Author: Madison Adkins

  • Young Boozer (R) sworn in as Alabama state treasurer

    Posted on

    Young Boozer (R) became the 41st Alabama state treasurer on Oct. 1. Governor Kay Ivey (R) appointed Boozer on Sept. 17, following the resignation of John McMillan (R), effective Sept. 30. McMillan had served as treasurer since 2019. Boozer previously served as state treasurer from 2011 to 2019. He is the fifth Alabama state treasurer…

  • Arizona Rep. Aaron Lieberman resigns to focus on 2022 run for governor

    Posted on

    Aaron Lieberman (D) announced on September 20 that he would resign his seat in the Arizona House of Representatives to focus on his 2022 campaign for governor. Lieberman first won election to the House to represent District 28 in 2018, alongside incumbent Kelli Butler (D). Ballotpedia has identified three Democratic candidates, five Republican candidates, and…

  • Brian Benjamin sworn in as New York’s lieutenant governor

    Posted on

    Brian Benjamin (D) was sworn in as New York’s lieutenant governor on Sep. 9. Governor Kathy Hochul (D) had appointed Benjamin to the position on Aug. 25, after Hochul became governor in the wake of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) resignation. The Lieutenant Governor of New York is the second-ranking officer of the executive branch…

  • Vincent Polistina selected to fill New Jersey state Senate vacancy, unclear when he will take office

    Posted on

    On Aug. 4, 2021, the Atlantic County Republican Committee selected Vincent Polistina (R) to fill the vacant District 2 seat in the state Senate, replacing Chris Brown (R). However, Senate President Steve Sweeney (D), who traditionally administers the oath of office, had in late June gaveled the chamber out of session until November. According to…

  • Roxane Prettyman (D) sworn in to Maryland House of Delegates

    Posted on

    Roxane Prettyman (D) was sworn in to the Maryland House of Delegates to represent District 44A on Aug. 23. Governor Larry Hogan (R) appointed Prettyman on Aug. 17 to replace Keith Haynes (D). Previously, Prettyman worked as a paralegal specialist for the U.S. Social Security Administration. She retired from that position in 2018. She also…

  • Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton resigns from New Mexico House of Representatives

    Posted on

    Representative Sheryl Williams Stapleton (D) resigned on July 30 following allegations of racketeering and money laundering. In July 2021, a federal grand jury subpoena was served on the Albuquerque Public Schools district where Stapleton was working as the district’s director of career and technical education. According to the Albuquerque Journal, the investigation was triggered by…

  • July 2021 breakdown of state legislative party membership: 54.30% Republicans, 44.79% Democrats

    Posted on

    54.30% of all state legislators are Republicans, and 44.79% are Democrats, according to Ballotpedia’s July partisan count of the 7,383 state legislators. Ballotpedia tallies the partisan balance of state legislatures at the end of every month. This refers to which political party holds the majority of seats in each chamber. Republicans control 61 chambers, while…

  • Oklahoma governor appoints new state attorney general

    Posted on

    Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) appointed John O’Connor (R) as the state’s attorney general on July 23. O’Connor was sworn in on the same day for a term expiring in 2023. O’Connor succeeded former attorney general Mike Hunter (R), who resigned on June 1. Hunter had served as the attorney general since 2017. O’Connor has…

  • New Jersey state Sen. Chris Brown resigns to take new role in Murphy administration

    Posted on

    New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) appointed state Sen. Chris Brown (R) to a position in the Department of Community Affairs’ Division of Local Government Services on July 19. The position required Brown to leave the state Senate. Brown started his new job on July 20. Brown first won election to the Senate to represent…

  • Louisiana Rep. Malinda White leaves Democratic Party

    Posted on

    Louisiana state Rep. Malinda White switched from the Democratic Party to no party on July 1. According to the Advocate, White said, “this decision came after many years of consideration for the people I represent. It was not a snap decision but one I have struggled with for a while.” White was first elected to…