BOSTON - House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray called on the commissioner of the Department of Children and Families to resign Monday, citing a lack of leadership and the recent deaths of two children under agency supervision, including one over the weekend.

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico - New Mexico's five Democratic candidates for governor will gather for a campaign forum in Albuquerque hosted by the state Democratic Party.

OSHKOSH, Wisconsin - A second Democrat has entered the race to replace U.S. Rep. Tom Petri.

FARIBAULT, Minnesota - Democrats in the 1st District have endorsed U.S. Rep. Tim Walz in his run for a fifth term in Congress.

EAGAN, Minnesota - When Tina Smith arrived at an eat-in bakery recently as an ambassador of Gov. Mark Dayton's re-election campaign, there wasn't much mystery about the allegiance of her assembled audience. A couple dozen tried-and-true Democrats who huddled around Smith were anxious to meet the governor's new running mate, and she was just as eager to deliver an early call to action.

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois - With Illinois Democrats struggling to find enough votes to increase the state's minimum wage, some lawmakers are quietly proposing a less-contentious plan that would ask voters what they think of the idea before the Legislature tries to pass a politically risky bill.

CHARLESTON, West Virginia - With little to worry about in their May 13 party primaries, Natalie Tennant and Shelley Moore Capito are focused on a likely November matchup that could tilt the majority in the tightly contested Democratic U.S. Senate.

LANSING, Michigan - Republicans who control the Michigan Legislature continue to have a financial edge over Democrats hoping to take control in the November election.

RALEIGH, North Carolina - "American Idol" star Clay Aiken has plenty of name recognition. But that doesn't mean voters in North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District will send the singer-songwriter and Democratic hopeful to Washington to represent them in Congress.

BANGOR, Maine - Republican Gov. Paul LePage pledged Saturday to continue working to overhaul the state's welfare programs while ensuring a strong safety net for Maine's disabled, elderly and children.

SANDY, Utah - Republican congressional candidate Mia Love easily won her party's nomination Saturday during the state convention, allowing her to bypass the primary election in her bid to take the seat of outgoing Rep. Jim Matheson.

SALEM, Oregon - Republicans will vote in the coming weeks on a nominee for governor, but the race was really decided last month, when former state party chairman Allen Alley said he wouldn't jump in the race.

SALT LAKE CITY - More than 2,000 Democrats are expected to gather Saturday at their state convention to choose nominees for Congress and elect a new party chair.

PIERRE, South Dakota - The South Dakota Democratic Party expects tickets to sell out for McGovern Day, its largest annual fundraiser.

BOSTON - Hopes for a so-called "people's pledge" in the Democratic primary for Massachusetts governor could be fading.

HARTFORD, Connecticut - Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says the Democratic Governors' Association is acting appropriately by filing a federal lawsuit, challenging Connecticut's campaign finance law that places restrictions on independent expenditures made in political campaigns.

MADISON, Wisconsin - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brett Hulsey is inviting voters to come party with him over the weekend, as he launches his longshot bid to win the party's nomination.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Republican Gov. John Kasich has spent more than $860,000, including on two early TV commercials, headed into May's uncontested primary.

FRANKFORT, Kentucky - Alison Grimes is the latest Democratic Senate candidate to call for building the Keystone XL oil pipeline. But the move hasn't cost her support among some environmentalists as she tries to win the seat now held by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

BRICK, New Jersey - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Thursday he would have stopped aides from blocking lanes to the George Washington Bridge last fall if he had known about the plan in advance, saying outright what he has implied in previous denials about the traffic jam scandal that's engulfed his administration.

DETROIT - Detroit attorney Godfrey Dillard says he's seeking the Democratic nomination for Michigan attorney general.

SANTA FE, New Mexico - Democratic incumbent Tom Udall holds a large fundraising advantage over two Republican challengers in the race for New Mexico's U.S. Senate seat.

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky - Democrat Crit Luallen met with political consultants and put together a plan to raise money and assemble a campaign team for a possible run for governor in 2015. But the former state auditor backed away from the race on Thursday, saying she chose family time over politics.

MILWAUKEE - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin on Wednesday encouraged fellow Democrats to speak out about the successes of the new federal health care law, which Republicans have ridiculed on the campaign trail as an example of government overreach.

HONOLULU - Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie's Democratic primary opponent David Ige will be allowed to speak at the party's state Democratic convention in May after all, following complaints by his campaign.