Welcome to the Monday, June 20, Brew.
By: Samuel Wonacott
Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- Here’s where states have passed or enacted Juneteenth legislation
- A look at Colorado’s June 28 primaries
- Election preview—Virginia’s 7th Congressional District Republican primary
Here’s where states have passed or enacted Juneteenth legislation
Juneteenth became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden (D) signed a bill making it the 11th federal holiday.
All 50 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws observing Juneteenth. Texas, where Juneteenth originated, was the first state to do so in 1980. Currently, 18 states close state offices for Juneteenth and offer state employees paid time off.
Beginning in 2019, state legislators began introducing and enacting more legislation related to Juneteenth than at any time in the previous decade. So far in 2022, 44 Juneteenth-related bills have been introduced in legislatures around the country, and states have enacted 11 of them.
The following table shows legislation related to Juneteenth enacted so far in 2022:
Click below to read more about Juneteenth legislation in the states.
A look at Colorado’s June 28 primaries
On June 28, five states will hold Republican and Democratic primaries—Colorado, Illinois, New York (state legislative districts and state executive offices only), Oklahoma, and Utah. Let’s take a look at the races Colorado voters will decide that day.
Congressional
One U.S. Senate seat is up for election in Colorado this year. Incumbent Michael Bennet (D), who first took office in 2009, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Three candidates are running in the Republican primary—Ron Hanks, Joe O’Dea, and Daniel Hendricks. Three independent race forecasters consider the seat Likely Democratic or Solid Democratic.
Eight U.S. House districts are up for election in Colorado. Democrats currently represent four of those districts, while Republicans represent three. Following the 2020 census, Colorado gained an eighth U.S. House district. Independent forecasters consider the new 8th Congressional District Election a Toss-up, meaning neither party has an obvious advantage over the other. Yadira Caraveo is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Tyler Allcorn, Barbara Kirkmeyer, Jan Kulmann, and Lori Saine are running in the Republican primary. Allcorn, Kirkmeyer, and Kulmann completed our Candidate Connection survey, so click here to read their responses and learn more about the race.
Thirty candidates filed to run for the state’s eight U.S. House districts—the most since 2012.
State
Colorado’s gubernatorial office is on the ballot this year. Incumbent Jared Polis (D), who was first elected in 2018, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Polis will face one of the two candidates running in the Republican primary—Heidi Ganahl or Greg Lopez. Additionally, several other state executive offices are up for election this year, including attorney general and secretary of state.
All 35 of the state Senate seats and all 65 of the state House seats are up for election. Democrats have a 20-15 majority in the state Senate and a 41-24 majority in the state House. Incumbents did not file to run for re-election in 35 districts across both chambers, meaning that newcomers will represent at least 35% of the state’s legislative districts. Colorado is one of 15 states with term limits for state legislators.
In Colorado, the primary candidate with the most votes wins—even if that candidate receives less than 50% of the total vote. Colorado is one of 40 states without primary election runoffs. The state generally does not cancel uncontested primaries, and write-in candidates are required to file.
Election preview—Virginia’s 7th Congressional District Republican primary
Tomorrow, voters in Virginia will go to the polls to decide U.S. House primaries. We delved into Virginia’s somewhat complicated primary election rules last week, so today, let’s look at a battleground race—the Republican primary for the state’s 7th Congressional District.
Incumbent Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) is running for re-election. In 2018, Spanberger defeated incumbent Rep. David Brat (R) by a margin of 1.9%. In 2020, she defeated Nick Freitas (R) by a margin of 1.8%.
Six candidates are running in the primary—Derrick Anderson, Bryce Reeves, Crystal Vanuch, Yesli Vega, Gina Ciarcia, and David Ross. Anderson, Reeves, Vanuch, and Vega have raised the most money, and all four have received endorsements from various Republicans.
- Anderson served as a Green Beret in the U.S. Army and earned his J.D. from Georgetown University. U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) endorsed Anderson.
- Reeves was elected to the Virginia Senate in 2011. U.S. Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) endorsed Reeves.
- Vanuch serves on the Stafford County Board of Supervisors. U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) endorsed Vanuch.
- Vega serves on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors and has experience working in law enforcement. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and former U.S. Rep. Brat (R) endorsed Vega.
The general election is expected to be competitive. Three independent forecasting outlets rated the general election as Toss-up, Lean Democratic, and Tilt Democratic.
Read more about the race below.