Category: State
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Manar resigns from Illinois state Senate
On Jan. 17, Illinois state Sen. Andy Manar (D) resigned to become a senior advisor to Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D). He will provide counsel on the state’s economy and plans for the COVID-19 recovery. In Illinois, vacancies in the state Senate are filled within 30 days by appointment by the political party that last held…
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30 state legislative races were decided by fewer than 100 votes in 2020
Thirty (0.5%) of the 5,875 state legislative races in 2020 were decided by fewer than 100 votes. Twenty-nine of the 30 races were in state houses, and one was in a state senate. Partisan control changed in 15 (50%) of the 30 races. Thirteen of the partisan changes (43.3% of the 30 races) were Republican…
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Filing deadline for two Alabama state legislative special elections is Jan. 26
Candidates interested in running in two state legislative special elections in Alabama have until January 26, 2021, to file. The primaries are scheduled for March 30, and the special elections will be held on July 13. The filing deadline for minor party and independent candidates is March 30. The winners of the special elections will…
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Jenner takes office as Indiana Secretary of Education
On Jan. 11, Katie Jenner took office as Indiana’s first Secretary of Education. Jenner, a former senior education advisor to Gov. Eric Holcomb (R), assumed the role after the former Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jennifer McCormick (R), left office the previous week. Jenner was appointed to the position by Gov. Holcomb in November 2020,…
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SEIU asks California Supreme Court to declare Proposition 22 unconstitutional
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and four app-based drivers sued the state government in the California Supreme Court on January 12, 2021. The SEIU is seeking to have Proposition 22 declared unconstitutional and unenforceable. Proposition 22 was approved at the election on November 3, 2020, with 58.6% of the vote. The ballot initiative defined app-based transportation…
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Decade-low 227 state legislative incumbents defeated on Nov. 3
In the November 2020 general election, 227 state legislative incumbents were defeated, the lowest number in any even-numbered year in the past decade. By party, those defeated incumbents include 165 Democrats, 52 Republicans, and 10 independents and members of a third party. The 227 incumbents defeated marked a 29.5% decrease from the 322 defeated in…
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Michigan State Senate District 8 special election set for Nov. 2, 2021
Election officials have scheduled a special election for the District 8 seat in the Michigan State Senate on Nov. 2, 2021. The seat became vacant when Peter Lucido (R) was sworn in as Macomb County prosecutor. The primary is on Aug. 3, and the filing deadline is on April 20. Additional reading: Michigan State Senate,…
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State supreme court vacancies in 2021
So far in 2021, there have been two new state supreme court vacancies in two of the 29 states where replacement justices are appointed instead of elected. The vacancies have both been caused by retirements. In Colorado, Chief Justice Nathan Coats retired on January 1, when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 72. Colorado…
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Michigan State Senate District 28 special election set for Nov. 2, 2021
Election officials have scheduled a special election for the District 28 seat in the Michigan State Senate on Nov. 2, 2021. The seat became vacant when Peter MacGregor (R) was sworn in as Kent County treasurer. The primary is on Aug. 3, and the filing deadline is on Apr. 20. Additional reading: Michigan State Senate…
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Special election to be held Jan. 23 in Texas state House district
A special general election is being held on January 23 for District 68 of the Texas House of Representatives. Charles Gregory (D), John Berry (R), Jason Brinkley (R), Craig Carter (R), and David Spiller (R) are running in the general election. A general election runoff will be scheduled if no candidate earns at least 50%…