Category: State
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Share of Illinois state legislative incumbents in contested primaries lowest since 2016
In 2026, 12.7% of the state legislative incumbents running for election in Illinois will face primary contests, down from 14.4% in 2024 and the lowest percentage since 2016, when 11.8% of incumbents faced primaries. In total, 18 incumbents face contested primaries across the Illinois House and Senate. The average number of incumbents contested each election…
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Arkansas to see fewest state legislative incumbent primaries since 2014
Nine Arkansas state legislative incumbents face primary contests this year, the fewest since eight incumbents ran in contested 2014 primaries. All nine of the contested incumbents are Republicans. Three are state senators and six are state representatives. This is the first year without any Democratic incumbents in contested primaries in the state since Ballotpedia began…
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Fewest open state legislative seats in North Carolina since 2010
Ten seats are open in North Carolina’s state legislative elections this year, meaning no incumbents filed. That is the fewest open seats since 2010 and means newcomers could represent as little as 6% of the legislature next year. The average number of open seats each cycle from 2010 to 2024 was 24. Thirty-nine incumbents face…
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State supreme court vacancy count for December 2025
In this month's state supreme court vacancy update, Ballotpedia tracked announced retirements, nominations, appointments, confirmations, and the swearing-in of justices from Dec. 1 to Dec. 30, 2025. Ballotpedia tracks court vacancies in all 52 state supreme courts. Justices sworn into office: During December 2025, two justices were sworn into office. Appointees named and nominees confirmed:…
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Utah Gov. Spencer Cox's (R) proposal could be first expansion of a state's supreme court since 2016
In Utah, Governor Spencer Cox’s (R) most recent budget proposal includes nearly $3 million allocated to increasing the number of justices on the state’s Supreme Court and its Court of Appeals by two justices each. Currently, the Supreme Court has five justices, and the Court of Appeals has seven. Utah is one of 15 states…
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Of 25 veto referendums, Missouri voters have upheld the targeted legislation only once
Missouri voters may decide on a veto referendum on the state’s new congressional district map in 2026. If certified for the ballot, this would be the 26th veto referendum Missouri voters will decide in state history. Between 1906 and 2025, 530 veto referendums appeared on ballots in 23 states. Voters more often repealed the targeted…
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Campaign submits signatures for veto referendum to repeal Oregon gas tax increase and other parts of transportation funding bill
No Tax Oregon, the committee sponsoring a veto referendum against an increase to the state’s gas tax, filed nearly 200,000 signatures on Dec. 12 to repeal parts of a transportation funding bill passed during the legislature’s special session in September. The transportation funding bill, House Bill 3991, passed along party lines in September, carried by…
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Minimum wage set to increase in 22 states and D.C., raising the nationwide average to $11.51
In 2026, the minimum wage will increase in 22 states and Washington, D.C. The increases range from $0.28 in Minnesota to $2.00 in Hawaii. The 2026 increases come from state laws adopted in the past that provided for incremental increases and inflation adjustments, as well as new state statutes passed in 2025 in Rhode Island…
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Referendum to repeal Missouri’s new congressional map submits signatures for 2026 ballot
In Missouri, signatures were filed for a veto referendum against the state's new congressional districts map. On Dec. 9, the campaign People Not Politicians reported filing more than 300,000 signatures. The targeted legislation, House Bill 1 (HB 1), redraws the state's eight congressional districts. HB 1 divides Kansas City, Missouri, between three congressional districts. As…
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Utah State Legislature repeals public sector collective bargaining ban, which was scheduled for a referendum vote in 2026
The Utah State Legislature voted to repeal HB 267 during a special legislative session on Dec. 9, 2025. In Utah, a pending veto referendum is automatically invalidated if the state legislature repeals the targeted legislation. As such, the referendum targeting HB 267 will not be on the 2026 Utah ballot. HB 267 would have prohibited…