Welcome to the Wednesday, June 15, Brew.
By: Samuel Wonacott
Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- A look at the number of school board candidates running for each seat in 16 states
- We’ve got June 14 election results!
- June 28 election preview—Democratic primary for Illinois’ 6th Congressional District
17% more school board candidates per seat in 2022
Today, we’re bringing you an excerpt from a story in Hall Pass, our weekly education-related newsletter. One of the statistics we track in Hall Pass is the number of school board candidates running per seat up for election.
This year, an average of 2.3 candidates are running for each seat in the 968 school board races in 16 states for which we have complete data—17% more than in 2020.
The five states with the highest candidate-to-seat ratios are Alabama, Alaska, Nebraska, Nevada, and Tennessee.
The five states with the lowest candidate-to-seat ratios are California, Georgia, Maryland, New York, and Texas.
(Note that this analysis includes the 200 largest districts by student enrollment and any districts that overlap the 100 largest cities in the country. The average candidates-per-seat number will change as more filing deadlines pass.)
For more on this story, including a look at how the candidate-per-seat ratios compare to 2020 and 2018, click the link below.
We’ve got June 14 election results!
There were statewide primaries in Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina on Tuesday. Our team stayed up late into the night collecting results and monitoring the most significant developments. In tomorrow’s Brew, we’ll take a closer look at the biggest storylines to emerge from Tuesday’s results and how they may affect the November elections.
In the meantime, check out our June 14 election hub to see the latest results. You can also subscribe to The Heart of the Primaries, our weekly dive into key congressional, legislative, and executive races. The next edition comes out Thursday!
Click on the links below to see results from the battleground elections that happened last night:
Nevada
- United States Senate election in Nevada, 2022 (June 14 Republican primary)
- Nevada’s 1st Congressional District election, 2022 (June 14 Democratic primary)
- Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District election, 2022 (June 14 Republican primary)
- Nevada’s 4th Congressional District election, 2022 (June 14 Republican primary)
South Carolina
- South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District election, 2022 (June 14 Republican primary)
- South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District election, 2022 (June 14 Republican primary)
Texas
Click below to view all June 14 election results.
June 28 election preview—Democratic primary for Illinois’ 6th Congressional District
Now that June 14 primaries are behind, let’s cast our gaze on some upcoming primaries and turn to Illinois. Sean Casten, Marie Newman, and Charles Hughes are running in the Democratic primary for Illinois’ 6th Congressional District on June 28, 2022. Casten and Newman, both members of the U.S. House running for re-election in the same district due to redistricting, have led in fundraising and media attention.
Newman represents Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District. Casten represents the current 6th District. According to political researcher Frank Calabrese, 41% of the constituents in the new district come from Newman’s district and 23% come from Casten’s. Two election forecasters rate the general election as Likely Democratic, while one rates it as Lean Democratic.
Both Casten and Newman have cited climate change as a top issue. Casten has introduced several climate-related bills while in Congress, including the End Oil and Gas Tax Subsidies Act. Newman sponsored the America’s Clean Future Fund Act, a measure to impose a carbon fee on the use of certain fuels and use the proceeds to fund clean energy initiatives.
The League of Conservation Voters and Clean Energy for America endorsed Casten. The Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition endorsed both Casten and Newman.
Both candidates have also campaigned on abortion. Newman has spoken about her experience getting an abortion when she was 19 years old, saying, “It was not a shameful act. No woman should feel guilty for making a decision over her body, no matter the circumstances.” Newman has criticized Casten for voting for George H.W. Bush and Bob Dole, Republicans she described as anti-choice, but Casten has said his voting record is 100% pro-choice. Casten said, “Women have a fundamental right to make their own decisions, especially when it comes to abortion.”
Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) have endorsed both Casten and Newman.
As of May 2022, six U.S. House races had two incumbents running for the same congressional district in the 2022 elections.