Category: State

The Alaska House of Representatives has not yet formed a majority. Twenty-one members are needed to elect a permanent House speaker, and only 20 of the chamber’s 23 Republicans are in alliance.   The history of the House shows that narrow majorities formed after lengthy bargaining periods have failed before.   In 1981, the Alaska…

A special election in Minnesota State Senate District 11 will take place Tuesday. If state Rep. Jason Rarick (R) wins the special election, Republicans will gain a 3-seat majority in the chamber. If Stu Lourey (DFL) wins, Republicans will again hold a 1-seat majority.   Lourey, Rarick, and Legal Marijuana Now candidate John Birrenbach are…

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) appointed Zachary Ives to the New Mexico Court of Appeals on January 31. He was appointed to replace Justice Michael Vigil, who was elected to the New Mexico Supreme Court in 2018.   Ives earned his B.A. from Vassar College in 1995 and his J.D. from the University…

Kentucky’s statewide filing deadline passed on January 29, 2019. Seven state executive offices are up for general election on November 5: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, agriculture commissioner, auditor, and treasurer. Primary elections are scheduled for May 21.   Ballotpedia will also cover special judicial elections for a seat on the State…

Democratic and Republican committees have chosen candidates to run in the Pennsylvania State Senate District 37 special election. Pam Iovino (D) and D. Raja (R) are facing off in the general election on April 2. Candidates running for special elections in Pennsylvania are selected by their respective political parties rather than through primary elections.  …

New York’s legislature sent a firearms regulation bill to Governor Cuomo earlier this week.   The New York State Legislature approved SB 2451 along party lines on January 29. According to the New York State Senate website, the bill “establishes extreme risk protection orders as a court-issued order of protection prohibiting a person from purchasing,…

America’s three most popular governors throughout 2018 remained the most popular in the fourth quarter of the year, according to a poll of gubernatorial approval ratings conducted by Morning Consult. The quarterly poll measures approval ratings for all 50 state governors.   For the eighth consecutive quarter, Gov. Charlie Baker (R-Mass.) was the most popular…

On January 25, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced special elections to fill three state House seats left vacant after the previous occupants joined his gubernatorial administration. A special primary is set for April 9, and the special general election is on June 18. The filing deadline for candidates is February 8.   The three…

Former New Mexico state Rep. Henry “Kiki” Saavedra (D) died on January 28, 2019, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 82 years old.   He served in the New Mexico House of Representatives for 37 years from 1977 to 2014. He left office in 2014 when he decided to not seek re-election. While in…

The Alaska House of Representatives still does not have a working majority, leaving it unable to elect a permanent speaker, conduct legislative business, or appoint members to standing committees. The House has been deadlocked since the session began on January 15. If it does not establish a majority by February 6, it will pass the…