Daily Brew: Do more U.S. House races feature a Democratic candidate this cycle?

July 25, 2018

There’s been a drop in the number of U.S. House races without a Democratic candidate + Kemp wins Georgia gubernatorial primary   Welcome to the Wednesday, July 25 Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: There’s been a drop in the number of U.S. House races without a Democratic candidate Kemp wins Georgia gubernatorial primary Have you blown through your summer reading list?  Four U.S. House races without a Democratic candidate in 2018, down from 36 in 2014 Four U.S. House districts have no Democratic candidates running in the general election this year, and 38 districts have no Republican candidates. There are fewer total seats with only one candidate from each major party this year, 42, than in 2014 and 2016. There were 36 seats without a Democratic candidate and 40 seats without a Republican candidate in 2014 (the last Congressional midterms). The 42 congressional districts with only one major-party candidate are scattered across 17 states. The four districts without a Democratic candidate are California's 8th, Georgia's 8th, Michigan's 1st, and North Carolina's 3rd. A majority are concentrated in five states: California: 8 of 53 congressional districts do not have a Republican candidate Florida: 5 of 27 congressional districts do not have a Republican candidate Massachusetts: 4 of 9 congressional districts do not have a Republican candidate New York: 6 of 27 congressional districts do not have a Republican candidate Texas: 4 of 36 congressional districts do not have a Republican candidate Congressional general elections without major party opposition have occurred at least once between 2014 and 2018 in 125 districts in 28 states. Eleven of the districts have had no major party opposition in all three election cycles. Fourteen districts without major party opposition in 2014 and 2016 do have both a Democratic and Republican candidate on the ballot in 2018.   For a full list of these districts and 2016 figures, click here         Kemp defeats Cagle in Georgia gubernatorial runoff Secretary of State Brian Kemp defeated Lieutenant Gov. Casey Cagle in the Georgia gubernatorial Republican primary runoff. He will face former state House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams (D) in the general election. Boosted by an endorsement from President Donald Trump, Kemp improved on his performance in the May 22 Republican primary, where he finished second with 25.5 percent. Cagle was the top vote getter in the May 22 primary, capturing 39.0 percent. He is the first candidate in a top-of-the-ticket statewide Georgia runoff since at least 2010 to receive fewer votes in the runoff than in the general primary. For more primary runoff results, click here.→ Join our staff’s book club! If it weren’t for primaries, all we’d want to do this summer is relax in the sun with a good book. In fact, we’re formalizing a tradition among Ballotpedia staff of reading great books and getting together over a virtual cup of coffee to discuss what we read. And now you, too, can join the Ballotpedia Book Club! Every two months, we'll tell you which book we're reading and invite you to read along with us. At the end, join us for a 30-minute webcall led by our editor-in-chief and news editor to discuss the book. You'll also be able to hear commentary from Ballotpedia staff experienced in the subject matter. Occasionally, you'll get to speak with the authors & other special guests. We’ve found an engaging, politically-themed read for our first book: The Great Revolt by Salena Zito and Brad Todd. Our first webinar will be held on August 23. We hope you’ll join us. Sign up for the first webinar here→