Daily Brew: December 1, 2025
Welcome to the Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, Brew.
By: Lara Bonatesta
Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- Massachusetts could have the most citizen initiatives in state history in 2026
- Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District to hold sixth Congressional special election of the year on Dec. 2
- This Giving Tuesday, help ensure every voter can make confident, informed decisions
Massachusetts could have the most citizen initiatives in state history in 2026
In Massachusetts, campaigns for at least 11 initiatives targeting the 2026 statewide ballot reported submitting signatures to local registrars by the Nov. 19 deadline. Earlier in the cycle, the Massachusetts attorney general had approved 44 initiatives for signature gathering on Sept. 3.
A veto referendum on House Bill 4885, which made several changes to the state's firearm regulations, is already certified for the 2026 ballot.
If at least nine of those initiatives also make the ballot, Massachusetts voters will decide on the most citizen initiatives in a single election in state history. Currently, 1994 had the most citizen initiatives, when there were nine on the ballot.
Voters decided on the most total measures in state history in 1918, with 19 constitutional convention referrals, including the one creating the initiative process. Between 1910 and 2025, Massachusetts voters decided on 231 ballot measures, including 116 citizen initiatives.
The 11 initiatives address various subjects, including housing, zoning, electoral systems, taxes, marijuana, voter registration, public records, and conservation funding. Below is a selection of noteworthy initiatives. Click here to see a full list.
Rent Control Initiative: The measure would establish rent control in Massachusetts, limiting annual rent increases for residential units, with exceptions, to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or 5%, whichever is lower.
Top-Two Primary Elections Initiative: This would adopt top-two primaries for state offices and require gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates to run on a joint ticket in primaries.
Permit Same-Day Voter Registration Initiative: Would establish same-day voter registration.
Decrease State Income Tax Rate to 4% Initiative: The initiative would decrease the state's personal income tax from 5% to 4%.
Eliminate Recreational Marijuana Sales and Allow Limited Possession Initiative: This would repeal the state's laws that legalized retail sales of recreational marijuana. The initiative would prohibit the possession of more than one ounce of marijuana.
The local registrars must certify the petition signatures and submitting the petitions to the Secretary of the Commonwealth by Dec. 3. At least 74,574 signatures must be found valid.
Initiatives are indirect in Massachusetts. This means if the Cecretary of the Commonwealth determines that enough valid signatures were submitted, the initiatives are sent to the General Court. The General Court has until May 6, 2026, to pass the initiatives. If it does not, proponents must collect a second round of 12,429 signatures by July 8. If those signatures are verified, the proposal would appear on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot. Direct initiatives are placed on the ballot once signatures are verified.
Of the 26 states that have a statewide initiative process, nine states allow citizens to initiate indirect state statutes.
For a deep dive on how initiatives are put on the ballot in Massachusetts, click here.
Click here to learn more about Massachusetts’ 2026 ballot measures and here to see our Massachusetts Historical Ballot Measures Factbook
Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District to hold sixth Congressional special election of the year on Dec. 2
Aftyn Behn (D), Matt Van Epps (R), and four independent candidates are running in the special election for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District on Dec. 2. The special election will fill the vacancy created when the former incumbent, Rep. Mark Green (R), resigned on July 20.
According to The Tennessean's Austin Hornbostel and Vivian Jones, "Tennessee’s 7th District has been represented by Republicans since 1983. But new district boundaries drawn by the Republican-controlled state legislature in 2021 moved the district into northern Nashville and added a significant Democrat population. Since redistricting, Republicans have not won more than 60% of the vote."
Behn represents the 51st District in the Tennessee House of Representatives. She was elected in a 2023 special election and re-elected in 2024. She worked as a social worker and community organizer.
Behn's campaign website said, "She’s now running for Congress after the so-called 'Big, Beautiful Bill' passed — a giveaway to the wealthy that codified the largest transfer of wealth from working people to the rich in American history." Behn is running on her record as an activist and state representative.
Van Epps was a Tennessee Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and a special operations helicopter pilot. He served as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services and as deputy chief operating officer in the governor's office.
Van Epps' campaign website said he would bring "conservative leadership grounded in service, experience, and unwavering commitment to Tennessee values and President Trump's America First agenda." President Donald Trump (R) endorsed Van Epps days before the primary election.
Independents Teresa Christie, Bobby Dodge, Robert James Sutherby, and Jonathan Thorp are also running.
Republicans have a 219-213 majority in the U.S. House with three vacancies. This will be the sixth special congressional election in 2025, after two April elections in Florida's 1st District and 6th District, two September elections in Virginia's 11th District and Arizona's 7th District, and a November election in Texas' 18th District.
No seats changed partisan control as a result of these elections. Democrats outperformed their 2024 margins in four special elections. The table below does not include the special election for Texas' 18th Congressional District. Candidates from all parties ran in the election. Christian Menefee (D) and Amanda Edwards (D) received 28.9% and 25.6% of the vote, respectively, and advanced to a runoff, which will be held on Jan. 31, 2026. In the 2024 general election in the district, Sylvester Turner (D) defeated Lana Centonze (R) 69.4%-30.5%.
As of Nov. 25, nine special elections have been called for the 119th Congress. From the 113th Congress to the 118th Congress, 80 special elections were held. For more data on historical congressional special elections, click here.
If you live in the 7th Congressional District, don’t forget to check out Ballotpedia’s Sample Ballot Lookup Tool to find out everything you need to know about this special election. Click here to see our full coverage of the election.
This Giving Tuesday, help ensure every voter can make confident, informed decisions
On Election Day, too many voters still look at their ballots and think, “I don’t know who any of these people are.” Local newsrooms are dwindling, and reliable information about local candidates is scattered or missing.
Ballotpedia exists to change that. We’re the nation’s most trusted source of election information. We collect and share what you’ve seen us write about in almost every issue of the Daily Brew – something that we call robust information: campaign themes, endorsements, pledges, ratings, and direct responses from candidates through our Candidate Connection survey.
Our goal is to provide robust information about every candidate, in every election, everywhere in America. Your support helps make it possible. Please, on this Giving Tuesday, share a gift that strengthens our democracy. Join with us in helping make sure voters know exactly who and what is on their ballots – so they can make informed and confident choices on Election Day.
