ICYMI: Top stories of the week


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Texas’ May 7 constitutional amendment election turnout

On May 7, Texas voters decided on two statewide ballot measures and local school board elections. Voters approved both constitutional amendments. Turnout was 7.5% of registered voters, the lowest in a constitutional amendment election since November 2017. 

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Reviewing the results of Tuesday’s elections

Elections for offices within Ballotpedia’s coverage scope took place in four states on Tuesday, including statewide primaries in Nebraska and West Virginia. Here are some highlights:

  • Primaries were held for 24 of the 49 seats in Nebraska’s unicameral legislature. As of Thursday, five of the 24 primaries remained too close to call. Of the 19 callable races, 10 had an incumbent on the ballot, all of which saw the incumbent advance to the general election.
  • Primaries were held for 17 of the 34 seats in the West Virginia State Senate Tuesday. There were two contested Democratic primaries, including the District 1 primary, in which Randy Swartzmiller (D) defeated incumbent Owens Brown (D) 53% to 47%. Brown is the ninth incumbent state legislator to lose re-nomination in a primary this year. There were also 11 contested Republican primaries, four of which had an incumbent on the ballot. The incumbent won all four of those primaries.
  • Primaries were held for all 100 seats in the West Virginia House of Delegates. There were 43 contested Republican primaries, 25 of which had an incumbent on the ballot. Of the 17 callable primaries with an incumbent on the ballot, five resulted in the incumbent’s defeat. There were also 16 contested Democratic primaries, three of which had an incumbent on the ballot. The incumbent won two of those primaries, while the third was contested between two incumbents.

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State legislative incumbents defeated in primaries remains similar to previous cycles

With four statewide primaries behind us, the number of incumbents defeated in contested primaries remains similar to previous election cycles. So far in 2022, 14 incumbents—11 Republicans and 3 Democrats—have lost in primary elections. That’s 12% of all incumbents in contested primaries compared to 15% in 2020 and 14% in 2018 at this point in the cycle.

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Pennsylvania sees the fewest candidates running for the U.S. House since 2016

The filing deadline for candidates running for the U.S. House in Pennsylvania this year was March 15. Forty-eight candidates are running for Pennsylvania’s seventeen U.S. House districts, including 23 Democrats and 25 Republicans. That’s 2.82 candidates per district, slightly less than the 2.83 candidates per district in 2020, and less than the 4.66 in 2018. 

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