Author: Douglas Kronaizl
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5.3% of state legislative incumbents who filed for re-election have lost in primaries
So far this year, 91 state legislative incumbents—17 Democrats and 74 Republicans—have lost to primary challengers. Across the 17 states that have held primaries, 5.3% of incumbents running for re-election have lost. This is both the largest number and highest incumbent loss rate in these 17 states since 2014. In addition to earlier primaries, these…
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Election tampering investigation, 2020 results take central role in Colorado’s Republican primary for secretary of state
Pam Anderson, Mike O’Donnell, and Tina Peters—are running in the Republican primary for Colorado secretary of state on June 28, 2022. The winner will face incumbent Jena Griswold (D) in the November 8 general election. Anderson and Peters, both with experience serving as county clerks, have led in fundraising and media attention. The Colorado Sun‘s…
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Rate of state legislative incumbents facing contested primaries in Utah at its highest since 2014
Fifteen of the 82 Utah state legislators running for election this year—two Democrats and 13 incumbents—face contested primaries. That equals 18% of incumbents seeking re-election, the highest rate since 2014. The remaining 82% of incumbents are not facing primary challengers. Utah uses a unique convention-primary structure where candidates participate in party conventions before advancing to…
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Primary watch: number of contested state legislative primaries is up 34% compared to 2020
There are 34% more contested state legislative primaries this year than in 2020, including 68% more Republican primaries and 18% more top-two/four primaries. Democratic primaries are down 9%. These figures include elections in 24 states that account for 2,952 of the 6,166 state legislative seats up for election this year (48%). A primary is contested…
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All three candidates for Office 67 on the Superior Court of Los Angeles County complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Survey
All three candidates in the nonpartisan primary for Office 67 of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County—Fernanda Maria Barreto, Ryan Dibble, and Elizabeth Lashley-Haynes—have submitted Candidate Connection surveys to Ballotpedia. These surveys allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them on political and personal levels. The race for Office 67 is…
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Newcomers will represent 35% of Colorado’s state legislative districts next year
Thirty-five state legislative districts up for election this year in Colorado are open, meaning no incumbents filed to run. That equals 43% of the 82 districts up for election this year and 35% of the 100 districts in the Colorado General Assembly. Since no incumbents are present, newcomers to the legislature are guaranteed to win…
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Primary watch: number of contested state legislative primaries is up 34% compared to 2020
There are 34% more contested state legislative primaries this year than in 2020, including 71% more Republican primaries and 18% more top-two/four primaries. Democratic primaries are down 9%. These figures include elections in 23 states that account for 2,862 of 6,166 state legislative seats up for election this year (46%). A primary is contested when…
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How COVID, race, and gender affected the April 5 school board races in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin
School board incumbents lost at nearly twice the historical average rate in a sample of April 2022 school board contests where candidates offered views on three conflict issues. Ballotpedia identified 141 school districts in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin that held elections on April 5, where candidates took a stance on race in education, COVID responses,…
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South Carolina House has its most contested primaries since 2014
The number of contested primaries in the South Carolina House of Representatives rose to 48 this year, the most since 2014. With 124 House districts holding elections, this represents 19% of the 248 possible primaries in the chamber. Of those 44 contested primaries, 12 include Democrats and 36 include Republicans. For Democrats, this is down…