Year: 2026
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Louisiana becomes fourth state to advance a bail-related constitutional amendment to voters in 2026
The Louisiana State Legislature approved a constitutional amendment related to post-conviction bail for defendants who are convicted of an aggravated offense against minors for the Nov. 3, 2026, statewide general election ballot. Legislators passed the amendment on May 13, 2026. In Louisiana, a two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during a single session to place a…
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New York Governor says state plans to participate in federal education tax credit scholarship program
On May 7, 2026, New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) said that she plans to opt the state into the federal education tax credit scholarship program, also known as the Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC). New York is the third state with a Democratic trifecta to indicate participation in the program, following Virginia and Colorado. Twenty-three…
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SEC moves to rescind 2024 climate disclosure rule
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) submitted a proposal to rescind its 2024 climate-risk disclosure rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on May 4, 2026. The rule never took effect because litigation paused its implementation shortly after adoption. SEC staff is also preparing recommendations to the commission to rescind the rule at…
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Alabama announces special primary elections for four U.S. House races, New Hampshire moves 2028 primary date
Two states recently revised their election calendars: Alabama scheduled special primary elections this year for four congressional districts, and New Hampshire moved its statewide and congressional primaries to June beginning in 2028. On May 12, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) announced that special primaries will happen on Aug. 11 for four of the state's seven…
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Incumbent Bill Cassidy loses U.S Senate re-election in Louisiana as Republican primary heads to runoff
Julia Letlow (R) and John Fleming (R) advanced to a June 27 runoff in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Louisiana, with 45% and 28% of the vote, respectively. Incumbent Bill Cassidy finished third, with 24% of the vote. President Donald Trump (R) and Gov. Jeff Landry (R) endorsed Letlow. According to Axios' Alex…
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Rep. Steve Cohen becomes the 57th U.S. representative to announce he won’t seek re-election in 2026
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) announced on May 15, 2026, that he will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026. Cohen’s announcement came after the Tennessee General Assembly passed a new congressional map on May 7, 2026, which Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed that day. Based on the 2024 presidential election…
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Sixty-eight members of the U.S. Congress have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026
Sixty-eight members of the U.S. Congress — 57 U.S. representatives and 11 U.S. senators — have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. Since our April 23 update, two U.S. representatives announced they will not seek re-election. Here’s a list of how independent election forecasters have rated the 2026 general election for each district…
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Record number of candidates running for the Georgia General Assembly in 2026
There are 538 candidates running for the Georgia General Assembly this year. This is the most candidates running since 2010. An average of 429 candidates ran each year between 2010 and 2024. According to WABE’s Mark Niesse, “With legislators running for higher office, longtime lawmakers retiring, and many challenges to incumbents, the Georgia General Assembly…
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Minnesota voters to decide on a constitutional amendment that would allow more state funds to be distributed to school districts each year
Minnesota voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would change the policies surrounding the investment and distribution of the Minnesota Permanent School Fund. On May 16, 2026, the Minnesota state legislature approved House File 3900 (HF 3900), which placed the constitutional amendment on the November 2026 ballot for voters to decide. On March 2,…
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Colorado Democrats compete to be the state's chief legal check on the Trump administration
Hetal Doshi (D), Michael Dougherty (D), Jena Griswold (D), and David Seligman (D) are running in the Democratic primary for Colorado Attorney General on June 30, 2026. Incumbent Phil Weiser (D) is term-limited and running for governor. Axios' John Frank said the primary has a "packed field of top-tier candidates and ... unusually high stakes…