Author: James McAllister
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Nine candidates to face off in California’s 50th District primary
Nine candidates are running in the primary election for California’s 50th Congressional District in the U.S. House on March 3, 2020. Duncan Hunter, who had represented the district since 2013, resigned Jan. 13, 2020, after pleading guilty to misusing campaign funds. Media coverage and endorsements have focused on three Republicans and one Democrat: Ammar Campa-Najjar…
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Mfume (D) and Klacik (R) advance to special general election in Maryland’s 7th Congressional District
Kweisi Mfume (D) and Kim Klacik (R) advanced from their parties’ primaries to the special general election for Maryland’s 7th Congressional District on April 28, 2020. The winner of that election will serve the remainder of the late Congressman Elijah Cummings’ term in the 116th Congress. On the Democratic side, Mfume won 43% of the…
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Senate rejects motion to allow witnesses in impeachment trial
On January 31, 2020, the U.S. Senate rejected a motion to allow witnesses and documents to be subpoenaed in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump by a vote of 51 to 49. • All 47 Democrats and two independents (Sens. Angus King and Bernie Sanders) voted yes. • 2 Republicans (Sens. Susan Collins and…
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California will hold two primaries for the same congressional seat on March 3
Two top-two primaries will take place on Mar. 3, 2020, in elections to represent California’s 25th Congressional District. The seat is currently vacant following the resignation of Katie Hill (D) on Nov. 1, 2019. The top two finishers in the primary for the regularly scheduled House election will advance to the Nov. 3, 2020, general…
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What are the responsibilities of state attorneys general?
The office of attorney general exists in all 50 states. The attorney general is directly elected in 43 states, appointed by the governor in five states, appointed by the legislature in Maine, and by the state supreme court in Tennessee. Forty-five state constitutions explicitly establish the office of attorney general, while Connecticut, Indiana, Oregon, Vermont,…
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What are the responsibilities of secretaries of state?
Secretary of state is an elected statewide executive office in 35 states, a governor-appointed position in nine states, and a legislature-appointed position in three states. Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah do not have secretaries of state. In 38 states, secretaries derive their power from original articles in their states’ constitutions. In 19 they derive their authority…
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Incumbent Sylvester Turner defeats Tony Buzbee in Houston mayoral election
Incumbent Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner won re-election Saturday. He received 56% of the vote to former Texas A&M Board of Regents member Tony Buzbee’s 44% with 100% of precincts reporting. Turner was first elected in 2015. In 2019, he campaigned on what he said were the accomplishments of his first term, including balancing the city’s…
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Tony Buzbee has cash lead over Sylvester Turner heading into the Houston mayoral runoff election
Houston mayoral candidate Tony Buzbee contributed an additional $2.3 million to his campaign, while incumbent Mayor Sylvester Turner raised $1.74 million, according to final fundraising reports before Saturday’s runoff election. At the end of the reporting period from Oct. 27 to Dec. 6, Buzbee had $597,624 cash on hand to Turner’s $524,420 on hand. Buzbee…
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What are the responsibilities of state lieutenant governors?
The office of lieutenant governor is an elected statewide executive office in 43 states. In two other states, Tennessee and West Virginia, the President of the State Senate serves as lieutenant governor. Maine, Arizona, Wyoming, New Hampshire, and Oregon do not have lieutenant governors. Lieutenant governors derive their responsibilities from several sources, including gubernatorial…
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Rep. Duncan Hunter pleads guilty to using campaign funds for personal expenses
On Tuesday, Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) pleaded guilty to using campaign funds for personal expenses, ending a three-year investigation into the congressman’s misuse of over $200,000. Hunter’s wife pleaded guilty in June to knowingly and willingly using campaign funds with her husband for their family’s benefit, agreeing to testify against him. Weeks later, federal…