Category: State
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Georgia Senate District 13 special election headed to a runoff
A special general election was held on February 4, 2020, to fill the Georgia Senate District 13 seat left vacant by former Senator Greg Kirk (R). The special election was called after Senator Kirk passed away on December 22, 2019. He had represented District 13 since 2015. Three candidates appeared on the ballot in the…
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District court decides that Alabama elections do not violate Voting Rights Act
On February 5th, U.S. District Judge W. Keith Watkins ruled that Alabama’s at-large method of electing appellate judges does not dilute the voting power of black citizens. The case was brought to the court by the NAACP, which contended that Alabama’s mode of at-large elections for appellate judges, as opposed to voting by election districts,…
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Mahoney Appointed Alaska Commissioner of Revenue
On February 4, 2020, Lucinda Mahoney was appointed commissioner of Alaska’s Department of Revenue by Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R). Mahoney’s appointment comes after Bruce Tangeman resigned from the position in November of 2019 over differences with the governor. In his resignation letter, Tangeman stated, “The message you campaigned on and continue to stress was based…
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Harvard the most attended higher education institution for top state executive officials
One hundred and ninety-two officials currently hold one of the top four state executive positions of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, or secretary of state. Below is a summary of the educational backgrounds of these state executive officials in 2020. Of the group, there are: • 185 officeholders with a bachelor’s degree (B.A., B.S., etc.)…
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Indiana filing deadline is February 7
The major-party filing deadline to run for elected office in Indiana is on February 7, 2020. The filing deadline for independent and minor party candidates is June 30. In Indiana, prospective candidates may file for the following offices: • U.S. House (9 seats) • Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General • State Senate (25 seats) •…
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January 2020 breakdown of state legislative party membership: 52.2% Republicans, 46.8% Democrats
January’s partisan count of the 7,383 state legislators across the United States shows 52.2% of all state legislators are Republicans and 46.8% are Democrats, which is consistent with December 2019. Also as of the end of January, Republicans hold a majority in 59 state legislative chambers, and Democrats hold the majority in 39 chambers. One…
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Democrats select Woodrow to fill vacancy in Colorado House
On February 4, 2020, Steven Woodrow (D) was appointed to fill the vacant District 6 seat in the Colorado House of Representatives. Vacancies in either chamber of the Colorado General Assembly are filled by a committee of members of the political party that last held the seat. Woodrow’s appointment came after former Colorado representative Chris…
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Kent elected first female DFL state Senate leader in Minnesota
On February 1, 2020, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) caucus of the Minnesota State Senate elected Susan Kent (D) to serve as the party’s minority leader for the upcoming legislative session. Kent won the post over fellow senator Tom Bakk (D). Kent will serve as the DFL’s first female leader in the state Senate. In Minnesota, the…
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Maine Republican Party files veto referendum to repeal ranked-choice voting for presidential elections
The Maine Republican Party has proposed a veto referendum to repeal legislation that would implement ranked-choice voting for the presidential election on November 3, 2020. On February 4, 2020, Demi Kouzounas, the party’s chairperson, filed the referendum. In 2019, the Maine State Legislature passed Legislative Document 1083 (LD 1083), which was designed to implement ranked-choice…
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Reynolds appoints third justice to the Iowa State Supreme Court
On January 28, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) made her third appointment to the Iowa State Supreme Court when she chose Dana Oxley to fill the vacancy left by Chief Justice Mark Cady. Reynold’s described Justice Oxley saying, “She’s smart, she’s articulate, she’s hard-working, she brings a breadth of experience to the court.” This will…