Massachusetts

Sept. 18, 2002 -- State Treasurer Shannon O'Brien won the Massachusetts Democratic gubernatorial primary Sept. 17 by capturing 33 percent of the vote. O'Brien's closest opponents in a field of four were former Clinton administration secretary of labor Robert Reich and former state senate president Thomas Birmingham who each received 25 percent of votes cast. Former State Senator Warren Tolman ran fourth.

O'Brien is the first woman in the state's history to be a major party's nominee for governor. However, she now faces a tough general election battle against former Salt Lake City Olympics Chairman and Boston businessman Mitt Romney, who was unopposed in the Republican primary.

Romney spent the primary raising cash and successfully campaigning for his running mate, criminology professor Kerry Healey, who beat state GOP chairman James Rappaport 64 percent to 36 percent. According to political experts, Healey's election indicates Romney's strength as a campaigner. Rappaport was the state convention's nominee and a favorite among conservatives.

Democrats have historically dominated state politics but Republican gubernatorial candidates have found some success. Current governor Jane Swift was preceded by two moderate Republicans, William Weld and Paul Celluci.

Political analysts have favored the well-financed Romney in the general election. Before being asked to rescue the scandal-riddled Salt Lake games, Romney made an unsuccessful run for the U.S. Senate against longtime Democratic senator Edward Kennedy.

Romney has cast himself as a moderate Republican, but O'Brien claims he has changed his image to become more palatable to Massachusetts voters.

O'Brien has faced criticism for her handling of the state's employee pension plan, which has suffered losses because of faltering stock markets. The Romney campaign had already begun to run ads critical of O'Brien's stewardship before the primary.

New Hampshire

This may be one of the busiest political states this fall with three races already considered competitive.

The largest of these fights will be for the U.S. Senate. Incumbent Bob Smith, a Republican who temporarily left the party for an ill-fated presidential run, went down to defeat in the primary Sept. 17. Smith was victim of resentment over his 2000 antics and a strong challenge from Congressman John Sununu, the son of the former governor and White House Chief of Staff. Sununu will face off against the state's popular governor, Democrat Jeanne Shaheen.

Sununu, who has run a largely low-key race, earned praise from the noted conservative editorial page of the Manchester Union-Leader, which called on outside political consultants to leave his campaign alone.

"In politics, as in policy, John Sununu knows what he's doing. Just let him do it," the paper wrote Sept. 13.

As the papers were hitting the pavement, Shaheen was already on the trail, accusing Sununu of being too cozy with big business, especially oil and pharmaceutical companies.

"It is a choice between a senator who will side with the powerful special interests or a senator who will stand up for New Hampshire's interests. John Sununu sides with them. I will side with you," Shaheen told more than 100 supporters in Concord.

Polls in this race rate the contest as very close, with Shaheen holding a small lead, but well within the margin of error.

The race is having two key ripple effects. In the battle to replace Shaheen as governor, businessman Craig Benson garnered the GOP nomination after spending a record amount in the primary - some $9 million or $161 per vote. Benson appears ready to spend much more in the general election -- he is worth some $600 billion. The free flow of campaign cash has worried some in the state that fear Benson may be buying the election.

"Craig was up at 5 in the morning and all over the state every day for months. Voters in New Hampshire are too smart to be bought," Benson spokesperson Kate Whitman said after his Sept. 10 primary win.

The Senate race also means Sununu's 1st District seat is also unguarded this fall. National analysts have said the race is a toss-up and this month's primary did little to clarify the situation.

Martha Fuller Clark, the Democrat running to replace Sununu, will get a boost this week when Minority Leader Dick Gephardt co-hosts an economic forum with her in Rochester Sept. 16.

Meanwhile, Republicans nominated state senator Jeb Bradley to run. Bradley, labeled a "liberal, pro-choice Republican" by the Union Leader, emerged from a heated and sometimes nasty primary that included seven other candidates. The Union Leader warned in its editorial, "State and national GOP officials missed a chance to here to elect a strong conservative to face Martha Fuller Clark... Now Fuller Clark will face off against a liberal, pro-choice Republican who may not energize conservatives."

Connecticut

Like the bulk of any campaign, this year most incumbents are safely ensconced in districts or states that will send them back to Washington with safe margins of victory. But every decade this tranquility is disrupted. The census comes through and redraws the political map. This year, one of the states looking at a different political world is Connecticut.

Due to sluggish population growth, Connecticut lost one of its House seats. The resulting district dropped U.S. Rep. Nancy Johnson into U.S. Rep. James Maloney's district. With two strong incumbents running, the race is already tight -- and with control of the House at stake in a series of races like this one, national interest is high.

A new poll released Sept. 13 by the University of Connecticut's Center for Survey Research and Analysis has Johnson leading Maloney by seven percent among all registered voters. Her lead dwindles to five percent when the poll includes only those likely to vote this November. Both surveys place the race within the margin of error.

"This is one of a handful of races whose outcome can tip the balance of partisan control in the House," Pollster Ken Dautrich said of his results. "Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans can count this one in the win column just yet."

Both candidates are likely to focus on the economy, health care and education -- the top three issues emphasized by voters in the survey.

Maine

If current surveys prove true, the Democrats may be closing in on securing Maine's governorship this fall. The latest report has Democratic U.S. Rep. John Baldacci with a more than 20-point lead over his Republican opponent.

The state's senate race is no closer in recent polls. A new survey released Sept. 13 has incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins up by 31 points. Although Democratic former state senator Chellie Pingree has closed the gap by nine points, most believe Collins' lead is too large and her finances too secure to really be challenged.

Despite the latest numbers, Pingree is pushing Collins for a series of public debates. A Collins spokeswoman said the senator wanted to debate, but could not agree to anything yet.

"Senator Collins is very eager to debate her opponent," spokeswoman Megan Sowards said. "We have received invitations for dozens of debates, but the senator has never missed a vote and it is unclear when the Senate will adjourn."

The Pingree campaign called on the senator to make a decision.

"Susan Collins may be the only senator in the country who has not agreed to debate," Pingree Communication Director Deborah Barron said. "I think she should join the rest of her colleagues in the senate and come home and debate the issues."