Year: 2025
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President Donald Trump ends April with 44% approval, 53% disapproval
At the end of April, approval polling averages showed President Donald Trump (R) at 44% approval. Fifty-three percent of voters disapproved of his performance. The lowest approval rating he’s received during his presidency is 44%, last seen on April 30, 2025. The highest approval rating Trump has received is 54%, last seen on Jan. 22,…
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Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi announces 2026 run for the U.S. Senate in Illinois
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) announced on May 7, 2026, that he will run for the U.S. Senate in Illinois in 2026 rather than another term in the U.S. House of Representatives. The seat is open since incumbent Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) announced he would not seek re-election. As of May 6, 2025, independent race forecasters…
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Virginia sees fewest state legislative open seats since 2011
Four of Virginia’s 100 state legislative seats up for election in 2025 are open, meaning no incumbent filed to run in the election. This is the fewest for the state since Ballotpedia began tracking these figures in 2011, and newcomers are guaranteed at least 3% of the legislature. The average number of open state legislative…
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Rep. Robin Kelly announces 2026 run for the U.S. Senate in Illinois
Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) announced on May 6, 2025, that she will run for the U.S. Senate in Illinois in 2026 rather than another term in the U.S. House of Representatives. The seat is open since incumbent Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) announced he would not seek re-election. As of May 6, 2025, independent race forecasters…
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Ballotpedia releases federal judicial vacancy count for May 2025
In this month’s federal judicial vacancy count, Ballotpedia tracked nominations, confirmations, and vacancies from April 2, 2025, to May 1, 2025. Ballotpedia publishes the federal judicial vacancy count at the start of each month. HIGHLIGHTS New vacancies There were 45 vacancies out of 870 active Article III judicial positions, a total vacancy percentage of 5.2,…
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House subcommittee addresses proxy advisory firms
The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets held a hearing last week on proxy advisory firms, which guide institutional investors on how to vote their shares. Opponents say proxy firms promote ESG priorities in shareholder votes—especially Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis, which control a combined 90% of the proxy advisory market. Critics…
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Texas voters will decide on an amendment to prohibit taxes on realized or unrealized capital gains of an individual, estate, or trust in Nov. 2025
The Texas State Legislature voted to send an amendment to voters this November that would prohibit the legislature from enacting taxes on realized or unrealized capital gains of an individual, family, estate, or trust, including a tax on the sale or transfer of a capital asset. The amendment would not apply to property taxes, sales…
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Veto referendum proposed to repeal Ohio Senate Bill 1 on higher education policies, including DEI, curriculum, and faculty requirements
A veto referendum effort has been launched to repeal Ohio Senate Bill 1, a law that would change state higher education policies, including prohibiting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. If the referendum qualifies for the November 2025 ballot and is approved by voters, SB 1 would be repealed. SB 1 is designed to prohibit…