Afternoon Campaign Roundup: Spelling Bee Edition

By Josh Kraushaar

(The Politico) 

West Virginia’s Secretary of State misspelled the name of the leading Democratic nominee, Anne Barth, on the primary ballot that will determine the nominee against Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.). (Her name was spelled without an ‘e’.)

But she’s allowing the ballots to be printed with her because any last-minute change to the ballots would cost West Virginia taxpayers over $100,000.

Quote of the day from Barth: “They acknowledged that fault was entirely theirs -- and that I had filled out all my paperwork properly. (Obviously I know how to spell my own name).”

House Minority Leader John Boehner is weighing in on the GOP runoff to determine the challenger to Rep. Nick Lampson (D-Tex.), with his PAC giving former Senate aide Pete Olson $10,000. He joins most of the Texas GOP delegation in supporting Olson, who is running against former Rep. Shelley Sekula Gibbs.

Both Republicans running to take on freshman Rep. Chris Carney (D-Pa.) have made opposition to illegal immigration a central part of their campaigns. But now GOP businessman Chris Hackett acknowledged that he employed an illegal immigrant as a housekeeper.

Looks like former GOP Rep. John Kasich will be challenging Ohio governor Ted Strickland (D) in 2010, calling his state’s party “in a death spiral.”

Is Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mt.) giving Darcy Burner, the Democratic challenger to Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash.) a buzz-cut?

And don’t miss Benjamin Wallace-Wells’ New York Times Sunday magazine cover story profiling Tom Cole and the tough times ahead for the National Republican Congressional Committee.