The Tap: Tuesday, February 14, 2017

   ← Feb 13

Feb 15 →   

---

The Tap covered election news, public policy, and other noteworthy events from February 2016 to February 2022. The excerpts below were compiled from issue #52 of The Tap, which was published on February 11, 2017. READ THE FULL VERSION HERE.

State

Minnesota Special Election

• A special election will take place in Minnesota between Laurie Warner (D) and Anne Neu (R) to fill the District 32B seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives. The seat became vacant after the general election on November 8, 2016. A special election was called after the Minnesota Supreme Court found that incumbent Bob Barrett (R) did not live in House District 32B. He stayed on the general election ballot, but the results were not certified. Republicans currently hold a 20-person majority in the chamber. Minnesota is currently one of 19 states with a divided government.

Local

School Board and City Council Elections Scheduled in Oklahoma

• General elections will be held across 13 of Oklahoma’s largest school districts for 16 school board seats. Elections in eight of these districts were canceled because only one candidate filed to run for each available seat. In a ninth district— Mustang Public Schools—no candidate filed in the election. The district canceled the election and will appoint someone to the position after the general election date has passed. The largest of the districts holding elections is Oklahoma City Public Schools, which served 41,074 students during the 2014-2015 school year—approximately 6 percent of all public school students in the state. The smallest school district holding elections is Owasso Public schools, which served 9,658 students during the 2014-2015 school year—approximately 1.4 percent of all public school students in the state.
• A primary election will be held for four of the nine seats on the Oklahoma City Council. The incumbents in Wards 1, 3, and 7 filed for re-election and face two challengers each in their bids for reelection. The Ward 4 incumbent did not file for re-election, guaranteeing that a newcomer will be elected to the council. Oklahoma City is the largest city in the state and the 27th-largest city in the U.S. by population.

New York City to hold special election

• New York City will hold a special election to fill a vacant seat on the city council. Councilwoman Inez Dickens vacated her District 9 seat after she was elected to the New York State Assembly in November 2016. The winner of the special election will have to compete again in the regular election on November 7, 2017, to win a full term on the city council. New York City is the largest city in the U.S. by population.