Year: 2026
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CMS releases interim final rule for Medicaid work requirements, defines medical frailty exemption
On June 1, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an Interim Final Rule with Comment Period (IFC) governing how states implement Medicaid work requirements — also known as community engagement requirements — enacted into law as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The nearly-400 page document establishes standards…
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California voters set to decide third ballot measure since 2012 to maintain top marginal tax on high incomes to fund public education
The California Secretary of State announced that a ballot initiative to make permanent the state’s top marginal tax rates on higher incomes, which are set to expire in 2031, has qualified for the November ballot. This will be the third ballot initiative related to this income tax, which was enacted in 2012 with the approval…
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Two Republican incumbents drawn into the same congressional district to face off in general election for California's 40th
Incumbents Ken Calvert (R) and Young Kim (R) defeated six other candidates to win the top-two primary for California's 40th Congressional District on June 2, 2026, receiving 35% and 21% of the vote, respectively. Calvert, Kim, Joe Kerr (D), and Esther Kim Varet (D) led in campaign fundraising and polling ahead of the election. Calvert…
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Xavier Becerra (D) and Steve Hilton (R) advance from the top-two primary for governor of California
Xavier Becerra (D) and Steve Hilton (R) advanced from the top-two primary for governor of California on June 2, 2026. Of the 61 candidates who ran in the election, Becerra, Matt Mahan (D), Katie Porter (D), Tom Steyer (D), Antonio Villaraigosa (D), Chad Bianco (R), and Hilton led in polling and media attention. Incumbent Gov.…
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Incumbent David Valadao (R) and Randy Villegas (D) advanced from the top-two primary for California's 22nd Congressional District on June 2, 2026
Incumbent David Valadao (R) and Randy Villegas (D) advanced from the top-two primary for California's 22nd Congressional District on June 2, 2026. Jasmeet Bains (D) placed third. The election took place in the context of redistricting, which changed the district lines from those used in 2024. Inside Elections' Nathaniel Rakich said the new lines "would…
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In five states, 2026 gubernatorial or state legislative races will determine who becomes the next top election official
Twenty-six states are holding elections for secretary of state in November. While these states hold direct elections for the office, nine out of the 12 states in which the governor or legislature appoints the secretary of state will hold respective gubernatorial or state legislative elections in 2026. In five of those states, the secretary of…
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Campaign behind Montana ballot initiative to add nonpartisan judicial elections to the state constitution submits signatures for November
Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts filed signatures for a ballot initiative that would add a section to the Montana Constitution stating that “Judicial elections shall remain nonpartisan.” Montana has used nonpartisan judicial elections since 1936. If the amendment is approved by voters in November, making judicial elections partisan would require another voter-approved constitutional amendment to enact.…
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Rob Sand (D), Zach Lahn (R), and Nicholas Gluba (L) are running in the general election for governor of Iowa on November 3, 2026
Rob Sand (D), Zach Lahn (R), and Nicholas Gluba (L) are running in the general election for governor of Iowa on November 3, 2026. The Hill's Caroline Vakil said, "While Iowa hasn’t elected a Democrat for governor in two decades, Democrats see an unusually strong candidate in Sand. He is currently the only member of…
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Republican primary for governor of Colorado features competing ideologies among the candidates
Scott Bottoms (R), Barbara Kirkmeyer (R), Victor Marx (R), and Kelvin Wimberly (write-in) are running in the Republican primary for governor of Colorado on June 30, 2026. Incumbent Gov. Jared Polis (D) is term-limited. Bottoms, Kirkmeyer, and Marx lead in fundraising and media attention. As of June 9, 2026, The Cook Political Report with Amy…
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Candidates endorsed by RECs won 88% of primary races across five states in June 2 elections
Endorsements are one of the ways voters learn who candidates are and what they stand for — especially in down-ballot races where little other information is available. Ballotpedia tracks endorsements from organizations we call Recognized Endorsement Contributors (RECs): groups ranging from labor unions and advocacy organizations to newspaper editorial boards that publicly support candidates and…