Author: Nathan Maxwell

  • Virginia the seventh state to redraw congressional district boundaries ahead of the 2026 elections

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    Virginia became the seventh state with new U.S. House district boundaries ahead of the 2026 elections when voters approved a constitutional amendment permitting mid-decade redistricting on April 21. Four other states—California, Missouri, North Carolina, and Texas—also adopted new maps voluntarily. Ohio was required by law to adopt a new map, and litigation led to a…

  • Three candidates seek Republican nomination for Indiana Secretary of State

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    Incumbent Diego Morales, Jamie Reitenour, and David Shelton are seeking the Republican Party nomination for Indiana Secretary of State. The Republican Party convention in Fort Wayne, Indiana, will choose the nominee on June 20, 2026. Party delegates elected in the primary will vote at the convention to determine which candidate will earn the right to…

  • Below average number of contested state legislative incumbents in Tennessee

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    In 2026, 18.1% of the state legislative incumbents running for election in Tennessee will face primary contests, the third-lowest share in any election year since 2010. The average share of incumbents in contested primaries between 2010 and 2024 was 24.4%. In total, 19 incumbents face contested primaries across the Tennessee House and Senate. The average…

  • Fifteen Democrats are running to succeed 18-term U.S. House incumbent in Washington D.C.

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    Fifteen candidates are running in the Democratic primary for the U.S. House of Representatives in the District of Columbia on June 16, 2026. Voters will elect one non-voting member to serve in the U.S. House from Washington D.C.'s at-large U.S. House district. Three candidates—Brooke Pinto, Robert White, and Kinney Zalesne—lead in polling, fundraising, and media…

  • December redistricting vote shapes Republican primaries for Indiana Senate

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    Republican primaries for the Indiana Senate will take place on May 5, 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026. The Indiana Senate is one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2026. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. Twenty-five of the Indiana Senate's 50 seats are up for election in 2026.…

  • Open state legislative seats down and contested incumbents up in states with earliest filing deadlines

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    Each year, Ballotpedia analyzes how competitive the year's primary elections are using metrics including the number of incumbents who did not seek re-election, the total number of contested primaries, and the number of incumbents with primary challengers. In 2026, this competitiveness information will include state legislative elections in 46 states. So far, Ballotpedia has processed…

  • Democrats have gained 12 state legislative seats in special elections since January 2025

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    Democrats’ state legislative special election gains since January 2025 increased to 12 after the party gained control of two Florida seats on March 24, 2026. Emily Gregory (D) won a March 24 special election for Florida House District 87, winning the race by 2.4 percentage points in a district Republicans won by 19 percentage points…

  • Ballotpedia's 2026 trifecta exposure ratings: Nine exposed trifectas nationwide

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    Ballotpedia assessed both the exposure of existing state government trifectas and the potential for new trifectas to form in the 2026 elections. According to these ratings, nine state government trifectas are exposed in the 2026 elections. Democrats are defending four exposed trifectas and Republicans are defending five. Ballotpedia calculates the exposure of trifectas and potential…

  • Seven open seats in Idaho state legislative elections this year; second-fewest since 2010

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    Seven seats are open in Idaho’s state legislative elections this year, meaning no incumbents filed. That is the second-fewest open seats since 2010 and means newcomers could represent as little as 7% of the legislature next year. The average number of open seats each cycle from 2010 to 2024 was 18. Forty-two incumbents face primary…

  • Ten candidates are running in the top-two primary for California's 40th Congressional District

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    Ten candidates are running in the top-two primary for California's 40th Congressional District on June 2, 2026. Incumbent Ken Calvert (R), incumbent Young Kim (R), Joe Kerr (D), and Esther Kim Varet (D) lead in campaign fundraising and polling ahead of the election. Currently, Calvert represents California's 41st Congressional District, and Kim represents the 40th…