Welcome to the Tuesday, May 28, 2024, Brew.
By: Ethan Rice
Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- June’s first primaries – previewing Iowa
- Ten candidates running in Republican primary for Colorado’s open 3rd Congressional District
- ESG policy trends in state legislatures – our latest episode of On the Ballot
June’s first primaries – previewing Iowa
Five states will hold primary elections on Tuesday, June 4. We’ll be previewing each of these primaries, starting with Iowa. Iowa is holding primaries for its four U.S. House districts and state legislative seats. Currently, Republicans represent all four U.S. House districts. The state is also holding primaries for 25 of the 50 seats in the Iowa Senate and all 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives.
Today, let’s look at what voters will see on their ballots.
U.S. House
- Eleven candidates are running for Iowa’s four U.S. House districts, including five Democrats and six Republicans. That’s an average of 2.75 candidates per district, higher than the average of 2.5 candidates per district in 2022 but lower than the average of 4.5 candidates per district in 2020.
- No seats are open in 2024. One House seat was open in 2020, and two were open in 2014, the only two years in the past 10 in which House seats were open.
- Three congressional districts—the 1st, the 3rd, and the 4th—are tied for the most candidates, with three running in each district.
- Three primaries—one Democratic and two Republican—are contested this year. There was one contested primary in 2022 and four contested primaries in 2020.
- Two incumbents—Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-1) and Randy Feenstra (R-4)—are in contested primaries, the most in the past 10 years, tied with 2016.
- Overall, Republicans have a 217-213 majority in the U.S. House with five vacancies.
State Legislature
- There are 125 state legislative seats up for election this year in Iowa. Sixteen incumbents (three in the Senate and 13 in the House) did not run for re-election. An average of 22 incumbents retired in even years from 2010 to 2022. In 2022, 40 incumbents (11 in the Senate and 29 in the House) did not run for re-election.
- The total number of contested primaries also declined compared to the previous cycle. This year there are five total Democratic primaries (one in the Senate and four in the House) and 17 Republican primaries (three in the Senate and 14 in the House). In 2022, there were 13 Democratic primaries (five in the Senate and eight in the House) and 31 Republican primaries (six in the Senate and 25 in the House).
Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota, and the District of Columbia are also holding statewide primaries on June 4. To see more upcoming election dates, see our elections calendar.
Ten candidates running in Republican primary for Colorado’s open 3rd Congressional District
Throughout the year, we’ll bring you coverage of the most compelling elections — the battlegrounds we expect to have a meaningful effect on the balance of power in governments or to be particularly competitive. You can catch our previous coverage of other battleground races here.
Today, we’re looking at the June 25th Republican primary for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District. Ten candidates are running in the primary. Four lead in fundraising, endorsements, and local media attention: Russ Andrews (R), Ron Hanks (R), Jeff Hurd (R), and Stephen Varela (R).
Incumbent Lauren Boebert (R) is running for re-election in the 4th District, leaving the 3rd District open. According to Colorado Public Radio, Boebert’s move to a new district “inverted the race from a question of whether Democrat Adam Frisch could close a 546-vote gap in November, to an existential one about who Republicans in Western and Southern Colorado will nominate to see the party forward.”
As of April 19, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball, and Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales each rated the general election Lean Republican. In 2022, Boebert defeated Adam Frisch (D) by a margin of 0.17 percentage points or 546 votes out of more than 300,000 votes cast. This was the closest House race in 2022.
Andrews is a financial advisor and former engineer. Andrews says he is running “to restore Western Slope and Rural Colorado Values,” saying he stands for “God, country, family, prosperity, a light regulatory touch and retention of our property rights.” Andrews said his “first priority when he reaches Congress will be to reach out to every other Congressperson and Senator to find common ground on legislation he is proposing.” According to the Aspen Daily News, “the core of Andrews’ message is he will vote based on what’s good for his district, not what’s best for his party.”
Hanks is a former state legislator and veteran of the U.S. armed forces. Hanks said he is “the only proven conservative Republican state legislator running,” saying he had a record of service in the legislature and the military and had worked on issues including border security, election security, and opposing restrictions on firearms. Hanks ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, losing to Joe O’Dea (R) 54.4%–45.5% in the Republican primary.
Hurd is an attorney and manager of the Grand Junction office of Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe PC. Hurd said he is running “because he feels western and southern Colorado deserve a sincere, authentic, and hardworking Congressman. Someone who cares about policy and delivering results for communities and for working families.” According to Colorado Public Radio, “Hurd is considered by many to be the frontrunner to succeed Boebert…in part because Hurd began to rack up endorsements even before Boebert switched districts.”
Varela is a member of the Colorado Board of Education and a U.S. Army veteran. Varela said he is running “to stand for American greatness and common-sense conservative policies in Congress.” Varela said he supports “Donald Trump’s freedom agenda: fix the border mess, lower the cost of living, create more good American jobs, and stop and reverse the woke agenda.”
Also running in the primary are Jason Bias (R), Joe Granado (R), Robin Heid (R), Curtis McCrackin (R), Austin O’Connell (R), and Lew Webb (R).
ESG policy trends in state legislatures – our latest episode of On the Ballot
On last week’s episode of On the Ballot, Ballotpedia’s weekly podcast, staff writer Jimmy McAllister discussed trends in environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) legislation in state legislatures.
ESG refers to an investment or corporate governance approach that considers the extent to which corporations conform to certain standards related to environmental, social, and corporate governance issues (such as net carbon emission or corporate board diversity goals) and makes business and investment decisions that promote those standards. In the context of public policy, ESG refers to the use of non-financial ESG investing criteria in the regulation and management of public funds, including public pensions.
As state legislative sessions begin to wrap up around the country, Ballotpedia has tracked roughly 20 enacted bills related to Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investing across 14 states thus far in 2024. Jimmy delves into what these bills have in common and why there are more bills opposing ESG than supporting it.
For more information on ESG and the arguments supporting and opposing it, click here. You can also subscribe to Economy and Society, Ballotpedia’s free weekly email newsletter that delivers news and information about the developments in corporate activism, corporate political engagement, and the ESG trends and events that characterize the growing intersection between business and politics.
Remember, new episodes of On the Ballot drop every Thursday morning. Subscribe on YouTube or your preferred podcast app and catch this episode and more!
Listen here