It certainly is no secret who the head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is assuming will be his party's nominee for the 2010 Senate race in Ohio.

In an interview last week on MSNBC, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., who chairs the campaign committee that oversees Senate campaigns for his party's candidates, essentially endorsed Lee Fisher's candidacy, or at least indicated that he assumed Fisher would beat Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner for the nomination.

Asked about the Ohio Senate race, Menendez immediately began discussing a matchup of Democrat Fisher, Ohio's lieutenant governor, against Republican Rob Portman, the former Cincinnati congressman and Bush administration official. Portman, by the way, also faces a primary challenge, from Cleveland car dealer Tom Ganley, who says he is willing to spend millions of dollars of his own money on the Senate race.

Asked about Brunner, Menendez said, "She's got $100,000. I don't know where you go with that.

He (Fisher) is ahead in

that race."

Brunner, however, has insisted she is in the primary to stay, despite lagging badly in the race for campaign cash and major endorsements.

Compiled by Dispatch Washington Bureau Chief Jonathan Riskind.