Category: Federal
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10 percent of open Congressional seats changed party hands in 2020
Forty Congressional incumbents—four in the Senate and 36 in the House—did not run for re-election in 2020. Of these 40 open seats, four (10 percent) changed party hands as a result of the 2020 elections, and an additional three races were still too close to call as of Nov. 18. All four changes occurred in…
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Burgess Owens defeats incumbent Ben McAdams in Utah’s 4th Congressional District
Burgess Owens (R) defeated incumbent Rep. Ben McAdams (D) and John Molnar (L) in Utah’s 4th Congressional District. McAdams was first elected in 2018, defeating incumbent Mia Love (R) 50.1% to 49.9%—a margin of 694 votes. His 2018 election made the 4th District one of 30 House Districts that voted for Donald Trump (R) in…
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Three states split presidential and gubernatorial vote
Three states voted for presidential and gubernatorial candidates of different parties this year, while at least two voted for presidential candidates of a different party than the state’s trifecta status. A state government trifecta occurs when one party holds a state’s governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Heading into the 2020…
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Partisan control of U.S. Senate will come down to Georgia
Two of the 35 Senate races held in 2020 remain uncalled: the regular and special Senate elections in Georgia. Republicans have secured 50 seats in the next Senate, and Democrats have secured 48 (including two seats held by independents who caucus with Democrats). Control of the Senate will come down to Georgia. Democrats would need…
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U.S. Senate confirms Cannon to federal district court judgeship
The U.S. Senate confirmed Aileen Cannon to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida by a 56-21 vote on November 12, 2020. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida is one of 94 U.S. District Courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. After…
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U.S. Senate confirms Knepp to federal district court judgeship
The U.S. Senate confirmed James Knepp to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio by a 64–24 vote on November 10, 2020. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio is one of 94 U.S. District Courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. After…
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Tillis defeats Cunningham in U.S. Senate election in N.C.
Incumbent Thom Tillis (R) defeated Cal Cunningham (D), Kevin Hayes (Constitution Party), and Shannon Bray (L) in the U.S. Senate election in North Carolina. Tillis was first elected in 2014. The race drew the most satellite spending of any congressional election in history at around $229 million. Top spenders on the Republican side included the…
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One-sixth of U.S. House retirees in 2020 won re-election in 2018 by less than six points
Of the 36 U.S. House incumbents that did not run for re-election in 2020, six (16.7%) won re-election in 2018 by less than six points. That’s a higher percentage than in both 2018 (10.3%) and 2016 (7.3%). Exactly one-third of 2020 retirees won re-election in 2018 by more than 36 points. That’s a higher percentage…
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Number of Republican-majority federal circuit courts has doubled in Trump administration
Since Donald Trump (R) took office in January 2017, he has appointed 52 judges to the 13 federal circuit courts. At the time of his inauguration, a majority of members on four of those courts were appointed by Republican presidents. Before the 2020 election, a majority of members on eight of those courts were appointed…
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Analyzing margins of victory in the 206 Pivot Counties nationwide
Voters in 206 Pivot Counties across the country backed Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and Donald Trump (R) in 2016. How did these counties vote in 2020? We have split the Pivot Counties into two categories based on the unofficial results: Retained Pivot Counties, which voted for Trump again in 2020, and Carousel…