Daily Brew: The last primary of June - races we’re watching tomorrow

June 25, 2018

Tomorrow is primary day in Colorado, Maryland, Mississippi (runoffs!), New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina (runoffs!), and Utah   Tomorrow is primary day in Colorado, Maryland, Mississippi (runoffs!), New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina (runoffs!), and Utah With five states holding primaries - and two holding runoffs - that’s a lot to process for political readers. We’ve highlighted one race to watch from each state. After this Tuesday, the quiet season of July follows, with a slower pace of primaries.   Colorado Four Democrats are seeking the party’s nomination to succeed term-limited Gov. John Hickenlooper (D). The candidates are divided on education policy; while all four oppose vouchers for charter schools, a group affiliated with former state Treasurer Cary Kennedy launched an ad in the final week of May criticizing the education policies of two of her opponents, who claimed that Kennedy had violated a clean campaign pledge. Maryland In the Democratic primary for governor, eight candidates are seeking the nomination to challenge incumbent Larry Hogan (R). Former NAACP President Ben Jealous (D) has endorsements from the Working Families Party of Maryland and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker (D), meanwhile, is backed by Rep. Steny Hoyer (D) and former Gov. Parris Glendening (D). Mississippi Michael Guest and Whit Hughes are facing off in a Republican primary runoff for Mississippi’s third congressional district. The contest for District 3 is an open race; incumbent Gregg Harper (R) announced in January 2018 that he would not seek re-election. New York Incumbent Dan Donovan faces a challenge from former congressional member Michael Grimm in the Republican primary for New York’s 11th District. Donovan won a 2015 special election to replace Grimm, after Grimm pleaded guilty to felony tax evasion, which led to him serving time in prison. President Trump, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Republican Main Street Partnership all back Donovan. Trump has argued that Grimm is more likely to lose the general election to a Democrat. Grimm is supported by former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci. Grimm led Donovan in polls conducted in April and May. Oklahoma Teachers unhappy with the state’s education policies are running in three state legislative Republican primaries. Oklahoma teachers went on strike from April 2 to April 12 to protest what they said was inadequate education funding and teacher pay. Two of the primaries are crowded races to replace term-limited incumbents. In the third, middle school librarian Melanie Spoon is challenging incumbent Mike Osburn. South Carolina In District 4, a Democratic runoff between Brandon Brown and Doris Lee Turner is taking place, while a Republican runoff between former state Sen. Lee Bright and current state Sen. William Timmons is occurring. The District 4 seat is open following Republican incumbent Trey Gowdy's decision to retire. Utah Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is facing state Rep. Mike Kennedy (R) in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat from Utah. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R), who announced in January 2018 that he would not run for re-election after 42 years in office, said in March 2017 that Romney would be perfect to replace him. Romney also received President Donald Trump’s endorsement in the primary in February 2018. Kennedy was first elected to the Utah House in 2012. He has also worked as a doctor and lawyer. Kennedy has been backed by retired Four Star General Robert C. Oaks and state Rep. Cory Maloy (R). Come back tomorrow night for election results         Want someone to walk you through our most recent analysis? We've got you! Join our wave election report's co-author as we talk wave elections. Register here→ ​​​​​​​ White House proposes broadest restructuring of federal agencies since New Deal Last week, the White House proposed increasing the efficiency of the federal government by enacting the broadest changes to the organization of federal agencies since the New Deal. The full reorganization plan proposes merging the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) into a single federal agency, restructuring the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Postal Service, and reorganizing several administrative programs under different agencies, among other changes. Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), observed that while some of the proposed changes could be implemented through executive action, Congress would need to bring about the full plan. For more details on the changes being made, click here→ California voters will decide initiative to ban the sale of meat and eggs from animals confined in spaces below a specific number of square feet California Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced on Friday that his office received more than the required signatures for a ballot initiative to ban the sale of meat and eggs from calves raised for veal, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens confined in areas below a specific number of square feet. The initiative will appear on the ballot for the election on November 6, 2018. The ballot initiative is the second in the past decade to address the confinement of farm animals in California. In 2008, the Humane Society developed a ballot initiative, Proposition 2, to ban the confinement of pregnant pigs, calves raised for veal, and egg-laying hens in a manner that did not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs. Proposition 2 did not provide specific square feet when defining prohibited confinement. Rather, the size restrictions were based on animal behavior. Voters approved Proposition 2, and the law went into effect in 2015. The Farm Animal Confinement Initiative of 2018, unlike Proposition 2, would ban the sale of meat and eggs from calves raised for veal, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens confined in areas below a specific number of square feet. The size restrictions based on animal behavior would be repealed and replaced. Thus far, seven ballot initiatives have been certified in California for the election on November 6, 2018. An additional five initiative could appear on the ballot, including a measure to repeal a gas tax increase enacted in 2017 and a measure to provide consumers with the ability to request that a business does not sell or disclose their personal information. For more on exactly what Prop 2 would do and comments from its supporters and opponents, click here→

[Category: Daily Brew, June, 2018]]