Latest stories

FEC loses quorum to enforce campaign finance laws

By Caitlin Styrsky
In Federal
August 30, 2019 at 5:00 PM
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) will lack the necessary quorum to enforce campaign finance violations effective August 31 following the resignation of Vice Chairman Matthew Petersen (R).
 
The FEC is an independent federal agency responsible for disclosing campaign finance information, enforcing limits and prohibitions on contributions, and overseeing public funding of presidential elections.
 
Petersen’s resignation leaves the six-member commission with only three members: Chairwoman Ellen Weintraub (D), Steven Walther (I), and Caroline Hunter (R). No more than three commissioners can represent the same political party. Without a quorum, the FEC will be unable to perform audits, litigate cases, promulgate new rules, issue advisory opinions, or enforce campaign finance violations.
 
Weintraub issued a statement on Monday announcing that the agency “is still on the 2020 campaign beat, despite the Vice Chairman’s resignation.” Weintraub stated that FEC staff will continue to make campaign finance documents available to the public and issue recommendations regarding campaign finance complaints. The commission will be unable to vote on the recommendations until a quorum is established. Weintraub urged President Donald Trump (R) to nominate new commissioners and encouraged the U.S. Senate to confirm the nominees.
 
Trump nominated Republican attorney James E. Trainor III to serve on the commission in 2017. The U.S. Senate had yet to confirm Trainor’s nomination as of August 2019.
 


Ballotpedia’s Weekly Presidential News Briefing: August 24-30, 2019

By Emily Aubert
In Newsletters
August 30, 2019 at 2:40 PM
 Ballotpedia's Weekly Presidential News Briefing

Every weekday, Ballotpedia tracks the events that matter in the 2020 presidential election. 

Now, we’re bringing you the highlights from our daily briefings in a weekly format so you can stay up-to-date on the 2020 election with one weekly email.   

Here’s the latest from the campaign trail.

Candidates by the Number

There are nine new candidates running since last week, including two Democrats, two Republicans, and one Green. In total, 832 individuals are currently filed with the FEC to run for president.

Notable Quotes of the Week

“The problem for Walsh — or any other conservative challenger — is that Trump remains extremely popular with GOP voters. The president’s approval rating among Republicans hovers in the high 80s, and there’s little evidence that his popularity has much to do with his strict adherence to the conservative economic ideals that (supposedly) animated the Tea Party. Walsh may have been part of the Zeitgeist ten years ago, but as many Republicans who have crossed Trump and paid an electoral price can tell you, cutting spending is out and loyalty tests are in.”

– Benjamin Hart and Chas Danner, New York Magazine

“Walsh, a radio show host since losing reelection in 2012 and a frequent guest on cable news, could be effective in reaching rank-and-file Republicans, since he speaks their language. For example, Walsh was a Tea Party Republican when the Tea Party was known for championing lower federal budget deficits. In contrast, under Trump, the deficit is exploding, expected to hit $1 trillion for the 2020 fiscal year. Walsh may be able to pick off some fellow Tea Party Republicans on that issue alone.”

– Dean Obeidallah, CNN

Week in Review

DNC rejects Iowa and Nevada virtual caucuses, primary calendar in question

The Democratic National Committee is expected to reject Iowa’s and Nevada’s virtual caucus plans Friday because of security concerns. Both states proposed a virtual option to comply with new party rules that require caucuses to be more accessible to all voters.

If Iowa cannot establish an alternative method of voting, it might be unable to hold a caucus and have to move to a primary system. This would likely eliminate Iowa’s place as the first nominating event of the year since New Hampshire law says that the state must hold the first primary of the presidential election cycle.

Who made the debate?

Ten candidates have qualified for the third Democratic presidential primary debate in Houston, Texas, on Sept. 12, 2019: Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Julián Castro, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O’Rourke, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Andrew Yang.

ABC News and Univision are hosting the debate, which will take place at Texas Southern University. Linsey Davis, David Muir, Jorge Ramos, and George Stephanopoulos will moderate the event. Candidates will have one minute and 15 seconds to answer questions and 45 seconds for rebuttals.

While other 10 candidates will have another shot to qualify with the same requirements for the October debate, some have questioned the polling criteria:

  • Michael Bennet campaign adviser Craig Hughes sent a letter to the Democratic National Committee asking why some polling organizations were excluded as qualifiers and why information about future debate requirements had not yet been released.
  • The Tulsi Gabbard campaign requested the Democratic National Committee revise the list of certified polling organizations used as debate qualifiers and make the criteria for poll selection more transparent.
  • Tom Steyer made a similar request, calling for the DNC to include at least one poll from Nevada.

Walsh third notable Republican to enter 2020 race

Former Illinois Rep. and radio host Joe Walsh announced Sunday that he was launching a primary challenge to Donald Trump.

“I’m running because he’s unfit. Somebody needs to step up and there needs to be an alternative,” Walsh said in an interview on ABC News. 

Following Walsh’s announcement, Salem Radio Network canceled the national distribution of Walsh’s radio show.

Walsh also said he thought that there was “certainly room for a viable third-party challenge next year” if he did not win the Republican nomination.

Biden on the small screen

Joe Biden released a new campaign ad in Iowa defending the Affordable Care Act as part of a six-figure ad campaign in Iowa. In the clip, he shares his personal experience with the healthcare system when his wife and daughter died in a car accident and his oldest son, Beau, was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Also on the air in Iowa—and New Hampshire and Delaware—is an attack ad against Biden criticizing him for defending the bankruptcy court system. Shirley Shawe, whose son’s business was hurt following a dispute in the Delaware Chancery Court system, spent $500,000 on the ad campaign.

Gillibrand fifth Democrat to end presidential campaign in August

Kirsten Gillibrand became the fifth Democratic presidential candidate in August to suspend her presidential campaign. She announced her departure after missing the cutoff for the third primary debate.

She said in an interview with The New York Times, “I think being able to have a voice on a debate stage, when other candidates have that, is really important. And without it, I just didn’t see our path.”

Want more? Find the daily details here:

Poll Spotlight

Staff Spotlight

Noland Chambliss is an independent consultant with experience in organizational identity development and strategic communications. He graduated from Vassar College in 2006 with a degree in political science.

Previous campaign work:

  • 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign, field organizer and deputy field director

Other experience:

  • 2016 – present: Independent consultant
  • 2015 – present: The Dream Corps, board member
  • 2016-2018: SYPartners, strategist
  • 2012-2015: Change.org, strategic communications team and director of external affairs
  • 2009-2011: Chief of staff to Van Jones

What We’re Reading

Flashback: August 26-30, 2015

  • August 26, 2015: Hillary Clinton released her rural agenda, calling for public-private partnerships that would bring federal capital to rural areas and increasing the number of solar panels across the country to 500 million.
  • August 27, 2015: TIME reported that the Democratic National Committee had obtained the 2012 Obama campaign’s email data.
  • August 28, 2015: All five Democratic presidential candidates spoke at the summer meeting of the Democratic National Convention. 
  • August 29, 2015: Donald Trump campaigned in Nashville, Tennessee, where he won a presidential straw poll and spoke at the National Federation of Republican Assemblies.
  • August 30, 2015: The Hillary Clinton campaign announced that Sen. Jeanne Shaheen planned to endorse Clinton the following week.

Trivia

Since 1968, nine states have voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election. Which of the following states is not among them?

 



DNC to reject Iowa and Nevada virtual caucus plans

By Emily Aubert
In Newsletters
August 30, 2019 at 2:40 PM
 Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing

August 30, 2019: The Democratic National Committee will reject Iowa’s and Nevada’s virtual caucus plans. Shirley Shawe spent $500,000 on an ad against Joe Biden.


     Each Friday, we’ll highlight a presidential candidate’s key campaign staffer.

 

Noland Chambliss is an independent consultant with experience in organizational identity development and strategic communications. He graduated from Vassar College in 2006 with a degree in political science.

Previous campaign work:

  • 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign, field organizer and deputy field director

Other experience:

  • 2016 – present: Independent consultant
  • 2015 – present: The Dream Corps, board member
  • 2016-2018: SYPartners, strategist
  • 2012-2015: Change.org, strategic communications team and director of external affairs
  • 2009-2011: Chief of staff to Van Jones

Notable Quotes of the Day

“I don’t think the fact that [Kirsten Gillibrand] was talking about equal pay, sexual assaults in the military, or reproductive rights turned off any Democratic voters. I just think no candidate can only be focused on one gender.”

– Patti Solis Doyle, 2008 Hillary Clinton campaign manager

“She could never get enough oxygen. None of the candidates, outside just a few, really can. She just never got a look — a real look — from anybody outside the people she personally met. But the DNC qualifications squeezed the amount of time any of these candidates can actually do that.”

– Jeff Link, Democratic consultant

Democrats

  • The Democratic National Committee will reject Iowa’s and Nevada’s virtual caucus plans because of security concerns. The states will need to find an alternative solution to be in compliance with new party rules on expanding access to voting.
  • Michael Bennet will campaign in Iowa Sunday with stops at Cedar Rapids and Waterloo.
  • Shirley Shawe, whose son’s business was hurt following a dispute in the Delaware Chancery Court system, spent $500,000 on an ad criticizing Joe Biden for defending the bankruptcy court system. It will begin airing this week in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Delaware.
  • Bill de Blasio spoke at the Nevada AFL-CIO annual convention Thursday.
  • On Monday, Cory Booker will campaign in Nevada and speak at Rep. Steven Horsford’s Labor Day Cookout.
  • Steve Bullock will campaign in Iowa from Friday through Sunday.
  • Pete Buttigieg senior adviser Lis Smith described the three phases of Buttigieg’s campaign in an interview with BuzzFeed News. The third and current phase, according to Smith, is building up campaign organization in the early primary states.
  • Julián Castro will continue to campaign in South Carolina Friday, with stops in Charleston and Beaufort. 
  • John Delaney released a statement about his decision to remain in the race after not qualifying for the third debate. It included 10 principles he said would be absent from that debate.
  • Tulsi Gabbard said she would not run as an independent candidate if her Democratic bid was unsuccessful. She will hold a town hall in Georgia Friday and campaign in Iowa over the weekend.
  • Kamala Harris issued a disability policy plan on Thursday, covering Medicare for All, long-term and in-home services, and senior-level White House positions for individuals with disabilities.
  • Amy Klobuchar announced she is opening five new field offices in New Hampshire in the coming weeks.
  • Beto O’Rourke issued his trade plan Thursday, which would eliminate Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods, allow for defensive currency intervention, and invest in job training programs to increase competitiveness.
  • Tim Ryan’s national organizing director, Zach Fang, has left Ryan’s campaign and joined Andrew Yang’s in the same role.
  • Bernie Sanders will campaign in South Carolina Friday and New Hampshire and Maine Sunday.
  • Tom Steyer released his tax returns from 2009 to 2017, showing he earned $1.2 billion and he and his wife paid $264 million in federal taxes and $141 million in state taxes.
  • Elizabeth Warren will make her fifteenth trip to New Hampshire on Monday, where she will hold a house party in Hampton Falls.
  • Marianne Williamson will campaign in Georgia over the weekend.

Republicans

  • Donald Trump canceled a scheduled trip to Poland to remain in the United States as Hurricane Dorian approaches landfall on the East Coast. 
  • Joe Walsh said he thought that “there is certainly room for a viable third-party challenge next year” if he did not win the Republican nomination.

What We’re Reading

Flashback: August 30, 2015

The Hillary Clinton campaign announced that Sen. Jeanne Shaheen planned to endorse Clinton the following week.
 


The Daily Brew: What 2018’s closest legislative races may tell us about 2020

By Dave Beaudoin
In Newsletters
August 30, 2019 at 7:15 AM
Today’s Brew highlights an analysis of the closely-decided state legislative races from 2018 + previews California’s 2020 ballot measures  
 The Daily Brew
Welcome to the Friday, August 30, Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

  1. 88 state legislative races in 2018 were decided by a margin of 0.5 percentage points or less
  2. How many ballot measures will California voters decide in 2020?
  3. What’s the Tea?

88 state legislative races in 2018 were decided by a margin of 0.5 percentage points or less

At Ballotpedia, our team of researchers never stops analyzing election data in search of trends and interesting facts. Today I wanted to share with you the work they did studying 2018’s state legislative races, where 87 of the nation’s 99 state legislative chambers held regular elections for 6,073 seats. 

In 2018, 88 regular state legislative races were decided by a margin of less than 0.5 percentage points. This includes 16 elections decided by 10 or fewer votes and two which were decided by a single vote. 

Eighteen of these 88 races took place in New Hampshire—which has a 400-member House of Representatives. As of the 2010 census, New Hampshire state House districts represent an average of 3,291 residents each.

Here are five more facts:

  • The average margin of victory in all 2018 state legislative races—defined as the difference between the vote share of the winning candidate and the runner-up—was 25.8 percentage points. By comparison, the average margin of victory across the 467 congressional elections—both House and Senate—was 29.2 percentage points.
  • The chamber which had the smallest average margin of victory was the South Dakota House of Representatives at 7.7 percentage points.
  • Major-party candidates won 17.8% of the seats up for election by margins of 10% or less; 573 of those seats were won by Republicans and 505 by Democrats.
  • The average nationwide margin of victory for seats won by Democrats was 26.8 percentage points. For Republicans, it was 22.3 percentage points.
  • In 2020, state legislative seats in 4,798 districts which held elections in 2018 will be up for election again. Republicans won seats in 2,454 of those districts in 2018, while Democrats won seats in 2,375. 

There is so much more data about 2018’s state legislative elections—broken down by state and chamber—that you can explore by clicking the link below.

Learn more

        

BP Analysis: Half of California’s 2020 initiatives will be filed in the next four months

Fall is the most active period in California for ballot initiative filings. So far, 27 citizen-initiated measures have been filed targeting the November 3, 2020, election. Based on historical data, about half of the state’s 2020 initiatives will be filed in the next four months.

So far, three statewide ballot propositions have qualified for the ballot. 

  • California voters will decide two citizen-initiated measures designed to amend or repeal criminal sentencing and supervision laws passed since 2011: the Criminal Sentencing Initiative and Cash Bail Referendum.
  • Voters will also decide on an amendment to Proposition 13, as we’ve covered in the Brew. Proposition 13 was passed in 1978 and requires governments to tax residential, commercial, and industrial properties based on the property’s purchase price. The new measure would tax commercial and industrial properties—subject to certain exemptions—based on market value. 

Before initiative proponents begin collecting signatures, they must file their measure with the attorney general and receive a ballot title and summary. This is the first time the public sees a potential initiative.  Based on data from the last three election cycles, the last four months of the preceding odd-numbered year have seen an average of at least 12 filings each month. In those cycles, an average of half of the citizen-initiated measures that qualified for the ballot were filed during this period between September and December. 

If the trend from the past three election cycles continues in 2020, then approximately half of the citizen-initiated measures that will be certified for the ballot have not yet been filed. 

One difference between previous election cycles and 2020 is the number of signatures required for an initiative. The 2018 voter turnout was 70 percent higher as compared with 2014. This changed the signature requirement for constitutional amendments to nearly 1 million signatures and for statutes to over 623,000. The state has suggested that initiative campaigns submit petitions by March 3, 2020.

Average filings

Learn more→

What's the tea?

Eleven years ago yesterday—on August 29, 2008—Republican presidential candidate John McCain introduced Sarah Palin as his vice presidential candidate during a campaign rally in Dayton, Ohio. Palin was the second U.S. woman to run on a major party ticket for president.

When voting, how much does a presidential candidate’s running mate impact your decision?

 



Ten 2020 Dems set to participate in seven-hour climate change town hall

By Emily Aubert
In Newsletters
August 29, 2019 at 2:05 PM

 

Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing

August 28, 2019: Ten Democratic presidential candidates are scheduled to participate in a seven-hour series of town halls focused on climate change on Sept. 4. Tulsi Gabbard returned to the campaign trail from active duty.

 

Notable Quote of the Day

“It’s tempting to create an alternative to the DNC debate, but by doing that, you’re basically creating a kiddie table. You’re acknowledging you couldn’t make it, and I don’t think that goes over with voters.”

– Erik Smith, Democratic consultant

Democrats

  • CNN announced that 10 Democratic candidates will participate in a seven-hour series of town halls focused on climate change on Sept. 4. The candidates who qualified to participate based on polling are Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Julián Castro, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O’Rourke, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Andrew Yang.

  • Candidates have until Wednesday to qualify for the September Democratic primary debate.

  • Biden met with a group of black journalists Tuesday to provide on- and off-the-record insight to his campaign. He discussed his ideal running mate, the primary debates, black voter support, and the Trump administration.

  • In an interview on WBUR’s Here & Now, Bill de Blasio spoke about inequality in New York City, the Eric Garner case, and mental healthcare among veterans.

  • Buttigieg spoke in front of the Uber headquarters in San Francisco about protections for gig workers and attended a fundraiser in Los Angeles Tuesday.

  • John Delaney will appear on Bloomberg TV Wednesday.

  • Tulsi Gabbard returned from active duty Tuesday after spending two weeks abroad with the Hawaiian Army National Guard.

  • Kirsten Gillibrand pledged to pass a national public service plan in her first 100 days as president.

  • In an interview with NPR Politics Podcast and Iowa Public Radio, O’Rourkediscussed white nationalism and white supremacy, border security, and the Trump administration.

  • Tim Ryan posted a video with Charlamagne tha God promoting his focus on mental health and encouraging supporters to contribute to his campaign.

  • Joe Sestak is campaigning in Iowa Wednesday through Friday, holding events on education, agriculture, and healthcare.

  • Tom Steyer toured an immigration center and met with supporters in San Diego Tuesday.

Republicans

  • The Republican National Committee began its “Carolinas Kick-Off Tour” Tuesday. The bus tour will include six stops in North Carolina and South Carolina over three days to promote next year’s convention.

  • In an interview with PBS NewsHour, Joe Walsh discussed immigration, climate change, and LGBT policy.

Flashback: August 28, 2015

All five Democratic presidential candidates spoke at the summer meeting of the Democratic National Convention. 

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Gillibrand is fifth Democrat this month to suspend presidential campaign

By Emily Aubert
In Newsletters
August 29, 2019 at 2:05 PM

 

Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing

August 29, 2019: Kirsten Gillibrand suspended her presidential campaign. Ten candidates have qualified for the third Democratic presidential primary debate in September.

 Daily Presidential News Briefing Poll Highlights (August 24-26, 2019)
Daily Presidential News Briefing Poll Highlights (August 20-25, 2019)

Notable Quote of the Day

“Donald Trump is in general election mode while we’re still in primary mode. We see it in Ohio. He’s absolutely carpet-bombing Ohio online. We’re doing our best to respond.”

– David Pepper, Ohio Democratic Party chair

Democrats

  • Ten candidates have qualified for the third Democratic presidential primary debatein Houston, Texas, on Sept. 12, 2019: Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Julián Castro, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O’Rourke, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Andrew Yang.

  • Michael Bennet campaign adviser Craig Hughes sent a letter to the Democratic National Committee asking a series of questions about the debate criteria, including why some polling organizations were excluded as qualifiers and why information about future debate requirements had not yet been released.

  • Biden is finishing his two-day tour of South Carolina Thursday.

  • The Police Benevolent Association, which represents the New York City Police Department, voted no confidence in Bill de Blasio and called for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to remove him.

  • Booker will campaign in Oklahoma Thursday.

  • Castro will be in Columbia, South Carolina, attending a roundtable on gun violence Thursday.

  • Tulsi Gabbard criticized the debate criteria in an interview on FOX News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight.

  • Kirsten Gillibrand suspended her presidential campaign Wednesday. She discussed her decision in an interview with The New York Times.

  • Harris posted a digital ad about her Iowa bus tour as part of a six-figure advertising campaign in the state.

  • Klobuchar spoke about gun violence policy Wednesday during a speech at the Nevada State AFL-CIO Convention.

  • Tim Ryan discussed labor, trauma, and mindfulness in an interview with Lion’s Roar.

  • Tom Steyer hired several new top staffers, including Abdul Henderson as deputy campaign manager for battleground states, Doug Rubin as senior adviser, and Jenna Narayanan as a senior finance adviser.

  • Marianne Williamson is campaigning in South Carolina Thursday.

Republicans

  • Donald Trump announced that he will make his first reelection campaign trip to the Bay Area on Sept. 17. Mike Pence spoke at the American Legion’s national convention in Indianapolis on Wednesday.

  • In an interview with Vox, Bill Weld discussed his fiscal and climate policies as differences between him and Trump.

Flashback: August 29, 2015

Donald Trump campaigned in Nashville, Tennessee, where he won a presidential straw poll and spoke at the National Federation of Republican Assemblies.

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Johnny Isakson announces 2019 retirement

By Joel Williams
In Federal
August 29, 2019 at 1:15 PM
U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) announced his resignation effective December 31, 2019. He cited his health as a reason for the resignation. He is the first senator to announce an early retirement from the 116th Congress and the fifth senator not to run for re-election in 2020. Three other Republicans and one Democratic senator are also not seeking re-election.
 
Isakson was first elected to the Senate in 2004 to replace retiring incumbent Zell Miller (D). He won re-election campaigns in 2010 and 2016. His seat would have been up for election in 2022.
 
Under Georgia law, Gov. Brian Kemp (R) will appoint a replacement for Isakson until the next general election (November 2020). A special election will be held at that time to fill the remainder of Isakson’s term. Georgia will have two U.S. Senate elections next November because Sen. David Perdue’s (R) seat is also up for its regularly-scheduled election.
 
Republicans currently hold a 53-member majority in the U.S. Senate. In 2020, Republicans are defending 23 seats while Democrats are defending only 12. Each party is defending two seats that the opposing party’s presidential candidate won in 2016.
 
Additional reading:


One-vote victory margin challenged in Mississippi State Senate primary

By Kate Carsella
In State
August 29, 2019 at 1:10 PM
On August 6, Mississippi held its statewide primary. In the Republican primary for the District 50 seat in the state Senate, candidate Scott DeLano’s vote totals initially led his opponent’s, Dixie Newman. After the affidavit ballots were counted, Newman took the lead with one vote. The totals were then certified and the primary was called in favor of Newman, but DeLano contested the results. Following a recount, the results were upheld with the one-vote margin intact.
 
On August 26, DeLano filed a petition with the Republican County Executive Committee of Harrison County, Mississippi, officially contesting the certified race results. He cited his concern that not all votes cast in the district were counted. DeLano stated his intention to take his case to the circuit court if the committee did not rule on the matter.
 
After the recount’s results were announced, Newman wrote on her campaign’s Facebook page, “We have now completed the recount of votes and this process has proven there was no tampering with the election and the numbers still have me in the lead. Thank you to our Circuit Clerk, Connie Ladner and her office for conducting a seamless and thorough process. Now, we can all rest assured.”
 
In District 50, incumbent Tommy Gollott (R) did not file for re-election and retired before the end of his term on July 1, 2019. The filing deadline for candidates passed on March 1, 2019, and the general election for this race was canceled since no Democratic candidates filed to run for the seat. The winner of the Republican primary will automatically win the District 50 seat.
 
Entering the election, the Mississippi State Senate had 18 Democrats, 31 Republicans, and three vacancies. All 52 seats are up for election. A majority in the chamber requires 27 seats. Mississippi has had a Republican trifecta since the beginning of the 2012 legislative session. A state government trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and both state legislative chambers.
 
Mississippi is also holding elections for governor and all 122 state House seats in 2019. The general election date is November 5.
 


Ballotpedia releases federal vacancy count for August

By Sara Reynolds
In Uncategorized
August 29, 2019 at 1:10 PM
In this month’s federal vacancy count, Ballotpedia tracked nominations, confirmations, and vacancies from August 1 to August 28, 2019. Ballotpedia publishes the federal vacancy count on the last Wednesday of each month.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
  • Vacancies: There has been one new judicial vacancy since the July 2019 report. There are 103 vacancies out of 870 active Article III judicial positions on courts covered in this report. Including the United States Court of Federal Claims and the United States territorial courts, 112 of 890 active federal judicial positions are vacant.
  • Nominations: There have been six new nominations since the July 2019 report.
  • Confirmations: There have been two new confirmations since the July 2019 report.
 
New vacancies
There were 103 vacancies out of 870 Article III judicial positions—11.8 percent, 1.3 percentage points lower than the vacancy percentage in July 2019.
 
  • The nine-member U.S. Supreme Court does not have any vacancies.
  • Four (2.2%) of the 179 U.S. Appeals Court positions are vacant.
  • 97 (14.3%) of the 677 U.S. District Court positions are vacant.
  • Two (22.2%) of the nine U.S. Court of International Trade positions are vacant.
 
A vacancy occurs when a judge resigns, retires, takes senior status, or passes away. Article III judges, who serve on courts authorized by Article III of the Constitution, are appointed for life terms.
 
The following judge vacated her active status, creating an Article III life-term judicial vacancy. As an Article III judicial position, this vacancy must be filled by a nomination from the president. Nominations are subject to confirmation on the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate.
 
  • Judge Rebecca Smith assumed senior status on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
 
New nominations
President Donald Trump (R) has announced six new nominations since the July 2019 report:
 
  • Steven Menashi, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit.
  • Jodi Dishman, to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma.
  • Karen Marston, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
  • Richard Myers II, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
  • Sarah Pitlyk, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
  • Anuraag Singhal, to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
 
Since taking office in January 2017, President Trump has nominated 199 individuals to Article III positions.
 
New confirmations
Since July 31, 2019, the United States Senate confirmed two of President Trump’s nominees to Article III seats. As of August 28, 2019, the Senate has confirmed 146 of President Trump’s judicial nominees—two Supreme Court justices, 43 U.S. appeals court judges, 99 U.S. district court judges, and two U.S. Court of International Trade judges.
 
  • Miller Baker, confirmed to a seat on the United States Court of International Trade.
  • Timothy Reif, confirmed to a seat on the United States Court of International Trade.
Additional reading:
 


Kirsten Gillibrand ends presidential campaign

By David Luchs
In Federal
August 29, 2019 at 1:05 PM
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) announced she was ending her campaign for the presidency in an interview with The New York Times Wednesday.
 
In a tweet announcing her withdrawal, Gillibrand said, “I am so proud of this team and all we’ve accomplished. But I think it’s important to know how you can best serve. To our supporters: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Now, let’s go beat Donald Trump and win back the Senate.”
 
Gillibrand is the seventh noteworthy Democratic candidate to suspend her bid for the presidency this year and the fifth to do so this month. Other August withdrawals include former U.S. Sen. Mike Gravel (D-Alaska), former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D), Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D), and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.)
 
Gillibrand’s withdrawal leaves 20 noteworthy Democrats in the running. As of Monday, there were 277 Democratic presidential candidates registered with the Federal Election Commission.