Senate

● IN-Sen: While GOP Rep. Luke Messer has been raising money like a Senate candidate, he still hasn't announced if he will challenge Democratic incumbent Joe Donnelly. While Messer said back in March that he was "probably a couple of months away from making a final decision," he's pushed back his timeline. Messer recently said his decision will come "in the next couple months."

Fellow Rep. Todd Rokita also has also made it no secret that he wants a promotion to the upper chamber, and his people recently told Howey Politics that they expect him to declare he's running in the early summer. State Sen. Mike Delph is also publicly considering, while state Attorney General Curtis Hill and state Rep. Mike Braun reportedly are also thinking about getting in.

Gubernatorial

● GA-Gov: On Wednesday, 2014 Democratic nominee Jason Carter announced that he would not run for governor again next year. Carter, a former state senator and a grandson of Jimmy Carter, had expressed interest in a second bid back in January. However, Carter is reportedly close to state Rep. Stacey Evans, and after she announced last week that she would run, it looked very unlikely that Carter would join the primary.

State House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams will reportedly kick off her bid this weekend, and Carter spoke well of "both Staceys" without issuing an endorsement. Carter was the last noteworthy Georgia Democrat who had showed any interest in running for governor, so the primary field will likely be set once Abrams declares, barring any unexpected developments. Carter himself did not rule out a future campaign, though the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says it would "likely [be] for statewide rather than federal office in future cycles."

● IL-Gov: "Blago." It's the last name anyone involved in Illinois politics ever wants to be associated with, but now Blago—as imprisoned former Gov. Rod Blagojevich has always been best known—has re-emerged to haunt billionaire venture capitalist J.B. Pritzker, who is one of the frontrunners for the post Blagojevich held until his impeachment and removal from office on corruption charges in 2009.

On the road to his spectacular implosion, Blagojevich was investigated by the FBI, which had wiretapped several of his phones. Recordings of some Blagojevich calls had been made public during his corruption trial in 2010, but now the Chicago Tribune has obtained audio of previously unreleased conversations between Blagojevich and Pritzker from November of 2008 in which Pritzker asked Blagojevich, a fellow Democrat, if the governor would consider appointing him to the post of state treasurer.

The move never happened, since it was contingent on the possibility of then-Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias leaving office early for a job with the Obama administration. And, at least in the calls we're now privy to, Pritzker didn't suggest anything untoward, though Blagojevich did at one point ask Pritzker for a sizable campaign contribution, equivalent to the $50,000 Pritzker had recently given state Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Pritzker demurred, saying "everything's up in the air," though he and his wife had previously donated at least $140,000 to Blagojevich's gubernatorial campaigns.

Questioned by reporters about his talks with Blagojevich, Pritzker says that "there was nothing inappropriate about my conversation with the governor." But Pritzker's interest in the treasurer's job came as the pincers were very publicly closing around Blagojevich, who was just weeks away from arrest at the time. (Delusional to the last, Blagojevich reassured Pritzker on one call that his legal woes would "just fade away" as soon as some "statutes of limitations" had passed.)

And one of the acts that earned Blagojevich a rather astounding 14-year sentence was the governor's infamous attempt to "sell" the Senate seat Barack Obama had vacated in order to benefit himself. Blagojevich in fact asked Pritzker to consider a Senate appointment, though Pritzker made it clear he wasn't especially interested in the gig, and in the audio of his calls with Blagojevich, you can hear how Pritzker kept steering the conversation back to the treasurer's post.

So, unless we learn more, this all looks like unappealing transactional politics rather than actual wrongdoing—and if the FBI ever had any concerns, they would have looked into this matter long ago. However, Blago is so horribly tainted that Pritzker's would-be Republican opponent, Gov. Bruce Rauner, will undoubtedly jump on this new opportunity to tie the two men together. In fact, Rauner had already tried doing just that last year, with robocalls that used some of the recordings released at Blagojevich's trial. (Those calls only featured the governor and his aides discussing naming Pritzker to Obama's Senate seat in exchange for campaign cash.)

At the time, a Pritzker spokesman dismissed the robocalls' content as "the crazy rantings of Rod Blagojevich," but that same defense isn't going to work now.

● MI-Gov: This week, a Michigan Republican announced he was running for governor, just not the one we expected. Termed-out state Sen. Patrick Colbeck, who is close to tea partiers, jumped in the race to succeed outgoing GOP incumbent Rick Snyder. Colbeck most recently began a drive to create Choose Life" license plates that would raise money for the anti-abortion group Right to Life of Michigan, and he's also supported other tea party friendly causes.

We had expected Lt. Gov. Brian Calley to launch his bid this week after he spent $500,000 in late April on an internet ad campaign that featured him promoting his work with Snyder, and concludes with the text "5.30.17" flashing across the screen. However, Calley instead announced on that day that he was pushing a 2018 ballot measure to make serving in the state legislature a part-time job. Still, it doesn't sound like Calley is backing off his plans to run. Attorney General Bill Schuette is another likely GOP candidate, and he and Calley would almost certainly start out as the primary frontrunners.

On the Democratic side, there may be a new candidate before too long. University of Michigan Board of Regents member Mark Bernstein, a prominent and wealthy attorney, expressed interest in running after Rep. Dan Kildee announced that he would stay out. Bernstein sounds likely to get in, telling Detroit Today that he's "taking every step I need to take … to make it possible," though he hasn't committed to anything. However, while there was some chatter that unnamed people were trying to convince Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan to run, Duggan reaffirmed that he wouldn't go for it. Ex-state Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer and former Detroit Health Commissioner Abdul El-Sayed are already in.

● NH-Gov: Last week, WMUR reported that unnamed Democrats were urging Executive Councilor Andru Volinsky to challenge GOP Gov. Chris Sununu next year. Volinsky recently told NH1 that he is "going to give it serious consideration over the course of the summer and maybe into September." Volinsky was elected to New Hampshire's unique five-person executive council last year, and he delighted progressives by grilling Sununu's nominees to head the state department of education and for administrative services commissioner. Volinsky is also close to labor and to Bernie Sanders' supporters.

A few other Granite State Democrats have been eyeing a race against Sununu, who narrowly won his first two-year term last year. Ex-Portsmouth Mayor and 2016 primary candidate Steve Marchand is already running, while fellow 2016 candidate Mark Connolly, a former state securities regulator, has not ruled it out. Neither man did very well in last year's primary, though, with Colin Van Ostern leading Marchand 51-25 and Connolly taking 20. Van Ostern, whom Volinsky succeeded on the Executive Council, may also be positioning himself for a rematch with Sununu. Ex-Rep. Paul Hodes, who badly lost the 2010 Senate race, also hasn't ruled out a bid, and other Granite State Democrats may be interested.

It's also unclear how vulnerable Sununu is in this very competitive state. Aside from Republican Craig Benson's narrow 2004 defeat, New Hampshire voters haven't fired a first-term governor since 1926. Sununu has pushed a very conservative agenda since taking office, though he's had some high-profile defeats. However, a May University of New Hampshire poll gave Sununu a strong 57-17 approval rating. We are very much not fans of UNH's horserace polling: The group has a long history of showing huge, unexplainable swings from one poll to the next, and they have a very bad habit of hyping House polls with tiny sample sizes. Their final 2016 poll was also quite off, giving Van Ostern a 48-37 lead over Sununu days before he lost 49-47. Unfortunately, we just don't have any other data to work with.

● OK-Gov: On Wednesday, Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett announced that he would join the GOP primary to succeed termed-out Oklahoma Republican Gov. Mary Fallin. Cornett's move was a surprise, though it didn't quite come out of nowhere. Back in February, Cornett announced that he would not seek a fifth term as mayor and added he was considering seeking a job in state government and wouldn't rule anything out, though he didn't mention a particular post.

As the mayor of Oklahoma's largest city, Cornett should start out with some good name recognition. About half of the state is in the Oklahoma City media market, so many people who live outside of the city will have seen him on TV. Cornett is OKC's first four-term mayor, though that's not entirely by choice. In 2006, just a few months after he overwhelmingly won re-election, Cornett ran for the 5th Congressional District and lost the primary runoff to Fallin 63-37.

Cornett will face a competitive GOP primary. State Auditor Gary Jones, wealthy Tulsa attorney Gary Richardson (who likely cost the GOP the 2002 gubernatorial race by running as an independent), and Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb are already running. We haven't heard any interest from other Republicans, though Cornett's surprise campaign is a sign that the GOP field may not be settled. If no one takes a majority in the primary, there will be a runoff.

Oklahoma is a conservative state, but Democrats may have an opening next year. As we've noted before, thanks in large part to falling oil prices, Oklahoma's financial situation is an utter mess. Over the years, the GOP dominated state government has instituted large income tax cuts and huge cuts to oil and gas production taxes, and the state is suffering from the loss of revenue. Rural hospitals have been closed, and state troopers are only allowed to drive 100 miles per day. This week, after some long negotiations, Fallin signed a budget, but the state's woes are far from over. As the Washington Post's Emma Brown recently wrote, scores of schools across the state have been forced to make painful cuts, and most dramatically, some have adopted four-day school weeks.

While some parents (and certainly many students) like having shorter weeks, it has been on a strain for families that can't afford an extra day of daycare, and for children who depend on schools for meals. As Brown noted, in most of the districts that have adopted four-day weeks, "the overwhelming majority of students qualify for subsidized meals." Polling is limited in Oklahoma, so we don't have a good sense for how voters are reacting. However, last month a survey from Sooner.com gave Fallin a horrific 31-61 favorable rating.

If Democrats can convincingly make the argument that the eventual GOP nominee will essentially continue Fallin's governorship, they may be able to pull off an upset. Two potentially strong Democrats entered the race in recent weeks: state House Minority Leader Scott Inman, a vocal Fallin critic, and ex-state Attorney General Drew Edmondson, who narrowly lost the 2010 primary. Ex-state Sen. Connie Johnson, who lost the 2014 special Senate race 68-29, is also running.

House

● CO-06: Ex-Sen. Mark Udall waded into the developing Democratic primary to face GOP Rep. Mike Coffman this week and endorsed retired Army Ranger Jason Crow. Crow chaired a veterans committee for Udall's 2008 campaign, and influential Colorado Democrats seem to have a high opinion of him. Coffman's team has directed most of their fire at Crow so far, repeatedly and trollishly arguing that the "Democratic establishment" is trying to force him on the "progressive grassroots." However, Crow currently lives just outside the district in Denver, something his primary opponents will undoubtably hit him for.

Attorney David Aarestad is also seeking the Democratic nod, while Levi Tillemann, a clean-energy expert who served in Obama's Department of Energy, has formed an exploratory committee. Colorado Politics also notes that state Sen. Rhonda Fields is "often cited as a contender for the Democratic nomination," though Fields has yet to say anything publicly.

● GA-06: An act of desperation, or a gift from the gods? The pro-GOP Congressional Leadership Fund, which has spent millions attacking Democrat Jon Ossoff, just released a new TV ad trying to tie Ossoff to none other than Kathy Griffin. Blares the narrator, "Now a celebrity Jon Ossoff supporter is making jokes about beheading the president of the United States" as footage of Griffin's instantly infamous photo shoot rolls. Indeed, Griffin and her ketchup-covered fake head are on screen for a full 10 seconds, including during the closing disclaimer.

Griffin has never so much as donated to Ossoff, though—the most she appears to have done is re-tweet another actress, Alyssa Milano, who's been a vocal Ossoff supporter. Definitely brilliant, though, is Ossoff's response: "Jon Ossoff believes what Kathy Griffin did was despicable and for Karen Handel's super PAC to say otherwise is a disgrace. Karen Handel should immediately demand this ad be pulled before any more children have to see these disturbing images on TV." This plays perfectly into the crocodile tears that Republicans have shed over Griffin. If what she did was so awful that kids shouldn't see it, then why are Republicans exposing them to it all over again?

● IA-01: Last month, Democratic state Rep. state Rep. Abby Finkenauer announced that she would challenge sophomore GOP Rep. Rod Blum, who seems to be on a personal quest to test how much insanity his eastern Iowa seat can take. On Wednesday, aeronautical engineer Courtney Rowe, who served as an alternate delegate for Bernie Sanders to the Democratic National Convention, also joined the race, though it's unclear if she has the connections to run a strong race.

Two Democratic officeholders have expressed interest in getting in, but they seem to be in a wait-and-see mode. State Sen. Jeff Danielson told Bleeding Heartland that he is still considering, but is "unlikely to publicly declare prior to close of third quarter," which would seem put a decision at October 1 at the earliest. Linn County Supervisor Brent Oleson also reaffirmed to Bleeding Heartland that he hasn't ruled it out, adding, "At this time the field is not one that gives me confidence that Democrats will prevail. I stand by earlier comments that I would want early support from Unions & Conservation groups that are serious about reclaiming the seat." This seat went from 56-43 Obama to 49-45 Trump.

● KY-06: A month ago, Kentucky Democratic leaders said that Amy McGrath, a former fighter pilot who flew 85 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, was considering challenging GOP Rep. Andy Barr. McGrath, who was serving as a U.S. Naval Academy instructor, couldn't comment until she retired from active duty with the Marines on June 1. On Thursday, McGrath set up an exploratory committee, though the note she set to the FEC describes her as "undecided" about a bid. Several other local Democrats, most notably Lexington Mayor and 2016 Senate nominee Jim Gray, are considering challenging Barr for a 55-39 Trump seat that still sometimes backs Democrats downballot.

● NH-02: First-term GOP state Rep. Steve Negron recently told WMUR that he's considering challenging Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster, and that he expects to decide by the end of June. It's often difficult to tell which members of New Hampshire's 400-member state House actually have decent political connections and which are just Some Dudes with nice titles, and this is no different. Negron, a former Air Force officer who runs a local engineering firm, does say he's "actually been approached by some people I hold in high regard in the state and in Washington," but didn't prove any more information about who those people are. This seat went from 54-45 Obama to 49-46 Clinton.

Mayoral

● Albuquerque, NM Mayor: The crowded October non-partisan race to succeed retiring GOP Mayor Richard Berry got a little smaller last week. Democrat Deanna Archuleta, a former Bernalillo County commissioner, dropped out of the race, citing the death of her father. Archuleta had the support of Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is running for governor, but she had trouble raising money.

All the candidates will face off on one non-partisan ballot on Oct. 3, and if no one wins a majority, there will be a runoff. Polling has been scarce here, but local political blogger Joe Monahan says that the sekret polls show state Auditor Tim Keller, a Democrat, and GOP City Councilor Dan Lewis have clear leads over the rest of the field. Former New Mexico Democratic Party Chair Brian Colon is reportedly a distant third, though his strong fundraising could give him the chance to advance.

● San Antonio, TX Mayor: Ex-Mayor Phil Hardberger, who left office in 2009, endorsed City Councilor Ron Nirenberg over Mayor Ivy Taylor this week. Nirenberg, who is trying to oust Taylor in the June 10 non-partisan general election, also has ex-Mayor Julian Castro in his corner. The San Antonio Express-News notes that Hardberger's endorsement came after Nirenberg was the only city councilor to vote against awarding a major contract to operate the city's river-barge fleet to a Taylor ally over a firm represented by Hardberger.

While Taylor is nominally a Democrat and Nirenberg refuses to identify with either party, this is one race where party affiliation means little. Taylor has done well in the past with conservative voters, while Nirenberg has appealed to liberals. Taylor's campaign has nicknamed her opponent "Liberal Ron Nirenberg," and they very much do not mean it as a compliment.

Grab Bag

● UK General: On June 8, the United Kingdom will hold its general election, and while the ruling Conservative Party is favored to remain in power, the opposition Labour Party has made huge gains since the start of the campaign. In a new piece, David Beard looks at why Labour has risen in the polls and how Prime Minister Theresa May have lost much of what was a massive lead just a few weeks ago.

The Daily Kos Elections Morning Digest is compiled by David Nir, Jeff Singer, and Stephen Wolf, with additional contributions from David Jarman, Steve Singiser, Daniel Donner, and James Lambert.