Year: 2025

  • James Walden withdraws from New York City’s mayoral race

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    On September 2, 2025, independent New York City mayoral candidate James Walden (I) suspended his campaign for mayor. In an interview, Walden cited the rise of candidate Zohran Mamdani (D) as the factor for his withdrawal, saying, “The math is the math. And it doesn’t make sense for me to continue to push to surge,…

  • This week, 166 years ago, voters in southern California approved a measure to separate from the state and form a new territory

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    Dividing California into two or more states has been discussed several times in recent years—State of Jefferson, Six Californias, Cal 3, and now a two-state proposal from Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher (R-3). While there have been attempts at statewide ballot measures to divide California, the legislature referred just one to the ballot: the Pico…

  • 23% of last August’s elections were uncontested

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    Throughout August, Ballotpedia covered 457 elections in 17 states, 23% of which were uncontested. That’s down from July, when 29% of the 31 covered were uncontested. Ballotpedia defines an uncontested election as one where the number of candidates running is less than or equal to the number of seats up for election. This analysis does…

  • We spoke to school board members nationwide about their roles—here’s what they told us

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    Welcome to the Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, Brew.  By: Lara Bonatesta Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: We spoke to school board members nationwide about their roles—here’s what they told us A version of this story appeared in Ballotpedia’s Hall Pass newsletter on September 3. Click here to sign up. …

  • Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #172

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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 Classic Learning Test In this section, we curate…

  • State supreme court vacancy count for August 2025

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    In this month’s state supreme court vacancy update, Ballotpedia tracked announced retirements, nominations, appointments, confirmations, and the swearing-in of justices from Aug. 1 to Sept. 1, 2025. Ballotpedia tracks court vacancies in all 52 state supreme courts. Announced retirements: During August 2025, two justices announced their future retirement from office, and one justice died in…

  • Federal judge halts Texas law focused on proxy advisors

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    In this week’s edition of Economy and Society: Around the world Net Zero Banking Alliance to suspend operations What’s the story? On Aug. 27, the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) announced that it is suspending operations, as a number of large banks have exited the group over the last several months. Why does it matter?…

  • Net Zero Banking Alliance to suspend operations

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    On Aug. 27, the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) announced that it is suspending operations, as a number of large banks have exited the group over the last several months. NZBA has said its remaining members will vote to determine whether it should remain a member-based group or transition to an organization that provides guidance…

  • Rep. Ashley Hinson becomes the 10th U.S. House member who is running for the U.S. Senate in 2026

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    Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) announced on Sept. 2, 2025, that she will run for the U.S. Senate in Iowa in 2026 rather than another term in the U.S. House of Representatives. The seat is open since incumbent Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) announced she would not seek re-election. As of Sept. 2, 2025, independent race forecasters…

  • Rep. Jerrold Nadler becomes the 24th U.S. House member who is not seeking re-election in 2026

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    Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) announced on Sept. 1, 2025, that he will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026. In a statement announcing his retirement, Nadler wrote, “Today, I am announcing that I will not be seeking re-election next year and that this term in Congress will be my last. This…