Florida: Scott leads Nelson in new poll. It’s 42% for Rick Scott (R) to 35% for incumbent Bill Nelson (D) in this fall’s US Senate race, although Scott has not yet entered the race. The poll was released last week by St. Leo University, a Florida-based firm, reports Sunshine State News ……. Tennessee: Barry still has positive rating. A poll taken by Vanderbilt University after revelations that Nashville’s then-Mayor Megan Barry (D) had an affair with her security guard found Barry still has an approval rating of 61%. It was an 11-point decline from her approval rating about a year ago, before the scandal broke, but still in positive territory. Her disapproval rating doubled, from 16% to 33%, reports The Tennessee Journal ……. DC: Democratic PAC endorses Dixie challengers. NewDemPAC, a group that represents a moderate presence in the Democratic Party, has released its list of its first 16 endorsements of 2018. The list includes three Democratic challengers in Republican districts in the South. The PAC will donate $5,000 each to Lauren Baer (D) who is challenging US Rep. Brian Mast (R) in Florida’s 18th District, to Dan McCready (D) who is running against US Rep. Robert Pittenger (R) in North Carolina’s 9th District, and to RD Huffstetler (D) who is going after US Rep. Robert Hurt (R) in Virginia’s 5th District …….