West Virginia

Octogenerians fared well in 2006 U.S. Senate races: 89-year-old Robert Byrd was re-elected to a ninth term by a 64%-34% margin in West Virginia, while 82-year-old Daniel Akaka received 61% in his bid for re-election to a fourth term in Hawaii.

The Republican primary for U.S. Senator in New York -- for the right to take on Hillary Rodham Clinton -- features two onetime teammates now playing for opposing teams. Kieran Mahoney, who was the consultant for Paul DiGaetano's '05 campaign for Governor and for the Assembly Republican campaign in 2003, is working for Jeanine Pirro, the Westchester County District Attorney. Kevin Collins, who was DiGaetano's campaign manager, is a consultant for John Spencer, the former Mayor of Yonkers. Pirro's campaign manager is Brian Donahue, who ran Diane Allen's campaign for U.S. Senate in 2002, and more recently, George W. Bush's re-election campaign in West Virginia. Despite an endorsement from Governor George Pataki, Republicans have been unable to clear the field for Pirro (although another New Jersey-connected candidate, Edward Cox, son-in-law of Richard Nixon, a resident of Park Ridge until his death, dropped out). Earlier today, the New York Senate Majority Leader called on Pirro to drop out of the Senate race and instead run for state Attorney General.

CONSULTANT TAKES FIGHT TO THE AIR WAVES
A cease and desist order and website weren't enough, Kush left with no choice but to tell all about Lipski.

New Jerseyan Brian Donahue is headed to New York as Campaign Manager for Jeanine Pirro, the Westchester District Attorney who wants to be the Republican nominee for United States Senator against Hillary Rodham Clinton. Donahue worked for Jamestown Associates before managing Diane Allen's 2002 U.S. Senate campaign. He ran a key House race in New Mexico and was Campaign Manager for George W. Bush in West Virginia in 2004 -- for a while a politically competitive state that ultimately went Republican. He's been working for another New Jerseyan, Republican National Committee Political DIrector Michael DuHaime, since January.