Category: State
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State AGs: Social policies could violate the law following SCOTUS affirmative action ruling
Thirteen Republican state attorneys general sent a letter on July 13 to major corporations suggesting that certain social policies (the S in ESG) like making hiring or promotion decisions based on race might be illegal following the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on affirmative action. Ballotpedia tracks support for and opposition to the environmental, social, and…
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Election legislation roundup: General Assembly of North Carolina
As of July 16, members of the General Assembly of North Carolina, which includes the North Carolina House of Representatives and the North Carolina State Senate, have passed eight bills related to election administration since the beginning of the year. Of those eight bills, legislators passed one during the week of July 10-16. A bipartisan…
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Odd-year open seat rate currently at a decade-high with further increases likely
The percentage of open seats in state executive and legislative elections is at a decade-high 22% compared to all odd-year election cycles since 2011. And it’s almost definitely going to get even higher. The 2023 rate is around one percentage point higher than the recent peak in 2019 (21%) and about six percentage points higher…
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Two losing candidates for New Jersey State Senate fundraise over $100,000
Primary elections in the New Jersey State Senate took place on June 6, 2023. General elections for all 40 seats in the senate will take place on Nov. 7, 2023. Democrats hold a 25-15 majority heading into the election. This article details the three to five candidates in each party who led in fundraising by…
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Californians to decide on repealing Proposition 8, which prohibited same-sex marriage, in Nov. 2024
California voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would repeal Proposition 8, and add language in the California Constitution stating that “the right to marry is a fundamental right,” on Nov. 5, 2024. Proposition 8 was a constitutional amendment approved by California voters by 52-47% in 2008 that defined marriage as between a man…
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Despite increase among Republicans, contested primaries in Mississippi House reach decade-low
There are 44 contested state legislative primaries coming up on Aug. 8 in the Mississippi House, a decade-low for the chamber, down one from the previous low in 2019. While the total number of contested primaries is down, the number of contested Republican primaries is at a decade-high. This year, 30 state legislative races have…
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Two losing candidates for New Jersey General Assembly fundraise over $100,000
Primary elections in the New Jersey General Assembly took place on June 6, 2023. General elections for all 80 seats in the assembly will take place on Nov. 7, 2023. Democrats hold a 46-34 majority heading into the election. This article details the three to five candidates in each party who led in fundraising by…
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State legislative party switches in 2023 are already above average
Ten of the total 173 party switches tracked by Ballotpedia since 1994 have occurred in 2023. On average, roughly five party switches have occurred every year since Ballotpedia has been tracking data, putting 2023 ahead of the average. Legislators who have switched parties in 2023 include: Senate Republicans who switched to Democrats Samuel Thompson (New…
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Mississippi State Senate sees lowest number of incumbent retirements since 2011
Three incumbents did not file for re-election to Mississippi’s Senate in 2023. This was the lowest number of retirements since 2011, and a 66% decrease from the average of 8.7 retirements per cycle between 2011 and 2019. Mississippi is holding its primary on Aug. 8, with a primary runoff on Aug. 29. The general election…
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Ohio Issue 1: How the proposed signature distribution requirement compares to other states
Ohio Issue 1 would make several changes to the state’s citizen-initiated constitutional amendment process. These changes include requiring a 60% vote for amendments, increasing the signature distribution requirement, and eliminating the signature cure period. Yesterday, we reviewed one of these changes—the 60% vote threshold—within the context of other states and historical ballot measures. Today’s article…