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Implementation of occupancy limits for vacation home rentals delayed in South Lake Tahoe, California

By Jessica Martini
In Ballot measures
January 28, 2019 at 3:41 PM
After a temporary injunction delayed implementation of new occupancy limits for vacation home rentals (VHRs) in South Lake Tahoe, California, the city has agreed to continue to delay the occupancy limits that were approved under Measure T.
 
Voters passed Measure T with 50.42 percent approval on November 6, 2018. The measure was designed to place restrictions on vacation home rentals in the city’s residential zones. On December 18, 2018, the South Lake Tahoe Property Owner’s Group filed a lawsuit against the city to block implementation of the measure. Judge Thomas A. Smith of El Dorado County placed a temporary injunction on one of the measure’s provisions, a rule that would have limited occupancy of VHRs to 12 occupants. The injunction ended on January 24, 2019; however, the city reached an agreement with the plaintiffs to continue to delay the occupancy rules while Measure T is under judicial review.
 
Measure T was designed to allow vacation home rentals in the city’s commercial zones and to eliminate VHRs in residential zones unless they are operated by a permanent resident by December 31, 2021.


Trio of southern states holding gubernatorial elections in 2019

By Mandy Gillip
In State
January 27, 2019 at 2:31 PM
Only three states—Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi—are holding elections for governor in 2019. In 2018, elections for governor were held in 36 states. Republicans won 20 of the 36 seats up for election, and Democrats won the other 16. Out of all the state executive offices, only the governor is elected in all 50 states. The last gubernatorial elections in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi were held in 2015.
 
In Kentucky, Republican Gov. Matt Bevin is running for re-election to a second term. He announced on January 25 that his lieutenant gubernatorial running mate in the 2019 election would be state Sen. Ralph Alvarado instead of his current lieutenant governor, Jenean Hampton. The candidate filing deadline is January 29, the primary is on May 21, and the general election is on November 5.
 
In Louisiana, Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards is also up for re-election to his second term. He announced on January 22 that he would file for re-election. The candidate filing deadline is August 8, the primary is on October 12, and the general election is on November 16.
 
In Mississippi, Republican Gov. Phil Bryant is prevented by term limits from seeking re-election, which leaves the seat open to a newcomer. The candidate filing deadline is March 1, the primary is on August 6, and the general election is on November 5.


Filing deadline passed for Atlanta special election

By Marielle Bricker
In Local
January 27, 2019 at 2:26 PM
The filing deadline for the District 3 city council special election in Atlanta passed on January 25 at 4:30 p.m. The general election is on March 19, and a runoff election will be held on April 16 if no candidate receives a majority of the votes. Ten candidates filed to run.
 
The election was called after Ivory Lee Young Jr. died in November 2018 while in office. He was first elected in 2001 and most recently re-elected in 2017 with 67 percent of the vote. The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of Young’s four-year term, which ends in 2021. To qualify, candidates had to live in District 3 and either pay a qualifying fee of $1,809 or file a qualifying petition and Pauper’s Affidavit.
 
Atlanta held city elections in 2017 for mayor, city council president, all 15 seats on the city council, and 10 city judges. Atlanta is the largest city in Georgia and the 39th-largest city in the U.S. by population.


Filing deadline passed for Tennessee special election

By Jane Scharl
In State
January 27, 2019 at 2:16 PM
The filing deadline passed on January 24 for a special election to fill the District 22 seat in the Tennessee State Senate. Seven candidates filed to run in the special election.
 
The District 22 seat was left vacant when Rep. Mark Green (R) was elected to represent Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District on November 6, 2018. Green represented District 22 from 2012 to 2018 and succeeded Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R) in Congress.
Rosalind Kurita (I) was appointed by the Montgomery County Commission to fill the seat until the special election. Kurita previously represented District 22 from 1996 to 2008.
 
One Democratic candidate, four Republican candidates, and two independent candidates filed to run in the special election: Juanita Charles (D), Betty Burchett (R), Jeff Burkhart (R), Jason Knight (R), Bill Powers (R), Doyle Clark (I), and David Cutting (I). The four Republican candidates are set to face off in the primary on March 7. The special general election is on April 23.


Special election candidates file for Maine House seat

By Tyler King
In State
January 27, 2019 at 2:06 PM
The candidate filing deadline passed on January 18 for the special election in District 124 of the Maine House of Representatives. Joseph Perry (D) and Thomas White (R) are facing off in the general election on March 12.
 
The District 124 seat became vacant after Aaron Frey (D) was elected by the Maine State Legislature to succeed Janet Mills (D) as state attorney general. Frey had represented the district since 2012. He was last re-elected in 2018 with 63 percent of the vote.
 
The Maine House of Representatives currently has 88 Democrats, 57 Republicans, five independents, and one vacancy. Maine has a Democratic trifecta. A state government trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and both state legislative chambers.
 
In 2019, 35 state legislative special elections have been scheduled or held in 14 states. Between 2011 and 2018, an average of 77 special elections took place each year.


Special election filing deadline passed for three Mississippi House seats

By Tyler King
In State
January 27, 2019 at 2:01 PM
The candidate filing deadline passed on January 22 for special elections in three districts of the Mississippi House of Representatives.
  • In District 32, Troy Brown Sr. and Solomon Osborne are competing.
  • Edelia Cartham is running unopposed in District 71.
  • Garl Crist, Kent McCarty, Steven Utroska, and Daniel Waide are facing off in District 101.
In Mississippi, candidates appear on the special election ballot as nonpartisan. The special general election is on March 12. Runoff elections are scheduled for April 2 in the event that no candidate receives a majority of the votes.
 
The Mississippi House of Representatives currently has 73 Republicans, 46 Democrats, and three vacancies. Mississippi has a Republican trifecta. A state government trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and both state legislative chambers.
 
In 2019, 35 state legislative special elections have been scheduled or held in 14 states. Between 2011 and 2018, an average of 77 special elections took place each year.


No incumbents file in St. Louis school board race

By Mandy Gillip
In Local
January 27, 2019 at 1:36 PM
A total of six candidates filed to run for two at-large seats on the St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education in Missouri. The general election is on April 2, and the filing deadline passed on January 15. Both seats are open since neither incumbent chose to file for re-election. Former incumbent Bill Haas lost his re-election bid on November 6, 2018, and has filed to run again in 2019.
 
In St. Louis Public Schools, even-year elections are held on the statewide general election date in November, while odd-year elections are held on the first Tuesday of April. In 2018, seven candidates filed to run for two seats, including both of the incumbents. In 2017, seven candidates filed to run for three seats, including two incumbents.
 
A 2007 decision made by the Missouri state government stripped the elected St. Louis school board of its power and the district of its accreditation. The district earned its accreditation back in January 2017, but the board still does not have control of the district as of the 2019 election. Oversight of the district instead rests with an appointed three-member Special Administrative Board, although the school board continues to hold elections for its seats.
 
St. Louis Public Schools is the largest school district in Missouri in 2019. The district served 28,960 students during the 2015-2016 school year. This year, Ballotpedia is covering 29 school board seats up for election across 11 school districts in Missouri.


Senate rejects two proposals to end the partial government shutdown

By Kelly Coyle
In Federal
January 27, 2019 at 1:26 PM
On January 24, 2019, the U.S. Senate rejected two proposals to end the partial government shutdown that began on December 22, 2018. The plan backed by President Donald Trump failed by a vote of 50-47. It needed 60 votes to pass. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) was the only Democrat who supported the bill. Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) were the only Republicans who opposed the bill. The legislation proposed allocating $5.7 billion in border-wall funding, providing temporary protections for DACA and certain Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients, and funding unfunded government agencies.
 
The Democratic-backed plan failed by a vote of 52-44. Six Republicans—Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Cory Gardner (Colo.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Mitt Romney (Utah), and Johnny Isakson (Ga.)—voted with Democrats for the continuing resolution to fund the government through February 8, 2019. It did not include funding for border security.
 
The votes took place on the 34th day of the partial shutdown. Trump said that he would not sign legislation to reopen the federal government if it does not include funding for a border wall or barrier. Democrats have refused to vote for funding for a border wall.


Utah’s legislative session starts January 28

By Kristen Smith
In State
January 27, 2019 at 1:11 PM
Utah’s state legislature will be in session from January 28 through March 14, 2019—a total of 45 days.
 
Utah joins 39 other states that are currently in regular session. It is one of 46 states that hold annual legislative sessions, with the other four states—Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Texas—meeting only in odd-numbered years. Nine states have full-time legislatures, meaning they meet throughout the year.
 
In 2018, Utah held three sessions in addition to its regular session: one veto session and two special sessions. During these sessions, Gov. Gary Herbert (R) signed bills dealing with Medicaid expansion, a child tax credit, and medical marijuana, among other topics.
 
Utah is one of 22 Republican trifectas, with the GOP controlling the governor’s office, the state House, and the state Senate.


Richard Ojeda suspends 2020 presidential campaign

By Cory Eucalitto
In Federal
January 27, 2019 at 1:01 PM
Former West Virginia State Senator Richard Ojeda (D) suspended his 2020 campaign for President of the United States on Friday. Ojeda served in the West Virginia State Senate from 2016 through 2019. He lost a bid to represent the state’s 3rd Congressional district in 2018 to Carol Miller (R).
 
Ojeda was one of nine Democratic elected officials or notable public figures that had filed to run for president with the Federal Election Commission or announced exploratory committees.
 
Ojeda is the first to suspend a campaign.
 
The others still running:
* Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, announced that he was running for president on January 23, 2019.
* Julian Castro, a former U.S. secretary of housing and urban development and San Antonio mayor, formally announced his candidacy on January 12, 2019.
* John Delaney, a former U.S. representative from Maryland, filed to run for president on August 10, 2017.
* Tulsi Gabbard, a U.S. representative from Hawaii, announced that she had decided to run for president on January 11, 2019.
* Kirsten Gillibrand, a U.S. senator from New York, announced that she was running for president on January 15, 2019.
* Kamala Harris, a U.S. senator from California, announced that she was running for president on January 21, 2019.
* Elizabeth Warren, U.S. senator from Massachusetts, announced she had formed an exploratory committee on December 31, 2018.
* Andrew Yang, an entrepreneur from New York, filed to run for president on November 6, 2017.
 
As of January 24, 2019, 479 candidates had already filed with the FEC to run for president.