The school year is about to begin—see how much your district received in federal pandemic relief
Between 2020 and 2021, Congress provided roughly $190 billion in aid to K-12 school districts as part of a program called Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER). As students around the country prepare to go back to school in the coming months, districts are navigating deadlines to use those funds, affected by a legal dispute over the federal government’s decision to revoke deadline extensions.
Initially, districts were required to have spent the final round of funding by January 2025, though as of May 11, 47 states and several outlying areas received extensions that now end on March 30, 2026. If districts don’t spend ESSER funds by that date, they will lose access to them.
Ballotpedia has compiled data on the amount of pandemic relief funding K-12 public school districts received since 2020. Access that data at the link below.
Four out of six eligible governors could run for a third term in 2026—the most since 1990
On July 24, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced that he would not seek a third term in 2026. Evers is one of six governors who can run for a third term in 2026. In Tuesday’s Brew, we looked at the other five governors, their re-election plans, and the historical background on governors seeking third terms.
There are 36 gubernatorial elections in 2026. Twenty of those 36 states have incumbent governors who can run for another term. Of the six governors who are eligible to seek a third term, three of them have announced their re-election plans:
- Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) announced on June 26 that he will seek a third term.
- Like Evers, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) announced on April 11 that she will not seek a third term.
- Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D), Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R), and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) have not announced whether they will seek a third term.
Two members of the U.S. House announce their campaigns for other offices
On July 27, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) announced that he will run for governor of South Carolina in 2026 rather than another term in the U.S. House. Norman has represented South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District since 2017.
Incumbent Gov. Henry McMaster (R) is term-limited. As of July 29, independent race forecasters The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections have rated the 2026 general election for the seat Solid Republican. Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it Safe Republican.
On July 28, Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) announced that he will run for the U.S. Senate in Georgia in 2026 rather than another term in the U.S. House. Collins has represented Georgia’s 10th Congressional District since 2023.
As of July 29, The Cook Political Report, Sabato’s Crystal Ball, and Inside Elections have rated the general election for the seat Toss-up. According to The Hill’s Jared Gans, since President Donald Trump (R) won the state in 2024, incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) “will be a top target for the GOP in next year’s midterms.”
Republican National Committee raised twice as much money as Democratic National Committee in June
As of June 30, the end of the most recent party committee campaign finance filing period, the three committees associated with the Republican Party raised a cumulative $214 million and spent $140 million. The three committees associated with the Democratic Party raised a cumulative $176 million and spent $165 million.
