Daily Brew: September 6, 2018

September 6, 2018

The First State holds one of the last primaries + Looking ahead: Massachusetts Question 1 + State legislative data, part 3   Welcome to the Thursday, September 6 Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: The First State holds one of the last primaries Looking ahead: Massachusetts Question 1 State legislators in districts where the opposing party’s presidential candidate won are retiring at a higher rate  Tonight: Delaware primary results Delaware is holding its statewide primary election tonight. Ballotpedia is covering elections for one U.S. Senate seat, one U.S. House seat, three state executive positions including attorney general, treasurer, and auditor, 10 state senate seats, and all 41 state house seats. The primary winners will advance to the general election that will be held on November 6, 2018. Polls will be open on election day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. One race we’re watching: the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Incumbent Sen. Tom Carper (D) is facing a primary challenge from progressive activist Kerri Evelyn Harris as he seeks his fourth term in the U.S. Senate. Some media outlets have compared Harris' challenge to the one Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez launched against 10-term U.S. Representative Joseph Crowley in New York's 14th District Democratic primary. Carper was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000 and won his most recent re-election bid in 2012 by a 37-point margin. He is campaigning on his legislative record on healthcare and the environment, emphasizing his work on the Senate Finance Committee to pass the Affordable Care Act and his support for renewable energy development, including tax credits and more charging stations for electric vehicles. He also touts his authorship of parts of the Dodd-Frank Act. Harris, an Air Force veteran and community organizer, says that Carper has not gone far enough on healthcare, the environment, or banking regulations. She is campaigning on Medicare for All and calls for a "Green New Deal"—the creation of jobs with a focus on renewable energy. She criticizes Carper's support for the Keystone XL pipeline and his co-sponsorship of Senate Bill 2155, which exempted community banks from certain Dodd-Frank provisions. We'll be tracking tonight's results here         Looking ahead: Massachusetts Question 1 Primaries may be nearing their end, but our readers and voters nationwide are hungry for more information on Massachusetts’ Question 1: The Nurse-Patient Assignment Limits Initiative. That article has been one of the most viewed pages on Ballotpedia in recent weeks. Let’s take a dive into what readers have been learning. Question 1 would establish patient assignment limits for registered nurses working in hospitals. Limits would be determined by the type of medical unit or patient with whom a nurse is working, and the maximum numbers of patients assigned determined by the limits would apply at all times. Supporters argue that limiting the number of patients a nurse can be assigned to care for at a time would allow nurses to spend more time with patients and reduce mistakes, readmissions, and complications. Donna Kelly-Williams, president of the Massachusetts Nurses Association said, "Hospital executives are the reason that we need safe patient limits in the first place. Hospital executives are the ones who have ignored nurses’ concerns, claiming a lack of resources for safe patient care, while pocketing seven-figure salaries." Opponents argue that the staffing ratio requirements would force hospitals to cut back on services, undermine the flexibility of nurse staffing, and increase patient waiting times. Amanda Stefancyk Oberlies, CEO of the Organization of Nurse Leaders, stated, "Make no mistake: this proposal threatens the high quality of care we provide patients. It will force many hospitals to reduce critical services and will dramatically increase emergency room wait times. This measure will prevent nurses and doctors from being able to use their best judgment in times of crisis." The campaign finance information is according to the most recent scheduled reports, which covered through December 31, 2017. The deadline for the next scheduled reports is tomorrow. Stay tuned for our coverage on that. The Committee to Ensure Safe Patient Care is leading the campaign in support of Question 1. It has raised $1.09 million. The Coalition to Protect Patient Safety is leading the campaign in opposition to the initiative. It has raised $11,500. Learn more→  Part three of our exploration into state legislative elections data: State legislators in districts where the opposing party’s presidential candidate won are retiring at a higher rate We analyzed candidate filings in 5,858 seats up for election in 43 states in light of the results of the 2016 presidential election, excluding Nebraska owing to the nonpartisan nature of its legislature and Alabama and Arkansas due to information availability. Seven hundred and forty of those districts (13.1 percent) were carried by the 2016 presidential candidate opposite the incumbent legislator's political party. Both Democratic legislators in districts carried by Donald Trump (R) (which we’ll refer to as Trump Democrats) and Republican legislators in districts carried by Hillary Clinton (D) (which we’ll refer to as Clinton Republicans) retired at a rate greater than their party's average, although the difference was greater for Trump Democrats. In all, 25 percent of Clinton Republicans (Republican legislators in districts carried by Clinton in 2016) did not file for re-election, compared to an overall 20.5 percent Republican retirement rate in the 43 states covered. Similarly, 21.3 percent of Trump Democrats did not file for re-election, greater than the 16.1 percent retirement rate across all Democrats. Legislators who represented districts carried by the opposing presidential candidate made up a disproportionate share of both party's retirements. Trump Democrats made up 18.1 percent of Democratic retirements this year despite accounting for 13.7 percent of Democratic seats, while Clinton Republicans made up 14.4 percent of Republican retirements despite accounting for 11.8 percent of seats. The state with the most Trump Democrats is West Virginia, where 29 Democratic legislators represent districts Trump carried in 2016. Five states (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Texas, and Utah) did not have any Trump Democrats. There was one state (Delaware) where all Trump Democrats retired and eight where none retired. The state with the most Clinton Republicans is Connecticut, where 41 Republican legislators represent districts Clinton carried in 2016. Four states (Alaska, Idaho, North Dakota and West Virginia) did not have any Clinton Republicans. There were four states (Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Wyoming) where all Clinton Republicans retired and 11 where none retired. Learn more→