Author: Joel Williams

  • Seventy-three races this year have candidates that share the same last names

    Posted on

    Among the elections Ballotpedia is covering in 2023, 73 are between 148 candidates who share last names with one or more of their opponents. Pennsylvania had the most such races (27), followed by Wisconsin (19). North Carolina and Wisconsin each had races where three candidates share the same last name. This data includes the elections…

  • Five state financial officers are on the ballot in November 2023

    Posted on

    In November 2023, voters will elect five of the 105 state financial officerships (SFOs) nationwide (4.8%). Two auditor positions (Kentucky and Mississippi) and three treasurer positions (Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi) are on the ballot. Republicans currently hold all five positions. Different states have different names for these elected officials, but they all fall into three…

  • Jeff Landry wins Louisiana gubernatorial election; state becoming Republican trifecta

    Posted on

    Jeff Landry (R) won election as governor of Louisiana on Oct. 14, 2023. He won outright with 51.6% of the vote. Shawn Wilson (D) finished second with 25.9%. Gov. John Bel Edwards (D)—first elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019—was term-limited. As a result of the party change, Louisiana will become a Republican trifecta.  Louisiana…

  • ICYMI: Top stories of the week

    Posted on

    Each week, we bring you a collection of the most viewed stories from The Daily Brew, condensed. Here are the top stories from the week of October 9-October 13. Hall Pass digs into the policy debates over the science of reading Throughout October, in our weekly education newsletter, Hall Pass, we’re diving deep into the…

  • This fall’s only state supreme court race

    Posted on

    Welcome to the August 16, 2023, Brew.  Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: This fall’s only state supreme court race A look at the state of police-related ballot measures 93 candidates filed for congressional and statewide offices last week This fall’s only state supreme court race Daniel McCaffery (D) and…

  • 79% of South Dakota school districts canceled elections this year

    Posted on

    Welcome to the August 15, 2023, Brew.  Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: A look at school board elections in South Dakota A roundup of city council candidates’ answers to our candidate survey 79% of South Dakota school districts canceled elections this year In many states, elections are canceled outright…

  • Nashville mayoral election headed to a runoff

    Posted on

    Freddie O’Connell and Alice Rolli advanced from a field of 12 candidates in the nonpartisan general election for mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, on Aug. 3, 2023. The two will compete in a Sept. 14, 2023, runoff election. Although the election is officially nonpartisan, both candidates have political affiliations. O’Connell, who has represented District 19 on…

  • Trump holds the lead in Republican presidential primary polling averages and PredictIt market

    Posted on

    As of July 18, 2023, former President Donald Trump (R) held the lead in both RealClearPolitics’ (RCP) Republican presidential primary polling average and PredictIt’s Republican presidential primary market. Trump’s polling average stood at 54%, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) at 20%. No other candidate had more than a 10% polling average. In PredictIt’s…

  • ICYMI: Top stories of the week

    Posted on

    Each week, we bring you a collection of the most viewed stories from The Daily Brew, condensed. Here are the top stories from the week of July 3-7. One party controls the top state executive offices in 44 states—up from 30 in 2010 In 44 states, one party controls that state’s top executive offices—governor, attorney…

  • Number of one-party state governments at the highest point in at least three decades

    Posted on

    There are 39 state government trifectas, more than twice as many as the 19 there were over 30 years ago in 1992. A state government trifecta is a term to describe a single-party government when one political party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. While there are more total trifectas today…