On February 1, 2020, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) caucus of the Minnesota State Senate elected Susan Kent (D) to serve as the party’s minority leader for the upcoming legislative session. Kent won the post over fellow senator Tom Bakk (D). Kent will serve as the DFL’s first female leader in the state Senate. In Minnesota, the…
A special primary election was held on February 4 to fill a vacant seat in the 32nd Middlesex District of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Melrose city councilor Kate Lipper-Garabedian defeated Ann McGonigle Santos and Mathew Helman in the Democratic primary. According to the Melrose Patch, Republican write-in candidate Brandon Reid has received enough votes…
A special general election was held for Minnesota House of Representatives District 30A on February 4, 2020. Paul Novotny (R) won the election with 1,983 votes, defeating Chad Hobot (D) who won 1,141 votes. The special primary election was held on January 14, 2020. The filing deadline passed on December 10, 2019. The special election…
A special general election was held for Minnesota House of Representatives District 60A on February 4, 2020. Sydney Jordan (D) won the election with 1,879 votes, defeating Marty Super (Legal Marijuana Now Party) who won 247 votes. The special primary election was held on January 21, 2020. The filing deadline passed on December 10, 2019.…
On January 31, 2020, Governor Larry Hogan (R) appointed Shelly Hettleman (D) to fill the vacant District 11 seat in the Maryland Senate. Hettleman assumed office on February 3, 2020. Her current term will end in 2022. Hettleman’s appointment came after former senator Robert Zirkin (D) resigned on January 2, 2020, to focus on his…
On January 31, 2020, Mississippi representative Ramona Blackledge (R) resigned from the Mississippi House of Representatives after being sworn in earlier in the month. Blackledge stepped down to maintain her Public Employees Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS) retirement benefits. Blackledge’s resignation came after Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn (R) stated that he would not challenge…
Californians will vote on a ballot initiative to expand the power of local governments to use rent control. Proponents have the option to withdraw the ballot initiative. In December, the campaign Homeowners and Tenants United filed 987,991 signatures for the ballot initiative. On February 3, a random sample of signatures projected that 75.9 percent of…
The Kansas Senate voted on Wednesday to approve the No Right to Abortion in Constitution Amendment (Senate Concurrent Resolution 1613), with a 28 to 12 margin. This is one vote above the two-thirds requirement needed in both chambers to move the amendment to the ballot. All Senate Republicans, except for Representative John Skubal from District…