Daily Brew: September 20, 2018

September 20, 2018

Today's Brew brings you the next round of our state legislative primary data + new from the Texas State Senate   Welcome to the Thursday, September 20 Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: Checking in on incumbent performance in the state legislative primaries Texas State Senate seat flips in special election, giving Republicans a supermajority in chamber Voters in six states will decide ballot measures related to marijuana in 2018 More Democratic state legislators defeated in primaries than in recent years All told, 147 incumbents were defeated in state legislative primaries in the 2018 primaries.  From 2010 to 2016, an average of 140 incumbents were defeated in state legislative primaries during even-year elections. There were 70 Democratic incumbents defeated in 2018 primaries. That's an increase from the 39 Democratic incumbents defeated in 2016 and the 46 Democratic incumbents defeated in 2014. Democratic incumbents faced primary opposition in 2018 more often than they did in 2016. In 2018, 21.1 percent of Democratic incumbents and 19.6 percent of Republican incumbents faced primary opposition. In 2016, 18.6 percent of Democratic incumbents and 21.4 percent of Republican incumbents faced primary opposition. In 2018, 85.6 percent of all Democratic incumbents who faced a primary challenger won—down from 90.4 percent in 2016. Seventy-seven Republican incumbents were defeated in 2018. In other words, 86.1 percent of all GOP incumbents who faced a primary challenger won. Republican incumbents defeated primary challengers at the same rate in 2016. Learn more Texas State Senate seat flips in special election, giving Republicans a supermajority in chamber Peter Flores (R) defeated Pete Gallego (D) in the special election runoff for the District 19 seat of the Texas State Senate last night. The seat was previously held by Carlos Uresti (D). Uresti resigned in June 2018, four months after he was found guilty of charges related to bribery surrounding a government contract and charges of wrongdoing. This is the second seat to flip from Democratic to Republican control in state legislative special elections this year. Ten seats have flipped from Republican to Democratic control. The Republican win gives the GOP a two-thirds supermajority in the Texas Senate, which is the margin required to override a gubernatorial veto. Republicans are eight seats short of a two-thirds supermajority in the state House. Both chambers would need to approve any potential veto override. The current governor of Texas is Republican Greg Abbott. Texas is one of 26 Republican trifectas. Learn more→ Voters in six states will decide ballot measures related to marijuana in 2018 Voters in six states will decide ballot measures related to marijuana. Recreational marijuana is legal in nine states and the District of Columbia. Michigan and North Dakota could follow. In addition to recreational marijuana, Utah and Missouri could be the 32nd and 33rd state to legalize medical marijuana. Voters in Missouri will decide between three competing medical marijuana initiatives, all of which have different taxation, revenue, home-grown marijuana, and local control provisions. Colorado’s ballot measure, Amendment X, would repeal language from the state constitution defining industrial hemp, giving the legislature more flexibility to adapt to changes in federal law concerning industrial hemp. Here is a list of marijuana-related measures on the 2018 general election ballot: Colorado Amendment X: remove the definition of industrial hemp from the state constitution Michigan Proposal 1: legalize recreational marijuana Missouri Amendment 2: legalize medical marijuana Missouri Amendment 3: legalize medical marijuana Missouri Proposition C: legalize medical marijuana North Dakota Measure 3: legalize recreational marijuana Utah Proposition 2: legalize medical marijuana More than $1 million have been raised for and against the ballot measures in Michigan and Missouri. The Michigan Proposal 1 campaign has raised the most money. As of July 25, 2018, supporters of Proposal 1 had raised $1.74 million and opponents had raised $286,062. This information first appeared in our brand new Election Updates email. Sign up to not miss any factoids like this. Learn more→