Category: State

  • Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources Matthew Strickler resigns

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    Matthew Strickler resigned from his position as Virginia’s Secretary of Natural Resources in September 2021. The press release announcing Strickler’s departure stated he was leaving to pursue “new opportunities where he will continue his excellent work of protecting our nation’s resources.” Governor Ralph Northam (D) appointed Ann Jennings, Virginia’s deputy secretary of Natural and Historic…

  • State legislative elections in 2021 are the most contested since at least 2010

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    Two hundred and twenty state legislative seats are up for election on Nov. 2, 2021, in three state legislative chambers: the New Jersey State Senate and General Assembly and the Virginia House of Delegates. According to Ballotpedia’s Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report, state legislative elections in 2021 are the most competitive since at least 2010.…

  • With early voting underway, Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial candidates share stances on economy, other issues

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    Hala Ayala (D) and Winsome Sears (R) are running in the general election for lieutenant governor of Virginia on Nov. 2, 2021. Early voting began in Virginia on Sept.17 and will continue on weekdays through Oct. 29 as well as on two Saturdays, Oct.23 and 30. The incumbent lieutenant governor, Justin Fairfax (D), ran for…

  • Redistricting timeline updates: New York, North Dakota, and South Carolina continue to hold public meetings

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    Here’s a summary of recent redistricting timeline updates from New York, North Dakota, and South Carolina. New York: The New York Independent Redistricting Commission announced a second round of public hearings on map proposals to be held between Oct. 20 and Nov. 23, 2021. The first deadline for the commission to submit map proposals to…

  • Arizona Rep. Aaron Lieberman resigns to focus on 2022 run for governor

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    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…

  • How vacancies are filled on state supreme courts

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    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…

  • Republican Greg Vital wins special election in Tennessee House district

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    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…

  • Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction Paolo DeMaria retires

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    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…

  • Redistricting proposals rejected in Nebraska; legal challenges expected to enacted maps in Ohio

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    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…

  • Four states release proposed redistricting maps between Sept. 15 and 22

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    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…