Category: State
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Iowa's 2026 legislative primaries feature the most contested incumbents since 2012
There are 100 incumbents running for re-election in the primaries for Iowa's state Legislature on June 2. Fifteen of those incumbents (15%) are contested, the most since 2012, when there were 16. There are a total of 125 seats up for election this year, including all 100 seats in the state House and 25 seats…
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The total number of New Mexico state representatives in contested primaries has increased for the fifth year in a row
New Mexico is holding elections for all 70 seats in its state House this year. New Mexico doesn’t hold state Senate elections during midterm election years. Here’s a look at how New Mexico’s 2026 state House elections compare to previous years. There are 64 incumbents running for re-election, of whom 13 (20.3%) are contested in…
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A new congressional map is blocked in Alabama, coming soon in Louisiana, and dead in South Carolina
New congressional maps are still possible in Alabama and Louisiana, while South Carolina will use its existing congressional map again this year. After new congressional maps took effect in Florida and Tennessee earlier this month, 2026 redistricting pursuits are a wrap in all but a few states. A panel of federal judges blocked Alabama's 2023…
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Nineteen states have conformed to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s No Tax on Tips deduction
Of the 41 states that levy a broad individual income tax on wages, 19 conformed their tax codes to adopt the No Tax on Tips deduction created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) enacted on July 4, 2025. Twenty-one states have declined to adopt the deduction. Georgia has partially conformed to it. The…
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Georgia enacts law restricting judicial deference and requiring economic analyses for new regulations
On May 12, 2026, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed HB 1247 into law. The bill, which supporters call the Georgia Bureaucratic Deference Elimination Act, requires Georgia agencies to submit economic impact analyses of their rules to the legislature, and restricts the practice of judicial deference by state courts. The portion of the bill that…
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Louisiana voters to decide whether to limit governors to two terms for life, rather than two successive terms
The Louisiana State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment related to gubernatorial term limits to the Nov. 3, 2026, statewide general election ballot. Legislators passed the amendment on May 26, 2026. In Louisiana, a two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during a single session to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum…
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Signatures submitted for Michigan initiative that would prohibit certain entities from political spending
Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, a campaign supporting a ballot initiative that would prohibit certain organizations and individuals from making campaign contributions, submitted an estimated 562,000 signatures to the Michigan secretary of state's office on May 27, 2026. The campaign needs 356,958 valid signatures to qualify for the November 2026 ballot. Christy McGillivray, the…
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Signatures submitted for Colorado initiative to spend motor vehicle and fuel tax revenue on roads; legislature passes bill to counter measure, if approved by voters
In Colorado, signatures were submitted to the secretary of state on May 26, 2026, for a ballot initiative related to funding road transportation expenses. More specifically, the measure — referred to as Initiative 175 — would add a new section to Article X of the Colorado Constitution to require both the state and local governments…
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Three Democrats compete for Michigan's open governor's seat as Whitmer's term-limited exit looms
Three candidates—Jocelyn Benson, Chris Swanson, and Kim Thomas—are running in the Democratic primary for Governor of Michigan on August 4, 2026. Benson and Swanson lead in polling, fundraising, and media attention ahead of the primary. Incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is term-limited, leaving the office open in 2026. The Associated Press' Joey Cappelletti wrote that…
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Mississippi — one of nine states with supreme court districts — could redraw the districts in the next year
While congressional and state legislative districts are supposed to be redrawn every 10 years, this is not always the case with state supreme court districts. In fact, Mississippi was set to redraw its districts for the first time since 1987, but the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais led to the cancellation of…