Daily Brew: Five more states holding primaries tomorrow

June 11, 2018

Want to work for Ballotpedia? + Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Virginia   Want to work for Ballotpedia? We have two open positions: Data salesperson Web developer Five states are holding statewide primaries tomorrow: Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Virginia And just like that, Super Tuesday 2018 is over - but that doesn’t mean the fun of June primaries is complete. Two more statewide primary dates are ahead this month, the first of which is tomorrow in five states. You might have been tied up trying to make sense of what happened on June 5, so here’s a quick rundown of what to look for tomorrow. Maine: Tomorrow represents the first statewide implementation of ranked-choice voting in Maine. The office of governor will be on the ballot during Maine’s statewide primary tomorrow. Sitting Gov. Paul LePage (R) is prevented by term limits from seeking election to a third term in 2018, leaving the seat open. Of the past 10 gubernatorial elections in Maine, five have resulted in the seat changing hands. The last time a Maine gubernatorial election was won by a candidate who shares a party with the outgoing incumbent was in 1952. Twenty candidates have declared their intention to seek the seat, including seven Democrats, four Republicans, one Libertarian, two members of the Green Party, and six independent candidates. The election was named by Politico as one of the top 10 gubernatorial races to watch in 2018. For more on this story, please click here. Mainers will also be selecting primary nominees for one U.S. Senate seat and two U.S. House seats on Tuesday. Additionally, a veto referendum is on the ballot, which will determine the next steps in the battle surrounding ranked-choice voting in the state. See: Maine elections, 2018 Nevada: Nevada’s primary is on June 12. Ballotpedia is covering elections for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor and six other state executive offices, the state legislature, and judgeships on the state supreme court. Ballotpedia is also covering school board elections in Clark and Washoe counties and municipal elections in Clark County, Washoe County, and Reno. Although no Democrat has served as governor of Nevada since 1999, six Democratic candidates are competing for the seat following Hillary Clinton's (D) presidential and Catherine Cortez Masto's (D) senatorial wins in the state. Clark County Commissioners Chris Giunchigliani (D) and Steve Sisolak (D) have led the race in campaign spending and endorsements. See: Nevada elections, 2018 North Dakota: Ballotpedia is covering elections for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, five state executive offices, the state senate and state house, and judgeships on the state supreme court. See: North Dakota elections, 2018 South Carolina: Seven U.S. House seats, seven state executive offices, and 124 state house seats will be on the primary ballot. Primary runoff elections will follow on June 26 for all races in which a candidate does not receive a majority of the primary vote. See: South Carolina elections, 2018 Virginia: One U.S. Senate seat and 11 U.S. House seats will be on the primary ballot. Prince William County Supervisor Corey Stewart will face state Del. Nick Freitas and Minister E.W. Jackson in the U.S. Senate Republican primary. Stewart is best known for finishing second in the state’s 2017 gubernatorial primary behind Ed Gillespie. The winner will face incumbent Tim Kaine (D) in the general election. Six well-funded candidates are competing in the Democratic primary for Virginia's 10th Congressional District—a toss-up seat that simultaneously backed Hillary Clinton (D) by 10 points in the 2016 presidential election and elected Republican incumbent Rep. Barbara Comstock. Four candidates have raised $800,000 or more through the first quarter of 2018: senior State Department official Alison Kiehl Friedman (D), state Sen. Jennifer Wexton (D), Army veteran Daniel Helmer (D), and former Obama administration official Lindsey Davis Stover. See: Virginia elections, 2018 Come back to Ballotpedia on Tuesday night for results, and signup for Heart of the Primaries to get results and analysis delivered to your inbox on Wednesday.         Trump administration prepares to release federal reorganization plan The Trump administration is poised to release a reorganization plan for federal agencies. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has been developing the plan pursuant to Executive Order 13781, which called on the OMB director to create a reorganization plan aimed at improving efficiency within the executive branch. Three things to know about it. The plan will reportedly rename the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and consolidate welfare programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), under the expanded department. The plan may also propose cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Department of State. The OMB will release the finalized report in the coming weeks. Keep up to date on changes to federal regulatory activity by subscribing to Ballotpedia's Administrative State newsletter Checks and Balances.   Click here to subscribe→ Gov. Hickenlooper vetoes marijuana-related legislation Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) vetoed HB 1263, which would have expanded the list of conditions qualified for medical marijuana treatment to include autism spectrum disorder. HB 1263 passed 53-11 (with one member not voting) in the state House and by a 32-3 vote in the state Senate. In his veto letter, Hickenlooper cited medical professionals' concern about a lack of information regarding the safety and efficacy of using medical marijuana to treat autism spectrum disorder. He wrote, "In vetoing this bill, we do so on the sole concern that medical efficacy of [medical marijuana] to treat [autism spectrum disorder] has yet to be fully studied by medical professionals and scientific experts." On June 6, 2018, Lieutenant Governor Donna Lynne (D) signed Executive Order 2018 B-004, which instructed the state Board of Health to "to evaluate the safety and efficacy of medical marijuana for the treatment of autism spectrum disorders in children." Learn more→