Category: Uncategorized

Eileen Filler-Corn (D) will serve as the first female and first Jewish speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. The House of Delegates and Virginia State Senate comprise the Virginia General Assembly—the oldest legislative body in America—having been established in 1619. The speaker of the House is a partisan leadership position in the House of…

On January 10, 2020, the Democratic Legislative Committee of Illinois’ 21st Legislative District appointed Edgar Gonzalez Jr. (D) to the state House of Representatives. Gonzalez succeeds former state Rep. Celina Villanueva (D), who was appointed to the Illinois State Senate on January 7. At 23 years old, Gonzalez is among the youngest legislators to ever…

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) appointed Dr. Tommie Stewart to represent District 5 of the Alabama State Board of Education on January 7, 2020. Stewart’s appointment was effective immediately and filled the vacancy left by former Board member Ella Bell, who died in November 2019. Stewart previously served as the dean of Alabama State University’s…

On January 13, 2020, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) resigned from the U.S. House. In December 2019, Hunter pleaded guilty to misuse of campaign funds and announced that he would resign after the holidays. In August 2018, Hunter and his wife and former campaign manager, Margaret, were indicted on federal charges of wire fraud, falsifying records,…

A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on January 10 unanimously ruled that a district court must reconsider a lawsuit arguing that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The American Anti-Vivisection Society and the Avian Welfare Coalition sued the USDA…

On January 7, 2020, Illinois State Representative Celina Villanueva (D) was appointed by the Cook County Democratic Committee to fill the vacant District 11 state Senate seat. Villanueva assumed office on January 7, 2020, and her current term will end on November 3, 2020. Villanueva’s appointment came after former state Senator Martin Sandoval (D) resigned…

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) appointed U.S. Marine Corps veteran and businessman Mike Griffith (R) to fill the vacant District 35B state House seat on December 30, 2019. Griffith assumed office on January 6, 2020, and his term will end on January 10, 2023. Griffith’s appointment came after former state Delegate Andrew Cassilly (R) resigned…

Vermont Governor Phil Scott (R) appointed businessman Peter Reed (I) to fill the vacant Orange-Washington-Addison District state House seat on January 6, 2020. Reed was sworn into office on January 7, 2020, the first day of Vermont’s 2020 Legislative Session. Reed’s appointment came after former state Representative Ben Jickling (I) resigned in August 2019 to…

A new state legislative special election has been added to our list. The special election is for the District 128 seat in the Maine House of Representatives on March 3, 2020. There is no primary, and the filing deadline is on January 23. The Democratic, Republican, and Green Independent nominees will be selected via party…

County commissioners from several eastern Oregon counties appointed Lynn Findley (R) to represent the 30th District in the Oregon State Senate, effective January 9, 2020. The 30th District is comprised of six entire counties and parts of three others. The seat had been vacant since former state Sen. Cliff Bentz (R) resigned to run for…