000) is in the Charleston and Savannah markets, per the DCCC.

The ad comes as House Majority PAC, a Democratic Super PAC, is airing a similar TV advertisement against Sanford, while the former South Carolina governor is hitting Democratic nominee Elizabeth Colbert Busch with an ad tying to her to unions.

The general election is on May 7.

NBC News has confirmed that the National Republican Congressional Committee has decided -- for now -- not to assist former Gov. Mark Sanford in the special congressional election in South Carolina.

"Mark Sanford has proven he knows what it takes to win elections. At this time, the NRCC will not be engaged in this special election," said NRCC spokeswoman Andrea Bozek.

This announcement by the NRCC comes after Sanford's ex-wife accused him of trespassing at her home. Sanford, a Republican, faces Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch in the May 7 general election.

In addition, House Majority PAC, a Democratic Super PAC, announced that it will begin airing a new six-figure TV ad hitting Sanford for his affair and misuse of taxpayer dollars.

"He charged us $400,000 to travel around the world -- to France, China, and Argentina," the ad goes as it shows an image of a couple holding hands.

The ad ends with these words, "Mark Sanford doesn't share our values."

Meanwhile, Sanford has begun to air his own TV ad knocking Elizabeth Colbert Busch, National Journal reports.

"Elizabeth Colbert Busch says she knows jobs and will be independent, but she's not telling you she's supported by labor unions."

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who is running for his old congressional seat, responded to a complaint that he trespassed at the home of his ex-wife, Jenny Sanford, by saying that he simply was watching the Super Bowl with his son.

"It's an unfortunate reality that divorced couples sometimes have disagreements that spill over into family court. I did indeed watch the second half of the Super Bowl at the beach house with our 14 year old son, because as a father I didn't think he should watch it alone," Sanford said. "Given she was out of town I tried to reach her beforehand to tell her of the situation that had arisen, and met her at the back steps under the light of my cell phone when she returned and told her what had happened.

Sanford continued, "There is always another side to every story, and while I am particularly curious how records that were sealed to avoid the boys dealing with embarrassment are now somehow exposed less than three weeks before this election, I agree with Jenny that the media is no place to debate what is ultimately a family court matter, and out of respect for Jenny and the boys, I'm not going to have any further comment at this time."

According to the AP, Sanford is required to appear at a court hearing to answer the complaint on May 9, two days after the special election for South Carolina’s first congressional seat, featuring him and Democratic nominee Elizabeth Colbert Busch.

Sanford is also set to debate Colbert Busch on April 29 -- campaign spokesman Joel Sawyer said there are no plans to change his debate schedule.

*** UPDATE *** NBC News has obtained the complaint, filed with a Charleston County circuit court, charging that Sanford “entered into a pattern of entering onto [Jenny Sanford's] property” and that she had told him “on a number of occasions that this behavior is in violation” of their divorce court order. 

Here is a link to the complaint.

“House Democrats are winning the early round of the 2013 fundraising battle over a number of at-risk Republicans,” The Hill writes. “Several House Republicans facing potentially tough reelection campaigns reported lackluster results in first-quarter filings with the Federal Election Commission, which were due Monday.”

MASSACHUSETTS: “Representative Stephen F. Lynch, Democrat of South Boston, said today he is “close friends” with the family of Martin Richard, the eight-year-old boy who died in Monday’s attacks,” the Boston Globe writes.

NEW YORK: Marist tested Anthony Weiner and found he’d jump to second place in a Democratic primary behind Christine Quinn, 26%-15%. But big warning sign: “Among Democrats, 46% are open-minded about a Weiner candidacy while 50% would not consider voting for him for mayor.  Five percent are unsure. Among all registered voters, 40% say that they would consider voting for him. But, 52% would not, and 8% are unsure.”

SOUTH CAROLINA: “Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s ex-wife has accused him of trespassing at her home in violation of their divorce settlement, and a judge set a hearing two days after the Republican will stand for election in his effort to mount a political comeback by winning a vacant congressional seat,” the AP reports. “Jenny Sanford confirmed Tuesday that court documents from family court acquired by The Associated Press outlining the complaint were authentic. … The complaint says Jenny Sanford confronted the former governor leaving her Sullivans Island home on Feb. 3 by a rear door, using his cell phone for a flashlight. Her attorney filed the complaint the next day. The couple’s 2010 divorce settlement says neither may enter the other’s home without permission. Mark Sanford lives about a 20-minute drive away from Sullivans Island in downtown Charleston.”

“Jenny Sanford does not care how a trespassing complaint against her ex-husband Mark Sanford could affect his chances of winning a congressional race next month, the former S.C. first lady told The State on Tuesday.” She said, ““The race is not a concern. I am focused on raising my children.”

SOUTH CAROLINA: NBC’s Ali Weinberg reports: Comedian Stephen Colbert Busch's D.C. fundraiser for his sister Elizabeth went on as planned tonight, but it was very somber, according to sources in the event. After a moment of silence, Colbert recalled how he and his sister were together in New York City after the September 11th terrorist attacks. "Thinking about events in Boston made me think of my sister. She was in New York City on 9/11, and I said to her, 'I wish you could have seen my city on a different day.' She said, 'No, it's beautiful. People are coming together to help each other.'"

Head of the DCCC Steve Israel, per National Journal: "I am here to tell you that we are in this race… In three weeks and two days she will come to Washington and take her oath of office.”

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) is urging a federal appeals court to overturn a three-judge panel's decision to declare an anti-sodomy law unconstitutional.

The Washington Blade reports that Cuccinelli filed a formal "petition with the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond asking the full 15-judge court to reconsider a decision by a three-judge panel last month that overturned the state's sodomy law. The three-judge panel ruled 2-1 on March 12 that a section of Virginia's 'Crimes Against Nature' statute that outlaws sodomy between consenting adults, gay or straight, is unconstitutional based on a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2003 known as Lawrence v. Texas."

Steve Helber / Steve Helber / AP file photo

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli speaks at a press conference Thursday, June 28, 2012.

Cuccinelli will be formally nominated as the Republican nominee in this year's governor's race by the state party at its convention May 18.

The move could potentially have repercussions for his gubernatorial bid in a state Barack Obama won in both 2008 and 2012. It also comes just as the U.S. Supreme Court is considering two cases dealing with gay rights, after the national party has urged Republicans to accept gays and lesbians, and as Senate Republicans like Rob Portman of Ohio and Mark Kirk of Illinois have announced their support for same-sex marriage.

Cuccinelli will be running against likely Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe, the former Democratic National Committee chairman and major Bill and Hillary Clinton fundraiser, in what is sure to be one of the most closely watched races this year.

More background from the Blade:

"The March 12 ruling of the appeals court's three-judge panel overturned a lower court decision upholding the conviction of a 37-year-old man charged in 2005 with soliciting a 17-year-old woman to engage in oral sex. The Attorney General's office argued that the Supreme Court's Lawrence decision didn't apply to cases involving minors. But 4th Circuit Appeals Court Judge Robert King, who wrote the majority opinion, said the Lawrence decision rendered the Virginia sodomy statue 'facially' or completely unconstitutional. He stated other laws could be used to prosecute an adult for engaging in sex with a minor and that the Virginia General Assembly would likely have authority under the Lawrence decision to pass a new law specifically outlawing sodomy between an adult and a minor."