Welcome to the Monday, June 23, Brew.
By: Briana Ryan
Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- Voters in one of the 31 states with mandatory judicial retirement ages—Louisiana—will decide whether to raise their age
- A deep dive into the elections happening in New York City tomorrow
- Did you know that voters in 13 states and Washington D.C. have used the ballot initiative process to legalize recreational marijuana use?
Voters in one of the 31 states with mandatory judicial retirement ages—Louisiana—will decide whether to raise their age
In the June 18 Daily Brew, we told you about the six constitutional amendments that Louisiana voters will decide in Louisiana in 2026. Today, we’re going to take a closer look at one of those amendments.
On April 18, 2026, Louisiana voters will decide on an amendment to increase the judicial retirement age. Currently, the age is 70, and if a judge turns 70 during their term, they may finish the rest of their term before retiring. The amendment would raise the mandatory retirement age to 75.
Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia have mandatory retirement ages for judges. These laws require judges to retire either upon reaching a specified age or at the end of the term during which they reach that age.
Sixteen of those states—including Louisiana—set the retirement age at 70, the lowest. Vermont has the highest retirement age, 90, which voters approved 64% to 36% in 2002.
Eight states have the retirement age set at 75. Missouri requires municipal judges to retire at 75, while all other judges must retire at 70.
Since 2011, voters in 10 states have decided on 10 constitutional amendments addressing judicial retirement ages. Eight of those amendments sought to increase the retirement age.
Of those eight, the only amendment that voters approved was in Pennsylvania in 2016. The amendment changed the judicial retirement age in the state from 70 to 75. Voters approved the measure, 51% to 49%.
New Hampshire voters decided on an amendment similar to Louisiana’s amendment in 2024. It would have increased the mandatory judicial retirement age from 70 to 75. It failed because 66% voted to approve it, and 34% voted to reject it. In New Hampshire, constitutional amendments require at least two-thirds (66.67%) approval to pass.
Since 1995, Louisiana voters have decided on amendments regarding the judicial retirement age three other times:
- In 1995, voters rejected Amendment 4, 62% to 38%. That amendment would have raised the mandatory retirement age from 70 to 75.
- In 2003, voters approved Amendment 15, 58% to 42%. That amendment allowed judges who reached the mandatory retirement age while in office to complete their terms.
- In 2014, voters rejected Amendment 5, 58% to 42%. That amendment would have eliminated mandatory judicial retirement age requirements.
Louisiana has a Republican trifecta, meaning that Republicans control the governorship and both legislative chambers. On June 11, the Louisiana House of Representatives passed House Bill 63 (HB63)—the bill to put the measure on the ballot—95-1. On June 12, the Louisiana Senate approved the bill 31-3. The bill had bipartisan support in both chambers, with all four members voting against it being Republicans.
State Sen. Gregory Miller (R), who supports the current proposed amendment, said that compared to nearby states, Louisiana’s existing mandatory retirement age is an outlier: “Texas has a 75-year-old mandatory retiring age. Florida has a 75 year retirement age. Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky have no mandatory retirement age.”
State Sen. Alan Seabaugh (R), who opposes the amendment, said, “We put this on the ballot before. It failed in 62 out of 64 parishes. Your constituents voted no.”
Click here to read more about this 2026 constitutional amendment in Louisiana.
A deep dive into the elections happening in New York City tomorrow
As part of our coverage of local elections across the U.S., we’re spotlighting some of the noteworthy primary elections happening in New York City tomorrow.
Mayor of New York City
Eleven candidates are running in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, including the following noteworthy candidates: Adrienne Adams (D), Andrew Cuomo (D), Brad Lander (D), Zohran Mamdani (D), Zellnor Myrie(D), Jessica Ramos (D), and Scott Stringer (D).
The New York Times’s Nicholas Fandos and Lisa Lerer wrote, “The clash consuming New York City is one that has become almost routine in Democratic politics. On one side stands a moderate pragmatist who first took public office three decades ago. On the other is a democratic socialist half his age who has leaped past more seasoned rivals and captured the imagination of the left.”
The primary winner will face off against incumbent Mayor Eric Adams (I), Curtis Sliwa (R), and six other candidates in the Nov. 4 general election. Check out our June 4 Daily Brew to learn more about the ballot measure establishing popularly elected mayors in New York.
New York City Council
City & State New York’s Sahalie Donaldson, Annie McDonough, and Holly Pretsky wrote, “All 51 seats in the New York City Council are on the ballot this year. […] In deep blue New York City, there aren’t many swing districts, so most—but not all—of the action will happen in the Democratic primaries.”
Overall, 95 candidates are running in 28 Democratic primaries for the city council on June 24. That’s up from 49 candidates in 17 Democratic primaries in 2023, the special two-year post-redistricting term mandated in the city charter. That year, just one seat was open. This year, there are eight open seats.
Now, let’s take a closer look at our 13 battleground Democratic primaries:
- A Republican currently represents one of those districts, while Democrats represent the remaining 12.
- Five Democratic incumbents are running for re-election in their respective battleground primaries.
- The winner of one Democratic primary for District 13 will run against the Republican incumbent in the general election.
- Seven districts are open because an incumbent is not running for re-election.
In addition to the primaries for city council and mayor, New York City voters will also decide on primaries for comptroller and public advocate. Due to a city charter amendment, voters will decide all of those elections using ranked-choice voting (RCV). Voters approved that chart amendment in 2019, 74% to 26%.
Click here to read more about these noteworthy elections. Also, if you’re a New York City resident, check out our Sample Ballot Lookup here to prepare for Election Day.
Did you know that voters in 13 states and Washington D.C. have used the ballot initiative process to legalize recreational marijuana use?
In 2023, Ohio became the most recent state to allow for the possession and personal use of marijuana for recreational purposes, when voters approved Issue 2.
Overall, 24 states and D.C. have legalized recreational marijuana for recreational purposes.
- In two of those states—New Jersey and Maryland—the legislature put measures on the ballot, which voters approved.
- In nine states, governors signed legislation legalizing recreational marijuana.
In November 2024, voters in Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota rejected marijuana legalization ballot measures.
Click here to learn more about the history of marijuana ballot measures.