Author: Mandy Gillip

  • Johnson, Beaton receive judicial commission as U.S. District Court judges

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    On December 1, 2020, Kristi Johnson received her judicial commission to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. On the same date, Benjamin Beaton received his judicial commission to the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.  Johnson was nominated to the court by President Donald Trump (R)…

  • SCOTUS postpones case hearing

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    Department of Justice v. House Committee on the Judiciary, which was previously scheduled for argument before the Supreme Court of the United States on December 2, 2020, has been removed from the court’s December argument calendar after the court granted the House Judiciary Committee’s motion for the move. The case came on a writ of…

  • California governor confirms Jenkins to state supreme court

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    The California State Commission on Judicial Appointments confirmed Martin Jenkins to the California Supreme Court on November 10, 2020. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) appointed Jenkins on October 5. Jenkins succeeds Justice Ming Chin, who retired on August 31. Jenkins is Newsom’s first appointee to the seven-member supreme court. Under California law, state supreme court justices…

  • 5,904 state legislative seats up for election on November 3

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    Forty-four states and five United States territories—American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S Virgin Islands—are holding state legislative general elections on November 3, 2020. There are 5,904 seats up for regular election, and 15 seats up for special election, meaning 5,919 state legislative seats are on the ballot on November 3.…

  • President Trump announces judicial nominee

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    On October 1, President Donald Trump (R) announced the nomination of Joseph Dawson to the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, which is an Article III federal judicial position. Article III judges are appointed by the president, confirmed by the Senate, and serve for life. Since assuming office in January 2017, Trump…

  • Did COVID-19 affect the number of candidates who filed for election in 2020?

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    In response to the coronavirus pandemic, states have changed election dates, voting procedures, and candidate filing deadlines. We took a look at the potential effect these changes had on candidate filing ratios (the number of candidates who filed compared to the number of seats up for election). We chose the date of comparison as March…

  • U.S. Senate confirms six U.S. District Court nominees

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    The U.S. Senate confirmed six nominees to U.S. District Court judgeships. The 94 U.S. District Courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. The Senate has confirmed 214 of President Trump’s Article III judicial nominees—two Supreme Court justices, 53 appellate court judges, 157 district court judges, and two U.S. Court of…

  • Voters to decide Massachusetts’ congressional primaries

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    The statewide primary election for Massachusetts is on September 1, 2020. The filing deadline to run passed on June 2. Candidates are running in elections for the following congressional offices: • One Class II seat in the United States Senate • Nine seats in the United States House of Representatives Candidates are competing to advance…

  • Three states to hold primary elections on August 18

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    Image of a red sign with the words "Polling Place" a pointing arrow.

    Primary elections for state legislative chambers in Alaska, Florida, and Wyoming are on August 18, 2020. In Alaska, the filing deadline to run passed on June 1. Candidates are running in elections for the following offices: • 10 seats in the Alaska State Senate—100% of incumbents filed for re-election, leaving no open seats. • 40…

  • Hawaii to hold congressional primaries August 8

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    The statewide primary election for Hawaii is on August 8, 2020. The filing deadline to run passed on June 2. Voters will elect one candidate from each of the state’s two congressional districts to serve in the U.S. House. Candidates are competing to advance to the general election scheduled for November 3, 2020. Hawaii’s primary…