Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.

The State and Local Tap: Kentucky's Democratic primaries set to nearly double from 2016

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search

February 2, 2018Issue No. 98

The State and Local Tap Banner-White-750x191px.png

Week in review
On tap next week

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Here's what happened in state and local politics last week. To see what happened in federal politics, click here.

State Politics: The Week in Review

Ballot Measures Update

2018:

  • Forty (40) measures are certified to appear on statewide ballots in 21 states in 2018 so far—13 citizen-initiated measures, 26 legislatively referred measures, and one measure automatically referred to the ballot by the state constitution. Over the previous five even-year election cycles, an average of 61 citizen-initiated measures and 173 total statewide measures have appeared on ballots. Review Ballotpedia’s list of 2018 initiative and referendum signature deadlines to stay ahead of 2018 ballot measure news, and see if there are initiatives currently circulating in your state here.
    • One measure was certified for 2018 ballots over the last week.
    • By this time in 2014, 64 measures had been certified for the 2014 ballot; ultimately, 158 statewide measures were put on the ballot in 2014. By this time in 2016, 55 measures had been certified for the 2016 ballot; ultimately, 162 statewide measures were put on the ballot in 2016.
    • The average number of certifications by the fifth week of the year from 2010 through 2016 was 64 and the average total number of certified measures by the end of the year in the same period was 173.
    • Signatures for 14 citizen-initiated measures have been submitted and are pending verification in Alaska, California, Maine Michigan, and South Dakota. To see this list, click here.
    • In Massachusetts and Washington, enough signatures were submitted for six indirect initiatives (one of which has two versions) to put them before the state legislatures during the 2018 session and then on the ballot if the legislatures don’t approve them. To see this list initiatives that have been certified to the legislature, click here.
    • The most recent signature filing deadlines for 2018 citizen-initiated measures were on January 29 for initiatives in Maine, February 1 for initiative signatures to be submitted and verified in Florida, and February 2 for the pending veto referendum in Maine. Signatures for one of the pending Maine initiatives and the ranked-choice voting veto referendum were submitted. Proponents of two initiatives in Florida submitted enough signatures to qualify for the ballot; proponents of none of the other pending initiatives in Florida are expected to submit enough signatures.
Ballot-measures-by-week-2-2.png

Saturday, January 27

Texas House speaker censured by state party

  • Texas House Speaker Joe Straus (R) was censured by the Texas Republican Party due to his opposition to items on Gov. Greg Abbott's agenda in the 2017 special session. The Texas Republican Executive Committee voted 44-19 for a resolution to censure Straus. Chairman James Dickey and Vice Chairwoman Amy Clark supported the censure resolution, which needed a two-thirds vote (43 yeas) to pass.
  • The resolution of censure said that Straus violated state party principles with his actions on legislation related to abortion, school vouchers, and bathroom regulation, as well as his procedural moves as the House’s presiding officer. It said he had “abused the power of his office and his authority as speaker to usurp the power of the people’s duly elected representatives of the Texas House of Representatives, obstructed the agenda of Governor Abbott, and, taken more than three actions during this current biennium that are in opposition to the core principles of the Republican Party of Texas."
  • The censure of Straus came just one month before the March 6 primary elections where his allies are facing primary challengers aligned with groups that oppose his leadership, including the Texas Freedom Caucus and Empower Texans. Straus announced his retirement in October 2017, meaning he will not be on the ballot. However, he has endorsed at least two of his allies so far and said, "I’m going to be doing what I’ve done traditionally in election cycles while I’ve been speaker and that’s supporting effective responsible Republican members of the House." The outcome of the primaries will likely show whether Straus’ allies or those opposed to him will have more influence in the 2019 speaker’s race.
  • Straus has been at odds with members of his party since 2009 when he was elected speaker by a coalition of Democrats and his Republican allies. Texas is one of the few states where the House speaker is chosen by the entire membership rather than just the majority party. His five terms as Texas House speaker is tied for the longest tenure ever in that position. He was first elected in February 2005.

Sunday, January 28

Minnesota Attorney General Swanson declines to run for governor, officially seeks re-election

  • In a letter to supporters, Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson (DFL) announced she would be seeking re-election to her seat. “While I am complimented that recent polls show me in a leadership position if I were to run for Governor, the work of the Attorney General's Office is at a critical juncture for the next two months. I must focus all my energy and attention on that work,” she wrote. Her decision came after several months of speculation over whether or not she would run for governor. In September 2017, Swanson said, “I expect to be, and will be, a candidate for public office in 2018, either running for re-election as attorney general or at some point I’ll ponder what people have encouraged me to do, which is run for governor.”
    • Her announcement impacted both the gubernatorial and attorney general race. According to Minnesota Public Radio, if Swanson had run for governor, she was expected to be one of the leading candidates and to increase the odds of having a contested Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party primary election. This is because many of the candidates who do not receive the Democratic endorsement are usually expected to withdraw from the primary race.
    • By deciding to run for re-election, Swanson ended up reducing the Minnesota Attorney General candidate pool. As of January 29, Rep. Debra Hilstrom and former Rep. Ryan Winkler, two of the five Democratic candidates for the position who were preparing to run for an open seat, had withdrawn from the race, while former state commerce commissioner Mike Rothman was said to be considering his options.
    • The filing deadline for the August 14 primary election is June 5, 2018. The general election is November 6, 2018.

Monday, January 29

McNamara, Munson advance in Minnesota State Legislature special primary elections

  • Republican candidates for Minnesota State Senate District 54 and Minnesota House of Representatives District 23B faced off in a primary election. In Minnesota Senate District 54, former Minnesota State Representative Denny McNamara defeated newcomer James Brunsgaard III in the Republican primary. Two other candidates filed for election, Karla Bigham (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) and Emily Mellingen (Libertarian). They were the only candidates from their respective parties to file for election, and advanced to the general election. The Minnesota House of Representatives District 23B race drew two Republican candidates and one Democratic candidate. Jeremy Munson defeated Scott Sanders in the Republican primary election. Munson faces Melissa Wagner (DFL) in the general election.
    • Both seats are up for special election after former State Senator Dan Schoen (D) and former State Representative Tony Cornish (R) each resigned in late 2017 following sexual misconduct allegations. The general election will be held on February 12.
    • The Minnesota state legislature has seen five special elections between 2015 and 2017; one Senate district special election and four House of Representatives special elections. In that time, primary elections have been called twice: once for a Democratic primary after four candidates filed for election and once for a Republican primary after two candidates filed for election. In both cases, the winner of the primary election also won the general election. In the two special elections in 2015, the Democratic candidates won, one unopposed. In the three special elections held in 2016 and 2017, the Republican candidates won.
    • Minnesota is one of 16 states under divided government. Governor Mark Dayton is a member of the Democratic Party while both the State Senate and House of Representatives have a Republican majority.

Dates set in Massachusetts State Senate special election

  • Dates were set in the special election for the First Suffolk District of the Massachusetts State Senate. The election will be held on May 1, 2018. The primary election will take place on April 3, 2018. Candidates have until February 20, 2018, to turn in nomination papers with local officials. Certified nomination papers must then be filed with the secretary of state by February 27, 2018. This was the third state legislative special election to be scheduled in Massachusetts in 2018.
    • The seat is vacant following Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry's (D) resignation from office on January 26, 2018, to take a job with Suffolk Construction Company. Massachusetts is one of 16 states under divided government. The Democratic Party holds majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. However, the governor's office is held by Republican Charlie Baker.

California legislature sends property tax exclusion for rainwater capture systems amendment to the 2018 ballot

  • The state Assembly gave final approval to a constitutional amendment to exclude rainwater capture systems from property taxes, sending it to the ballot since the state Senate had approved it previously. State Sen. Steve Glazer (D-7) proposed the measure. He said that Californians “live in constant state of extremes,” fluctuating between drought and precipitation, and need to save water during times of precipitation. Sen. Glazer stated, “Rainwater capture systems are a great way to accomplish this goal of water conservation.” The senator said he wants to “incentivize the proliferation of rainwater capture systems” and that a property tax exclusion would create an incentive and lead to the expansion of rainwater capture systems.
  • Sen. Glazer’s colleagues in both parties agreed to refer the constitutional amendment to the ballot. In the state Senate, the vote was 39-0. In the state Assembly, the vote was 76-0. A two-thirds vote was required in each chamber.
  • As the California Constitution requires new construction on a property to be assessed for property taxation, an amendment was needed to exclude newly added rainwater capture systems from assessments. The constitution currently excludes certain new constructions from assessments, including active solar energy systems, fire extinguishing and detection systems, and home modifications to increase accessibility for a severely disabled person.
  • Based on the state Elections Code, the last day for a legislatively referred measure to be put on the June primary ballot was January 25, 2018. The final vote on this amendment happened on January 29, 2018, four days after the deadline. Legislators, however, approved implementing legislation for the amendment—Senate Bill 558—on January 29, 2018, that required the secretary of state to put the amendment on the ballot for the election on June 5, 2018. On January 31, the secretary of state followed the bill and certified the amendment for the June ballot.
  • SB 558 also received unanimous approval in both chambers of the legislature. In addition to setting an election date for the ballot measure, SB 558 would define a rainwater capture system as a facility designed to "capture, retain, and store rainwater flowing off a building rooftop or other man-made above-ground hard surface" for onsite use.
  • Between 1996 and 2016, the state legislature referred 28 constitutional amendments to the ballot. Voters approved 24 (85.71 percent) and rejected four of the referred amendments. The measure to exclude rainwater capture systems from property tax assessments is the sixth to be certified for the ballot in 2018. All six of the measures were referred to the ballot by the state legislature. Campaigns for citizen initiatives are recommended to submit signatures before April 24, 2018.

Tuesday, January 30

Arkansas state senator resigns after pleading guilty to wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering

  • State Senator Jake Files (R) submitted his resignation letter to Governor Asa Hutchinson (R). Files' resignation, which will become effective February 9, 2018, comes after the U.S. Department of Justice announced earlier this week that Files had pleaded guilty to federal charges of wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. According to The Washington Times, Files admitted to directing the Western Arkansas Economic Development District to grant $46,500 in state funds earmarked for economic development to Fort Smith, Arkansas. Files then submitted three fraudulent bids to the Western Arkansas Economic Development District. Upon receiving the funds, an unnamed associate of Files opened a bank account into which the funds were deposited (Files' name was not included on the account). The associate then withdrew funds in the form of cash and a cashier's check made out to Files' construction company. Files then deposited the funds into his own bank account.
    • Files was first elected to the Arkansas State Senate in 2010, taking office in 2011. Prior to that, he served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003. Once Files vacates his seat, the governor will be required to call a special election to fill the vacancy. As of January 30, 2018, the partisan balance of the Arkansas State Senate was 24 Republicans to nine Democrats with two vacancies. Arkansas is a Republican trifecta, with Republicans controlling both chambers of the state legislature and the governorship.

Report finds Arizona state Rep. Don Shooter (R) likely violated state House sexual harassment policy

  • An investigation into sexual harassment allegations against Arizona state Rep. Don Shooter (R) found that he likely violated his chamber’s sexual harassment policy. After the report came out, House Speaker J.D. Mesnard (R) permanently removed him from his committee assignments and said he would introduce a resolution of censure against Shooter on the House floor. Shooter released a statement saying that he looked forward to rebuilding his relationships and continuing to serve as a representative.
  • The same report found that there was not enough evidence to conclude that state Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita (R) had engaged in sexual misconduct. She originally accused Shooter of sexually harassing her, and he responded by saying she was having an inappropriate relationship with a staffer.
  • The exchange began on November 6, 2017, when Ugenti-Rita tweeted that she had been harassed by Shooter. By November 10, six more women accused him of sexual harassment and Mesnard removed him as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. After Shooter accused Ugenti-Rita of having the inappropriate relationship, an investigation began into both of their actions.
  • Shooter apologized for his actions on January 9 and said that some of the allegations against him were true, but that Ugenti-Rita’s allegations were not.
  • Shooter and Ugenti-Rita were two of 49 federal and state officials who were mentioned in the wave of sexual misconduct allegations that began after the Harvey Weinstein reports broke in October 2017.

State Rep. Lori Berman wins Democratic primary for Florida state senate special election; will face Republican Tami Donnally in April

  • The special election primary to fill a vacancy in Florida State Senate District 31 was held. In the Democratic primary, State Rep. Lori Berman defeated Arthur Morrison with 96 percent of the vote. She will face Tami Donnally (R), who faced no primary opponent, on April 10. The senate seat became vacant following Jeff Clemens’ (D) resignation in October 2017. He resigned after he publicly admitted to having an affair with a lobbyist.
    • So far in 2018, four special elections have been called to fill vacancies in the Florida Legislature: one in the senate and three in the house. Two of the seats were vacated by Democrats, and two were vacated by Republicans.

All seats contested after filing deadline passes for Kentucky Supreme Court and Court of Appeals

  • There will be one open race for a judgeship on the Kentucky Supreme Court this year. Justice Daniel Venters’ term is ending and he announced last year that he would not seek re-election. Candidates had until January 30 to file to run. Three people have filed for Venters’ seat: Dan Ballou, Debra Hembree Lambert, and David Tapp. Ballou and Tapp are currently state circuit court judges, and Lambert is a judge on the court of appeals. The primary election is on May 22, and the general election is on November 6.
    • There will also be two seats on the Kentucky Court of Appeals on the ballot in 2018. Both races are for seats where a judge was recently appointed to the court to fill a vacancy. Judge Robert Johnson was appointed to the court in March 2017 to fill the vacancy created by Laurance VanMeter’s election to the Kentucky Supreme Court. Judge Gene Smallwood Jr. was appointed to the court in January 2018 in order to succeed Janet Stumbo, who retired in December 2017. Both Johnson and Smallwood are seeking election to full eight-year terms on the court. Johnson will face Pamela Goodwine and Smallwood will face six challengers.

Democratic primaries nearly double from 2016 in Kentucky legislative races

  • The filing deadline passed for candidates to run in the 2018 elections for Kentucky State Senate and House of Representatives. A total of 298 candidates—154 Democrats and 144 Republicans—filed for election. In 2016, 240 candidates—104 Democrats and 136 Republican—filed for state legislative races in Kentucky. There were 217 candidates in 2014. The 298 candidates who filed for election in 2018 represents about a 24 percent increase over 2016, with a higher increase in the number of Democratic candidates compared to Republican candidates.
    • The number of primaries being held also increased with the number of candidates who filed for election. In 2018, Democrats will hold 28 primaries between the two chambers while Republicans will hold 29 primaries. In 2016, there were 15 Democratic primaries and 27 Republican primaries. About 20 percent of incumbents are facing primary opposition in 2018. From 2010 to 2016, around 17 percent of incumbents faced a primary opponent in Kentucky legislative races.
    • Kentucky is one of 26 states with a Republican trifecta. Republicans have a 27-11 majority in the state Senate. The state House is controlled by a 62-36 Republican majority. Gov. Matt Bevin (R) was elected to a four-year term in 2015.

Maryland State Senate passes bill letting rape victims terminate parental rights of assailants

  • The Maryland State Senate unanimously voted to pass a bill that would allow rape victims to terminate the parent rights of their assailants if the child was conceived as a result of the rape. The bill's main sponsor, Del. Kathleen Dumais, had pushed for the legislation since 2007. At the time it passed in the Senate, it had already been given unanimous initial approval in the House and Gov. Larry Hogan (R) had already promised to sign the bill.
  • To read more about issues we’re tracking in the Maryland legislature this year, click here.
  • Maryland is currently one of 16 states under divided government. Gov. Larry Hogan is a Republican, while Democrats control the state Senate 33-14 and the state House 91-50. The governorship and seats in both chambers will be up for election in November 2018.

Wednesday, January 31

Pennsylvania lawmakers refuse to furnish redistricting data to state supreme court

  • Attorneys for Pennsylvania State Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R) submitted a letter to the state supreme court indicating that Scarnati would not furnish the court with redistricting data requested in a prior court order: "In light of the unconstitutionality of the Court's Orders and the Court's plain intent to usurp the General Assembly's constitutionally delegated role of drafting Pennsylvania's congressional districting plan, Senator Scarnati will not be turning over any data identified in the Court's Orders." The letter also included a footnote indicating that Scarnati did not possess the requested data. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, an attorney for the Pennsylvania General Assembly, in a separate letter, said, "The General Assembly and its Legislative Data Processing Center do not maintain ESRI shapefiles that contain current boundaries of all Pennsylvania municipalities and precincts."
    • On January 22, 2018, the state supreme court struck down the state's congressional district plan, finding that the map "clearly, plainly and palpably violates the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania." The court set a February 9, 2018, deadline for state lawmakers to submit a remedial redistricting plan to the governor; the court set a February 15, 2018, deadline for the governor to submit a remedial plan to the court. On January 26, 2018, the court issued a second order appointing Nate Persily, a Stanford University law professor, "to assist the court in adopting, if necessary, a remedial congressional redistricting plan." The court also ordered state lawmakers turn over digital files containing information on the state's current congressional district boundaries by January 31, 2018. This is the order referenced by Scarnati's attorneys and those representing other members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
    • On January 25, 2018, state Republicans filed a motion requesting that the Supreme Court of the United States stay the state supreme court order pending an appeal. On January 29, 2018, Associate Justice Samuel Alito requested a response to this motion from the other parties involved in the suit by 4:00 p.m. on February 2, 2018.

Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii Shan Tsutsui resigns

  • Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii Shan Tsutsui resigned from office to join Strategies 360, a public affairs, strategic communications, and research firm. He said in a statement, "With a grateful, yet heavy heart I am announcing today that I will be resigning as the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, effective January 31, 2018. Over the past 15 years, it has been my honor and privilege to have served the people of Hawaiʻi, first as a State Senator from Maui and Senate President, and currently as your Lieutenant Governor. Throughout that time, I have always been mindful of the tremendous responsibility that comes with public office. I have greatly appreciated the trust and confidence that was bestowed upon me and have done my best to build a better Hawaiʻi through collaboration and hard work, while honoring our shared core values of honesty, integrity and respect." He took office on December 27, 2012.

Thursday, February 1

Arizona state Rep. Don Shooter (R) expelled over sexual misconduct allegations

  • The Arizona House of Representatives voted 56-3 to expel state Rep. Don Shooter (R). He was removed as chair of the House Appropriations Committee in November 2017, following allegations that he had harassed at least seven women. House Speaker J.D. Mesnard (R) appointed a panel that month to investigate the allegations.
  • The panel's report, which was released on Tuesday, found credible evidence that Shooter had behaved inappropriately. Mesnard removed Shooter from his committee positions and said he would introduce a resolution of censure against him.
  • The censure was updated to removal when Shooter sent his colleagues a letter saying the report did not include more serious allegations against another unnamed member. The letter "represents a clear act of retaliation and intimidation, and yet another violation of the House's harassment policy," Mesnard said, "so I will be moving to expel him from the House of Representatives immediately."
  • After the vote, Shooter said, " I've had two, three months to think about this. I did wrong, I deserve a censure. But I'll tell you this. I was sent here by the people of District 13. And to the best of my knowledge, I've never betrayed that trust, never, never. Not for monkey business, not for contributions, not for influence, not for power, not for anything."
  • According to The Arizona Republic, Shooter is the first member of the Arizona Legislature to be expelled by his colleagues since then-Senate Majority Whip Carolyn Walker (D) in 1991.
  • Shooter is one of 12 state legislators who have left their positions due to sexual misconduct allegations in the aftermath of the October 2017 Harvey Weinstein reports. There have been 10 resignations, one suicide, and, with Shooter’s removal, one expulsion. There have been eight retirements or resignations at the federal level due to sexual misconduct allegations.

Federal judge rules Florida's felon enfranchisement system unconstitutional

  • Federal judge Mark E. Walker ruled that Florida's felon enfranchisement system, which universally bars convicted felons from voting unless voting rights are restored on an individual basis by the governor, violated the United States Constitution. In his ruling, Walker wrote, "In Florida, elected, partisan officials have extraordinary authority to grant or withhold the right to vote from hundreds of thousands of people without any constraints, guidelines, or standards. The question now is whether such a system passes constitutional muster. It does not." Walker did not order an immediate remedy; instead, he ordered the parties involved in the suit (_Hand v. Scott_) to file briefings related to remedies by February 12, 2018. John Tupps, a spokesman for Governor Rick Scott (R), said the following in response to the ruling: "The governor believes that convicted felons should show that they can lead a life free of crime and be accountable to their victims and our communities. While we are reviewing today's ruling, we will continue to defend this process in court."
  • Voting rights for convicted felons vary from state to state. In the majority of states, convicted felons cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter. At the time of Walker's ruling, Florida was one of three states (the others being Iowa and Kentucky) in which convicted felons never regained the right the vote unless rights were restored on an individual basis by the governor.

California Supreme Court decides Proposition 57 (2016), impacting juvenile offenders, applies retroactively to cases not yet concluded

  • Pablo Ullisses Lara, Jr. was charged in criminal adult court with sex crimes allegedly committed in 2014 and 2015, when Lara was 14 and 15 years old. The Riverside County district attorney charged Lara as an adult. Proposition 21, which voters approved in 2000, was in effect at the time and allowed prosecutors to file charges against juvenile offenders in adult court.
  • Proposition 57, passed 16 years later in 2016, prohibited prosecutors from filing charges against juvenile offenders in adult court. Rather, Proposition 57 required judges, not prosecutors, to decide whether a case involving a juvenile offender belongs in juvenile court or adult criminal court.
  • On February 1, 2018, the California Supreme Court decided that Proposition 57's juvenile offenders provision applied to all juvenile offenders whose judgments were not yet final, including convictions pending appeal, when the initiative was enacted. In other words, cases that were already filed against juvenile offenders in adult courts but had not yet concluded, such as Lara's, could be transferred to juvenile courts under Proposition 57.
  • John Hall, a spokesperson for the Riverside County district attorney, said the office would implement the court order and that prosecutors "appreciate that this issue has been clarified moving forward." Donald Ostertag, a Riverside County deputy district attorney, estimated that more than 1,000 cases could be affected by the ruling. According to the state Department of Justice, prosecutors filed charges against 3,955 juvenile offenders in adult criminal courts between 2010 and 2016.
  • Proposition 57 was approved by voters on November 8, 2016, with 64.46 percent in support. The measure was developed by Gov. Jerry Brown (D) and received the support of former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R). Besides the changes made to the court process for juvenile offenders, Proposition 57 was designed to make individuals convicted of nonviolent felony crimes who served full sentences for their primary offense and passed screening for public security eligible for parole.
  • Multiple initiatives related to law-enforcement and criminal sentencing have been filed targeting the 2018 ballot in California. Subscribe to Ballotpedia’s California Counter to keep up-to-date on all ballot proposition news in California.

Friday, February 2

Campaign to keep ranked-choice voting in Maine files signatures for June 2018 referendum

  • Supporters of a veto referendum in Maine to keep ranked-choice voting in use for future elections, including 2018, filed more than 80,000 signatures. At least 61,123 (around 76 percent) need be found valid for the referendum to make the ballot. The referendum effort was launched to repeal LD 1646, a bill that would stop ranked-choice voting from going into effect for elections in 2018. The Maine State Legislature passed LD 1646 on October 23, 2017.
  • Secretary of State Matt Dunlap (D) has 30 days to determine if enough signatures are valid. If enough are, LD 1646 would be put on hold until voters can address it at the election on June 12, 2018. This means that ranked-choice voting, barring any legislative or judicial action, would be in effect for the primary election on June 12, 2018.
  • Voters in Maine approved a ballot initiative to enact ranked-choice voting at the election on November 8, 2016. Petitioners filed more than 70,000 signatures for the initiative (around 87 percent needed to be valid), which was certified for the ballot as Question 5. Ranked-choice voting (RCV) is also known as instant-runoff voting. Question 5 provided that ranked-choice voting be used to elect U.S. senators, U.S. representatives, the governor, state senators, and state representatives. Question 5 defined ranked-choice voting as "the method of casting and tabulating votes in which voters rank candidates in order of preference, tabulation proceeds in sequential rounds in which last-place candidates are defeated and the candidate with the most votes in the final round is elected.”
  • The Maine Supreme Judicial Court issued a non-binding opinion three months after voters approved Question 5, saying ranked-choice voting would violate the Maine Constitution. According to the court, ranked-choice voting for state legislative and gubernatorial candidates conflicted with language in the state constitution stating that election winners are decided by "a plurality of all votes returned," not a simple majority as required by ranked-choice voting. Following the opinion, the state legislature debated bills to amend the state constitution to allow for ranked-choice voting and repeal Question 5. None of these bills passed, but LD 1646, which would delay the implementation of ranked-choice voting until December 2021 and automatically repeal ranked-choice voting if a constitutional amendment to enable it is not approved prior to December 2021, was approved with the support of legislative Republicans and about 15 percent of legislative Democrats. Gov. LePage (R) signed the bill into law.

Special Elections

As of this week, 11 state legislative seats have been filled through a special election in 2018, and another 38 special elections have been scheduled in 20 states. In special elections between 2011 and 2017, one party (either Republicans or Democrats) saw an average net gain of four seats across the country each year.

  • An average of 90 seats were filled through special elections in each of the past three odd years ( 2013: 84, 2015: 88, 2017: 98).
  • An average of 44 seats were filled through special elections in each of the past four even years ( 2010: 26, 2012: 45, 2014: 40, 2016: 65).

Upcoming special elections include:

February 6

Local Politics: The Week in Review

Elections Update

Monday, January 29

Recall effort against California school board member approved for ballot

  • The Riverside County Registrar of Voters verified that enough signatures had been submitted to put the recall of Joseph Barragan on the ballot in 2018. Barragan is the Trustee Area 2 representative on the Alvord Unified School District Board of Education in California. Supporters of the recall effort had to collect 1,713 signatures to get the recall on the ballot. The board of education was given 14 days to schedule an election 88 to 125 days after the signatures were verified.
    • The Committee to Recall Barragan began the effort after Barragan allegedly posted comments on his Facebook page that the committee called racist. Barragan said he did not write the comments and that they came from copycat accounts that used his image. A police investigation into death threats against Barragan examined all posts sent from his account between January 1, 2017, and March 1, 2017. The officer in charge of the investigation said that in the course of that examination the police concluded Barragan had not made any racist comments. Recall supporters criticized the scope of the investigation.
    • Barragan joined the other four members of the board when he was sworn into office in December 2016. He filed to run in the general election scheduled for November 8, 2016, but the election was canceled due to lack of opposition. He was automatically appointed to the position for a four-year term.
    • This was the first school board recall effort tracked by Ballotpedia that was approved to go to the ballot in 2018. Ballotpedia has tracked a total of eight school board recall efforts targeting 12 board members in 2018.

Tuesday, January 30

San Francisco County Clerk Catherine Stefani sworn in to San Francisco Board of Supervisors

  • San Francisco County Clerk Catherine Stefani was appointed to the District 2 seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors by former boss Mark Farrell, who vacated the seat following his selection as the city's interim mayor.
  • Former Mayor Ed Lee died of a heart attack on December 12, and Farrell will serve in the interim role until his successor is elected in the special mayoral election in June. Stefani served as a legislative aide to Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier for four years and Farrell for five years before her appointment as county clerk in 2016.
  • District 10 Supervisor Malia Cohen had encouraged Farrell to appoint a caretaker successor who would not run for the seat in November, but Stefani is expected to be a candidate in that race. Local outlet SFGate reported that she pulled papers to file for the election shortly after she was sworn in. San Francisco is the fourth-largest city in California and the 14th-largest city in by population in the United States.

Large ballots for Lexington and Louisville voters this year

  • The filing deadlines passed for candidates hoping to run for election in Kentucky. There will be close to 40 municipal positions on the ballot in Lexington/Fayette County and about 50 municipal positions on the ballot in Louisville/Jefferson County. Up for election in both municipalities are the mayor, seats on the city council, constables, magistrates, circuit judges, district judges, and school board members. Other positions up for election include the commonwealth’s attorney, county attorney, county clerk, circuit court clerk, sheriff, coroner, property valuation administrator, county executive, and county commissioner. The primary election is on May 22 and the general election is on November 6.
    • Seven candidates filed for the mayoral race in Lexington, where Mayor Jim Gray (D) is not seeking re-election. In Louisville, Mayor Greg Fischer (D) is running for re-election. He is challenged by four Democrats and two Republicans. While the mayoral and city council elections in Lexington are nonpartisan, they are partisan in Louisville. The county positions have partisan races in both counties, and the circuit and district court elections are nonpartisan across the state. The school board elections are also nonpartisan.
    • Louisville is the largest city in Kentucky and the 28th-largest city in the U.S. by population. Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 61st-largest city in the U.S. by population.

Friday, February 2

Filing deadline for mayoral candidates and school board candidates in Anchorage, Alaska

  • In Alaska, the filing deadline passed to run for mayor of Anchorage and three school board seats on the Anchorage School District.
    • Anchorage is holding a general election for mayor on April 3, 2018. A runoff election, if necessary, will be held on May 1, 2018. At the filing deadline, six candidates had filed to challenge Mayor Ethan Berkowitz.
    • One school district in Alaska, the Anchorage School District, will be covered by Ballotpedia in 2018. This election is also planned for April 3. At the filing deadline, eight candidates had filed to run for three seats.
WHAT'S ON TAP NEXT WEEK

Here's what is happening in state and local politics this week. To see what happened in federal politics, click here.

State Politics: What's On Tap Next Week

Monday, February 5

States convene 2018 legislative sessions

  • State legislatures in Oklahoma and Oregon begin their 2018 legislative sessions.

Tuesday, February 6

Special elections to be held in Missouri House of Representatives

  • There are four Missouri State House districts holding special elections. All four seats were vacated by Republican incumbents.
    • In District 39, Ethan Perkinson (D) and Peggy McGaugh (R) will face off in the special election. The seat became vacant in October 2017 after Joe Don McGaugh (R) was appointed to the 8th Circuit Court in Carroll County, Missouri.
    • In District 97, Mike Revis (D) and David Linton (R) will face off in the special election. The seat became vacant on September 18, 2017, after John McCaherty (R) resigned to focus on running for county executive.
    • In District 129, Ronna Ford (D) and Jeff Knight (R) will face off in the special election. The seat became vacant after Sandy Crawford (R) was elected to the state Senate in a special election on August 8, 2017.
    • In District 144, Jim Scaggs (D) and Chris Dinkins (R) will face off in the special election. The seat became vacant on September 20, 2017, after Paul Fitzwater (R) resigned to join the state Board of Probation and Parole.
    • Missouri currently operates under a Republican state government trifecta. Republicans hold a 24-9 majority in the state Senate with one vacancy. The state House is controlled by a 112-46 Republican majority with five vacancies. Gov. Eric Greitens (R) was elected to a four-year term in 2016.

Massachusetts State Senate special primary election to be held

  • The special primary election will be held for the Third Essex District of the Massachusetts State Senate. Only one candidate filed in the race: Democrat Brendan Crighton. He will win the primary by default and advance to the general election on March 6, 2018. The seat is vacant following Sen. Thomas McGee’s (D) resignation from office on January 2, 2018, in order to become the mayor of Lynn. This will be the first of three state legislative special elections to be held in Massachusetts in 2018.
    • Massachusetts is one of 16 states under divided government. The Democratic Party holds majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. However, the governor's office is held by Republican Charlie Baker.

Wednesday, February 7

Last day to submit petitions to avoid candidate filing fee in California’s June 5 primary

  • This is the last day for candidates running in California’s June 5 primary election to turn in petitions to avoid paying a filing fee. State executive offices as well as seats in the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, and state legislature will be on the ballot along with some local and county offices. The top two winners of each primary race will advance to the general election on November 6. Candidates who are not seeking the ballot by petition have until March 9 to file.

Ohio filing deadline for partisan candidates in statewide and local elections

  • A total of 169 federal and state-level seats up for election in Ohio will be covered by Ballotpedia in 2018, which includes U.S. Congress, governor and other state executives, Ohio General Assembly, and Ohio state courts. Ballotpedia will also cover judicial and municipal elections across five counties: Cuyahoga, Fairfield, Franklin, Hamilton, and Lucas. The primary election is May 8, 2018, and the general election is November 6, 2018.
    • The filing deadline only pertains to partisan candidates. To file for election, candidates must pay a filing fee and file a declaration of candidacy and a set number of petition signatures from qualified electors of the same political party as the candidate. Independent candidates have until May 7, 2018, to file for election.
    • Ohio is the country's fifth statewide filing deadline for the November election. Illinois, Texas, West Virginia, and Kentucky preceded it.

Connecticut General Assembly convenes 2018 legislative session

Thursday, February 8

Filing period ends for three special elections in California State Assembly

  • The filing deadline will pass for candidates running in a trio of April 3 special primary elections for the California State Assembly. The District 39, 45, and 54 seats will be on the ballot.
    • The District 39 seat became vacant following Raul Bocanegra's (D) resignation on November 27. He resigned due to sexual harassment allegations. When he announced his resignation, Bocanegra said, “While I am not guilty of any such crimes, I am admittedly not perfect." Five candidates have already filed to run in that race by filing petitions in lieu of paying a fee.
    • Matt Dababneh (D), the former District 45 representative, also resigned due to sexual misconduct allegations. He said the allegations against him were not true. His resignation was effective January 1.
    • The District 54 seat became vacant following Sebastian Ridley-Thomas' (D) resignation on December 27. He said his resignation stemmed from persistent health issues.

Friday, February 9

Filing deadline for Alabama federal, state, and local offices

  • The candidate filing deadline will pass for candidates running for election in Alabama.
    • At the federal level, all seven of the state's congressional districts are up for election. These seats are currently held by six Republicans and one Democrat. All seven incumbents are expected to run for reelection.
    • On the state level, there will be elections for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, agriculture commissioner, and public service commissioners. All 35 seats of the state Senate and all 105 seats of the state House are up for election. Five seats on the Alabama Supreme Court are up for election, as well as three seats each on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals and the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals.
    • Ballotpedia is also covering local elections in Jefferson County because the county contains Birmingham, one of the top 100 cities in the U.S. by population. These races include county commissioner, sheriff, coroner, and local judgeships.

Major party filing deadline for Indiana federal, state, and local offices

  • The major party filing deadline will pass to run in federal, state, and local Indiana elections in 2018. The filing deadline for independent and third party candidates is July 2, 2018. An open primary election will be held on May 8, 2018, and the general election is scheduled on November 6, 2018.
    • At the federal level, elections will be held for one U.S. Senator and nine U.S. Representatives—one from each of the state’s nine congressional districts.
    • At the state level, elections will be held for secretary of state, treasurer, and auditor. Half of the 50 Indiana State Senate seats and all 100 of the state House seats are also up for election in 2018.
    • Ballotpedia is covering elections in Allen County because the county contains Fort Wayne, one of the top 100 cities in the U.S. by population. These races include county commissioner,council, assessor, auditor, recorder, sheriff, prosecuting attorney, and court clerk. Additionally, 13 school districts will hold elections for 37 school board seats.
Sessions map 2-2.png
Trifecta-status-2-2.png

Local Politics: What's On Tap Next Week

Wednesday, February 7

Ohio filing deadline for partisan candidates in statewide and local elections

  • A total of 169 federal and state-level seats up for election in Ohio will be covered by Ballotpedia in 2018, which includes U.S. Congress, governor and other state executives, Ohio General Assembly, and Ohio state courts. Ballotpedia will also cover judicial and municipal elections across five counties: Cuyahoga, Fairfield, Franklin, Hamilton, and Lucas. The primary election is May 8, 2018, and the general election is November 6, 2018.
    • The filing deadline only pertains to partisan candidates. To file for election, candidates must pay a filing fee and file a declaration of candidacy and a set number of petition signatures from qualified electors of the same political party as the candidate. Independent candidates have until May 7, 2018, to file for election.
    • Ohio is the country's fifth statewide filing deadline for the November election. Illinois, Texas, West Virginia, and Kentucky preceded it.

Friday, February 9

Filing deadline for Alabama federal, state, and local offices

  • The candidate filing deadline will pass for candidates running for election in Alabama.
    • At the federal level, all seven of the state's congressional districts are up for election. These seats are currently held by six Republicans and one Democrat. All seven incumbents are expected to run for reelection.
    • On the state level, there will be elections for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, agriculture commissioner, and public service commissioners. All 35 seats of the state Senate and all 105 seats of the state House are up for election. Five seats on the Alabama Supreme Court are up for election, as well as three seats each on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals and the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals.
    • Ballotpedia is also covering local elections in Jefferson County because the county contains Birmingham, one of the top 100 cities in the U.S. by population. These races include county commissioner, sheriff, coroner, and local judgeships.

Major party filing deadline for Indiana federal, state, and local offices

  • The major party filing deadline will pass to run in federal, state, and local Indiana elections in 2018. The filing deadline for independent and third party candidates is July 2, 2018. An open primary election will be held on May 8, 2018, and the general election is scheduled on November 6, 2018.
    • At the federal level, elections will be held for one U.S. Senator and nine U.S. Representatives—one from each of the state’s nine congressional districts.
    • At the state level, elections will be held for secretary of state, treasurer, and auditor. Half of the 50 Indiana State Senate seats and all 100 of the state House seats are also up for election in 2018.
    • Ballotpedia is covering elections in Allen County because the county contains Fort Wayne, one of the top 100 cities in the U.S. by population. These races include county commissioner,council, assessor, auditor, recorder, sheriff, prosecuting attorney, and court clerk. Additionally, 13 school districts will hold elections for 37 school board seats.


About

The Tap covered election news, public policy, and other noteworthy events from February 2016 to February 2022.

Back to top • More articles

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=The_State_and_Local_Tap:_Kentucky%27s_Democratic_primaries_set_to_nearly_double_from_2016&oldid=8441700"