Daily Brew: January 7, 2026
Welcome to the Wednesday, Jan. 7, Brew.
By: Briana Ryan
Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- Alaska voters to consider top-four ranked-choice voting repeal initiative in 2026 after narrowest defeat in state history in 2024
- An overview of the rules, agency documents, and notices published in the Federal Register in the last quarter of 2025
- Tim Walz's withdrawal leaves two governors seeking a third term in 2026
Alaska voters to consider top-four ranked-choice voting repeal initiative in 2026 after narrowest defeat in state history in 2024
Alaska voters will decide on a ballot initiative to repeal the state's top-four ranked-choice voting (RCV) system in 2026, unless the Alaska Legislature approves substantially similar legislation during its upcoming session.
This would be the second time that voters have considered an initiative to repeal the state's top-four RCV system. Voters first adopted the system in 2020, when they approved Measure 2, 50.55% to 49.45%.
In 2024, voters defeated an initiative to repeal RCV, 49.9% to 50.1%. That's the narrowest ballot measure result in Alaska's history.
The latest initiative would eliminate the state's system, which combines top-four primaries with RCV in general elections.
The initiative would also repeal the campaign finance provisions enacted under Measure 2, which require persons and entities that contribute more than $2,000 per year from funds derived from donations, contributions, dues, or gifts to disclose the true sources of the political contributions. The ballot initiative defined true sources as persons and entities whose contributions are derived from wages, investment income, inheritance, or revenue from the sale of goods or services. Organizations that received less than $2,000 in dues or contributions per person per year were considered the true source.
On Dec. 31, Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom (R) announced that 42,837 signatures were verified across 40 House districts, exceeding the requirement of 34,098 qualified signatures from at least 30 state House districts.
In Alaska, an initiative appears on the ballot at the first statewide election held at least 120 days after the Legislature adjourns its session. The Legislature could approve legislation that is "substantially the same as the proposed law," rendering the initiative void. The legislative session is expected to begin on Jan. 20 and adjourn on May 20. If the Legislature instead adjourned one month earlier, on April 20, the initiative would be eligible to appear on the Aug. 18 primary ballot. Otherwise, it would appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
Currently, eight states, including Alaska, have laws authorizing or requiring the use of RCV for certain elections, while 17 states have laws prohibiting or restricting its use. Maine is the only state besides Alaska to use RCV in regular statewide elections. Hawaii also uses RCV in special federal elections. Fourteen states contain localities that either use or are scheduled to begin using RCV in municipal elections.
Repeal Now Chair Judy Eledge said, "We really feel like there should be one vote, one person in the United States. We're [one] of two states in the United States that has ranked choice voting. It's extremely confusing to people, most certainly people that are maybe older and don't understand it ... we're just wanting to get rid of it because we just don't think it's a fair system."
Alaskans for Better Elections Board Member Rebecca Braun said the system "might not be perfect, but I think that it's better. I don't think there's any voting system that like has no distortions. Mathematicians study this, and there's almost nothing where you have 100% perfect outcomes. But this seems like to me a better system."
This year's initiative that could repeal the state's top-four RCV system is the second measure to qualify for this year's ballot in Alaska. The other would establish campaign contribution limits for state and local offices.
Additionally, signatures are being collected for an initiative to change the voter qualification language to require that a person be a citizen and 18 years old to vote. Signatures must be submitted before the start of the legislative session, which begins Jan. 20, 2026.
Click here for more information about this year's initiative that could repeal the state's top-four RCV system.
An overview of the rules, agency documents, and notices published in the Federal Register in the last quarter of 2025
The federal government added 14,353 pages to the Federal Register in the last quarter of 2025, spanning from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, for an annual total of 61,584 pages. According to the publication, that's the lowest annual page count of the Federal Register since 1992. The highest annual page count hit 95,894 in 2016.
The government added 4,829 documents to the Federal Register in the fourth quarter, which is more than in the first quarter during the Trump administration but less than in the second and third quarters. The government was shut down from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12.
During the fourth quarter of 2021, the government added 6,843 documents, bringing the 2021 annual page total to 74,532.
Here's a breakdown of the 4,829 documents added last quarter:
- 4,004 notices
- 60 presidential documents
- 285 proposed rules
- 489 final rules
Agencies proposed 28 significant rules and issued 45 significant final rules during the fourth quarter of 2025. A 1993 executive order defines significant rules as those that can potentially have large effects on the economy, environment, public health, or state or local governments.
The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) determines which rules meet this definition and are subject to its review. Significant actions may also conflict with presidential priorities or other agency rules.
The Trump administration issued 71 significant proposed rules, 110 significant final rules, and 10 significant notices in 2025.
The Federal Register is a daily journal of federal government activity that includes presidential documents, proposed and final rules, and public notices. It is a common measure of an administration's regulatory activity, accounting for both regulatory and deregulatory actions.
We maintain page counts and other information about the Federal Register as part of our neutral, nonpartisan encyclopedic coverage of the administrative state. Click here to see our full coverage of changes to the Federal Register.
Tim Walz's withdrawal leaves two governors seeking a third term in 2026
On Jan. 5, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) announced he was withdrawing his bid for a third consecutive term, saying, "I came to the conclusion that I can't give a political campaign my all. Every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can't spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences."
Governors in six states are eligible to run for a third term in 2026. Walz was one of three, including Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D), running.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced that they will not run for a third term. Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) has yet to announce his plans.
The number of governors running for a third term in 2026 is equal to the number of governors who ran for third terms in 1986, 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2018.
Of the six states in 2026 where a governor is eligible to run for a third term, since 1986, a governor has done so in five of the six states. Pritzker is the first Illinois governor to run for a third consecutive term in this period.
Iowa’s Terry Branstad (R) won a third term in 1990, Connecticut’s John Rowland (R) won a third term in 2002, and Idaho’s Gov. Butch Otter (R) won a third term in 2014.
In Wisconsin, Tommy Thompson (R) won a third term in 1994, but Scott Walker (R) lost his bid for a third term in 2018. In Minnesota, Rudy Perpich (D) sought a third term in 1990, but lost.
Click here to read more about this year's gubernatorial elections.
