Author: Dave Beaudoin
-
Fifty-eight state executives have master’s degrees; 93 have law degrees
Of the 192 officeholders currently occupying the top four executive positions in each state—governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state—184 have a bachelor’s degree, 58 have a master’s degree, and 93 have a law degree. Nine such officeholders have a Ph.D., and one has a medical degree. Eight state executives do not list…
-
At least 56 minor party or independent candidates in 2022 received more votes than the margin of victory in their election
In the 2022 elections, at least 56 minor party or independent candidates received more votes than the margin of victory in their election. There were five such candidates in elections for federal office and 18 in elections for statewide offices. In 2020, by comparison, at least 77 minor party or independent candidates received more votes…
-
Since 2000, the Republican Party’s share of seats won exceeded its national vote share in 11 of 12 U.S. House of Representatives elections
Since 2000, the Republican Party’s share of seats won exceeded its national vote share in 11 of 12 U.S. House of Representatives elections. The only election where the Republican Party won fewer U.S. House districts relative to its national vote share was in 2008. During this period, the Democratic Party’s share of seats won exceeded…
-
Federal three-judge panel rules South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District unconstitutional
On January 6, 2023, a federal three-judge panel ruled that South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District was unconstitutional and enjoined the state from conducting future elections using its district boundaries. The panel’s opinion said, “The Court finds that race was the predominant factor motivating the General Assembly’s adoption of Congressional District No. 1… Plaintiffs’ right to…
-
Sixty-eight legislative districts in five states were either renamed or eliminated after the 2020 census
As state legislatures nationwide convene for their first sessions after the 2022 elections, 68 legislative districts in five states were either renamed or eliminated and no longer exist. Forty-six of the 68 renamed or eliminated districts are in Vermont, one of three New England states—along with Massachusetts and New Hampshire—that include the town as part…
-
Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission submits final legislative district boundary proposal to legislature
The Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission (MDAC) voted 3-2 to submit its final legislative district boundary proposal to the legislature. The commission’s nonpartisan chairperson, Maylinn Smith, and two Democratic-appointed commissioners voted to approve the map, and the two Republican-appointed commissioners voted against it. According to Nicole Girten of the Daily Montanan, “The legislature will have…
-
Mississippi lawsuit challenges state’s legislative districts
The Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP and five Mississippi voters filed a lawsuit in federal district court on Dec. 20 challenging the state’s newly enacted legislative district map. The suit alleges that the boundaries the legislature enacted in March 2022 violate the 1965 Voting Rights Act and “illegally dilute the voting strength of Black…
-
Plaintiffs challenging Kansas’ congressional district boundaries file appeal to U.S. Supreme Court
On November 23, 2022, the plaintiffs in Alonzo v. Schwab filed a petition for a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS). The petition—which asks SCOTUS to hear the case— challenges the Kansas Supreme Court’s May 2022 decision upholding that state’s congressional redistricting plan. The petitioners allege that the Kansas Supreme Court erroneously ruled “that…
-
U.S. Supreme Court to hear oral argument Dec. 7 on elections case
The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral argument in Moore v. Harper on Dec. 7, the last day of its’ December sitting. Moore v. Harper concerns the elections clause in Article I, section 4 of the Constitution and whether state legislatures alone are empowered by the Constitution to regulate federal elections without oversight…
-
Alaska At-large U.S. Representative Mary Peltola re-elected
Incumbent Rep. Mary Peltola (D) defeated Sarah Palin (R), Nicholas Begich III (R), and Chris Bye (L) in the general election for Alaska’s at-large congressional district. Peltola, Begich, Palin, and Tara Sweeney (R) had advanced from the Aug. 16 top-four primary. Sweeney subsequently withdrew from the race, meaning Bye, the fifth-place finisher, advanced. The Alaska…