Hotline On Call

In a new Quinnipiac University poll filled with bad trends for Gov. John Hickenlooper, poor ratings for President Obama, and lackluster early numbers for 2016 Democratic presidential contenders, Sen. Mark Udall's, D-Colo., approval ratings stand out as a possible bright spot for his party.

Tyler Olson -- who announced his resignation this week as chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party -- is preparing to run for office, but he won't say whether that campaign will be for governor or the House seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley. Olson said in an interview that he's still weighing the best opportunity to serve, but he seems to be drawing distinctions between himself and Republican Gov. Terry Branstad.

Former South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds says he plans to raise $9 million for his Senate bid -- a massive number to float, given the low cost of advertising in South Dakota and the fact that he currently lacks a top-tier GOP primary or general election challenger and looks unlikely to get one.

Before Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is the subject of any more 2016 presidential speculation, he has a little business to take care of at home. The first-term Democrat's approval ratings have fallen sharply this year, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll which also shows Hickenlooper tied -- with dangerously low support -- in 2014 reelection matchups against two Republicans.

West Virginia state Sen. Bill Cole has decided not to challenge Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.V., next year, robbing national Republicans of one of their early recruits for a seat that tops their list this cycle.

Two new polls released in the last 18 hours show Democratic Rep. Edward Markey with a 7-point lead over Republican Gabriel Gomez in the June 25 special election in Massachusetts for the Senate seat previously held by Secretary of State John Kerry. Though the polls do contain good news for Gomez -- particularly his performance among union voters and Democrats who supported Rep. Stephen Lynch in the primary -- claims that the race has tightened find little support in the other available data.

One of the fathers of the modern political consulting industry who went on to found The Hotline, passed away Sunday night in his sleep. He was 79.

The race to replace the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., has dominated the headlines in the Garden State over the last week. Cory Booker launched his campaign Saturday, with an assist from Bill Bradley. Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone jumped into the race Monday. Rep. Rush Holt, another Democrat, got in last week, and a fourth Dem, Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, also plans to seek the Democratic nomination. The star-studded primary field is good news for reporters and political junkies but problematic for one other New Jersey Democrat: gubernatorial nominee Barbara Buono.

Gabriel Gomez, the Republican nominee running in this month's special Senate election in Massachusetts, is a Republican, supported by Republicans, with a long history of voting for Republicans. That's the singular message Democrats plan to hammer home to Bay State voters over the next three weeks as the race for Secretary of State John Kerry's old Senate seat enters the final stretch.

Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes says she hasn't made up her mind yet about whether she'll challenge Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in 2014, but she sure sounded like a candidate at a party fundraiser last night.

Pennsylvania Democrats are well-positioned to oust Republican Gov. Tom Corbett next year, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll that shows the governor's approval rating hitting an all-time low.

Two major Democratic groups are spending a combined $1 million on advertisements on behalf of Rep. Ed Markey, a major investment in the race for Secretary of State John Kerry's old Senate seat.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's choice to succeed the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg, state Attorney General and longtime Christie aide Jeffrey Chiesa, won't run in the special election later this year. But he's not alone: Most of the names listed over the past few days as top potential GOP candidates are passing on the special.

Washington Democrats aren't afraid to play favorites in House primaries. That's an unavoidable (and sometimes desired) effect of efforts like the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's "Jumpstart" program, which gives early financial and organizational backing to promising challengers in Republican-held districts. And though their efforts have led to a recent bout of criticism from other candidates, the national party still remains far more comfortable getting involved in primaries than their Republican counterparts, who have had well-documented difficulties in that arena.

Gov. Susana Martinez has a one-word answer for anyone who asks whether she'll run for president: No.