The Tap: Super-er Tuesday?

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March 14, 2016Issue No. 7

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What happened last week: March 7 - March 13
What's happening this week: March 14 - March 20

Navigate The Tap by clicking the tabs below:

Federal

What's on tap?

  • Presidential contests:
    • Michigan
      • Bernie Sanders won the Michigan Democratic primary election in a major upset over Hillary Clinton. Polling in early March and late February showed Clinton with a lead over Sanders ranging from 11 to more than 30 percentage points.
      • Donald Trump won the Michigan Republican primary. Exit polls, a representative sampling of voters as they left their precinct polling stations, show that Trump competed closely with Ted Cruz and John Kasich for a variety of different voting groups in the state. Trump outperformed his rivals with men, older voters and voters without college degrees.
    • Mississippi
      • Hillary Clinton won the Mississippi Democratic primary with more than 80 percent of the vote. Exit polls show that Clinton performed well with nearly every major demographic in the state.
      • Donald Trump won the Mississippi Republican primary. Trump won most of Mississippi's major voting groups, including men, women, and voters of all educational backgrounds and personal incomes.
 

Federal

Last week

Last week, President Barack Obama held meetings with potential candidates for the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

The names below have been reported by various news outlets as individuals that the White House is vetting as a potential nominee to replace Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.


March 7

  • The Supreme Court issued its first three rulings of the January session. The justices unanimously ruled to restore an unmarried Alabama woman’s legal right to adopt three children she raised with her former partner before the two separated in the case of V.L. v. E.L. In the case of Americold Realty Trust v. Conagra Foods, the court ruled that a trust is considered a citizen for the purposes of diversity jurisdiction in whichever states a trust’s members reside. The court also reversed a Louisiana man’s 2002 murder conviction in the case of Wearry v. Cain; the court found that the prosecution withheld evidence that violated the man’s due process.
  • David Walker, chief negotiator of the Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership, indicated that five additional countries have expressed interest in joining the agreement once it has been ratified. Korea, Indonesia, China, the Philippines and Thailand were all reportedly interested in the deal, according to Walker.
  • Former Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) joined the lobbying group Cassidy & Associates. Rahall served in the House from 1977 to 2015 and chaired the House Natural Resources Committee from 2007 to 2011. Cassidy & Associates focuses on defense, energy and natural resources policy, according to The Washington Post. Rahall was one of 13 incumbents to lose a re-election bid to the U.S. House in 2014.
  • At a Democratic debate, Hillary Clinton said she would increase regulations on fracking to the point where the practice would be effectively banned. She also expressed support for localities that vote to ban fracking. Clinton’s comments were viewed critically by fracking proponents and opponents, some of which dismissed the comments as campaign rhetoric. Fracking proponents argue that the procedure has brought down energy prices for consumers, while fracking opponents argue that Clinton should favor an outright fracking ban in order to address climate change. Although Clinton has moved further to the left on this issue, she is not for banning fracking outright, as is Bernie Sanders, who said in the debate that he does not support fracking and has been calling for it to be banned completely.

March 8

  • The Department of Health and Human Services rejected a House request to use “march-in rights”—a method for breaking a drug patent if that drug is unavailable to the public at reasonable terms. HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell declined to offer guidance on when “march-in” rights would apply.
  • Attorney General Loretta Lynch publicly took her name out of consideration for the Supreme Court seat left open after the death of Antonin Scalia. In a statement, Justice Department spokeswoman Melanie Newman said, “She is honored to serve as attorney general, and she is fully committed to carrying out the work of the Department of Justice for the remainder of her term.” Ballotpedia is tracking the possible nominees to replace Scalia’s seat. You can find that list here.
  • The State Department and Customs and Border Patrol proposed restoring a fine against airlines that bring travelers without current passports or visas to the United States. A similar regulation from 1996 was overturned in 2009 because it was not worked on by both the State Department and Immigration and Naturalization Service. The current proposed fine would be up to $4,300 for each traveler without proper documentation.
  • Mississippi held primaries for its four congressional districts. All primary candidates ran unopposed in Mississippi’s 2nd and 4th congressional districts, while Republican incumbents defeated primary challengers in Mississippi’s 1st and 3rd districts. Trent Kelly defeated primary challenger Paul Clever in the Mississippi’s 1st CD, while Gregg Harper defeated primary challenger Jimmy Giles. Democrats Dennis Quinn and Nathan Stewart battled for the Democratic Party nomination in Mississippi’s 3rd District, with Quinn winning the contest.
  • Neil Bush, brother of Jeb Bush and George W. Bush, endorsed Ted Cruz for president. Bush and his wife joined Cruz's national finance team.
  • The Obama administration made the first of several payments to the United Nations’ Green Climate Fund. The $500 million payment from the U.S. State Department is part of the administration’s $3 billion pledge to the fund, which is expected to go toward greenhouse gas reduction efforts and climate change mitigation projects in developing countries. The UN’s goal is to raise $100 billion from private and government sectors. Congressional Republicans promised to block the funding in 2015 as part of their effort to halt the Paris climate agreement. Though Congress’s 2015 spending bill did not finance the Green Climate Fund, it did not expressly forbid the State Department from spending its other funds on it.

March 9

March 10

  • Republicans held their 12th debate in Miami, Florida. It was sponsored by CNN, The Washington Times and Salem Media Group.
    • In a survey of more than 90 Republican and Democratic political insiders—party strategists, pollsters, media consultants, activists, lobbyists and allied interest group operatives—a solid plurality of the 64 Republicans who responded to the survey said Rubio was the “biggest winner” of the debate. Another 27 percent said that billionaire developer and current GOP frontrunner Donald Trump carried the night.

  • The U.S. Virgin Islands held their Republican presidential caucus. The territory elected six at-large, unpledged delegates. The territory's other three delegates are national party leaders, who are also unpledged to a specific candidate.
  • The Senate voted 94-1 for the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. The bill, which was sponsored by Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), “authorizes but doesn't appropriate funding for programs to combat prescription opioid abuse, in addition to increasing the availability of naloxone, a drug to treat overdose,” according to The Hill.
  • Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) announced that he will retire at the end of the year. Miller, who chairs the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, has served in the House since 2001 and was involved in the 2014 legislation to improve the healthcare system for veterans. With Miller’s retirement, 24 members have announced they will not seek re-election to the U.S. House in 2016.
  • Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) endorsed Ted Cruz. In a statement, he said, “Ted has kept those promises and every other promise he has made to the people of Texas. It is with that trust that he's earned that he's going to move forward and unite our party.” Lee is the first U.S. senator to endorse Cruz in the Republican presidential race.

March 11

  • Ben Carson endorsed Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, a club owned by Trump. He said of Trump, “He's actually a very intelligent man who cares deeply about America. There's two different Donald Trumps. There's the one you see on stage and the one that's very cerebral, sits there and considers things very carefully.” Carson and Trump reportedly met at the club the previous morning to finalize the endorsement, and Trump publicly announced the endorsement during Thursday’s Republican debate.
  • The conservative magazine National Review endorsed Ted Cruz for president. “Conservatives have had difficulty choosing a champion in the presidential race in part because it has featured so many candidates with very good claims on our support. As their number has dwindled, the right choice has become clear: Senator Ted Cruz of Texas,” their endorsement read.
  • A planned Donald Trump campaign rally at the University of Illinois-Chicago Pavilion was cancelled on Friday amid concern for public safety. According to a statement released on Trump’s campaign website: “Mr. Trump just arrived in Chicago and after meeting with law enforcement has determined that for the safety of all of the tens of thousands of people that have gathered in and around the arena, tonight’s rally will be postponed to another date.” The Chicago Tribune reported, “As the crowd waited for the event to start, security escorted about a dozen protesters, a few at a time, out of the arena. After an organizer took to the stage to announce the plug had been pulled, a few skirmishes broke out between Trump backers and the protesters inside the arena.” Five people were arrested and two Chicago police officers were injured during the event, according to a Chicago Police Department spokesperson.
  • The funeral for former first lady Nancy Reagan was held at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California. Former president George W. Bush and first ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton and Rosalynn Carter were in attendance.
  • FILING DEADLINE: California congressional filing deadline
    • There are 53 U.S. House seats in California. Currently, 39 are held by Democrats and 14 are held by Republicans.
    • The U.S. Senate seat currently held by Barbara Boxer (D) will be up for election in 2016. She will retire at the end of this term.
    • There are two U.S. House battleground districts in 2016. Ballotpedia has identified CA-7, currently held by Ami Bera (D), and CA-25, currently held by Stephen Knight (R), to be battlegrounds in 2016.
    • Although the filing deadline has passed, the candidate list will not be certified until March 31. More details will be posted in April.
  • FILING DEADLINE: Georgia congressional filing deadline
    • There are 14 U.S. House seats in Georgia. Currently, four are held by Democrats and 10 are held by Republicans.
    • Johnny Isakson (R) is running for re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2016. He will face two challengers in the Republican primary.
    • There are no federal battlegrounds in Georgia in 2016.
    • There is one open seat, District 3. Seven Republicans will compete in the primary to replace Lynn Westmoreland (R). The seat is considered safely Republican.
    • Only five of the 13 incumbents seeking re-election in Georgia will face a primary challenge. Additionally, three incumbents are completely unopposed in both the primary and general elections.
  • FILING DEADLINE: Idaho congressional filing deadline

March 12

 

Congress is IN session SCOTUS is NOT in session
The Senate will be in session Monday-Friday. The House will be in session Monday-Thursday. SCOTUS is not hearing oral arguments this week. It will reconvene on March 21, 2016.

This week

March 13

Many are speculating that a nomination to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia could come as early as next week. “I think it’s important for me to nominate a Supreme Court nominee quickly because I think it’s important for the Supreme Court to have its full complement of justices,” President Barack Obama said during a news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Washington Post reported on March 12, citing sources, “Obama said this week that he wanted to make a decision quickly, and his announcement could come as early as next week.” The Post’s report indicated that the president had narrowed his choice to three candidates: Merrick Garland, Sri Srinivasan and Paul Watford.

March 14

March 15


March 16

  • FILING DEADLINE: District of Columbia congressional filing deadline
    • D.C. currently has one non-voting member of the U.S. House.
    • Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) is expected to seek re-election. She was first elected in 1990.

March 17

March 18

 

Where was the president last week? Federal judiciary
 
  • President Barack Obama remained mostly in Washington, D.C., last week. On Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in D.C. for an official visit.
  • Vice President Joe Biden and Jill Biden traveled to Abu Dhabi.
  
    • 83 total federal judicial vacancies and one Supreme Court vacancy
    • 42 pending nominations
    • 13 future vacancies

Back to top

State and Local

What's on tap?


 

Highlights

State

  • On March 8, sponsors of the Oregon $15 Minimum Wage Initiative suspended signature gathering and plan to withdraw their petition. Support for the measure declined following the passage of legislation that, by 2023, will see the minimum wage raised to $14.75 in the Portland Metro area, $12.50 in rural counties and $13.50 everywhere else. 15 Now Oregon said that it does not support the legislation, calling it “too low and too slow.” Minimum wage-related measures are certified for the ballot in Maine and South Dakota and could be put on 2016 ballots in at least nine other states, including California.

Local

  • On March 7, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) signed an executive order allowing people to use bathrooms based on their gender identity in city facilities. The mayor released a statement arguing, “Access to bathrooms and other single-sex facilities is a fundamental human right that should not be restricted or denied to any individual. Every New Yorker should feel safe in our city — and this starts with our city’s buildings.” In November 2015, Houston voters rejected an anti-discrimination ordinance that would have enacted similar policies in that city.
 

State

Last week

March 7

  • The Michigan State Board of Canvassers approved a third petition to recall Governor Rick Snyder (R). This is the one of two to address the Flint water crisis; the third approved petition refers to an executive order giving Snyder’s office control of the state’s office to reform schools, which was previously under the Michigan Department of Education. Michigan recalls have become significantly harder after Snyder himself approved changes to the state laws governing recalls, requiring stronger charges against officials and faster signature collection. Only two governors have ever been successfully recalled in the U.S.: Lynn Frazier (R-N.D.) in 1921 and Gray Davis (D-Calif.) in 2003.
  • The Alaska Voter Registration Amendment was certified to appear on the ballot on August 16, 2016. Upon voter approval, the citizen initiative would allow qualified individuals to register to vote when submitting a permanent fund dividend (PFD) application. Among the measure’s supporters are the NAACP, the League of Women Voters and the ACLU of Alaska. Proponents proposed the measure to increase the number of registered voters, arguing that more Alaska residents apply for the PFD than for a driver’s license.
  • In North Carolina, state officials filed their response to the legal complaint filed against the state's new congressional district map. The response read, in part, as follows: "The General Assembly of North Carolina scrupulously followed this court's order to draw a new congressional redistricting plan that does not use race as the predominant factor in the creation of districts. Indeed, it is beyond dispute that the 2016 Contingent Congressional Plan follows traditional redistricting criteria better than any congressional map in North Carolina for at least the past 25 years. The plan contains 87 whole counties and splits only 12 voting districts across the entire state. No county is split between more than two congressional districts. The new plan is not a gerrymander of any kind: the map speaks for itself."
  • The Arizona Senate passed legislation that allows public schools in the state to choose a standardized test other than the state’s AzMERIT test to assess student proficiency. Representative Paul Boyer (R-Phoenix), the bill’s sponsor, said the purpose of the legislation is to avoid redundancy in testing and give teachers and students “more face-to-face instruction time.” The Arizona State Board of Education would be responsible for approving alternative tests that align with the state’s education standards, building a “menu” of tests for schools to choose from. The Arizona Department of Education would then make the scores of the approved tests “comparable to one another.” The state House passed the bill earlier last week. Governor Doug Ducey (R) is expected to sign the legislation, which would make Arizona the first state to allow public schools to choose the standardized tests they give.

March 8

  • Though he had previously filed to run for re-election this year, Washington Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen (D) announced he would retire from office when his current term expires in January 2017. Owen was first elected in 1996 and has won re-election by a comfortable margin every four years since. He is the longest currently serving lieutenant governor in the United States. This leaves the 2016 lieutenant governor election an open race in a state where the governor’s office and the state House are controlled by Democrats and the state Senate by Republicans.
  • Twelve candidates filed to run against Oregon’s incumbent governor, Kate Brown (D), in the 2016 gubernatorial special election. Brown assumed the governor’s office in 2015 after Gov. John Kitzhaber (R) resigned amid an ethics scandal. Of the 12 challengers, none have held elected office before. The five Democrats, five Republicans and two independents bring an unusual mix to the election cycle, including four healthcare professionals, a retired car tester, a professional driver, a Walmart employee and a hemp farmer. Though Democrats have reliably won Oregon’s gubernatorial races for decades, recent contests have often been close; in 2002 and 2010, when the office was open, the races were decided by less than 3 percent.
  • The Utah Senate passed a bill that provides for a small expansion of the state’s Medicaid program. Eligibility for the program would increase from those with annual incomes up to 40 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) to those earning up to 55 percent of the FPL. About 16,000 Utahns would be newly eligible for the program. The expansion would cost the state $30 million while costing the federal government $70 million. Hospitals in the state said that they would pay $13.5 million of the state's costs.
    • Senate Democrats criticized the legislation for being far below what is provided by the Affordable Care Act, which allows states to expand Medicaid to cover individuals with incomes up to 138 percent of the FPL. Republicans praised the bill as a good compromise between the two parties. Governor Gary Herbert (R) is expected to sign the bill; the state will then need to obtain federal approval for its plan.
  • The campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders filed suit against Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted (R), alleging that Husted intends to prevent otherwise eligible 17-year-olds from voting in the state's presidential primary on March 15. According to Jeff Weaver, Sanders' campaign manager, "The secretary of state has decided to disenfranchise people who are 17 but will be 18 by the day of the general election. Those people have been allowed to vote under the law of Ohio, but the secretary of state of the state of Ohio has decided to disenfranchise those people to forbid them from voting in the primary that is coming up on March 15." Husted, meanwhile, maintained that state law does not permit 17-year-olds to vote in presidential primary elections. "If you are going to be 18 by the November election, you can vote, just not on every issue. That means 17-year-olds can vote in the primary, but only on the nomination of candidates to the general election ballot. They are not permitted to elect candidates, which is what voters are doing in a primary when they elect delegates to represent them at their political party's national convention."
  • A Virginia Question 1 was certified to appear on the ballot on November 8, 2016. Upon voter approval, the legislatively referred constitutional amendment would make it illegal for employers to require union membership as a condition of employment. Virginia currently has a right-to-work state statute in place, but if approved, the law would become part of the state’s constitution.
  • FILING DEADLINE: New Mexico
    • New Mexico held filing deadlines for 112 legislative seats. None of the 50 GOP legislators are set to face primary opposition. More than half of all New Mexico districts have only one major party candidate running in the general election.
    • In 2016, just 49.3 percent of all legislative seats have more than one general election candidate. Both chambers have been identified by Ballotpedia as one of 20 legislative battlegrounds to watch. Democrats hold a six-seat majority in the state Senate, while Republicans maintain a five-seat majority in the state House.
  • FILING DEADLINE: Oregon
    • Oregon’s filing period for judicial candidates and 75 legislative seats closed. Democrats control the state Senate by an 18-to-12 margin and the state House by a 35-to-25 margin.
    • Three incumbent state supreme court justices and five incumbent appellate judges will stand unopposed for election. Oregon’s supreme court justices and court of appeals judges are elected in nonpartisan elections to six-year terms and may run for re-election when their terms are up.

March 9

  • The United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit of Texas agreed to re-hear a challenge of Texas' voter identification law. As of March 2016, Texas is one of 19 states that require voters to present photo identification at the polls. The entire 15-member court will hear the case, a process referred to as "en banc review." According to The Atlantic, en banc reviews occur rarely. Of the 15 members of the Fifth Circuit, 10 were appointed by Republican presidents. No date has yet been set for oral arguments. Texas' voter identification law has been the subject of ongoing controversy. In 2012, the law was denied preclearance by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia (at the time, Texas and other jurisdictions were required by federal law to clear changes in their election laws with federal authorities). In June 2013, the United States Supreme Court issued its ruling in Shelby County v. Holder, which effectively rescinded the preclearance requirement. As a result, Texas' voter ID requirement took immediate effect. The law was subsequently challenged, with plaintiffs arguing that the law discriminated against minority groups. On October 9, 2014, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas struck down the law, ruling that it had been enacted "with unconstitutional discriminatory purpose." The United States Supreme Court intervened, ruling that the state could still enforce the law during the 2014 general election. On August 5, 2015, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit appeals court affirmed in part the district court's decision. State officials then requested that the case be reviewed by the entire Fifth Circuit bench.
  • The Florida Legislature unanimously voted to put a renewable energy amendment on the August 30, 2016, primary ballot rather than the November 8, 2016, general ballot. If approved by at least 60 percent of voters, the amendment would require legislators to exempt renewable energy devices such as solar panels from individual property taxes. According to one of the amendment’s sponsors, state Sen. Jeff Brandes (R), the amendment “opens the door for significant expansion of solar and renewable energy production in Florida.” Its placement on the August ballot is seen as a way to avoid confusion with Amendment 1, a measure on the November ballot that would allow Florida residents to own or lease solar energy equipment for personal use. Renewable energy groups oppose the November amendment, arguing that it would indirectly help state utilities at the expense of energy competitors. Utility groups such as Consumers for Smart Solar argue that the August amendment would make non-solar equipment owners subsidize the costs of electric grid access to those who do own solar equipment.
  • Louisiana lawmakers rushed in a last-minute effort to pass bills that would remedy a budget shortfall. The blitz came in the last 15 minutes of a 25-day special session called by Governor John Edwards. The Louisiana Constitution prevents legislators from using the regular session to pass revenue-raising measures. About $870 million of the $900 budget gap was filled, but lawmakers drew criticism for the pace at which the session was held.
  • To celebrate the passing of a bill that allows West Virginians to drink raw milk, state Del. Scott Cadle (R), one of the bill’s sponsors, brought raw milk to the capitol for his peers to drink. After consuming the raw milk, many lawmakers fell ill. Some lawmakers have called the illness coincidental and are blaming it on a common stomach virus. The CDC warns against drinking raw milk; the state health department is investigating the incident. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) signed the raw milk bill on March 3, and it will go into effect in late May.

March 10

  • The North Carolina State Board of Elections passed a motion to open a filing period for candidates to run for the North Carolina Supreme Court seat of Justice Robert Edmunds. Justice Edmunds was to have stood in a retention election in November—the first of its kind in North Carolina—but a panel of three judges in Wake County ruled North Carolina’s 2015 retention-election law unconstitutional on Friday, March 4. Under the election board’s motion, candidates may now file from March 16-25 to run in a contested election for the seat. Justice Edmunds would also have to file to run in this election. If three or more candidates file to run, the state will hold a primary on June 7, the date set for North Carolina’s special 2016 second primary for U.S. House of Representatives races. Justice Edmunds is part of the court’s 4-3 conservative majority, and he narrowly won re-election in his 2008 race against Democrat Suzanne Reynolds.
  • Following a 39-hour filibuster by Democrats, the Missouri Senate passed Joint Resolution 39 by a 23-7 vote. The bill would place a constitutional amendment before voters to prevent penalties for those opposed to participating in same-sex marriage ceremonies. The proposed amendment now moves to the state House, where Democrats do not have the same ability to filibuster. Missouri House rules limit members to 15 minutes of debate. Both chambers of the Missouri Legislature are controlled by Republican majorities. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon is a Democrat.
  • Ivy Spohnholz was sworn in as the District 16 representative in the Alaska House. Spohnholz, a Democrat, was appointed by Gov. Bill Walker (R) two days earlier. She replaces Max Gruenberg, who died last month at his residence in Juneau. Spohnholz is the development director of the Salvation Army Alaska. Republicans now control the state Senate 14-6 and the state House 23-16; Gov. Walker is an independent.
  • Judge Stephen R. McCullough was selected by the Virginia General Assembly to a seat on the Virginia Supreme Court left vacant by Justice LeRoy Millette’s 2015 retirement. Justices in Virginia are elected by a majority vote of both houses of the Virginia General Assembly to a term of 12 years. Virginia and South Carolina are the only states that use this method of judicial selection.
  • The Indiana General Assembly adjourned its regular session. The legislature meets in even-numbered years for 30 days and was required to adjourn by March 14. The legislature adjourned four days prior to the mandatory deadline to avoid logistical issues with hotel rooms for legislators because of the Big 10 men’s basketball tournament. The state is currently one of 23 Republican state government trifectas. Republicans currently hold the governor's office, the House by 42 seats and the Senate by 30 seats. Nine states have adjourned their legislative sessions in 2016.
  • The Utah Legislature adjourned its regular session. The legislature meets yearly for 45 calendar days. The state is currently one of 23 Republican state government trifectas. Republicans currently hold the governor's office, the House by 51 seats and the Senate by 19 seats.
  • The Washington Legislature adjourned its regular session. Since a supplemental budget was not passed during the regular session, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) immediately called lawmakers into a 30-day special session. The legislature meets in even-numbered years for 60 days and for 105 days in odd-numbered years. Democrats currently control the governor’s office and the Senate by two seats. Republicans hold the House by one seat. Washington’s Senate and House are two of the 20 chambers Ballotpedia has identified as 2016 battlegrounds.

March 11=

  • FILING DEADLINE: Georgia
    • There is an election for a seat on the Georgia Public Service Commission, a five-member commission responsible for regulating Georgia’s public utilities. All 5 seats on the commission are currently held by Republicans.
    • Additionally, there is one seat on the Georgia Supreme Court and two seats on the Georgia Court of Appeals up for election in 2016. Judges in Georgia are elected through nonpartisan elections.
    • One state executive office, Georgia’s public service commissioner, is up for election.
    • Georgia has 56 state Senate and 180 state House seats up for election in 2016. Republicans control both chambers by significant margins, and the state is one of 23 Republican trifectas.
  • FILING DEADLINE: Idaho
  • FILING DEADLINE: California
    • California has 20 state Senate and 80 state Assembly seats up for election. The official list of candidates is expected to be certified by March 31.
    • Democrats narrowly fall short of the two-thirds control for a supermajority on enacting budgets.
  • The Florida Legislature adjourned its regular session. The legislature meets yearly for 60 days. The state is currently one of 23 Republican state government trifectas. Republicans currently hold the governor's office, the House by 42 seats and the Senate by 12 seats. Currently, nine states have adjourned their legislative sessions.
  • The Virginia General Assembly adjourned its regular session. The General Assembly meets in even-numbered years for 60 days and for 30 days in odd-numbered years. Democrats currently hold the governor’s office, while Republicans hold the Senate by two seats and the House by 32 seats.

March 12

 

This week

March 14

  • FILING DEADLINE: Montana
  • FILING DEADLINE: Ohio independent candidates
  • The Louisiana State Legislature will convene its 2016 regular session. The session is projected to adjourn on June 6. The Republican Party controls the Louisiana Senate by 11 seats and the Louisiana House by 19 seats. Since the state’s governorship is controlled by Democrats, it is one of 20 states that are under divided government, and it is therefore not one of the state government trifectas. This is the first session of divided government since John Bel Edwards won election in November 2015. Louisiana had been a Republican trifecta since 2011.

March 15

March 17

March 18

  • FILING DEADLINE: Iowa
    • Iowa has 25 state Senate and 100 state House seats up for election in 2016. Two Republican organizations are targeting the state Senate as one of the most likely to have a new Republican majority. The chamber has been identified as a battleground chamber by Ballotpedia.
  • FILING DEADLINE: Nevada
    • There are 10 state Senate and 42 state Assembly seats up for election. Since Democrats only need to gain one seat to retake the state Senate, they are targeting two open Republican seats: District 6 and District 15. Other districts are being targeted by both parties for appearing favorable based on previous elections. The Senate's Democratic Caucus raised over $270,000, while the Republican Caucus raised around $84,000.

 

State government in session

Thirty-two states are in regular session; California and Washington are in special session.

AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MN, MS, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, RI, SC, SD, TN, VT.

Convening this week:

  • LA convenes on 3/14/2016.

Recesses:

  • NJ Assembly until 3/14/2016
  • PA until 3/14/2016
  • NH until 3/17/2016

Adjourned regular sessions:

  • FL, IN, NM, OR, UT, VA, WA, WV, WY.

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, 21 legislative special elections have been held in 2016. Six 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 two from Democratic to Republican (Texas, HD 118; and Minnesota, HD 50B). Another 19 (not including runoff elections) have been scheduled in 18 states. An average of 37 special elections were held in each of the past three even years (2010, 2012 and 2014).

Last week:

This week:

Local

Last week

March 7

March 8

  • Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) announced in a radio interview that the city’s budget shortfall would be higher than anticipated for fiscal year 2016. Turner, who was first elected in December 2015, increased the shortfall estimate from $126 million to between $145 and $160 million due to declines in sales tax revenue and local oil production royalty payments. He suggested that the city could eliminate dozens of open staff positions that had not yet been filled to reduce the budget shortfall, but he excluded vacant law enforcement positions from that plan. Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States by population and the largest city in Texas.
  • In Texas, the Crystal City Council voted 2-1 to approve a recall election for Mayor Ricardo Lopez, Mayor Pro-Tem Rogelio Mata and Councilman Marco Rodriguez. Crystal City came into the national spotlight after an FBI investigation resulted in a series of arrests and indictments for city officials due to charges ranging from bribery to illegal gambling to illegal transportation of migrants into the country. A headline by The Washington Post suggested that Crystal City may be “the most corrupt little town in America.”
  • In California’s San Luis Obispo County, both a district formation measure and a parcel tax measure were on the ballot and did not pass. The district formation measure would have created the Paso Robles Basin Water District, while the parcel tax measure would have instituted a tax to fund the operations of the new water district. Both measures needed to be approved by residents in order for either to be authorized. The district formation measure required simple majority approval, but the parcel tax measure required a two-thirds supermajority of voters in favor. Both were rejected by at least 74 percent of voters. Ballotpedia is covering all local ballot measure elections in California and all notable local ballot measures across the United States in 2016.
  • City officials in two different Arizona cities will face recall elections:
    • In Camp Verde, city council member Bruce George survived a recall election with more than 52 percent of voters casting ballots for him to stay in office. The recall effort was due to his vote for a 0.65 percent sales tax increase. George was not the only city official targeted for recall; Mayor Charlie German and fellow council members Robin Whatley and Jessie Jones were also targeted, but recall advocates were unable to gather enough petition signatures against them. George resigned from the city council on November 9, 2015, but Yavapai County Superior Court Judge David L. Mackey ordered that the recall election still be held because George's resignation occurred after the deadline for cancellation. George rescinded his resignation on November 15, 2015, and decided to stand for the recall election.
    • In Guadalupe, Mayor Rebecca Jimenez was recalled due to her September 2015 conviction for use of a forgery device. The conviction, restitution to the Arizona Department of Economic Security and unsupervised probation were part of a plea deal after Jimenez was indicted on four charges of welfare fraud for failure to count the salary of her children's father on food stamp documentation. In her response to the recall effort, Jimenez noted several of the city’s recent accomplishments, such as a budget surplus, and stated, “I have worked hard and tirelessly for all the good people of Guadalupe. I ran for council because I knew then like I know now that I am the type of leader that can work and achieve the type of change OUR town needs to move forward.” She lost to city council member Angie Perez, who received more than 81 percent of the vote, in the recall election.
  • FILING DEADLINE: Deadline passed to run for the mayor’s office and two of the five seats on the Portland City Commission in Oregon. The mayor is also a member of the city commission. The primary election will be on May 17, 2016. The primary election is functionally a general election; a second election (called the general election) on November 8, 2016, will only be held if no candidate receives a majority of votes cast in the primary election.

March 10

  • FILING DEADLINE: Deadline passed to run for the mayor’s office and five of the nine seats on the San Diego City Council in California. The primary election will be on June 7, 2016, and the general election will be on November 8, 2016. Although the city holds nonpartisan elections, the local Democratic and Republican parties often endorse candidates. Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who is running for re-election, was endorsed by the San Diego County Republican Party in his previous campaign. San Diego is the eighth-largest city by population in the United States.

March 11

  • FILING DEADLINE: Deadline passed to run for city offices in Fresno, Riverside, Sacramento, San Jose and Stockton in California. In 2016, 43 of America's 100 largest cities by population are holding elections.
  • FILING DEADLINE: Deadline passed to run for a total of 132 seats across 38 of Georgia’s largest school districts by student enrollment. Districts with nonpartisan school boards will hold their general elections on May 24, 2016. In races where no candidate wins a majority of votes cast, runoffs will be held on July 26, 2016. Districts with partisan school boards will hold primary elections on May 24, 2016. In primary elections where no candidate wins a majority of votes cast, a primary runoff will be held between the top two vote recipients on July 26, 2016. The general election for partisan school boards will be on November 8, 2016. Similar to the others, if no candidate receives a majority of the vote in that election, a runoff election will be held on December 6, 2016.
  • FILING DEADLINE: Deadline passed to run for four of the seven seats on the Twin Rivers Unified School District school board in California. The general election will be on June 7, 2016.
  • FILING DEADLINE: Deadline passed for local measures to be added to the ballot for the general election on June 7, 2016, in California.

 

This week

March 15

  • In North Carolina, Winston-Salem will hold a primary election for three seats on the city council. The Northeast Ward and South Ward are both holding Democratic primaries, while the Northwest Ward will hold a Republican primary. The general election for the mayor’s office and all eight city council seats will be November 8, 2016. The 2016 election is the first even-year election for the city's mayor and city council, following a 2011 state law moving municipal elections from odd years. In 2016, 43 of America’s 100 largest cities by population are holding elections.
  • In North Carolina, seven of the state’s largest school districts will hold primary elections, and another four districts will hold general elections for school board. Durham, Onslow County, Robeson County and Wilkes County are the four school districts holding general elections. In 2016, 640 of America's 1,000 largest school districts by enrollment are holding elections.
  • Peoria Public Schools District 150 in Illinois will hold a general election for two of its seven school board seats. The school district had 13,778 students enrolled during the 2013-2014 school year.
  • Illinois, North Carolina and Ohio will hold primary elections for local judgeships. All three states hold partisan primary elections for judges. The general election in all three states will be November 8, 2016. Ballotpedia is covering elections for general and limited jurisdiction judges across the United States in 2016.

March 16

March 17

March 18

 

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