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The Tap: 2016 Delegates and Conventions Explained

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June 11, 2016Issue No. 20

The Tap Graphic-750x191px.png

The week in review: June 4 - June 10
What's on Tap next week: June 11 - June 17

Navigate The Tap by clicking the tabs below:

Federal

What's on tap?

Now that the Democratic Party nomination was secured last week, the November line up for our two largest political parties seems set. However, before the names are printed at the top of the ballots, the candidates have to head to Cleveland and Philadelphia to make it official. What happens there? Ballotpedia is hosting a free webinar to fill you in. Beyond general overviews of each convention, our experts will explain the different types of delegates, the RNC rules committee processes and power, the possible RNC battle over the party platform, and even discuss the members of Congress expected to attend, or skip, the conventions Ballotpedia’s webinar will be held on Thursday, June 16, 2015, at 1:00 ET. Visit this link to register. If you can’t make it, check out these resources on Ballotpedia, or send us your questions via email or twitter!

 

Federal

The Week in Review

Saturday, June 4

  • U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter proposed expanding a "security network" among the U.S. and Asia-Pacific countries, which would entail having the militaries of the countries included in the network train and operate together. Carter said that the proposed "principled security network" would include "nations building connections for a common cause, planning and training together, and eventually operating in a coordinated way.”

Sunday, June 5

  • U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter offered his condolences to the families of multiple members of the military who lost their lives last week. Nine soldiers were killed during a June 2 training accident at Fort Hood, Texas, and Marine Corps Capt. Jeff Kuss, “a member of the Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron, died at the start of an air show practice flight when his F/A-18C Hornet aircraft crashed two miles from the Smyrna Airport runway in Tennessee.”

Monday, June 6

  • On Monday evening, The Associated Press announced that Hillary Clinton had amassed enough pledged delegates and superdelegates to secure the Democratic nomination. (The Democratic nominee in 2016 needs 2,383 total delegates.) The AP’s call was based on the number of delegates that Clinton won in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico over the weekend and a survey of uncommitted superdelegates. The announcement came the day before the crucial June 7 primaries—where 694 pledged delegates were up for grabs—causing some to criticize the AP’s timing for its potential impact on voter turnout in key states like California and New Jersey. Bernie Sanders said on Tuesday, “I was upset with what the AP did. They got on the phone, as I understand it, and they started hounding superdelegates to tell them in an anonymous way who they’d be voting for. And the night before the largest primary, the biggest primary in this entire process, they make the announcement.” Kathleen Carroll, the AP’s executive editor, explained why the news organization made the call when it did in a statement: “By Monday evening, 571 superdelegates had told us unequivocally that they intend to vote for Clinton at the convention. Adding that number to the delegates awarded to Clinton in primary and caucus voting to date gave her the number needed to be the presumptive nominee. That is news, and reporting the news is what we do. Nothing in that discourages or prevents voters in six states from exercising their right to go to the polls today and cast their ballots.”
  • The Supreme Court granted certiorari in two cases and noted probable jurisdiction in a third. The two cases granted certiorari both address the death penalty: Moore v. Texas and Buck v. Stephens. The court also noted probable jurisdiction in Bethune-Hill v. Virginia Board of Elections. When the court notes probable jurisdiction, it indicates that the court will receive briefs and hear oral argument in a direct appeal from a three-judge district court panel. In Bethune-Hill, the Supreme Court will consider a divided district court panel ruling that Virginia’s 2013 redistricting plan created an unconstitutional racial gerrymander for state legislative elections. The plaintiffs allege that, during the most recent redistricting cycle, Republican lawmakers placed too many black voters into a relatively small number of majority-minority state legislative districts, thereby diluting the influence of their voters. Republicans deny this allegation, arguing that the districts "were drawn in accordance with the Constitution, all state and federal laws, and in a fair and open process."
  • The Supreme Court called for the views of the Solicitor General (CVSG) in SmithKline Beecham Corp. v. King Drug Co. of Florence, a case under consideration for a writ of certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit. The case concerns the proper application of the “rule of reason” test for reverse-payment settlements in light of the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in FTC v. Actavis, Inc. The Supreme Court requests a CVSG when the United States is not a party to a case but the court wants the views of the U.S. government known in advance of either a case being granted certiorari and/or a scheduled oral argument.
  • Vice President Joe Biden unveiled the Genomic Data Commons, “a public database for clinical data on cancer … that aims to help researchers and doctors better tailor new treatments to individuals. … The system is designed to increase sharing of information about the gene sequences of tumors and how patients with those tumors responded to specific treatments,” according to ABC News. The database is overseen by the National Cancer Institute and is a major element in Biden’s push to improve cancer research and find a cure for the disease.
  • Citing a handful of Donald Trump’s proposed policies, news and entertainment site Buzzfeed terminated a $1.3 million advertising deal with the Republican National Committee for the fall. In a memo, Buzzfeed CEO Jonah Peretti wrote, “Trump advocates banning Muslims from traveling to the United States, he’s threatened to limit the free press, and made offensive statements toward women, immigrants, descendants of immigrants, and foreign nationals. … The Trump campaign is directly opposed to the freedoms of our employees in the United States and around the world.”

Tuesday, June 7

  • Six states held presidential primary elections or caucuses for the Democratic and Republican parties on June 7: California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, and South Dakota. For the Republicans, these were the last events of the presidential nominating season until the national convention in July. For the Democrats, the June 7 primaries and caucuses were the second-to-last electoral events of the season. A final Democratic primary will take place on June 14 in Washington, D.C.
    • Donald Trump, the only candidate still officially in the race for the Republican nomination, easily swept all five states that held Republican primaries on Tuesday. Winning a total of 303 pledged delegates, he brought his total delegate count to 1,541 delegates by CNN’s estimate (this number includes 126 unbound delegates). Trump needs 1,237 delegates to back him in Cleveland to win the nomination.
    • Hillary Clinton won four of six contests on Tuesday, losing North Dakota (a caucus state) and Montana to Bernie Sanders. Altogether, she won 379 pledged delegates, bringing her total delegate count to 2,768 (including 572 superdelegates), almost 400 more than the 2,383 needed to clinch the nomination. On Tuesday night in Brooklyn, Clinton told supporters, “Thanks to you, we’ve reached a milestone. The first time in our nation’s history that a woman will be a major party’s nominee.”
  • California held congressional primaries.
    • In the Senate, Attorney General Kamala Harris and U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez defeated 32 other candidates to win the top-two primary. As a result, the general election race will be between two Democrats. This will lead to a more expensive and contentious election in this safely Democratic state.
    • In the House, all 49 incumbents who sought re-election advanced to the general election. However, the second-place slot remains uncalled in eight races.
    • District 24 was considered a primary to watch in 2016 due to the fact that this safely Democratic seat could have had two Republicans advance to the general election. This did not come to pass, and Salud Carbajal (D) took the top spot in the primary. The second slot has not yet been called. Businessman Justin Fareed (R) currently leads Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian (R) by 1.6 percent.
    • California has two battleground districts in 2016. In District 7, incumbent Ami Bera (D) and Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones (R) advanced past the primary by default. In District 25, incumbent Stephen Knight (R) and Bryan Caforio (D) defeated two other challengers to advance to the general.
  • Montana held congressional primaries.
    • There is no U.S. Senate election in Montana in 2016.
    • Montana has a single At-Large Congressional District. It is currently held by Ryan Zinke (R). Zinke is seeking re-election in 2016. He will face Denise Juneau (D) in the general election. Neither candidate faced a primary opponent on Tuesday. The race is rated safely Republican in November.
  • New Jersey held congressional primaries.
    • There is no U.S. Senate election in New Jersey in 2016.
    • In the House, all 12 incumbents are seeking re-election. All seven incumbents who faced a primary challenger easily won their party’s nomination.
  • New Mexico held congressional primaries.
    • There is no U.S. Senate election in New Mexico in 2016.
    • In the House, all three incumbents are seeking re-election, but none of them faced a primary challenger.
  • North Carolina held U.S. House primaries.
    • North Carolina’s U.S. House primaries took place Tuesday due to court-ordered redistricting that occurred earlier in the year. The Senate primaries were held on March 15, 2016.
    • In the 2nd District race, District 13 incumbent George Holding easily defeated District 2 incumbent Renee Ellmers and Greg Brannon to win the Republican nomination. Holding will face John McNeil (D) in the general election. Ellmers was opposed by a number of organizations, including the Club for Growth and Americans for Prosperity, but she did receive an endorsement from Donald Trump earlier in the week. Ellmers is the second U.S. House incumbent to lose a primary in 2016 and the first Republican.
    • District 13 was left open due to Holding running in District 2. Ted Budd won the nomination in the Republican primary, taking 20 percent of the vote and defeating 16 other candidates. The Democratic primary remains uncalled at this time. Bruce Davis currently leads Bob Isner by 122 votes.
    • The District 9 Republican primary also remains uncalled at this time. Incumbent Robert Pittenger currently leads with 35 percent of the vote, while Mark Harris and Todd Johnson trail with 34.4 percent and 30.6 percent, respectively. Normally a runoff primary would be held, but since redistricting already pushed back the primary elections, no congressional runoffs will be held in 2016.
  • South Dakota held congressional primaries.
    • In the Senate, incumbent John Thune (R) will face Jay Williams (D) in the general election. Neither candidate faced a primary opponent on Tuesday. The race is rated safely Republican.
    • In the state’s single At-Large Congressional District, incumbent Kristi Noem (R) will face state Rep. Paula Hawks (D) in the general election. Neither candidate faced a primary opponent on Tuesday. The race is rated safely Republican.
  • Politico reported that Bernie Sanders was preparing to lay off at least half of his presidential staff in the coming days. According to the report, “staff in the remaining states and personnel whose jobs don't relate to the last primary in Washington, D.C., or the Democratic National Convention will lose their jobs.”
  • The Center for Public Integrity reported that Bernie Sanders outspent Hillary Clinton in California by almost $800,000 in ad buys. The Sanders campaign spent a total of $2,164,227 on advertising in the state in the weeks before the primary. According to the report, “Sanders’ ad flurry included about 2,800 TV ads targeting California voters in the weeks leading up to the primary.”
  • The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a nonprofit membership organization, has spent over $2 million in support of U.S. Rep Joe Heck’s (R-Nev.) campaign to fill Harry Reid’s seat in the U.S. Senate. According to the paper, “Nearly a year ago, in July, the group launched a $400,000 television and digital ad blitz. That came as Heck jumped into the Senate race. The group spent another additional $2.25 million in April and May on ads.” Nevada’s U.S. Senate race is one of six Senate races designated as a battleground in 2016. It is the only battleground race that features a Democratic incumbent.
  • Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) discussed the House GOP’s anti-poverty plan as part of its “A Better Way” agenda, which focuses on six separate issues, including national security, tax reform, healthcare, reducing regulations, and restoring the Constitution. According to The Hill, Ryan’s “plan calls for rewarding those who are working or looking for work, tailoring benefits to fit people’s needs, improving education and developing skills, making it easier for families to save money for retirement and demanding that aid programs show results.”
  • House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) endorsed Hillary Clinton. Pelosi said in a statement, "In this campaign, we have seen her [Clinton’s] vision, her knowledge, her ability, indeed her stamina, to get the job done for the American people. I congratulate and thank Senator Bernie Sanders for the great invigoration he is bringing to the presidential primary, and welcome the political and intellectual participation of his supporters to advance our shared fight for progress for the American people.”
  • Donald Trump released a statement to say that his comments about Judge Gonzalo Curiel had been “misconstrued.” He continued, “I am friends with and employ thousands of people of Mexican and Hispanic descent. The American justice system relies on fair and impartial judges. All judges should be held to that standard. I do not feel that one’s heritage makes them incapable of being impartial, but, based on the rulings that I have received in the Trump University civil case, I feel justified in questioning whether I am receiving a fair trial.” After discussing the numerous Trump University students who were satisfied by the program, Trump concluded, “I do not intend to comment on this matter any further.”
  • Republicans condemned Donald Trump’s assertion that federal judge Gonzalo Curiel was biased in overseeing a lawsuit against Trump University because of his Mexican heritage.
    • U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) announced that he was retracting his support for Trump given his "past attacks on Hispanics, women and the disabled like me." Kirk said in a statement, “It is absolutely essential that we are guided by a commander-in-chief with a responsible and proper temperament, discretion and judgment. Our president must be fit to command the most powerful military the world has ever seen, including an arsenal of thousands of nuclear weapons. After much consideration, I have concluded that Donald Trump has not demonstrated the temperament necessary to assume the greatest office in the world." Kirk is up for re-election in 2016 in a battleground race.
    • New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), however, defended Trump, saying that he was “not a racist” and “allegations that he is are absolutely contrary to every experience that I’ve had with him over the last 14 years.” He added that it bothered him that Hillary Clinton was “taking this kind of high and mighty position of hers when Secretary Clinton’s had a lot to say over the course of her career as well regarding vast right-wing conspiracies that turned out not to exist in impugning the integrity of lots of other people.”
    • For more reactions on the Curiel comments, please see: Republicans and their declared positions on Donald Trump
  • FILING DEADLINE: Connecticut congressional filing deadline
    • The U.S. Senate seat currently held by Richard Blumenthal (D) is up for election in 2016. The race is rated safely Democratic in the general election. Blumenthal will face state Rep. Dan Carter in the general election.
    • There are five U.S. House districts in Connecticut. They are all currently held by the Democratic Party and rated safely Democratic in the general election. All five incumbents are seeking re-election in 2016.
    • All congressional nominations were already made at party conventions in May, meaning there is effectively no congressional primary in Connecticut in 2016.
  • FILING DEADLINE: Hawaii congressional filing deadline
  • FILING DEADLINE: Massachusetts congressional filing deadline
    • There is no U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts in 2016.
    • There are nine U.S. House districts in Massachusetts. They are all currently held by the Democratic Party and rated safely Democratic in the general election.
    • As of June 9, there was no candidate list available from the secretary of state’s office. Ballotpedia will have an updated list of candidates as soon as one is made available.

Wednesday, June 8

  • The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a proposed rule to curb the use of short-term health plans. Short-term health plans offer cheaper coverage for less than a year, do not cover the full range of benefits required for minimum coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and require enrollees to reapply for renewal at the end of each term. Enrollees in such plans are typically younger and healthier than in regular plans, and they must still pay the federal tax penalty because the plans are not considered comprehensive health coverage. HHS has proposed to limit the terms of such plans to less than three months and prohibit coverage renewals at the end of the term. HHS stated the purpose of the proposed rule is to reduce distortion in the ACA risk pool by encouraging young, healthy individuals to enroll in comprehensive coverage on the health insurance exchanges.
  • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), the only sitting senator to endorse Bernie Sanders, said that it was time for Bernie Sanders to accept Clinton as the Democratic nominee. “Once a candidate has won a majority of the pledged delegates and a majority of the popular vote, which Secretary Clinton has now done, we have our nominee. This is the moment when we need to start bringing parts of the party together so they can go into the convention with locked arms and go out of the convention unified into the general election,” he said. Merkley added that he “would not support a battle that involves trying to flip superdelegates.”
  • During his address to a joint session of Congress, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the shared values of the U.S. and India and focused on defense and counterterrorism. Modi said, "The traits of freedom and liberty form a strong bond between our two democracies. Our nations may have been shaped by diverse histories, cultures and faiths, yet our belief in democracy for our nations and liberty for our countrymen is common." Modi was the fifth Indian prime minister to address a joint session of Congress.
  • In an effort to streamline the appropriations process and pass spending bills, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) announced that all amendments for the remaining bills “will be approved by the House Rules Committee before the debate reaches the floor.” The move from an open-rule process to a structured rule process will limit the number of amendments attached to spending bills and is an “attempt to block Democrats' ‘poison pills,’ amendments … designed to derail the underlying spending legislation.” The House has only passed one of the 12 appropriations bills.

Thursday, June 9

  • The U.S. Supreme Court issued three opinions on Thursday.
    • In Puerto Rico v. Sanchez Valle et al., a six-justice majority affirmed the judgment of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico in holding that Puerto Rico is not a separate, sovereign government “deriving its power to punish from an independent source” under the meaning of the double jeopardy clause. As such, Puerto Rico cannot successively prosecute an individual for the same conduct under equivalent criminal laws if that individual has been prosecuted by the U.S. government.
    • In Dietz v. Bouldin, six justices affirmed the judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that a U.S. district court has the inherent power to rescind a jury discharge order and recall jurors for additional proceedings after the jurors have been discharged, but only under circumstances that are carefully circumscribed to guarantee a defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to an impartial jury.
    • In Williams v. Pennsylvania, a five-justice majority vacated the judgment of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Former Chief Justice Ronald Castille, one of the Pennsylvania justices hearing Williams’ appeal of his capital sentence, was the district attorney who authorized prosecutors to seek the death penalty upon Williams’ conviction of murder. The U.S. Supreme Court held that “where a judge has had an earlier significant, personal involvement as a prosecutor in a critical decision” in a defendant’s case, that judge is obligated to recuse himself or herself under the due process guarantees of the 14th Amendment.
  • President Barack Obama formally endorsed Hillary Clinton in a three-minute web video after meeting with Bernie Sanders at the White House. “I know how hard this job can be. That's why I know Hillary will be so good at it. In fact, I don't think there's ever been someone so qualified to hold this office. She's got the courage, the compassion, and the heart to get the job done,” he said.
    • Vice President Joe Biden also endorsed Clinton. Discussing the Democratic effort to fill the Supreme Court vacancy, he said, “Keep in mind, we have another entire term of this potential confusion if the vote is not allowed this year. Anybody who thinks that whatever the next president — and God willing, in my view, it'll be Secretary Clinton.”
  • U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) endorsed Clinton in an interview with The Boston Globe. “I’m ready. I’m ready to jump in this fight and make sure that Hillary Clinton is the next president of the United States and be sure that Donald Trump gets nowhere near the White House,” she said. Warren also delivered a speech on Thursday night that criticized Trump and the Republican Party. She said, “Donald Trump chose racism as his weapon, but his aim is exactly the same as the rest of the Republicans. Pound the courts into submission to the rich and powerful.”
  • A divided en banc panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the Second Amendment does not protect the right to carry concealed firearms in public in any degree, and that any prohibition or restriction a state may choose to impose on concealed carry—including a requirement to demonstrate “good cause,” however defined—is necessarily allowed by the Amendment. As this appeal was heard en banc by a federal appeals court, a subsequent appeal would be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court should the court grant certiorari and decide to address the Ninth Circuit’s ruling.

Friday, June 10

Bills & Amendments

Wednesday, June 8

  • The House passed HR 4775 - the Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2016 by a vote of 234-177. The bill proposes amending the Clean Air Act by revising the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) program. The legislation would delay for at least eight years the implementation of more restrictive federal ozone standards, which were published by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2015. The legislation would also change the EPA’s process for reviewing federal standards for a variety of air pollutants. The Clean Air Act currently requires that the EPA review federal air quality standards every five years. If enacted, HR 4775 would require that the EPA review these standards every 10 years. Supporters of the bill have argued that the bill would give state and local governments the time to adjust to more restrictive ozone standards, which they have argued could threaten jobs if implemented too quickly. Opponents of the bill have argued that the legislation would undermine the Clean Air Act and weaken necessary air quality standards. President Barack Obama threatened to veto the bill.
  • Veto: President Barack Obama vetoed HJ Res 88. The resolution proposed preventing the U.S. Department of Labor from implementing a rule that requires retirement investment advisors to put their customer’s interests first when providing advice. In a statement Obama said, “This rule is critical to protecting Americans' hard-earned savings and preserving their retirement security. The outdated regulations in place before this rulemaking did not ensure that financial advisers act in their clients' best interests when giving retirement investment advice. … The Department of Labor's final rule will ensure that American workers and retirees receive retirement advice that is in their best interest, better enabling them to protect and grow their savings. The final rule reflects extensive feedback from industry, advocates, and Members of Congress, and has been streamlined to reduce the compliance burden and ensure continued access to advice, while maintaining an enforceable best interest standard that protects consumers. It is essential that these critical protections go into effect.” This is the 10th veto of Obama’s presidency.
  • Key vote: The Senate passed HR 2576 - the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act by voice vote. The bill is also known as the TSCA Modernization Act of 2015, which updated the 1976 Toxic Substance Control Act. The bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use a new, risk-based standard to analyze thousands of new and existing chemicals to determine if those chemicals should be regulated. These chemicals are present in tens of thousands of items, including clothing, furniture, and cleaning products. Other provisions in the bill require special considerations for how chemicals could harm children and pregnant women and make it more difficult for industries to claim that their chemical information should be kept secret for proprietary reasons. This bill, which has been debated on and off for three years, is the first update to the original 1976 act.

Thursday, June 9

  • Key vote: The House passed HR 5278 - the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act or PROMESA by a vote of 297-127. The legislation proposes a plan to help Puerto Rico address its debt crisis “by establishing an oversight board, a process for restructuring debt, and expedited procedures for approving critical infrastructure projects.” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest asked the Senate to act quickly on the bill, saying, “We urge leaders in both parties to build on today's bipartisan momentum and help Puerto Rico move toward lasting economic prosperity.” Puerto Rico has a $2 billion debt payment due on July 1.

 

Congress is IN session SCOTUS is IN session
The U.S. Senate will be in session Monday-Friday next week. The U.S. House will be in session Monday-Thursday. The Supreme Court will hold a non-argument session on Monday, June 13.

What’s On Tap Next Week

Monday, June 13

  • The U.S. Supreme Court will hold a non-argument session on Monday. The court is expected to issue orders in advance of the session and to announce opinions in decided cases during the session. The court will also announce if additional non-argument sessions have been scheduled for the week.
  • Donald Trump will deliver a speech at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire detailing why he does not believe Hillary Clinton is qualified to be president. His critique is likely to reference allegations of corruption in the Clinton Foundation, Clinton’s performance as secretary of state, and the FBI investigation into Clinton’s private email server use.

Tuesday, June 14

  • Maine will hold congressional primaries.
    • There is no Senate election in Maine in 2016.
    • Maine has two U.S. House districts. The state is split, with each party currently holding one seat.
    • Both incumbents are seeking re-election in 2016. Neither will face a primary challenger on Tuesday. Each seat is rated as safe for the party currently holding it.
  • South Carolina will hold congressional primaries.
    • The U.S. Senate seat currently held by Tim Scott (R) is up for election in 2016. Scott will face Thomas Dixon (D) in the general election. Neither candidate will face a primary opponent.
    • South Carolina has seven U.S. House districts. The Republican Party holds six of the seven seats. All incumbents are seeking re-election in 2016, but only two will face a primary challenger on Tuesday.
    • There are no battlegrounds in South Carolina in 2016. Each race is rated as safe for the party that currently holds it.
  • Virginia will hold congressional primaries.
    • There is no Senate election in Virginia in 2016.
    • Virginia has 11 U.S. House districts. The Republican Party currently holds eight seats, while Democrats hold the remaining three. However, there are only primary elections being held in three districts on Tuesday. The rest of the districts already nominated candidates at party conventions.
    • The districts holding primary elections are Districts 2, 4, and 6.

There are no battlegrounds in Virginia in 2016. However, District 4 is expected to flip from Republican to Democratic control due to redistricting. As a result, District 4 incumbent Randy Forbes is seeking re-election in the open District 2.  

Where was the president last week? Federal judiciary
President Barack Obama remained largely in Washington, D.C., this week. On Wednesday, he traveled to New York City to tape an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. On Thursday, he met with Bernie Sanders at the White House.  
  • 95 total federal judicial vacancies, including one Supreme Court vacancy
  • 66 pending nominations
  • 14 future vacancies

Back to top for State, Local, and fact checks updates

State and Local

What's on tap?

Ballotpedia’s fact-checking project published its 100th fact check this week! Fact Check by Ballotpedia examines claims made by elected officials, political appointees, and political candidates at the federal, state, and local levels. We evaluate claims made by politicians of all backgrounds and affiliations, subjecting them to the same objective and neutral examination process. This week, we asked if the Nevada State Assembly voted on a “700-page bill” the same day that bill was introduced. You can find the answer below.

 

Highlights

State

  • In protest of Donald Trump’s “racist remarks and judicial jihad,” Iowa State Senator David Johnson has suspended his membership with the Republican Party. Johnson changed his voter registration from “Republican” to “no party.” This change was made in reference to Trump’s statement that federal Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel was biased and could not fairly preside over the Trump University case because of his Mexican heritage. Johnson was quoted as saying, “mark me down as Never Trump.” The senator has not expressed any support for Hillary Clinton and has not decided whether or not he will quit the Republican Caucus in the Iowa Senate. In another case, Nebraska Senator Laura Ebke recently switched from the Republican Party to the Libertarian Party, citing dissatisfaction with Trump as a partial factor in that change.

Local

  • Whether you live in a city, a farm, or somewhere in between, you have probably heard some news of the minimum wage discussions happening in cities all over America. While the federal government sets a national minimum wage, state and local governments weigh-in on whether they want to deviate. Last Saturday, the Mayor and City Council president in Cleveland publicly opposed a proposal to increase the minimum wage in their city, and last Tuesday, the Washington, D.C., City Council approved a proposal to raise their minimum wage to $15. Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami Beach and San Diego have all approved, and some have begun implementing, an increased minimum wage. Check out all the details in our local section below.
 

State

The Week in Review

Ballot measures update

  • The next statewide ballot measure election is in North Dakota on June 14, when state voters will decide Referred Measure 1, a veto referendum designed to allow voters a chance to uphold or reject a state law allowing corporate dairy and swine farms to operate on no more than 640 acres of land.

Monday, June 6

  • The Louisiana State Legislature adjourned its regular session. Thirty minutes after the regular session adjourned, the legislature entered its second special session of the year. The special session will be used to fill the gaps in the state budget. By the time that the special session adjourns on June 23, the legislature will have been in session for 19 consecutive weeks in 2016. This would make it the longest weekly stretch that the legislature has been in session in its 204-year history. Louisiana is of 20 states under divided government. Republicans control the Senate by 11 seats and the House by 19 seats, while Democrats control the governor’s office.

Tuesday, June 7

  • Kansas Governor Sam Brownback announced he would be calling a special session of the state legislature in order to devise a plan for school funding. The announcement comes in response to the state supreme court’s ruling on May 27 that a new funding formula crafted by legislators was inequitable and violated the state’s constitution. The court has said it will shut down Kansas’ public schools on July 1 if the legislature does not submit a plan that satisfies the court by June 30. Governor Brownback is calling the special session despite his opposition to the court’s ruling. The governor did not set a date for the session. Kansas is one of 23 states with a GOP state government trifecta, meaning Republicans have full control over both the legislative and executive branches of government.
  • South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard (R) appointed Mike Jaspers as the new secretary of agriculture, replacing interim officeholder Dustin Oedekoven. Oedekoven assumed office in March 2016 when Secretary Lucas Lentsch resigned to take a job in the private sector. Jaspers, who is married to Lentsch's sister, is a state government veteran, having served six years in the state House before being appointed to fill a vacancy in the state Senate by Governor Mike Rounds (R), where he served for three years. He was appointed state director of USDA rural services by President George W. Bush in 2007 and served until 2008. Though Jaspers served in the legislature as a Republican, his new position is nonpartisan.
  • The state of Delaware confirmed it will begin covering expensive drugs to treat hepatitis C for Medicaid enrollees with the condition. The state had been operating under a policy of reserving coverage of the drugs for patients already afflicted with liver damage caused by the disease. The drugs, Sovaldi and Harvoni, have a 90 percent cure rate but cost $84,000 to $95,000 for a course of treatment. The new policy will be phased in over the next several months so that all hepatitis C-infected patients enrolled in Medicaid may receive coverage of the drugs beginning January 1, 2018. Delaware had been threatened with a lawsuit against the former policy from Harvard Law School's Center for Health Law & Policy Innovation; in 2015 and the beginning of 2016, federal class-action lawsuits were filed against five other states for similar policies.

ELECTION NIGHT REVIEW: Six states held primary elections; six incumbent legislators fell; state supreme court candidates advance to general election

  • Primary election: California
    • State legislature: There are 20 state Senate seats and 80 state Assembly seats up for election in November. Twenty-six incumbents—16 Democrats and 10 Republicans—faced primary competition. All 26 incumbents advanced through to the general election. Democrats control the Senate with a 12-seat majority and the Assembly by 24 seats.
  • Primary election: Iowa
    • State legislature: Challenger Wesley Breckinridge defeated incumbent state Representative Dan Kelley (D). Kelley was first elected in 2010. Breckinridge has not previously held office in the state legislature and will run against Patrick Payton (R) in the general election. Teresa Meyer (D) defeated Eric Stromberg (D) in Iowa’s House District 63 by only 38 votes. Neither candidate has previously held office in the state legislature. There are 25 state Senate seats and 100 state House seats up for election in November. Democrats control the Senate with a two-seat majority, while Republicans control the House by 14 seats. Both chambers are included in Ballotpedia’s list of top battlegrounds in 2016.
  • Primary election: New Mexico
    • State judiciary: All four candidates for two state court seats—one seat on the New Mexico Supreme Court and one seat on the New Mexico Court of Appeals—automatically advanced through the primary election to the November 8 general election. New Mexico selects justices and judges by assisted appointment, and appointees must stand in the next general partisan election following their appointments. Winners will serve out the remainder of their appointed terms and may stand for retention thereafter. Full terms are eight years. In both the contested supreme court race and the contested court of appeals race, the incumbents are recent appointees running to remain on the bench, and their challengers were among the judicial nominating commission’s initial list of candidates for the seats (but were not chosen by Republican Governor Susana Martinez). Incumbent Justice Judith Nakamura is currently the only Republican on the state supreme court; if she is defeated in November by challenger Judge Michael Vigil, the court will return to 100 percent Democratic, as it was before her appointment.
    • State executives: Incumbent Public Regulation Commissioner for District 1 Karen Montoya (D) was defeated by primary challenger Cynthia Hall (D). Hall, an attorney for the commission, will appear uncontested on the general election ballot. The incumbent for District 3 ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and will also run unopposed in the general election. Write-in candidate for public education commissioner Denise M. Dawson secured the Democratic nomination in District 8 with 216 votes despite the empty ballot. She is the presumptive winner of the November general election, as no Republicans declared, and she will represent around 125,000 registered voters in the district. Candidates in Districts 1, 4, and 9 were unopposed; no one ran in District 10. Major candidates for secretary of state were unopposed and will compete in the general election.
    • State legislature: Incumbent Idalia Lechuga-Tena (D) was defeated by challenger Debra Marie Sarinana (D). Lechuga-Tena was sworn in on November 10, 2015, to replace the previous representative, who resigned. Sarinana was backed by union groups and will be unopposed in the general election. Vicki Chavez (R) defeated J. Scott Chandler (R) by only 16 votes in New Mexico’s House District 32. Neither Chavez nor Chandler have previously held office in the state legislature. Mary Hotvedt (D) defeated Karen Whitlock (D) by only 31 votes in New Mexico’s House District 38. Neither Hotvedt nor Whitlock have previously held office in the state legislature. There are 42 state Senate seats and 70 state House seats up for election in November. Both chambers are included in Ballotpedia’s list of top battlegrounds in 2016. Democrats control the Senate with a six-seat majority, while the House is under a four-seat GOP majority.
  • Primary election: South Dakota
    • State legislature: Incumbent state Sen. Bruce Rampelberg (R) and state Rep. Dick Werner were defeated by primary opponents. Werner received the fewest votes in a four-way primary. There are 35 state Senate seats and 70 state House seats up for election in November. Eighteen incumbents, all Republicans, faced primary competition. Both chambers are controlled by significant Republican majorities, and South Dakota is one of 23 states with a GOP state government trifecta.
  • Filing deadline: Hawaii
    • State legislature: Hawaii has 14 state Senate and 51 state House seats up for election in 2016. Democrats have significant majorities in both chambers. With a Democratic governor, Hawaii is one of seven states with a Democratic state government trifecta. A total of 102 Democrats and 38 Republicans have filed to run for the state legislature. Three incumbent Democrats did not file for re-election, but state Rep. Karl Rhoads (D) is running for the one open seat in the state Senate. Out of the 65 seats up for election in 2016, 32 Democrats and two Republicans are guaranteed election barring unforeseen circumstances. Two major party candidates will face off in the other 31 races.
  • Filing deadline: Massachusetts
    • State legislature: Massachusetts has 40 state Senate and 160 state House seats up for election in 2016. Both chambers are held by Democrats with comfortable majorities. With a Republican governor, Massachusetts is one of 20 states with split government control.

Wednesday, June 8

  • The Michigan Legislature gave final approval to a $54.9 billion state budget and sent the bill to Governor Rick Snyder for approval. Republican lawmakers approved the bill, but Democrats criticized it for not providing for working families. The bill was approved 71-37 in the House and 26-11 in the Senate, with division mostly along party lines. With this budget, lawmakers approved a $16.1 billion education budget, with the non-education portion totaling $38.8 billion. The state has requested $236 million to deal with the Flint water crisis, and the budget provides for $41.3 million of that total, bringing the total amount signed into law to deal with the crisis to $68 million. As of June 2016, Michigan was one of 23 Republican state government trifectas.
  • Governor John Kasich signed into law a limited medical marijuana law, making Ohio the 25th state in the nation to allow the use and purchase of marijuana for medicinal purposes. The law goes into effect in 90 days and makes it legal for citizens to cross borders to buy cannabis in other states for treating various medical conditions. It also allows for infrastructure to be built for the cultivation and sale of medical marijuana in Ohio eventually. Of the 25 states permitting medical marijuana, 11 states achieved legalization via statewide ballot measure and 14 states passed laws in their state legislatures approving medical marijuana use.
  • Last week, the Illinois General Assembly adjourned its spring session with Republican Governor Bruce Rauner and a majority Democratic legislature still undecided on a state budget. After the special session adjourned, House Speaker Michael Madigan (D) said that House lawmakers would meet every Wednesday in June to solve the budget crisis. Speaker Madigan canceled the first House session on June 8 because he didn’t want to interrupt the budget groups that were meeting behind closed doors. Gov. Rauner said on the canceled session, “They want a crisis in the schools. They want a crisis in the government to leverage a Chicago bailout and leverage a big tax hike without any reforms.” The governor wants to limit collective bargaining rights for public unions, and legislators want to increase taxes—a disagreement that sits in the midst of some other internal conflicts among House and Senate Democrats. The lack of a state budget puts schools in Illinois at risk; many are worried that they will not receive state funds this year unless the governor gets a budget from the legislature.
  • The Vermont State Legislature held a one-day veto session to override Gov. Peter Shumlin's (D) veto on a renewable energy bill. Instead of overriding the veto on Senate Bill 230, the Senate and House suspended rules and passed Senate bill 260, which clarified the language that was in the original bill. The veto session cost taxpayers more than $40,000. Gov. Shumlin is expected to sign the new bill into law.

Thursday, June 9

  • The Michigan Board of State Canvassers unanimously approved a recall petition against Attorney General Bill Schuette (R) over the Flint water crisis. The petition, submitted by Calvin Hodges of Sterling Heights, states the reason for recall, saying that Schuette “publicly announced that he had appointed attorney Todd Flood as special counsel to spearhead … the Flint water crisis probe." Schuette appointed Flood on January 25, 2016, along with a team of investigators under a $1.5 million contract. He was later criticized for the appointment due to contributions made by Flood to the political campaigns of both Schuette and Governor Rick Snyder (R). Hodges called the team of investigators "a waste of taxpayers' money," as the state employs its own investigators, who Hodges asserts should have handled the case. Schuette had earlier cited the many civil lawsuits filed against various state agencies over the Flint water crisis as a conflict of interest for his investigators, so he therefore hired an outside agency. Petition backers must collect 789,133 signatures within a 60-day period in order to get the recall on the ballot. In other state recall news, the petition drive to recall Governor Snyder extended its collection deadline to June 27, disqualifying all signatures collected during the first three weeks.
  • West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin (D) has vetoed a budget from the state legislature. The budget covered a $270 million gap, but Tomblin wrote that the plan was “irresponsible” because it relied on $292 million in one-time cash from account sweeps and the state Rainy Day Fund. This was the legislature’s third attempt at a budget, and without one, the state government will shut down on July 1. State revenue this year was worse than expected due to hits to the coal and natural gas markets. Tomblin has offered the legislature tax increase ideas, but the House has historically rejected tax hikes and isn’t expected to vote differently, especially in an election year.

Friday, June 10

  • Filing deadline: New Hampshire
    • State executives: Only one seat is up for election in 2016; governors of New Hampshire serve only two-year terms and are elected in even-numbered years. Governor Maggie Hassan is running for election to the U.S. Senate, leaving the governor’s seat open. Five Republicans filed to run for the nomination, including Executive Councilor and former Governor John Sununu’s son Chris Sununu, state Senator Jeanie Forrester, and state Rep. Frank Edelbut. Five candidates also declared for Democratic primary race, including Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern and former Deputy Secretary of State Mark Connolly. This race is currently rated as a toss-up.
    • State legislature: New Hampshire has 24 state Senate and 400 state House seats up for election in 2016. Republicans have a four-seat majority in the Senate and a 79-seat majority in the House. With a Democratic governor, New Hampshire is one of 20 states with split government control. Both chambers are included in Ballotpedia’s list of top battlegrounds in 2016.

 

What’s On Tap Next Week

Saturday, June 11

Monday, June 13

Tuesday, June 14

ELECTION NIGHT PREVIEW: Battleground legislative elections take place in Maine and Nevada; GOP candidates square off for North Dakota governor.

  • Primary election: South Carolina
    • State legislature: South Carolina has 46 state Senate and 124 state House seats up for election in 2016. Republicans have a 10-seat majority in the Senate and a 30-seat majority in the House. With a Republican governor, South Carolina is one of 23 Republican state government trifectas.

Thursday, June 16

 

State government in session

Nine states are in regular session; Alaska, California, and Louisiana are in special session.

  • CA, DE, MA, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI.

Two states are in recess:

  • WV special session in recess until 6/12/2016
  • MI until 7/13/2016

Adjourned regular sessions:

  • AK, AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, ME, MO, MN, MS, NE, NM, NH, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY.

States with no regular 2016 sessions:

  • MT, ND, NV, TX.

All states whose initials appear in red or blue in the above list have unified Republican or Democratic Party control across the state house, the state senate, and the office of the governor. Ballotpedia identifies these as “trifectas.” There are seven Democratic and 23 Republican trifectas.

State government special elections

As of this week, 40 seats have been filled through legislative special elections in 2016. Seven involved party changes: four from Republican to Democratic (Oklahoma, SD 34; Massachusetts, HD Twelfth Essex; Kentucky, HD 62; and New Hampshire, HD Rockingham 21) and three from Democratic to Republican (Texas, HD 118; Minnesota, HD 50B; and New York, SD 9). Another six (not including runoff elections) have been scheduled in 19 states. An average of 37 seats were filled through special elections in each of the past three even years (2010: 26, 2012: 45, and 2014: 40).

Last week

Local

The Week in Review

2016 elections

  • Most elections, including local elections, are held during spring and fall months. Summer and winter months contain relatively few elections and filing deadlines.

Saturday, June 4

  • In Cleveland, Mayor Frank Jackson (D) and City Council president Kevin Kelley publicly opposed a proposal to raise the city’s minimum wage from $8.10 to $15 per hour. The proposal was brought to the Cleveland City Council after the group Raise up Cleveland, backed by the Service Employees International Union, sponsored a petition drive to collect signatures in support of the wage increase. If passed, the measure would only affect the city of Cleveland, not Ohio as a whole, and would gradually raise the wage to $15 by 2020. Proponents argue that the increase is needed to keep Cleveland’s business sector regionally competitive and to propel workers into the middle class. Opponents claim that the wage hike would ultimately lead to lost jobs and would be implemented too quickly for businesses to adjust. Letters of opposition that were sent to multiple state and national leaders on June 3, however, cited the Cleveland-only portion of the proposal as the main cause for the city leadership’s dissent. The city council has not voted on the measure during the two hearings held on the matter. If the proposal is voted down or is amended before adoption, petitioners can opt to bring the original proposal back to voters.
    • Debates over the minimum wage have become commonplace in cities across the United States.
      • Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., have all begun implementation of $15 per hour minimum wages in recent years. In 2014, the Seattle City Council unanimously supported a minimum wage increase for full implementation in 2021, and San Francisco voters approved a ballot measure to phase in the full wage hike by 2018. The Los Angeles City Council soon followed in 2015 when it voted 14-1 to enact the increase by 2020. A third California city, San Mateo, is expected to enact a $15 per hour minimum wage ordinance in July. It would phase into effect in 2018 with some exemptions ending in 2020. On June 7, 2016, the Washington, D.C., City Council unanimously approved a proposal to raise the city’s minimum wage to $15 by 2020.
      • Two more cities—Miami Beach, Florida, and San Diego, California—recently approved smaller minimum wage hikes. The Miami Beach City Commission voted in favor of increasing the minimum wage to $10.31 in 2018 with an increase over time until it reaches $13.31 in 2021. San Diego voters approved Proposition I by more than 63 percent of the vote, which will increase the city’s minimum wage to $11.50 in January 2017.

Monday, June 6

  • In an effort to prevent agribusiness giant Cargill from leaving Wichita, Kansas offered the company a large incentive package dubbed Project Orion. Records of the deal signed on May 19, 2016, were released to the Associated Press and name multiple tax exemptions for the company, including exemptions from state, city, and school district sales taxes, in return for Cargill’s pledge to remain in the state for another 15 years. The city of Wichita will also provide the company with industrial building bonds and will shoulder half of the cost of a $15 million parking lot. While the full details of the agreement are not known, the government incentive package for Cargill is estimated to total almost $10 million over 10 years. According to Wichita State University’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research, the decision to extend these incentives to Cargill increases the attractiveness of Kansas to other businesses. "Companies like Cargill staying in the state is important for the workforce here. … It shows that there are viable reasons a company can be here because they remain competitive here," said Executor Director Jeremy Hill.
    • Not all Wichita residents are pleased with the tax abatements, however. The Wichita School District filed a lawsuit against the state citing potential budget shortfalls, which could impact the district’s funding equation. Over the next decade, the district is estimated to lose nearly $1.5 million in tax revenue, and the state of Kansas is expected to lose another $3 million. Proponents stated that the city and state will benefit from the continued presence of Cargill, offsetting the lost revenue. The lawsuit is currently pending. Wichita is the largest city in Kansas and the 49th-largest city in the U.S. by population.

Tuesday, June 7

  • The Washington, D.C., City Council unanimously approved a proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has publicly endorsed the wage increase and said she will sign the proposal in July. Once the proposal is ratified, the minimum wage will gradually increase until it reaches $15 in 2020, and inflation would drive any future rate hikes. This wage increase will primarily affect workers in the retail and restaurant industries, but it excludes restaurant workers who receive tips. Under current law, the $10.50 minimum wage was scheduled to increase to $11.50 next month. Supporters of the change cite the city’s high cost of living and point to the precedent set by recent minimum wage increases in Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Opponents warn that the increase could negatively impact job growth in the District. "I think it will do more harm than good, because what it does is it prices entry-level jobs away from people,” said U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R). Washington, D.C., is the 24th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
  • The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved legislation that restricts commercial postings from short-term housing rental websites such as Airbnb. A similar but more extensive citizen-initiated measure, Proposition F, was defeated in 2015. Under the new law, only residents registered with the city as hosts are permitted to post short-term listings. Any individual or business found posting a noncompliant listing can be fined up $1,000 per day. The legislation is intended to protect San Francisco’s housing availability from the potential drain of short-term rentals. Some residents believe that these rentals worsen the city’s housing crisis. Because 10 supervisors voted in favor of the bill, a veto from Mayor Ed Lee (D) would likely be overridden. Only eight votes would be needed to override a veto from the mayor, although he has not taken a public position. San Francisco is the fourth-largest city in California and the 14th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
    • Critics from the business community argue that the law violates the federal protection of internet freedom. Airbnb claims that “an estimated 1,200 San Franciscans avoided foreclosure or eviction by hosting on Airbnb, and this legally-questionable proposal puts their housing at risk without offering any real solutions to fix the complex process.” The city attorney’s office contends that the law restricts business practices, not internet content. Despite these challenges, the new legislation will take effect within 30 days. Once in place, the San Francisco Office of Short-Term Rentals will be required to complete quarterly compliance reports. All short-term rental websites will have to provide additional information on any individual who advertises a listing.
    • On June 1, 2016, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray (D) and Councilman Tim Burgess (D) proposed limiting short-term rentals to improve the city’s housing market. Their plan would allow only primary residences to be listed year-round on services such as Airbnb and VRBO, whereas secondary residences would be limited to 90 nights per calendar year. According to Airbnb, short-term rentals have generated more than $30 million in revenue for Seattle rental property owners. Seattle is the largest city in Washington and the 22nd-largest city in the U.S. by population.
  • 149 local measures appeared on ballots across California

Voters in California decided on 149 local ballot measures, which pertained to everything from school bonds and taxes to marijuana, fracking, and development. Local measures such as these allow voters in cities, counties, school districts, and special districts across the state to decide issues that directly impact their lives. In Butte County, voters approved citizen initiative Measure E, which banned fracking, an oil and gas extraction method previously allowed by state law. Other measures included about $6 billion in proposed local school debt, nine marijuana-related measures, and proposals determining the fate of hundreds of acres of property and dozens of development projects.

  • One of the four seats on the Chula Vista City Council in California was up for general election. Candidates Mike Diaz and Rudy Ramirez will move on to a runoff election on November 8, 2016. The candidates defeated two other challengers in the race, but both failed to win the majority of votes needed to secure the District 4 seat outright. Chula Vista is the 14th-largest city in California and the 76th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
  • The mayor’s office in Riverside, California, was up for general election. Mayor Rusty Bailey (I) won a second term in office after defeating five challengers, including City Councilman Paul Davis. Riverside is the 12th-largest city in California and the 59th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
  • The mayor’s office and three of the seven seats on the Fresno City Council in California were up for primary election. Fresno City Councilman Lee Brand and candidate Henry Perea won enough votes to advance in the mayoral race to the general election on November 8, 2016. In the city council election, the District 2 and District 4 incumbents ran unopposed for re-election. District 6 candidate Garry Bredefeld defeated three challengers in the primary race. Because Bredefeld won more than 50 percent of the vote, he won the seat outright and will not appear on the ballot in the general election. Fresno is the fifth-largest city in California and the 34th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
  • The mayor’s office and four of the nine seats on the Sacramento City Council in California were up for primary election. Mayor Kevin Johnson (D) opted not to file for re-election, which left the mayor’s office open for a newcomer. Former State Sen. Darrell Steinberg (D) won more than 50 percent of the vote and defeated six other candidates to win the race outright. He is the mayor-elect and will not appear in the general election on November 8, 2016. Sacramento is the sixth-largest city in California and the 35th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
  • Mayor Kevin Faulconer won re-election in San Diego, the largest city in America with a Republican mayor.
    • The mayor’s office and five of the nine seats on the San Diego City Council in California were up for primary election. Mayor Kevin Faulconer (R) won re-election by defeating two Democratic challengers and a write-in candidate in the race. Faulconer received more than 50 percent of the vote and thereby won a full four-year term after first taking office via a special election in 2014. The open races for the District 1 and District 9 seats on the city council advanced to a runoff election to be held November 8, 2016. San Diego is the second-largest city in California and the eighth-largest city in the U.S. by population.
    • Click here for Ballotpedia’s special coverage of mayoral partisanship and what’s at stake in America’s big city elections in 2016.
  • Five of the 11 seats on the San Jose City Council in California were up for primary election. Candidates Steve Brown and Sergio Jimenez will advance to the general election for the District 2 seat. In District 4, incumbent Manh Nguyen won re-election in the primary as did District 10 incumbent Johnny Khamis. Helen Chapman and Devora Davis in District 6 and Sylvia Arenas and Jimmy Nguyen in District 8 will all advance to the general election on November 8, 2016. San Jose is the third-largest city in California and the 10th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
  • The mayor’s office and three of six seats on the Stockton City Council in California were up for primary election. In the mayoral race, Mayor Anthony Silva (R) and city council member Michael Tubbs both advanced to the general election on November 8, 2016. No candidate won more than 50 percent of the vote in the District 2, District 4, or District 6 races for city council. Two candidates from each district will appear on the ballot in November. Stockton is the 13th-largest city in California and the 64th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
  • One of eight seats on the Winston-Salem City Council in North Carolina was up for special primary election. The South Ward seat was on the regular primary ballot on March 15, 2016, and the official vote count from the Democratic primary showed Carolyn Highsmith ahead of John Larson by six votes. During a recount, county election officials found that 31 voters received ballots for other ward districts and 12 ineligible votes were submitted. On April 6, 2016, the North Carolina State Board of Elections ordered a new special election for the South Ward seat due to these discrepancies. Larson defeated Highsmith in the special election and will proceed to the general election on November 8, 2016, which will also feature elections for the mayor’s seat and the other seven seats on the city council. Winston-Salem is the fifth-largest city in North Carolina and the 85th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
  • FILING DEADLINE: The deadline passed to run for the mayor's office and five city council seats in Honolulu, Hawaii. The city primary election will be held on August 13, 2016, and the general election will be held on November 8, 2016. Mayor Kirk Caldwell (D) is running for re-election to his office. Honolulu is the largest city in Hawaii and the 54th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
  • Montana and New Mexico held primary elections for local judgeships:
    • Montana: Four district court judgeships were up for nonpartisan primary election. Two of the four races featured incumbent judges running for re-election. Since none of the four races featured more than two candidates, all candidates advanced from the primary. The general election, which will also feature nine judges up for retention election, will be held on November 8, 2016.
    • New Mexico: Four district court judgeships and two metropolitan court judgeships were up for partisan primary election. Two of the district court races and both of the metropolitan court races were Democratic primaries, and the other two district court races were Republican primaries. Four of the six races featured an incumbent running for re-election. District court candidate Cindy Leos will advance to the general election with incumbents Emilio Chávez, Albert Mitchell, and Daniel Bryant. The general election will also feature five district court judges, five probate court judges, and two magistrate court judges running in retention elections. In the race for the Bernalillo Metropolitan Court, incumbent Christine Rodriguez and candidate Renee Torres will advance to the general election. Nine of the 12 incumbents are Republicans, and the other three are Democrats serving on district courts. The general election will be held on November 8, 2016.
  • Some of the largest school districts in California and South Dakota held elections for school board positions:
    • California: Two of the state’s largest school districts by student enrollment held elections.
      • Three of the five school board seats in the San Diego Unified School District were up for primary election. Because no more than two candidates ran in each race, all of the candidates advanced to the general election on November 8, 2016. The San Diego Unified School District served 130,303 students during the 2013-2014 school year.
      • Four of the seven school board seats in the Twin Rivers Unified School District were up for general election. Only three of the seats appeared on the ballot, however, since only incumbent Michael Baker ran for the Trustee Area 1 seat. Basim Elkarra defeated Michelle Deleon in the Trustee Area 5 race. The Democratic Party of Sacramento County endorsed Elkarra in the election and challenged Deleon's ability to label herself an "educator" on her candidate statement. After a judge ruled in favor of the party's challenge, Deleon was required to change her description to "community volunteer." The Twin Rivers Unified School District served 31,122 students during the 2013-2014 school year.
    • South Dakota: Two of the seven school board seats in the Rapid City Area School District were up for general election. The Area 3 race featured incumbent Dave Davis facing a pair of challengers for his re-election bid. Davis lost the race to newcomer Ron Riherd. In Area 6, three newcomers competed for an open seat, with Amy Policky winning the race. The Rapid City Area School District served 13,353 students during the 2013-2014 school year.
  • In California, Yermo Community Services District Directors Bob Smith and Geoff Berner were removed from their positions in a recall election. Voters chose Michael Cint and Clarissa Loehr as their respective successors. The recall effort began due to accusations that Smith and Berner had mismanaged the district and failed to take responsibility for their actions. A group called Citizens For a Better Yermo organized the recall effort. Smith initially announced his intention to resign from office in September 2015, but he rescinded his resignation in December 2015. Another member of the board of directors, Sean Cloughen, was also originally targeted for recall, but he resigned before the election. The Yermo Community Services District is facing two lawsuits: one for wrongful death and another for wrongful termination. A fourth director, David Jensen, criticized the recall effort and stated that members of Citizens For a Better Yermo are “non taxpayers, non property owners, felons, liars and those who sue the CSD for profit.”
    • In 2015, Ballotpedia covered 180 recall efforts organized against 275 officials. Of the 61 officials whose recalls made it to the ballot, 40 were ousted and 21 were retained.
    • Click here for more California recalls and here for more historical special district recalls.

Thursday, June 9

  • Two years after the Michigan state government kept Detroit out of bankruptcy, the state legislature decided to do the same for Detroit Public Schools. A $617 million bailout narrowly passed the Michigan Senate by a vote of 19-18 and will make its way to Gov. Rick Snyder’s (R) desk. If signed, the law would split the school district in two and relieve it of its debt. The new district, Detroit Community Schools, would educate students, while the old district would serve as the district’s tax base and would be used to resolve the district’s debt over eight and a half years. The plan, supported by a unified GOP, has been criticized by Michigan Democrats who argue that it supports school choice and charter schools to the detriment of the public school system. Critics are also concerned that the money is inadequate to fix a district facing a large decline in student enrollment and that the proposal would not create an oversight committee to check the growth of Detroit-area charter schools. No alternatives, however, were proposed by the Democratic Party or community opposition. The school district was in danger of declaring bankruptcy during the upcoming summer months due to its budget crunch. Detroit is the largest city in Michigan and the 18th-largest city in the U.S. by population.

 

What’s On Tap Next Week

Saturday, June 11

  • In Texas, Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District will hold a special election for Place 7 on the school board. Two newcomers ran for the open seat on May 7, 2016, but the election ended in a tie after city officials counted 1,422 votes for each candidate. The sitting school board determined that a special election for the position was necessary when neither candidate chose to concede the race.
    • In the event of a tied vote, Texas law gives the candidates the option to toss a coin to determine the winner. Both Jaimez and Mercado-Garza declined this option, however, citing the duty to honor supporters through a continued campaign. This decision triggered a formal recount by Harlingen City Hall, which confirmed the tie and led to the certification of the tied results on May 17, 2016. The school district’s chief financial officer, Julio Cavazos, reported that the recount cost the district $2,000 and that the special election will cost another $30,000.

Tuesday, June 14

  • Two of the four seats on the Reno City Council in Nevada are up for primary election. All four seats will be up for grabs in the general election, which will be held on November 8, 2016. Since the candidates running in Ward 3 and Ward 5 are both unopposed, neither race will be on the primary ballot. Reno is the third-largest city in Nevada and the 89th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
  • FILING DEADLINE: Deadline to run for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in California. Six of 11 city council seats will be up for general election on November 8, 2016. San Francisco is the fourth-largest city in California and the 14th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
  • FILING DEADLINE: Deadline to run for the mayor’s office and four of the 11 city council seats in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The city general election will be held on November 8, 2016. Virginia Beach is the largest city in Virginia and the 39th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
  • Maine will hold primary elections for seven probate court judgeships across the state. Only the race for the Oxford County Probate Court is contested. Two Republicans and one Democratic candidate will participate in partisan primaries for that position. In total, five Democrats and four Republicans are running for the seven positions. Probate judges are elected to four-year terms and serve in the position part-time. The deadline to file in the race was March 15, 2016, and the general election will take place on November 8, 2016.
  • Nevada will hold a nonpartisan primary election for one district court judgeship in District 8, Department 20. The two candidates who receive the greatest number of votes will advance to the general election on November 8, 2016. Two additional district court judgeships will also hold general elections in November. Nevada district court judges serve six-year terms. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was January 15, 2016. The general election will be held on November 8, 2016.
  • North Dakota will hold a nonpartisan primary election for 23 district court judgeships. Only two of the seats saw enough candidates file for the primary to determine which candidates will advance to the general election on November 8, 2016. The two candidates who receive the greatest number of votes in each race will advance to the generals. Both races feature open seats where the sitting judge is not seeking re-election. Just two more seats saw more than one candidate file, meaning only four contested races will appear on the general election ballots. North Dakota District Court judges serve six-year terms.
  • Ten of South Carolina's 46 counties will hold primary elections for probate court judgeships. While a general election will be held November 8, 2016, the races will be decided in the primaries. This is because each seat up for election only saw candidates from one party—Democratic or Republican—file for each race. South Carolina election law does allow for a possible second primary, but no such runoff primary will be necessary since no more than two candidates filed within each party for any one seat.
  • Some of the largest school districts across Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina will hold elections for school board positions:
    • Nevada: Three of the state’s largest school districts by enrollment are holding elections.
      • Four of the seven seats on the Clark County School District school board are up for primary election. The general election will be held on November 8, 2016. The Clark County School District served 320,532 students during the 2013-2014 school year.
      • In the Elko County School District, a primary election will be held for five of the seven school board seats. The general election will be held on November 8, 2016. The Elko County School District served 9,945 students during the 2013-2014 school year.
      • The Washoe County School District is also holding a primary election for four of its seven seats. The general election will be held on November 8, 2016. The Washoe County School District served 65,550 students during the 2013-2014 school year.
    • North Dakota: Two of the state’s largest school districts by enrollment are holding elections.
      • Two of the five school board seats in Bismarck Public Schools are up for at-large general election. Only three candidates filed in the race, including two incumbents. Bismarck Public Schools served 12,012 students during the 2013-2014 school year.
      • Fargo Public Schools will hold an at-large general election for four of nine school board seats. A single incumbent filed for re-election and will face eight challengers in the race. Fargo Public Schools served 11,101 students during the 2013-2014 school year.
    • South Carolina: The Kershaw County School District will hold a general election for five of nine school board positions. Only the District 5 race is contested between multiple candidates. The other four unopposed races will not appear on the ballot. The Kershaw County School District served 10,493 students during the 2013-2014 school year.
  • FILING DEADLINE: Deadline to run for 24 school board seats across five of Virginia’s largest school districts. Five of 11 school board seats are up for election in Virginia Beach City Public Schools, which is the largest of the five districts. It served 70,556 students during the 2013-2014 school year. The general election for these districts will be on November 8, 2016.

 

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