Category: State
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Arizona Rep. Aaron Lieberman resigns to focus on 2022 run for governor
Aaron Lieberman (D) announced on September 20 that he would resign his seat in the Arizona House of Representatives to focus on his 2022 campaign for governor. Lieberman first won election to the House to represent District 28 in 2018, alongside incumbent Kelli Butler (D). Ballotpedia has identified three Democratic candidates, five Republican candidates, and…
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How vacancies are filled on state supreme courts
The most common reasons for a vacancy on a state supreme court include reaching the mandatory retirement age, retiring before the end of a term, death, or appointment to another office. The process for filling vacancies on state supreme courts varies among states. In most states, the governor appointments a replacement justice, either outright or…
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Republican Greg Vital wins special election in Tennessee House district
A special election was held on Sept. 14 for District 29 of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Greg Vital (R) defeated DeAngelo Jelks (D) in the general election. Vital and Jelks earned 80% and 19.8% of the vote, respectively. Once sworn in, Vital will serve until November 2022. The seat became vacant after the death…
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Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria retires
Paolo DeMaria retired as Ohio’s superintendent of public instruction on Sept. 24. DeMaria was first appointed to the position in May 2016 by the Ohio State Board of Education. DeMaria announced on July 1 that he intended to retire, saying in a statement, “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the State…
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Redistricting proposals rejected in Nebraska; legal challenges expected to enacted maps in Ohio
Here’s a summary of the week’s noteworthy redistricting news out of Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin: Nebraska: On Sept. 17, the Nebraska legislature rejected Sen. Lou Ann Linehan’s (R) proposed congressional redistricting map (LB1). The legislature voted 29-17 in support of advancing the map, which was four votes short of the 33 needed to…
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Four states release proposed redistricting maps between Sept. 15 and 22
Four states— Alaska, Arkansas, Texas, and Washington— released proposed redistricting maps between Sept. 15 and 22. Alaska: The Alaska Redistricting Board adopted six proposed state legislative maps at its Sept. 20 meeting: two prepared by the board and four proposed by third-party organizations. The board originally released its two proposals on Sept. 9 but replaced…
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Two state legislators switch political party affiliation
Two state legislators switched their political party affiliation the week of Sept. 13. New Hampshire state Rep. William Marsh switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party, and Minnesota state Rep. John Thompson became an independent after members of the Minnesota House Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) caucus voted to expel him. William Marsh—who represents Carroll County…
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The voter registration deadline for Texas statewide election is Oct. 4
The voter registration deadline for the November 2, 2021 election in Texas is Oct. 4. Prospective voters can request a postage-paid voter registration form online or complete the form online and return it to the county voter registrar. Applications are also available at a variety of locations including the county voter registrar’s office, the secretary…
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Two state legislative special elections to be held in New York
Two new state legislative special elections have been added to our list. The special elections are for the District 30 seat in the New York State Senate and the District 86 seat in the New York State Assembly on Nov. 2, 2021. There is no primary, and the filing deadline is on Sept. 27. Additional…
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North Carolina court strikes down voter ID law as unconstitutional
On Sept.17, 2021, a three-judge panel of the Wake County Superior Court ruled 2-1 that North Carolina’s voter ID law violates the state constitution. As a result, the court blocked enforcement of the law. The court found that “the evidence at trial [is] sufficient to show that the enactment of [the voter ID law] was…