We’re more than 14 months away from the filing period opens to elect a new US Senator but it’s never too early for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to start promoting the fortunes of NH Democratic Congressman Paul Hodes for the job.

    In an 11th-hour, fundraising plea, DSCC Chairman and Florida Sen. Bob Menendez features prominent the NH Senate race with Republican Judd Gregg having already announced that he doesn’t intend to run for a fourth term next year.

  “And in New Hampshire, Congressman Paul Hodes is the presumptive Democratic candidate to  replace outgoing Republican Judd Gregg,” Menendez wrote.

     This marketing move only became possible with NH Democratic Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter’s decision earlier this month to declare that she would not seek the Senate seat and instead would run for a third term in the House .

    Gregg and four other Senate Republicans aren’t running in 2010 and the DSCC push is on to swell national Democratic coffers big enough if the Senate majority is to have a chance even in an off-presidential election year to gain seats and get a filibuster-proof majority.

    The all-important first quarter of 2009 ends Tuesday at midnight and Hodes no doubt is working the phone to build a big enough warchest of his own to ignite 2010 Senate dollars of his own to come rolling in.

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