CategoryFederal

Newman defeats incumbent Lipinski in IL-03 Democratic primary

By Janie Valentine
In Federal
March 18, 2020 at 7:01 PM

Marie Newman defeated incumbent Daniel Lipinski in the Democratic primary for Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District. Newman received 47.1% of the vote to Lipinski’s 44.8%. Newman will run in the district’s general election on Nov. 3, 2020.

Lipinski is the first incumbent member of Congress to lose a primary in 2020. In 2018, four U.S. House members lost primaries.

Lipinski, who was first elected in 2004, said that he was “the common-sense Democrat” and criticized what he called Newman’s socialist ideology and leftist fantasies. Newman said that Lipinski was not a real Democrat. She stated, “Since 2004, my opponent has ignored the concerns of wide swaths of his constituency. He voted against the Affordable Care Act, against the Dream Act, and has repeatedly stood with the Republican party to attack workers, women and the LGBTQ community.” Lipinski and Newman faced off in the district’s 2018 Democratic primary; Lipinski received 51.1% of the vote to Newman’s 48.9%.

The district has been held by Democrats since 1975. All 435 House districts will be up for election on Nov. 3, 2020, and the results will determine the partisan balance of the U.S. House in the 117th Congress. As of March 2020, Democrats have a 232-197 advantage over Republicans. If Republicans win 18 Democratic-controlled districts, they will win control of the House. If Democrats hold as many districts, they will maintain their control of the chamber.



Ives defeats Kinzler in IL-06 Republican primary

By Amee LaTour
In Federal
March 18, 2020 at 6:59 PM

Jeanne Ives defeated Gordon “Jay” Kinzler in the Republican primary for Illinois’ 6th Congressional District. Ives received 70.8% of the vote to Kinzler’s 29.2%. Ives will run in the district’s general election on November 3, 2020.

Incumbent Sean Casten (D) was unopposed in the March 17 Democratic primary. In the district’s 2018 general election, Casten won 54-47. All 435 House districts will be up for election on Nov. 3, 2020, and the results will determine the partisan balance of the U.S. House in the 117th Congress. As of March 2020, Democrats have a 232-197 advantage over Republicans. If Republicans win 18 Democratic-controlled districts, they will win control of the House. If Democrats hold as many districts, they will maintain their control of the chamber.



Mary Miller wins IL-15 Republican primary

By Amee LaTour
In Federal
March 18, 2020 at 6:55 PM

Mary Miller won Illinois’ 15th Congressional District Republican primary Tuesday night. With 95% of precincts reporting, Miller received 57.6% of the vote. Darren Duncan was second with 21.6%. Four candidates ran.

Incumbent John Shimkus (R) is not running for re-election in 2020, leaving the seat open.

Both Miller and Duncan highlighted their support for President Donald Trump’s agenda. Miller highlighted the endorsements she received from Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), and the House Freedom Fund. The House Freedom Fund and its affiliated super PAC, House Freedom Action, spent $489,000 to support Miller. In response to the satellite spending, Duncan said, “Mary Miller has sold out central and southern Illinois for hundreds of thousands of dollars from D.C. special interests.” U.S. Reps. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) and Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) endorsed Duncan.

Three major race rating outlets view the 2020 general election as Safe/Solid Republican. All 435 House seats are up for election in November. Democrats currently hold a majority in the chamber with 232 seats to Republicans’ 197.



Incumbent Danny Davis wins IL-07 Democratic primary

By Amee LaTour
In Federal
March 18, 2020 at 6:51 PM

Incumbent Danny Davis won Illinois’ 7th Congressional District Democratic primary Tuesday night. With 75% of precincts reporting, Davis received 58.8% of the vote. Four candidates ran.

Davis was first elected in 1996. The Chicago Tribune, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton (D) endorsed Davis.

Major race rating outlets rate the general election as Solid Democratic or Safe Democratic. All 435 House seats are up for election in November. Democrats currently hold a majority in the chamber with 232 seats to Republicans’ 197.



Coronavirus daily update: March 18, 2020

By Kelly Caldwell
In Federal, Local, State
March 18, 2020 at 6:48 PM

As part of Ballotpedia’s coverage on the coronavirus pandemic, we are compiling a daily summary of major changes in the world of politics, government, and elections happening each day. Here is the summary for March 18, 2020.

Federal responses
• The Senate passed the coronavirus relief bill sent by the House earlier this week.
• The U.S.-Canada border is closed to nonessential travel.

Election changes
• Alabama – Governor Kay Ivey (R) announced that the state would postpone its primary runoff election, originally scheduled for March 31, 2020, to July 14.
• Missouri – Governor Mike Parson (R) ordered the postponement of all municipal elections originally scheduled for April 7, 2020, to June 2.
• Ohio – On March 17, the Democratic Party of Ohio sued Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) over his postponement of in-person voting in the primary to June 2.

State legislative changes
• California – Session suspended until April 13.
• Hawaii – Session suspended indefinitely effective March 17.
• Iowa – Session suspended for at least 30 days.
• Louisiana – Session adjourned until March 31.
• Maine – Session adjourned effective March 16.
• Maryland – Session adjourned effective March 18.
• Minnesota – Legislative activity conducted remotely through April 14.
• Nebraska – Session suspended effective March 17.
• New York – Session suspended until at least March 18.
• Pennsylvania – Lawmakers voted to allow remote voting on legislative actions.

School closures
• Nationwide – Forty states have ordered statewide closures of public schools. The schools impacted by these closures served 33.9 million students as of the 2016-17 school year (most recent available data), accounting for 67 percent of the 50.6 million public school students nationwide.
• Kansas – Governor Laura Kelly (D) closed all schools in the state from March 23 through May 31.
• Wisconsin – Governor Tony Evers (D) announced that the statewide closure, originally ordered to end April 5, would instead last indefinitely.

Judicial changes
• Arkansas – The Supreme Court of Arkansas suspended in-person proceedings in all appellate, circuit, and district courts.
• Connecticut – The Judicial Branch announced it would curtail courthouse operations. One courthouse in each of the 13 judicial districts will remain open for priority court business.
• Massachusetts – All courts will be closed to the public from March 18 until at least April 6.

Diagnosed or quarantined politicians
• Colorado – U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R) and U.S. Representative Jason Crow (D) both announced they entered a self-quarantine after contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.
• Pennsylvania – Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice David Wecht announced a self-quarantine on March 17 after one of his children tested positive for coronavirus.

Additional Reading:
Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus pandemic, 2020
Changes to state legislative sessions in response to the coronavirus pandemic, 2020
School closures in response to the coronavirus pandemic, 2020
State Court closures in response to the coronavirus pandemic, 2020
Political incumbents, candidates, and government officials diagnosed with COVID-19 or quarantined due to the coronavirus pandemic, 2020



2,712 major party candidates filed for 2020 Congress elections

By Amee LaTour
In Federal
March 17, 2020 at 9:53 AM

As of March 16, 2,712 major party candidates have filed to run for the Senate and House of Representatives in 2020.

So far, 385 candidates are filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to run for U.S. Senate in 2020. Of those, 322—168 Democrats and 154 Republicans—are from one of the two major political parties. In 2018, 527 candidates filed with the FEC to run for U.S. Senate, including 137 Democrats and 240 Republicans.

For U.S. House, 2,650 candidates have filed with the FEC to run in 2020. Of those, 2,390—1,121 Democrats and 1,269 Republicans—are from one of the two major political parties. In 2018, 3,244 candidates filed with the FEC, including 1,566 Democrats and 1,155 Republicans.

Thirty-six members of the U.S. House are not seeking re-election in 2020. That includes 27 Republicans and nine Democrats. Four senators (three Republicans and one Democrat) are not running for re-election. In 2018, 55 total members of Congress—18 Democrats and 37 Republicans—did not seek re-election.

On November 3, 2020, 35 Senate seats and all 435 House seats are up for election. Of those Senate seats, 33 are regularly scheduled elections, while the other two are special elections in Arizona and Georgia. Twelve are Democratic-held seats and 23 are Republican-held seats. In the House, Democrats currently hold a majority with 232 seats.

Additional Reading
United States Senate elections, 2020
United States House of Representatives elections, 2020
List of U.S. Congress incumbents who are not running for re-election in 2020



Biden leads in Democratic pageviews for second consecutive week

By Joel Williams
In Federal
March 17, 2020 at 9:33 AM


Each week, we report the number of pageviews received by 2020 presidential campaigns on Ballotpedia. These numbers reflect the time investments of our community of thousands of readers who visit a Ballotpedia because they think the candidate is worth knowing more about, whether they believe the candidate has a strong chance of winning or is an unknown who warrants a closer look.Pre

Last week, Joe Biden led all Democratic campaigns in pageviews. His campaign page was viewed 7,230 times, equaling 45.6% of pageviews for all Democratic campaigns this week. He was followed by Bernie Sanders with 5,820 pageviews (36.7%) and Tulsi Gabbard with 2,810 (17.7%).

All three candidates received fewer pageviews this week relative to last week. Sanders received 74.9% fewer pageviews, Biden received 72.9% fewer pageviews, and Gabbard received 67.7% fewer pageviews.

Biden leads in lifetime pageviews with 207,573, followed by Sanders with 194,115, and Gabbard with 116,601.

Donald Trump received the most pageviews of the three Republican candidates for the first time. Trump received 7,412 pageviews, while Roque de la Fuente received 3,040 and Bill Weld received 3,028.



U.S. Senate passes CRA resolution to block Department of Education student loan rule

By Jace Lington
In Federal
March 17, 2020 at 8:58 AM

The U.S. Senate voted 53 to 42 on March 11 to pass a resolution under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to block a final rule related to government forgiveness of certain student loan debt.

42 Democrats, 10 Republicans, and Angus King (I-Maine) voted to pass the resolution while 42 Republicans voted nay. The U.S. House passed a resolution to block the rule on January 16, 2020.

The Department of Education (DOE) issued the 146-page rule in September 2019. The rule changed the process students must follow to discharge their loans and empowered the agency to collect money from schools to cover financial losses following successful student challenges. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos argued in a December 2019 press release that the new rule “ensures that taxpayers who did not go to college or who faithfully paid off their student loans do not shoulder student loan costs for those who didn’t suffer harm.”

U.S. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D.-Ill.), who sponsored the Senate version of the resolution, argued that the DOE rule “guts essential protections for student borrowers and taxpayers.”

The CRA resolution has to receive President Trump’s signature to repeal the rule.

The CRA gives Congress a chance to review and reject any new regulatory rules created by federal administrative agencies. Since the law’s creation in 1996, Congress has used the CRA to repeal 17 out of the over 90,767 rules published in the Federal Register during that time.

Want to go further? Sign up today for our Learning Journey on the Congressional Review Act.

Additional reading:
Final rule
Rulemaking
Federal Register
Betsy DeVos
U.S. House passes CRA resolution to block Department of Education student loan rule (2020)

Link to the roll call vote:
https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=116&session=2&vote=00070
Text of the DOE rule:
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-09-23/pdf/2019-19309.pdf#page=1



U.S. Supreme Court allows Trump administration to return asylum-seekers to Mexico for processing

By Jace Lington
In Federal
March 17, 2020 at 8:50 AM

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled March 11 to allow the Trump administration to have some asylum-seekers wait in Mexico while U.S. officials process their claims. The ruling in _Wolf v. Innovation Law Lab_ allows immigration personnel to follow the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), called the “Remain in Mexico” policy, while challenges to the policy work through the lower courts.

The decision lifted a preliminary injunction issued on April 8, 2019, by Judge Richard Seeborg, an Obama appointee serving on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Seeborg ruled that the remain in Mexico policy violated federal regulatory requirements and federal immigration law.

In the application for a stay of the 2019 injunction, U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco argued that the remain in Mexico policy “has been an enormously effective and indispensable tool in the United States’ efforts, working cooperatively with Mexico,” to address the large number of people seeking to enter the United States through the Southwest border. He also argued that universal injunctions are improper responses to rules challenged under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The APA is a federal law passed in 1946 establishing uniform procedures for federal agencies to propose and issue regulations.

The temporary hold on the injunction lasts until the case comes before the U.S Supreme Court for a final decision. The order said that Justice Sonia Sotomayor would have denied the government’s request for a stay.

To learn more about the U.S. Supreme Court and the Administrative Procedure Act, see here:
Supreme Court of the United States
Administrative Procedure Act

Additional reading:
Federal policy on immigration, 2017-2020
Timeline of federal policy on immigration, 2017-2020
Richard Seeborg
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Link to the U.S. Supreme Court order granting a stay of injunction:
https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/031120zr_19m2.pdf

Link to the request for a stay of the 2019 injunction:
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/19/19A960/137254/20200306100526858_Innovation%20Law%20Lab%20-%20S.Ct.%20Stay%20Application%20-%20FINAL.pdf

Link to the 2019 injunction:
https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000169-fee3-d8fd-a7e9-ffe314940002

Link to Wolf v. Innovation Law Lab docket information:
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/19/19A960/137254/20200306100540649_Innovation%20Law%20Lab%20Stay%20Application%20Appendix.pdf



Federal Register weekly update; 62 new final rules published

By Caitlin Styrsky
In Federal
March 17, 2020 at 8:44 AM

The Federal Register is a daily journal of federal government activity that includes presidential documents, proposed and final rules, and public notices. It is a common measure of an administration’s regulatory activity.

From March 9 to March 13, the Federal Register grew by 1,258 pages for a year-to-date total of 14,732 pages. Over the same period in 2019 and 2018, the Federal Register reached 9,692 pages and 11,844 pages, respectively. As of March 13, the 2020 total led the 2019 total by 5,040 pages and the 2018 total by 2,888 pages.

The Federal Register hit an all-time high of 95,894 pages in 2016.

This week’s Federal Register featured the following 520 documents:
• 420 notices
• three presidential documents
• 35 proposed rules
• 62 final rules
One proposed rule was deemed significant under E.O. 12866—meaning that it could have large impacts on the economy, environment, public health, or state or local governments. Significant actions may also conflict with presidential priorities or other agency rules. The Trump administration in 2020 has issued 10 significant proposed rules and 16 significant final rules as of March 13.

Not all rules issued by the Trump administration are regulatory actions. Some rules are deregulatory actions pursuant to President Trump’s (R) Executive Order 13771, which requires federal agencies to eliminate two old significant regulations for each new significant regulation issued.

Ballotpedia maintains page counts and other information about the Federal Register as part of its Administrative State Project. The project is a neutral, nonpartisan encyclopedic resource that defines and analyzes the administrative state, including its philosophical origins, legal and judicial precedents, and scholarly examinations of its consequences. The project also monitors and reports on measures of federal government activity.

Additional reading:
Click here to find yearly information about additions to the Federal Register  from 1936 to 2016: