Election countdown: Everybody hug a surrogate

There are just a handful of days left until Nov. 4, and the biggest names in politics are on the trail making a final push.

Here's the election buzz for Thursday, with 5 days to go.

Obama the Maine event

President Obama goes to Maine on Thursday to boost gubernatorial candidate Mike Michaud as well as other Democrats in the state. Michaud is in a tight contest with Republican Gov. Paul LePage. Independent Eliot Cutler is also running, though he is now telling supporters they should vote for someone else if they don't think he will win.

Obama has picked his spots when making campaign stops this cycle and has tended to focus on governor races. In a recent interview with Al Sharpton, the president acknowledged some congressional candidates might be hurt by having him in their states, adding "the Republicans will use that to try to fan Republican turnout."

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Despite his low approval ratings nationally, Obama may find a friendlier audience in Maine, where he won 56% of the vote in 2012.

Other prominent surrogates on the trail Thursday: Mitt Romney will be in South Dakota stumping for Senate candidate Mike Rounds, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie returns to Iowa for a rally with Gov. Terry Branstad.

GOP in W.Va.: Take me home

There's probably not a John Denver lyric that could make Democrats feel good about their status in West Virginia these days. The GOP stands to pick up the state's open Senate seat, with Rep. Shelley Moore Capito way ahead in polls. Longtime Democratic Rep. Nick Rahall is in a tough fight for his seat against Republican Evan Jenkins.

All told, for the first time since the early 20th century Republicans could capture a majority of the state's congressional delegation. Oh, and President Obama didn't win a single county in 2012 and now has an approval rating in the state around 35%. Democrats probably aren't feeling like it's the place they belong right now.

Clinton vs. Rice in Iowa? Well, sort of

Two former secretaries of State are on opposite sides in Iowa's hotly contested Senate race. Hillary Rodham Clinton was in the state Wednesday on behalf of Democrat Bruce Braley. It may be one of many trips she makes to the state in the coming months and year if she runs for president as many expect.

Meanwhile, Condoleezza Rice threw her support behind Joni Ernst, the GOP candidate in the open-seat race, saying: "We need more leaders, like Joni, who understand America's role abroad and the threat posed against us."

Hispanic support still going to Dems

In the wake of their 2012 election losses, the Republican National Committee conducted a self-critique, which in part concluded that the party needed to become more welcoming to Hispanic voters. President Obama had captured 71% of the Hispanic vote against Mitt Romney.

A new Pew Research Center survey finds that Democrats still are favored by Latinos, but the GOP has made some small gains. According to the survey, 57% of Latino registered voters say they intend to vote Democratic in congressional races, with 28% signaling support for Republicans. In terms of party identification, 63% of Latino registered voters now self-identify or lean toward the Dems, compared to 70% in 2012, with 27% now aligning with Republicans, up from 22% in 2012. The GOP, however, does get the most blame for the failure of Washington to enact immigration reform, as 45% of survey respondents who are registered voters say congressional Republicans are responsible, with 14% blaming congressional Democrats and 20% saying Obama.

Pryor stands by Reid

Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor may be in a tough battle in a red state, but he's not backing away from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Speaking with NBC News, Pryor said he "would support Harry Reid if he runs for leader."

Pryor is facing Republican Tom Cotton, and RealClearPolitics' latest rolling average of polls shows Cotton up 5 points.

Not all Democrats have been rushing to Reid's side when asked about their preference on Senate leadership in the next Congress, though. Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, who's in a fight for re-election herself, wouldn't say during a debate Monday whether she'd support Harry Reid again as majority leader should Democrats retain control of the Senate. Michelle Nunn, the Democratic candidate in Georgia's hotly contested open-seat race, likewise was non-committal about a vote for Reid, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Hanging chads

Georgia has been dominated by Republicans in recent years, but this cycle has brought two high-profile, competitive races.

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush makes clear he's not "freaking out" about deciding whether to run for president.

And Yo! Have you signed up for our election night Senate results yet? Subscribe to YOGOP and YODEMS on the Yo! app: justyo.co/YOGOP and justyo.co/YODEMS.

Elsewhere on the trail

Joe Biden isn't on the ballot Tuesday, but Senate results could have a significant impact on his role as vice president. The Associated Press explains.

When you're in a tough race, you normally want all the support you can get. Except maybe from convicted murderers. Roll Call has more.

Fun random fact: When President Obama spends the night in Rhode Island this week, it'll be the first time a president has done so in more than 50 years.

And they may not be the races that make the national headlines, but Republicans could have a historic night in the battle for state legislative chambers, The Washington Post reports.

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