Year: 2025

  • Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #169

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    Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving  school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy.  In today’s edition, you’ll find: Reply to this email to share reactions or story ideas! On the issues: The debate over the four-day school week In this section, we curate…

  • Overview of implications for the administrative state in decisions from the 2024-25 Supreme Court term

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    What’s the story? The U.S. Supreme Court ended its October 2024 term on June 27, 2025, with a series of rulings on the administrative state. The Court issued 13 decisions that affected federal agency operations and oversight. The most notable opinions from the term included decisions: SCOTUS also clarified constitutional boundaries on agency appointments, declined…

  • Overview of federalism implications in decisions from the 2024-25 Supreme Court term

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    Image of the front of the United States Supreme Court building

    What’s the story? During the 2024 term, which ended on June 27, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued several decisions that affected the balance of federalism, altering how authority is shared between states and the federal government. The rulings focused less on policy outcomes and more on procedural rules, addressing disputes over the proper use…

  • Rep. Barry Moore becomes the ninth representative to announce a U.S. Senate bid for 2026

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    Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala.) announced on Aug. 12, 2025, that he will run for the U.S. Senate in Alabama in 2026 rather than another term in the U.S. House of Representatives. As of Aug. 12, 2025, independent race forecasters The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections have rated the general election for the seat as…

  • Seven candidates are running in the general election for governor of New Jersey on Nov. 4, 2025

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    Mikie Sherrill (D) and Jack Ciattarelli (R) are running in the general election for governor of New Jersey on Nov. 4, 2025. Incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy (D) is term-limited. On an episode of On the Ballot, NJ.com’s Brent Johnson said that affordability will be a key issue in the election: “Affordability is always gonna be…

  • Ghazala Hashmi (D) and John Reid (R) are running in the general election for lieutenant governor of Virginia on Nov. 4, 2025

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    Ghazala Hashmi (D) and John Reid (R) are running in the general election for lieutenant governor of Virginia on Nov. 4, 2025. Incumbent Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) is running for governor of Virginia instead of re-election. WAMU’s Margaret Barthel wrote, “Virginia’s lieutenant governor has few official powers. The role presides over the state senate…

  • Initiative sponsors in Massachusetts filed a total of 47 measures by the Aug. 6 deadline, the second most since 2012

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    In Massachusetts, the initiative filing deadline for the 2026 ballot was Aug. 6. Initiative sponsors filed 47 measures (42 initiated state statutes and five initiated constitutional amendments) by the deadline. The 42 initiated state statutes could be placed on the 2026 ballot. Constitutional amendments require a longer approval process, meaning the five initiated constitutional amendments…

  • Sixteen percent of possible state legislative primaries were contested in 2025

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    There were 46 contested state legislative primaries in 2025. That was 16% of the 280 possible primaries between the New Jersey General Assembly and the Virginia House of Delegates, the only two state legislative chambers with elections this year. The total number of contested primaries in 2025—46—was two more and a 5% increase from 2021.…

  • Party control at stake in Virginia House of Delegates elections

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    Welcome to the Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, Brew.  By: Lara Bonatesta Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Party control at stake in Virginia House of Delegates elections All 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates are up for election on Nov. 4.  Democrats have a 51-49 majority in the…

  • Both candidates for Los Banos, Calif. city council complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

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    Both candidates running in the special election for Los Banos, Calif., City Council District 1—Mitzy Perez and Kalid Sanchez—completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office. All survey respondents are asked to tell voters about their views on financial and…