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The State and Local Tap: Three Californias? Here’s the background you need

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June 15, 2018Issue No. 117

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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:

  • One hundred and eight (108) measures are certified to appear on statewide ballots in 31 states in 2018 so far—25 citizen-initiated measures, 74 legislatively referred measures, eight measures referred by a Florida commission, 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 new measure was certified for 2018 ballots over the last week.
    • By this time in 2014, 122 measures had been certified for the 2014 ballot; ultimately, 158 statewide measures were put on the ballot in 2014. By this time in 2016, 119 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 third week of June from 2010 through 2016 was 126, and the average total number of certified measures by the end of the year in the same period was 173.
    • Signatures for 21 additional citizen-initiated measures have been submitted and are pending verification in California, Idaho, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Oregon. To see this list, click here.
    • The most recent general initiative signature deadline was May 30, 2018, for initiatives in Michigan. Signatures were submitted for five measures, including initiatives concerning marijuana legalization, a redistricting commission, the repeal of prevailing wage laws, a minimum wage increase, and paid sick leave.
    • The next signature deadline for a state featuring initiative activity in the 2018 cycle is June 19 for initiated constitutional amendments in Nevada.
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Monday, June 11

Missouri Legislature adjourns special session

  • Lawmakers adjourned the special session which began on May 18, 2018, dissolving the House Special Investigative Committee and effectively ending the investigation into former Gov. Eric Greitens (R). The special committee had not met since June 1, 2018, the day of Greitens' resignation, and on June 6, 2018, the House withdrew a subpoena for documents from Greitens' campaign committee and from a group supportive of Greitens called A New Missouri.
  • In a historic move, Missouri legislators called for a special session to consider impeaching then-Gov. Greitens. It was the first time the legislature used its authority to call itself into special session, which requires the approval of three-quarters (¾) of each chamber (123 of 163 House members and 26 of 34 senators). The decision to convene was made after 138 House members and 29 Senators signed a petition calling for the governor's impeachment.
  • Greitens was indicted by a St. Louis grand jury for felony invasion of privacy on February 22, 2018. Greitens was accused of taking a nude photograph of a woman with whom he had an affair and threatening to release the image if the woman spoke publicly about the affair. State attorneys dropped the charges on May 14, 2018, after St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner—a prosecuting attorney in the case—was named as a trial witness.
  • On April 20, 2018, Gardner indicted Greitens for tampering with computer data. The indictment alleged that Greitens used a donor list from a veterans charity, The Mission Continues, without authorization for political purposes during his 2016 gubernatorial campaign. Greitens denied the allegations and defended his work with the nonprofit. The charges were dropped on May 30, 2018, after prosecutors struck a deal in which Greitens agreed to resign if the charges were dropped.
  • For more information on the investigations and the special session, click here.

Tuesday, June 12

Mainers vote to preserve ranked-choice voting while using it for the first time in statewide primary elections

  • Maine voters approved Question 1 with about 54 percent voting in favor of the veto referendum, and 46 percent voting against it, according to unofficial results with about 86 percent of precincts reporting. This means voters decided to preserve ranked-choice voting for future elections and rejected a bill to delay and potentially repeal ranked-choice voting. Voters approved the system of voting called ranked-choice voting or instant runoff in 2016 through a citizen initiative. In 2017, following an advisory ruling by the Maine Supreme Court that RCV was incompatible with the state constitution for certain offices, the legislature enacted a bill to delay ranked-choice voting and ultimately repeal it unless a constitutional amendment addressing the implementation of the system was approved before December 2021. Because of the veto referendum petition drive sponsored by proponents of the 2016 initiative, ranked-choice voting stayed in effect for the primary election on June 12 and was put on the ballot as Question 1.
    • Ranked-choice voting (RCV) is a voting method in which voters rank candidates according to their preference and ballots are processed in rounds. The candidate in last place is eliminated during each round and the voters' second choices get their votes. The process is continued until a candidate wins a simple majority (50 percent plus one) of the vote.

Maine election review

  • Maine’s statewide primary was held on Tuesday, June 12. One U.S. Senate seat, two U.S. House seats, and the office of governor were on the primary ballot.
    • According to the secretary of state, Maine reports its election results after they are official and certified—approximately 20 days after the election concludes. In the interest of maintaining transparency as the state implemented ranked-choice voting (RCV) during the primary, the office reported it would share results from the four RCV races listed below during the week of June 18, 2018. Additional results will be reported after 20 days.
      • Democratic and Republican nominations for the office of governor
      • Democratic nomination for Maine’s Second Congressional District
      • Republican nomination for representative to the Maine House of Representatives District 75

Nevada election review

  • Nevada held its statewide primary on Tuesday. Ballotpedia covered elections for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, and six other state executive offices, the state legislature, and judgeships on the state supreme court. Ballotpedia also covered school board elections in Clark and Washoe counties and municipal elections in Clark County, Washoe County, and Reno. The general election will be held on November 6, 2018.
    • Assemblyman James Oscarson lost to Dennis Hof in the Republican primary for District 36 in the Nevada State Assembly. According to unofficial results, Hof received 43 percent of the vote, Oscarson received 37 percent, and Joseph Bradley received 21 percent. Hof, the owner of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch brothel, will face Democrat Lesia Romanov in the November 6 general election.

North Dakota election review

South Carolina election review

  • South Carolina held its statewide primary on June 12. Ballotpedia covered elections for U.S. House, seven state executive offices, and the state house. Primary runoff elections will take place on June 26 for any races in which a candidate did not receive a majority of the vote. The general election will be held on November 6, 2018.

Defeated incumbents in state legislative primaries

  • State legislative primaries were held on June 12 in Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina. One Republican assemblyman was defeated in Nevada. In South Carolina, two Democratic representatives and one Republican representative were defeated. William Bowers (D), who has served nearly 22 years in the South Carolina House of Representatives, was one of the defeated incumbents. There were no incumbents defeated in North Dakota. Primary results in Maine are typically available after they are official and certified—approximately 20 days after the election concludes.
    • There have been 63 incumbents defeated in state legislative primary elections in 2018. Twenty-five Democratic incumbents were defeated. In other words, 86.7 percent of all Democratic incumbents who participated in a primary won. Thirty-eight Republican incumbents were defeated. In other words, 86.9 percent of all GOP incumbents who participated in a primary won.
    • From 2010 to 2016, an average of 127 incumbents were defeated in state legislative primaries. When only looking at states that have held 2018 primaries so far, an average of 62 incumbents were defeated from 2010 to 2016. In those same states, 63 incumbents were defeated in 2018 primaries.
    • In states that have held filing deadlines, 25.0 percent of Democratic incumbents and 21.6 percent of Republican incumbents are facing primary opposition. For the same states, 17.5 percent of Democratic incumbents and 20.6 percent of Republican incumbents faced primary opposition in 2016.

Wisconsin special election

  • Wisconsin held two state legislative special elections for State Senate District 1 and State Assembly District 42. Caleb Frostman (D) defeated André Jacque (R) in the State Senate District 1 special election with 51% of the vote, flipping the seat. In the State Assembly District 42 special election, Jon Plumer (R) won with 53% of the vote against Ann Groves Lloyd (D) and Gene Rubinstein (independent).
    • Frostman’s win marks the second state Senate district to change from Republican to Democratic control in special elections this year, the first being Wisconsin State Senate District 10 in January. After both elections, the partisan composition of the Wisconsin State Senate changed to 18 Republicans and 15 Democrats, meaning that Republicans only have a three-seat majority. They had a seven-seat majority after the 2016 elections.
    • Both seats were vacated in December 2017, after the previous officeholders were appointed to new positions. The districts each intersect with one or more Pivot Counties. The special elections were called after the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) sued Gov. Scott Walker (R) for not calling a special election in 2018 to fill the two seats. A circuit court judge ruled that the state should hold the elections.
    • Wisconsin is currently one of 26 Republican trifectas: Walker holds the governor’s office and Republicans have an 18-14 majority in the state senate and a 63-35 majority in the state assembly.

Candidate filing deadline in Connecticut

  • The candidate filing deadline for Connecticut’s August 14 primary was June 12. One U.S. Senate seat, five U.S. House seats, six state executive offices, 36 state Senate seats, and all 151 state House seats will be on the ballot. The winners from each party’s primary will advance to a general election on November 6.
    • Four candidates—two Democrats and two Republicans—submitted petitions to run in Connecticut’s August 14 gubernatorial primary. If enough of the petition signatures are certified by the Connecticut Secretary of State’s Office, the candidates will join their parties’ primary ballots. The Democratic candidates need to have 15,548 certified signatures, and the Republican candidates need to have 9,081 certified signatures. The signature totals are equal to 2 percent of voters in their party.
      • If they make it to the ballot, the Democratic candidates will join Ned Lamont, who automatically qualified for the primary at the party’s convention in May. If enough signatures are certified for the Republicans, they will join three other candidates who qualified for the ballot at the Republican convention.
      • Only one candidate has ever qualified for Connecticut’s statewide primary via petition. Peter Schiff, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, collected enough signatures to make the ballot in 2010, but he was defeated in the primary election.

Three Californias? Voters will decide in November whether to divide the nation’s largest state into three

  • The California secretary of state certified 460,787 signatures as valid for the California Three States Initiative. At least 365,880 signatures had to be valid for the initiative to make the ballot for the election on November 6, 2018.
  • The ballot initiative would task the governor with asking Congress to divide the state of California into three states: California, Northern California, and Southern California. The people of each state would be allowed to choose a different name for their state. The ballot initiative cannot order the federal government to partition California into three states. Section 3 of Article IV of the U.S. Constitution requires the consent of the California State Legislature and the U.S. Congress to divide California. The initiative itself states that the initiative fulfills the role of the legislature.
  • Tim Draper, a venture capitalist and cryptocurrency investor, proposed the ballot initiative. Draper first proposed breaking the state into multiple states in 2013. He called his first plan Six Californias, which, as the name suggests, would have divided the state into six states. He narrowly failed to collect enough valid signatures to get his Six Californias proposal on the ballot. With Draper’s proposal to divide California into three states, he needed to collect less than half of the number of valid signatures that he collected for Six Californias.
  • Draper said the goal of his partitioning initiative is to "create three state governments that emphasize representation, responsiveness, reliability and regional identity.” He also said, "If you were going to start a new state today, it wouldn’t look anything like what we have. This is a chance for three fresh new approaches to government. ... Three new states could become models not only for the rest of the country but for the entire world." Steve Maviglio, a consultant who was part of a committee to fight Six Californias in 2016, said that he opposed Draper's three-state initiative, saying, "This just goes to show that a billionaire with a wacky idea can get about anything on the ballot.” Responding to arguments that voters would reject the initiative, Draper contended that California's nature is to dream big.
  • Partitioning California into three states would increase the size of the U.S. Senate from 100 to 104 members and divide the state's 55 (as of 2018) electoral points between three states. The new states of California and Northern California would be considered safe Democratic states, based on current voting trends, whereas Southern California would be considered competitive between Democrats and Republicans. Geoffrey Skelley of Sabato's Crystal commented on the initiative, saying, “Splitting California into thirds would put about one-third of the state’s electoral votes in play for the GOP, while the additional Senate seats might benefit the Democrats.”
  • As of June 12, 2018, five measures had qualified for the 2018 general election ballot in California. One measure is a $4 billion housing bond that was referred by the state legislature. The other three measures are ballot initiatives, including (1) an initiative to allow senior homebuyers to transfer their tax assessments; (2) an initiative to require dialysis clinics to issue refunds for revenue above a certain amount; and (3) an initiative to issue $8.877 billion in bonds for water-related infrastructure and environmental projects. Eight additional initiatives are pending signature verification.

Republican-controlled General Assembly of North Carolina votes to override Democratic governor's budget veto

  • The North Carolina State Senate voted 34-13 along party lines on June 7 and the North Carolina House of Representatives voted 73-44 on June 12 to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of Senate Bill 99, a $23.9 billion budget. Democratic Rep. Duane Hall joined House Republicans to vote in favor of the override because of raises for state employees.
  • Overriding gubernatorial vetoes requires a three-fifths majority in each chamber—30 votes in the Senate and 72 votes in the House.
  • Since he first took office in January 2017, Gov. Roy Cooper (D) has vetoed 14 bills. The Republican-controlled General Assembly used its veto-proof majorities in each chamber to override 11 vetoes.
  • Legislators and the governor disagreed on corporate income tax cut. The governor wanted to halt the tax cuts, which are set to go into effect in 2019, and use the revenue for teacher pay raises. The final budget kept the tax cuts intact. Legislators also included provisions to aid charter school expansion and private school voucher programs, which Cooper opposed.

Seattle head tax repeal

  • Seattle's city council became the subject of national news in May 2018, when Amazon, the city's fastest growing company, blamed a proposal to levy a new “head tax” on large employers as their reason for halting a major construction project. On June 12, 2018, the city council reversed course and repealed the head tax. A study commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce concluded the tax would have cost Seattle about 14,300 jobs and $3.5 billion in economic output. Councilmember Lisa Herbold, an original sponsor of the bill, said "The Chamber of Commerce has convinced the vast majority of Seattleites" of a "misleading narrative."

Michigan Legislature sends $57 billion budget bills to governor

  • The Republican-led Michigan State Legislature sent a $57 billion budget consisting of two bills, SB 848 and HB 5779, to Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's desk. The bills passed along party lines in both chambers.
  • Among its provisions, the budget would:
    • increase base K-12 per-student funding by between $120 and $240.
    • raise transportation funding by more than $300 million.
    • close one of the state's 30 prisons due to declining inmate population. The closure was projected to save the state $19 million.
    • appropriate $100 million for a plan from the governor to emphasize competency-based learning and training programs for high-demand fields.
    • spend $58 million on school safety, including $25 million to upgrade security features like door locks and $30 million for mental health services.
    • impose a fee schedule to reduce reimbursements to autism providers serving Medicaid recipients by $34 million.
    • allocate $12 million for police training and hiring of 155 troopers.
    • take away funding for the next three fiscal years from universities that raise tuition by more than 3.8 percent or $490, whichever is greater.
    • use $84 million in new funds to improve public defender services.
  • Supporters of the budget, such as Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Hildenbrand (R), said the budget was a responsible investment and reduction in costs over the previous year. The Detroit Free Press criticized the budget for lack of transparency regarding earmarked funds for lawmakers' projects: "The process lacks transparency, even with the help of legislative fiscal agency analyses that help identify the specific purpose of the expenditures, chosen or OK'd by legislative leadership." House Speaker Tom Leonard (R) said earmarks were "part of the budget process."
  • HB 5779 passed the state House 71-36 on April 24, 2018, and the state Senate 26-10 on May 22, 2018. Differences in the House and Senate versions were concurred by a 63-46 vote in the House and a 25-11 vote in the Senate on June 12, 2018.
  • SB 848 passed the state Senate 25-10 on May 10, 2018, and the state House 105-3 on May 15, 2018. Differences in the House and Senate versions were concurred by a 66-43 vote in the House and a 33-2 vote in the Senate on June 12, 2018.

Wednesday, June 13

GA gubernatorial candidate Abrams endorsed by former governor who supported rival in primary

  • Former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes (D) endorsed Stacey Abrams’ gubernatorial campaign despite having backed her rival, former state Rep. Stacey Evans, in the May 22 Democratic primary. Abrams disagreed with Evans and Barnes on general election strategy. Abrams said that Democrats needed to focus on increasing turnout among minorities and the Democratic base. Evans and Barnes wanted to target disaffected suburban and rural Republicans. Barnes was the last Democrat to win a gubernatorial election in Georgia, doing so in 1998 with the support of rural Georgians.
  • In his endorsement of Abrams, Barnes said, "Too many have made this election about a choice between working with Republicans to maintain our AAA bond rating or fighting for access to education, health care, and jobs. Stacey Abrams has already proven she can work across the aisle to do both, and has the experience and vision to strengthen Georgia."
  • Evans endorsed Abrams immediately after the May 22 primary, which Abrams won by more than 50 percentage points. She will face the winner of the July 24 Republican primary runoff election between Lieutenant Gov. Casey Cagle (R) and Secretary of State Brian Kemp (R).
  • Although most election forecasters give the edge to the winner of the Cagle vs. Kemp matchup, Abrams’ campaign released internal polling from late May that showed her leading Cagle by 5 percentage points and Kemp by nine percentage points. She would be the first black woman elected governor in the country’s history.

New Jersey governor signs six firearm-related bills

  • Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed six firearm-related bills into law. The bills passed the state Assembly on March 26, 2018, and the state Senate on June 7, 2018.
  • The governor said in a statement, "Today, I’m proud to sign this series of common-sense gun safety bills into law to protect our children and families from the reckless dangers of gun violence, something the federal government has failed to do on behalf of its residents. By setting these higher standards for gun safety, New Jersey continues to bolster its reputation as a national leader on this critical social and public health issue." The statement also said that the law's signage made New Jersey one of the states "with the strongest and most formidable gun laws in the nation."
  • The National Rifle Association opposed the bills. In a statement following the bills' passage in the state Senate, the NRA said the legislation would have "virtually no impact on public safety and do little more than punish law-abiding gun owners."
  • The bills' provisions include:
    • authorizing law enforcement officers to confiscate firearms from individuals determined by a licensed healthcare professional to pose a risk to themselves or others;
    • establishing protocols for issuing extreme risk protection orders, in which individuals can petition a judge to issue an order seizing firearms from individuals deemed to be a threat to themselves or others;
    • requiring state residents to demonstrate a justifiable need to carry a handgun and providing a legal definition of a justifiable need;
    • requiring all firearm sales, with select exceptions, to be conducted through a licensed dealer, who must conduct a background check;
    • prohibiting the possession of armor-piercing ammunition;
    • prohibiting firearm magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.

Thursday, June 14

John Warren endorsed by two former opponents ahead of runoff

  • Businessman John Warren's (R) primary challenge to South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (R) was endorsed Thursday by former state Labor Commissioner Catherine Templeton (R) and Lt. Gov. Kevin Bryant (R).
  • Templeton and Bryant were among the five candidates seeking the Republican nomination for governor in Tuesday's primary. Because no candidate received a majority of the vote, McMaster and Warren, who were the top two vote-getters, advanced to a June 26 runoff. The fifth candidate, former Lt. Gov. Yancey McGill (R), has not yet made an endorsement.
  • McMaster, who took office in January 2017 following Nikki Haley's (R) resignation to serve as U.S. ambassador to the U.N., touts the state's economic performance since he took office as well as his endorsements from President Trump and the National Rifle Association. Warren, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and businessman who has not previously sought elected office, has relied extensively on self-funding, contributing $3 million to his own campaign.
  • The winner of the June 26 runoff will face state Rep. James Smith (D) in the general election.

California Legislature sends $200 billion budget to governor's desk

  • The California State Legislature sent a $200 billion budget bill to Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown's desk. According to The Sacramento Bee, the legislation was similar to a plan presented by Gov. Brown in May.
  • Among its provisions, the budget would:
    • allocate $78 billion for K-12 education.
    • provide $500 million in grants for cities to address homelessness.
    • raise funding for CalWORKS welfare grants by $360 million.
    • expand eligibility for workers between 18 and 25 and those older than 64 for the state's earned income tax credit.
    • allocate $90 million for outreach and education leading up to the 2020 U.S. Census.
    • increase ongoing funding for the California State University system by $105 million, plus $167 million in one-time expenses.
    • contribute to the state's Rainy Day Fund, which is authorized by state law to amount to 10 percent of the general fund revenue.
    • set aside $2 billion in uncommitted reserves.
    • create a new reserve for social services and invest $200 million in the fund.
    • fund capital outlay projects, including:
      • $1.2 billion to replace the building in which legislative offices are located and to build a new building to temporarily house legislative staff.
      • $100 million towards the construction of a California American Indian Heritage Center
      • $460 million to replace the Sacramento Superior Court building.
  • Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D) said the budget did not include everything but was a major step forward for investment in the state. "Did we do everything? No, it’s just not possible. But when you look at what we are trying to do to deal with issues of poverty, education access — I think we feel pretty good."
  • The budget faced criticism for failing to allocate more funding to healthcare. Community Health Councils CEO Veronica Flores said, "Zero investment on an equitable healthcare solution is an irresponsible response!" It also faced criticism from Republican legislators, who were concerned with raising state spending. Assembly Budget Vice-Chairman Jay Obernolte (R) said, "We’re increasing state spending by three times the rate of inflation. That’s clearly not sustainable."

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott vetoes second budget bill in 2018

  • Gov. Phil Scott (R) vetoed H 13, a revised budget bill that the House approved 83-40 on June 5, 2018, and the Senate approved 22-3 two days later. At issue was the use of $34 million in one-time funds and property tax rates.
  • Gov. Scott vetoed the first budget bill on May 25, 2018, because it would have raised property taxes. He told the legislature he would not sign a budget that did not use the one-time funds to keep property tax rates flat. Lawmakers responded that to spend the money this way would be wasteful. They also said the provisions he objected to in the first budget were not present in HB 13.
  • In a letter to legislative leaders, Scott said, "Without a commitment from legislative leaders that we can achieve level property tax rates, or an amendment that would prevent the automatic 5.5 cent property tax rate increase on non-residential payers, I cannot support H.13."
  • Senate President Pro Tem Tim Ashe (D) and House Speaker Mitzi Johnson (D) said in a joint statement that in vetoing H 13, the governor rejected measures that he supported and ignored that the budget "does not increase a single tax rate, nor does it include anything the Governor opposes. The bill reflects movement by the Legislature toward the Governor, while the Governor has not made a single concession."
  • The fiscal year ends on June 30, meaning the government must approve a budget or face a shutdown. Scott said neither the legislature nor the administration wanted to shut down the government and indicated the legislature would be able to make appropriations even if there was no official budget. "We will utilize every possible means within our constitutional authority to keep services going," Scott said. State Treasurer Elizabeth Pearce encouraged the two sides to find a solution, saying a shutdown could negatively impact the state's credit rating.

Friday, June 15

New Hampshire filing deadline

  • The filing deadline will pass for candidates wishing to run in New Hampshire’s statewide primaries on September 11, 2018. Two U.S. House seats, the office of governor and five seats on the state executive council, all 24 state senate seats, and all 400 state house seats will be on the ballot in September. The general election will be held on November 6, 2018.

Special Elections

As of this week, 79 state legislative special elections have been scheduled or held in 25 states. Elections have been held for 21 Democratic seats and 43 Republican seats. Nine seats have flipped from Republican control to Democratic control. One seat has flipped from Democratic control to Republican control. 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:

August 7

Local Politics: The Week in Review

Elections Update

Tuesday, June 12

Nevada election review

Three out of five board of supervisor seats in San Francisco have no incumbents running for re-election

  • Following a June 12 candidate filing deadline, three of the five San Francisco Board of Supervisors incumbents whose seats are on the ballot in November are not running for re-election. The two incumbents who are running in the election were only recently sworn in. District 2 incumbent Catherine Stefani was appointed to her position in January, and District 8 incumbent Rafael Mandelman won his seat in a special election on June 5. Stefani faces three challengers in her bid for re-election, while Mandelman faces a rematch with Lawrence Dagesse, whom he defeated in the special election along with former incumbent Jeff Sheehy.
    • The District 6 and District 10 incumbents were unable to run for re-election due to term limits. Three candidates are running in the open District 6 election, and six candidates are running in the open District 10 election. District 4 incumbent Katy Tang chose not file to run for re-election. Three candidates are running to replace her on the board.
    • The candidate filing deadline for the five board of supervisors seats was June 12. The filing deadline for other city offices on the ballot in November is August 10.

Virginia Beach filing deadline

  • The filing deadline for candidates running in municipal and school board elections in Virginia Beach, Virginia, was June 12. Six seats on the Virginia Beach school board are up for election. Six seats on the city council are up for election. A special election is being held for mayor after the resignation of Will Sessoms on April 30. The general election will be held on November 6, 2018.

Wednesday, June 13

London Breed wins San Francisco mayoral race

  • San Francisco Board of Supervisors President London Breed won the special mayoral election over one week after the election was held. The race was too close to call between her and former supervisor and state Sen. Mark Leno, who conceded on June 13. A total of eight candidates ran in the race.
  • The special election was called for after former Mayor Ed Lee passed away in December 2017. Breed was initially appointed as acting mayor after Lee passed away. The board replaced her with fellow supervisor Mark Farrell a month later, citing the desire for an interim mayor who was not also running for the office.

Friday, June 15

Filing deadline for Oklahoma City special election

  • The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in a special election for Ward 7 of the Oklahoma City Council was June 15, 2018. The election will be held on August 28, with a runoff on November 6 if necessary. The election was scheduled to replace John Pettis Jr., who resigned on May 31, 2018, after being charged on May 11 with three counts of felony embezzlement and one count of intentionally failing to file tax returns. Pettis pleaded not guilty to the charges. Lee Cooper Jr. was appointed as the interim Ward 7 representative on June 5, 2018.
    • Oklahoma City is the largest city in Oklahoma and the 27th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
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

Saturday, June 16

Democratic Party convention ends in South Dakota

  • Democrats in South Dakota held their state party convention from June 15 through June 16. At the convention, party members nominated state executive candidates for the November 6 general election ballot. Candidates were nominated for the following offices: lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, public lands commissioner, and public utilities commissioner.
    • Republicans will hold their state convention from June 20 to June 23. The state Constitution Party will hold its convention on July 14. Libertarians held their convention on April 14.

Monday, June 18

Third special session expected to convene in Louisiana

  • On June 8, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) signed HB 1, the state's operating budget, and called for a third special session to begin at 4 p.m. on June 18 and to go no later than 6 p.m. on June 27. It is the ninth in two years, the seventh to address state finances, and the third in 2018.
  • According to a press release from the governor's office, more than $500 million in priorities remained unfunded at the end of the legislator's second special session. Edwards said in the release that without additional legislation appropriating the funds, agencies and departments including higher education, sheriffs, children and family services, and district attorneys, among others, would experience cuts.
  • Edwards called the third special session for legislators to adopt revenue measures to fund the programs. He indicated that although the session could last 10 days, "there is nothing stopping the legislature from completing its work early." Special sessions cost the taxpayers $60,000 per day.

Tuesday, June 19

District of Columbia primary

  • Washington D.C. is holding primaries for mayor, city council, attorney general, one nonvoting U.S. Representative, one shadow U.S. Senator, and one shadow U.S. Representative. Seven of the 13 city council seats are up for election this year, including the chairman, two at-large seats, and four by-district seats. Currently, 11 board members are affiliated with the Democratic Party and two are independent. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Attorney General Karl Racine are also Democrats, as are Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, Shadow Senator Michael D. Brown, and Shadow Representative Franklin Garcia.
    • All opposed primaries will be Democratic primaries. Of the 34 candidates who will appear on the ballot, 26 are Democratic, four are D.C. Statehood Green Party, three are Libertarian, and one is Republican. Elections for the nonvoting U.S. Representative, mayor, and two city council seat are the only four general elections that will be contested on November 6, 2018.

Arkansas primary runoff preview

  • Arkansas’ primary runoff will be held on Tuesday, June 19, and will determine party nominations where no candidate received a majority in the primary election on May 22. There will be two primary runoff races: a Republican runoff for District 8 of the state senate, and a Republican runoff for District 83 of the state house.
  • In the District 8 senate race, Frank Glidewell and Mathew Pitsch will face off for the Republican nomination. The winner will face Libertarian candidate William Whitfield Hyman in the general election in November. In the race for District 83 of the state house, the runoff is between Republicans Donald Ragland and Keith Slape. No Democrats filed for either race.
  • Both of these districts are currently vacant and held concurrent special elections on May 22 along with the regular primary election. For District 8, May 22 was the special primary election, in which Glidewell defeated fellow Republican Denny Altes. The special general election will be in August. Ragland won the special election for District 83, and will, therefore, serve in the position through the end of the current term.

D.C. voters to decide on raising minimum wage for tipped employees in June 19 election

  • Voters in Washington, D.C., will decide Tuesday on Initiative 77, a local measure designed to gradually raise the minimum wage for tipped employees.
  • Initiative 77 would amend current minimum wage law to require employers to pay tipped employees the same minimum wage as other employees by 2026.
  • Tipped employees in D.C. currently receive a base wage of $3.33 an hour, while non-tipped employees receive $12.50 an hour. The D.C. city council approved an ordinance in June 2016 to increase the city's minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2020. Under the current ordinance, tipped workers are set to see a base wage increase to $5 an hour by 2020. If Initiative 77 passes, the minimum wage would remain scheduled to increase to $15 in 2020 and would be adjusted based on the Consumer Price Index thereafter. By 2026, the standard minimum wage would be applied to tipped and non-tipped employees.

Wednesday, June 20

Republican Party convention to be held in South Dakota

  • Republicans in South Dakota will hold their state party convention from June 20 through June 23. At the convention, party members will nominate state executive candidates for the November 6 general election ballot. Candidates will be nominated for the following offices: lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, public lands commissioner, and public utilities commissioner.
    • Democrats held their state convention from June 15 to June 16. The state Constitution Party will hold its convention on July 14. Libertarians held their convention on April 14.

Friday, June 22

Florida filing deadline

  • June 22 is the filing deadline for candidates running for office in Florida. On the ballot are governor and four other state executive positions, 20 state senate seats, 120 state house seats, school board seats, and county positions. Candidates running for federal office, judicial seats, attorney general, and public defender had an earlier filing deadline.
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Local Politics: What's On Tap Next Week

Saturday, June 16

Texas city and schools runoff election preview

Friday, June 22

Florida filing deadline

  • June 22 is the filing deadline for candidates running for office in Florida. On the ballot are governor and four other state executive positions, 20 state senate seats, 120 state house seats, school board seats, and county positions. Candidates running for federal office, judicial seats, attorney general, and public defender had an earlier filing deadline.
    • Ballotpedia is covering school board elections in 24 school districts and local races in five counties.

Duval County special election filing deadline

  • Candidates wishing to run in the special election for Duval County Tax Collector in Florida have until June 22, 2018, to file for the race. The special election will be on August 28, 2018, with a runoff on November 6, 2018, if necessary. These dates will also feature a special election for Jacksonville City Council District 12, although the filing deadline for that race is not until June 27.
    • Michael Corrigan, a Republican, resigned as tax collector in order to become the CEO of Visit Jacksonville.
    • Jacksonville is the largest city in Florida and the 13th-largest city in the U.S. by population. Jacksonville and Duval County have a consolidated city-county government.


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

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