• DeNardis announces GOP bid for governor 3/11/2010, 8:56 a.m. EST
(AP) — HARTFORD, Conn. - Former Congressman Larry DeNardis has officially announced his plans to seek the Republican nomination for Connecticut governor.

• Gibbons: Use lottery commission to pay for pre-K 3/10/2010, 12:01 p.m. EST
(AP) — NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee gubernatorial candidate Bill Gibbons on Wednesday proposed to fund pre-kindergarten expansion by cutting the amount of money the state lottery pays to large ticket vendors like the Pilot truck stop chain that is part-owned by GOP rival Bill Haslam.

• Ex-Christian Coalition head won't run for Congress 3/10/2010, 10:58 a.m. EST
(AP) — ATLANTA - Former Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed announced Wednesday he will not run for Congress in Georgia, saying he can do more to push a conservative agenda through his work for a political startup.

• Woes at family bank loom over Ill. Senate race 3/9/2010, 1:47 p.m. EST
(AP) — CHICAGO - Democrats desperate to hold on to President Barack Obama's old Senate seat are scrambling to counter revelations that a bank owned by their candidate's family may be nearing collapse.

• RI mayor faces new questions in Congressional run 3/7/2010, 1:49 p.m. EST
(AP) — PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Mayor David Cicilline claims he has cleaned up Providence after the corruption of his predecessor, but his family relationships and connection to a former staffer could raise new questions about his reformer credentials.

• RI mayor faces new questions in Congressional run 3/7/2010, 1:49 p.m. EST
(AP) — PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Mayor David Cicilline claims he has cleaned up Providence after the corruption of his predecessor, but his family relationships and connection to a former staffer could raise new questions about his reformer credentials.

• Texas Gov. Perry must win in Nov. before 2012 talk 3/6/2010, 3:00 a.m. EST
(AP) — AUSTIN, Texas - Before Rick Perry can parlay his tea party-powered victory in the Texas governor's primary into something bigger-a 2012 Republican presidential ticket, perhaps-he'll have to actually win a record-setting, third four-year term.

• Pawlenty, Romney to share stage at Minn. dinner 3/5/2010, 12:39 p.m. EST
(AP) — ST. PAUL, Minn. - Potential 2012 Republican presidential rivals Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney will share a stage in Minnesota next month.

• Calif. gov rivals exchange barbs over state's ills 3/4/2010, 5:45 p.m. EST
(AP) — SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown promised to offer specifics about how to solve California's budget and other problems when he launched his bid for governor this week, but so far is offering only generalities, Republican candidate Meg Whitman said Thursday.

• Ill. Dems seek post-scandal lt. gov. applications 3/4/2010, 4:00 a.m. EST
(AP) — CHICAGO - Illinois' Democratic voters picked a pawnbroker as their candidate for lieutenant governor, and that didn't exactly end well. So perhaps they won't mind if the next candidate doesn't have a job. Or is still in school. Or isn't actually a Democrat.

• Election weakens Texas ed board conservatives 3/3/2010, 12:16 p.m. EST
(AP) — AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas state education board's influential Christian conservative bloc was weakened Wednesday after one of its most prominent members lost his seat to a moderate Republican. Another reliably conservative seat was headed to a runoff.

• Gov. Perry defeats Hutchison in Texas GOP primary 3/3/2010, 10:55 a.m. EST
(AP) — AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Gov. Rick Perry latched onto the rising wave of anti-Washington ire and rode it to an easy Republican primary win over Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, once seen as the candidate who could block his march toward four more years in the state's highest office.

• Democrats taking applications for Ill. lt. gov. 3/3/2010, 4:00 a.m. EST
(AP) — CHICAGO - Illinois' Democratic voters picked a pawnbroker as their candidate for lieutenant governor, and that didn't exactly end well. So perhaps they won't mind if the next candidate doesn't have a job. Or is still in school. Or isn't actually a Democrat.

• AP-TX-StHou-122-nominated 3/2/2010, 10:20 p.m. EST
(AP) — BULLETIN - Lyle Larson, GOP, nominated State House, District 122, Texas.

• AP-TX-House-14-nominated 3/2/2010, 8:40 p.m. EST
(AP) — BULLETIN - Ron Paul, GOP, nominated U.S. House, District 14, Texas.

• 14 Texas congressmen face primary opponents 3/2/2010, 4:07 p.m. EST
(AP) — HOUSTON - Nearly half of Texas' 32 congressmen faced opposition from within their own party in Tuesday's primary, although none appeared too threatened by anti-incumbent sentiment.

• GOP primary could reshape Texas board, textbooks 3/2/2010, 3:01 p.m. EST
(AP) — SAN ANTONIO - What millions of students read about science and history could hinge Tuesday on a Republican primary in Texas for several seats on the state board of education, a panel whose decisions affect the content of textbooks sold nationwide.

• Gov. Perry beats Hutchison in Texas GOP primary 3/2/2010, 2:06 p.m. EST
(AP) — AUSTIN, Texas - Riding a wave of growing anti-Washington anger, Texas Gov. Rick Perry easily dispatched Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and a challenger backed by some in the tea party movement Tuesday to once again become the Republican nominee for the state's top office.

• Key influential Texas ed board race remains tight 3/2/2010, 12:25 p.m. EST
(AP) — SAN ANTONIO - Pivotal state education board races in Texas that could shape what millions of students read in textbooks nationwide remained tight Wednesday, including that of a prominent conservative Christian struggling to keep his longtime seat.

• Gov. Perry defeats Hutchison in Texas GOP primary 3/2/2010, 4:12 a.m. EST
(AP) — AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Gov. Rick Perry latched onto the rising wave of anti-Washington ire and rode it to an easy Republican primary win over Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, once seen as the candidate who could block his march toward four more years in the state's highest office.

• Perry takes early lead in GOP gubernatorial race 3/2/2010, 4:12 a.m. EST
(AP) — AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Gov. Rick Perry took an early lead over Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and a third candidate drawing support from the state's tea party movement in Tuesday's primary.

• Voters finally get a say in rough Texas primary 3/1/2010, 5:20 p.m. EST
(AP) — DALLAS - After months of bitter sniping between an entrenched governor and the senator vying to unseat him, Texas Republicans cast ballots Tuesday on who they want to lead the state for the next four years.

• Ark. lt. gov. announces Senate bid against Lincoln 3/1/2010, 7:12 a.m. EST
(AP) — LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Arkansas Lt. Gov. Bill Halter said Monday he's seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Blanche Lincoln, challenging the incumbent as she faces the toughest fight of her political career.

• GOP challengers join Texas ed board battleground 2/28/2010, 12:39 p.m. EST
(AP) — SAN ANTONIO - Uproar over the evolution curriculum. Divides over religious influences in American history. A board member who called public schools a "subtly deceptive tool of perversion."

• Democrats' Obama bounce in California disappearing 2/28/2010, 9:11 a.m. EST
(AP) — CERES, Calif. - Kent Hancock can't remember tougher economic times in the two decades he's sold used cars in California's Central Valley.

• Democrats' Obama bounce in California disappearing 2/28/2010, 9:10 a.m. EST
(AP) — CERES, Calif. - Just a year ago, the Democratic Party looked at California as a base for adding to its majorities in Congress. Now, it could be a the place where it loses them.

• Election year adds twist to legislative session 2/28/2010, 6:00 a.m. EST
(AP) — TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Election years can change the dynamic of a legislative session, especially when so many Florida lawmakers are running for higher office.

• Governor candidates trudge across Texas 2/27/2010, 3:22 p.m. EST
(AP) — WAXAHACHIE, Texas - Popping into the antique Rogers Hotel, Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison finds a cheering crowd waiting to hear her talk down toll roads and say why she's the one who can best defeat a Democrat in November.

• Minn. session has risks for 7 would-be governors 2/26/2010, 12:29 p.m. EST
(AP) — ST. PAUL, Minn. - The annual clash of ideas at the Capitol is fraught with risk for seven lawmakers seeking to be Minnesota's next governor.

• Fla. Gov. Crist: Priority 1 is jobs, jobs, jobs 2/26/2010, 5:01 a.m. EST
(AP) — TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Governor Charlie Crist has one last year to make a lasting mark on Florida and he says his first goal as the 2010 legislative session begins with "jobs, jobs, jobs."