CLINTON, McCAIN LEAD IN S.C.; CALIFORNIA SPECIAL ELECTION CANDIDATES EMERGE.

A new WPDE-TV/Zogby poll of South Carolina voters shows Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain leading their respective primary fields. On the Democratic side, Clinton had 33%, followed by Barack Obama at 26%, John Edwards at 21%, and all others at less than 1% each. On the GOP side, McCain led with 22%, Rudy Giuliani was next with 19%, Fred Thompson was third with 11%, and Mitt Romney had 10%. South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford (R) -- who has said repeatedly he will not run -- was next with 8%, possibly as a sign of Republican dissatisfaction with the current field.
CALIFORNIA: Several names are already floating of candidates likely to run in the special election to replace the late Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald (D), who died Sunday. The names (all Democrats): State Senators Jenny Oropeza and Alan Lowenthal, State Assemblywomen Karen Bass and Laura Richardson, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, Carson Mayor Jim Dear, and Compton City Councilman Isadore Hall III. A big enough turnout by any single ethnic or racial group could determine the outcome of a traditionally low turnout race this like this one.