democratic nominee

Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell on Tuesday defeated Rep. Mike Castle in the Republican primary for vice president Joseph Biden's former Senate seat in Delaware. O'Donnell's win complicates the GOP's chances of recapturing a majority in the Senate — O'Donnell is seen as a long shot at prevailing in November against Democratic nominee Chris Coons, a state executive. O'Donnell is a far right candidate who has made stances against masturbation and pornography.

Rumors are swirling that former Secretary of State General Colin Powell will endorse Barack Obama in a live TV interview Sunday. Aides to Republican nominee John McCain have said that if Powell endorsed Obama it would be 'personally embarrassing' for McCain. In September, Powell said that electing a black president would send an 'electrifying' message to the world.

Rachel Maddow skewered Congressman Ike Skelton of Missouri for his preference to retain the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military in order to help parents avoid discussions about homosexuality. Skelton, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told reporters Tuesday that the move to end "don't ask, don't tell" puts parents in the awkward position of talking with their children about gay issues.

More trouble for the No on 8 campaign. Amid accusations of a mismanaged, bungled campaign comes news the campaign had a letter from then President-elect Barack Obama speaking out against Prop. 8 -- and chose not to use it.

U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Tammy Baldwin announced Thursday that she had raised $738,000 in the third quarter, besting at least one Republican challenger in what will likely be one of the nation’s hardest-fought political races in 2012.

California attorney general Jerry Brown has filed papers with the 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals saying same-sex marriages in the state should begin again as quickly as possible. Brown’s request comes in papers regarding Proposition 8 that he filed with the court Friday evening. Chief U.S. district judge Vaughn Walker overturned the antigay proposition, which bans same-sex marriages in California, on August 4, but his ruling was immediately appealed to the 9th circuit.