Author: David Luchs
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Greg Gianforte elected governor of Montana
Greg Gianforte (R) defeated Mike Cooney (D), Robert Barb (G), and Lyman Bishop (L) to win election as governor of Montana. Gianforte is the first Republican elected to the office since 2000. Gianforte is the state's current representative in the U.S. House, while Cooney is the current lieutenant governor. This is the first of the…
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Phil Scott elected to third term as governor of Vermont
Incumbent Phil Scott (R) defeated Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman (D/Vermont Progressive Party) and six independent and third-party candidates to win a third two-year term as governor of Vermont. Vermont is one of three states (along with North Carolina and Louisiana) with a governor and lieutenant governor from different parties. It is also one of four…
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What are Pivot Counties?
Two hundred and six counties nationwide voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 before voting for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Voters in these Pivot Counties cast 7.5 million votes in 2016—5.5% of all votes cast that year. The 206 Pivot Counties are located in 34 states. Iowa's 31 Pivot Counties—out of 99…
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Six national party committees raise combined $2 billion this cycle
Six party committees have raised a combined $2 billion since January 2019, according to pre-general election campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on October 22. The reports covered all fundraising and spending between October 1 and October 14. Democrats and Republicans each have three party committees: a national committee to coordinate…
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15 races we're watching in 2020
On November 3, Americans will elect thousands of offices up and down the ballot, including the presidency, 35 seats in the U.S. Senate, all 435 seats in the U.S. House, 11 governorships, and 5,875 seats across 86 state legislative chambers. Ballotpedia has identified the top 15 races we'll be watching (the presidential election aside), listed…
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DNC outraises RNC for second consecutive month
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) outraised the Republican National Committee (RNC) in September, its second consecutive month leading in fundraising, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. Last month, the RNC raised $71.8 million and spent $108.6 million, while the DNC raised $76.0 million and spent $62.8 million. So far in…
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Democrats, Republicans each defending eight vulnerable trifectas this year
Sixteen state trifectas are vulnerable in 2020, according to Ballotpedia’s trifecta vulnerability rating system. Both major parties will be defending eight trifectas. A state government trifecta occurs when one party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. There are currently 21 Republican trifectas and 15 Democratic trifectas. The remaining 14 states…
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Georgia U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff completes Ballotpedia's Candidate Connections survey
Jon Ossoff, the Democratic nominee in the regularly-scheduled U.S. Senate election in Georgia, recently completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connections survey. Ossoff faces incumbent David Perdue (R) and Shane Hazel (L) in the general election for U.S. Senate. Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey so voters can discover what motivates them…
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New York Times, CNN report Trump selects Amy Coney Barrett for Supreme Court
President Trump (R) will nominate appellate judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court Saturday to fill the vacancy opened by the death of Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, according to CNN and the New York Times. Barrett is currently a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, the federal appellate…
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DNC outraises RNC for the first time since March
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) outraised the Republican National Committee (RNC) for the first time since March last month, according to September 2020 campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission Sunday. Last month, the RNC raised $67.6 million and spent $62.6 million, while the DNC raised $78.4 million and spent $26.7 million. So…