The Tap: Tuesday, June 14, 2016

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

Review of the day

The excerpts below were compiled from issue #21 of The Tap, which was published on June 18, 2016. READ THE FULL VERSION HERE.

Federal

  • The last electoral event of the 2016 presidential nominating season took place on Tuesday. Democrats held a primary election in Washington, D.C. Hillary Clinton defeated Bernie Sanders, 79 to 21 percent. Clinton took home 16 of D.C.’s 20 pledged delegates, and, as of June 14, 19 of the district’s 26 superdelegates had publicly voiced their support for Clinton. Clinton ended the Democratic primary season with 2,219 pledged delegates. Additionally, 592 superdelegates had pledged their support to her, as of June 16, bringing her total delegate count to 2,811. Sanders ended up with 1,832 pledged delegates, plus 48 superdelegates. The nominee needs 2,383.
  • Former President Bill Clinton said that there would “be some changes in what the Clinton Foundation does and how we do it” if Hillary Clinton were elected president. He continued, “You have to be careful to avoid actual or potential conflicts of interests. We'll think very clearly about it and we'll do the right thing." The Clinton Foundation has come under scrutiny for contributions it received from foreign governments during Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state.
  • Federal Judge Emmet Sullivan confirmed in a court order issued that the investigation into Clinton’s private email server was “criminal” in nature. While declining to make public the immunity agreement of Bryan Pagliano, the State Department employee who set up Clinton’s server, Sullivan wrote, “The privacy interests at stake are high because the government's criminal investigation through which Mr. Pagliano received limited immunity is ongoing and confidential.”
  • Donald Trump held a meeting with several Republican governors, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. The purpose of the meeting was not disclosed.
  • Trump turned 70. If elected, he would be the oldest first-term president at his inauguration. Ronald Reagan currently holds that record, having been inaugurated in 1981 a few weeks shy of his 70th birthday. Clinton will turn 69 in October.
  • A divided three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the Federal Communications Commission’s 2015 open internet order. The panel judges were Sri Srinivasan, David Tatel, and Stephen Williams. The regulations under the order are commonly classified as “net neutrality” rules. The rules allow the FCC to apply utility-style regulations to both fixed and mobile internet access as a common carrier service under Title II of the Communications Act. An appeal either for an en banc hearing before the full D.C. Circuit or to the U.S. Supreme Court is expected.
  • Jeff Roe, the campaign manager for Ted Cruz’s 2016 presidential campaign, spoke with Politico about the details of the campaign and challenging Donald Trump in the primary election. He said, “Where [Trump’s] weakness is, it's very clear. His weakness is when he doesn't win, or isn't winning, he will change the topic. … He'll, evidently, you know, attack a judge, or do something else. I mean, he will--he's very good at making a new issue become real.”
  • The House approved a bill barring the IRS from collecting the names of donors to tax-exempt groups. Under current law, the names of donors to tax-exempt groups are not public information, but they must still be reported to the IRS on the groups’ tax returns. The bill, authored by Representative Peter Roskam, would prohibit the IRS from collecting identifying information, such as names or addresses, of donors to tax-exempt groups. Proponents of the bill claim it is necessary to stop harassment of political donors, while critics contend the bill could lead to foreign interests influencing American elections.
  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule banning fracking wastewater from public sewage plants. The rule prevents oil and gas operators from disposing of wastewater at municipal sewage plants. Municipal sewage plants are not designed to treat fracking wastewater, which is produced when fracking fluid returns to the surface. Environmental groups supported the rule, calling the rule a necessary step to protect water quality and municipal plants. Energy industry groups criticized the rule, arguing that the rule will produce no tangible benefits because energy producers are not seeking to dispose of their waste in municipal plants.
  • Maine held 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 faced a primary challenger on Tuesday. Each seat is rated as safe for the party currently holding it.
    • The state’s only contested primary, the District 1 Republican primary, remains uncalled at this time. Mark Holbrook currently leads Ande Smith by 58 votes.
  • South Carolina held 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 faced a primary opponent.
    • South Carolina has seven U.S. House districts. The Republican Party holds six of the seven seats. All seven incumbents are seeking re-election in 2016, but only two faced a primary challenger on Tuesday. Both incumbents who faced a primary opponent advanced to the general election.
    • There are no battlegrounds in South Carolina in 2016. Each race is rated as safe for the party that currently holds it.
  • Virginia held 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, only three districts held primary elections on Tuesday: Districts 2, 4, and 6. The rest of the districts already nominated candidates at party conventions.
    • In District 2, state Del. Scott Taylor defeated District 4 incumbent Randy Forbes in the Republican primary. Forbes chose to seek re-election in the open 2nd District rather than the 4th due to redistricting. The 4th District became much more Democratic as a result and is expected to flip partisan control in November. Forbes is the third incumbent to lose a primary in 2016.
    • In District 4, Donald McEachin (D) and Mike Wade (R) advanced to the general election. The race is rated safely Democratic in the general election.
    • In District 6, incumbent Bob Goodlatte easily defeated Harry Griego in the Republican primary. Goodlatte will face Tom Howarth (D) in the general election in this safely Republican district.
  • After offering his condolences to those affected by the terrorist attack at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, on June 12 that killed 49 people, President Barack Obama said, “We are doing everything in our power to stop these kinds of attacks.” He added that the shooter in the attack had accessed “extremist information and propaganda over the internet.” Obama then announced steps that he and his administration are taking to fight the self-described Islamic State, also known as ISIS/ISIL. The measures “include adding more U.S. personnel, including special operations forces in Syria to help local forces battling ISIL there, more advisors to work more closely with Iraqi security forces, and other assets such as attack helicopters and more support for local forces in northern Iraq,” according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
    • Obama also said that Congress should “[r]einstate the assault weapons plan” and pass pending legislation that “would prevent any suspected terrorists on no-fly lists from buying firearms,” according to ABC News.
  • President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama released the following statement on the passing of former Senator and Governor of Ohio George Voinovich: “As was clear from his 46 years in public service, George was a true patriot who dedicated his life to serving the people of Ohio. His dedication is underscored by the fact that he holds the record for being elected to more public offices than any other Ohioan in history. George leaves behind a powerful legacy of service to his state and country that will not soon be forgotten. Michelle and I offer his wife, Janet, and their children and grandchildren our condolences during this difficult time.” Voinovich was also a district-level delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention from Ohio pledged to John Kasich. Voinovich passed away on June 12, at the age of 79.
  • House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) released the GOP’s regulatory reform agenda as part of the party’s larger “A Better Way” plan. Ryan said, "We are calling for Washington to change the very ways it writes rules. If the proposals that are cooked up in these bureaucracies are really so important, then let the people’s elected representatives decide. No major regulations should become law unless Congress takes a vote.” GOP leaders proposed the following: allowing members of Congress to reject regulatory rules; giving federal agencies a regulatory budget; eliminating costly and outdated rules; and changing some financial, energy, environmental, and internet regulations, according to The Hill.
  • Key vote: The Senate passed S 2943 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 by a vote of 85-13. The $602 billion bill “authorizes FY2017 appropriations and sets forth policies regarding the military activities of the Department of Defense (DOD), military construction, and the defense activities of the Department of Energy (DOE).” The House passed its version of the NDAA on May 18, 2016. The legislation will now head to a conference committee before the final version is sent to President Obama’s desk.
    • The legislation includes an amendment requiring women to register for the military draft.
  • The House passed HR 5053 - the Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act by a vote of 240-182. The legislation proposes barring the IRS from collecting the names of donors to tax-exempt groups. Under current law, the names of donors to tax-exempt groups are not public information, but they must still be reported to the IRS on the groups’ tax returns. The bill, authored by Representative Peter Roskam, would prohibit the IRS from collecting identifying information, such as names or addresses, of donors to tax-exempt groups. Proponents of the bill claim it is necessary to stop harassment of political donors, while critics contend the bill could lead to foreign interests influencing American elections.

State

ELECTION NIGHT REVIEW: Four states hold primary elections; the GOP party favorite for ND governor falls; nine legislative incumbents defeated (all Republicans)

  • Primary election: Maine
    • State legislature: Maine has 35 state Senate and 151 state House seats up for election in 2016. Republicans maintain a five-seat majority in the Senate, while Democrats have a nine-seat majority in the House. With Republican Governor Paul LePage, Maine is one of 20 states with split government control. Both chambers are included in Ballotpedia’s list of top battlegrounds in 2016. Four incumbents faced primary competition, two in the state Senate and two in the state House. State Sen. Linda Baker was defeated by Guy Lebida in the Republican primary by 40 votes.
  • Primary election: Nevada
    • State legislature: Nevada has 11 state Senate and 42 state Assembly seats up for election in 2016. Republicans have a one-seat majority in the Senate and a seven-seat majority in the House. With a Republican governor, Nevada is one of 23 Republican state government trifectas. The Senate is included in Ballotpedia’s list of top battlegrounds in 2016. In the state Assembly, incumbents Glenn Trowbridge (R) and Philip O’Neill (R)—from Districts 37 and 40, respectively—were defeated by primary challengers. Additionally, there were four races in the state Assembly primary election that were particularly close contests: Owen Carver (D) won by a margin of 17 votes in District 2, Melody Howard (R) won by a margin of 50 votes in District 14, Matt Williams (R) won by a margin of 7 votes in District 34, and incumbent Brent Jones (R) won by a margin of 61 votes in District 35.
  • Primary election: North Dakota
  • Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach's office has issued orders to county election officials to register those who have motor vehicle applications but not citizenship documents to vote in Kansas in the federal races for president and Congress. This order follows a decision by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals that refused to blocked a previous judge’s order to expand voter enfranchisement. Since 2013, under Kansas law, individuals have been required to provide citizenship documentation to register to vote. A federal judge ruled in May that the burden of registering individuals without documentation does not outweigh the disenfranchisement of 18,000 otherwise eligible voters whose registrations at motor vehicle offices have been canceled or suspended. In the last 10 years, about 44 percent of Kansas voters registered at a motor vehicles office.
  • In defiance of the Obama administration, the Kansas State Board of Education voted unanimously not to comply with the Justice Department directive that students be allowed to use bathrooms based on their gender identity instead of biological gender. Instead, they will continue to allow school districts to decide on their own how to deal with the issue. It is not clear how this might affect federal education funding in the state. The board issued a statement saying, "The recent directive from the civil rights offices of the United States Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the treatment of transgender students removes the local control needed to effectively address this sensitive issue." Kansas public education is also under scrutiny from the Kansas Supreme Court regarding inequities in state school funding. (See below)

Local

  • Two of the four seats on the Reno City Council in Nevada were up for primary election. All four seats will be up for grabs in the general election on November 8, 2016. Since the candidates running in Ward 3 and Ward 5 are both unopposed, neither race was on the primary ballot. Reno is the third-largest city in Nevada and the 89th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
  • In Washington, D.C., six of the eight city council seats were up for partisan primary election. Former Mayor Vincent Gray's (D) return to D.C. politics headlined the race. Gray, who was defeated by current Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) in the 2014 primary, defeated Ward 7 incumbent and Bowser ally Yvette Alexander in this year’s primary for Alexander’s council seat. There was also a rematch of last year’s Ward 8 special election between incumbent LaRuby May (D) and challenger Trayon White (D). In 2015, May won the seat with a 78-vote margin over White out of more than 7,000 votes cast, but White won the rematch with more than 51 percent of the vote. In total, three of the four incumbents who faced challengers lost their re-election bids. All three of the defeated incumbents were supporters of Mayor Bowser. Washington, D.C., is the 24th-largest city in the U.S. by population.
  • FILING DEADLINE: Deadline passed 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 passed to run for the mayor’s office and four of the 11 city council seats in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Mayor Will Sessoms (R) filed to run for re-election and will face three challengers. All four of the city council incumbents filed for re-election, and three of the four will face challengers. 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 held primary elections for seven probate court judgeships across the state. Only the race for the Oxford County Probate Court was contested. Two Republicans and one Democratic candidate participated in partisan primaries for that position. In total, five Democrats and four Republicans ran 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 held a nonpartisan primary election for one district court judgeship in District 8, Department 20. Judge Louis Eric Johnson and challenger Anat Levy advanced 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 held a nonpartisan primary election for 23 district court judgeships. Only two of the seats saw enough candidates file to require primary elections to take place. The two candidates who received the greatest number of votes in each race advanced to the general election. Both races featured open seats where the sitting judge did not seek re-election. Just two more seats saw more than one candidate file, meaning only four contested races will appear on the general election ballot. North Dakota District Court judges serve six-year terms. The general election will be held on November 8, 2016.
  • Ten of South Carolina's 46 counties held primary elections for probate court judgeships. While a general election will be held November 8, 2016, the races were 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 was 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 held elections for school board positions:
    • Nevada: Three of the state’s largest school districts by enrollment held elections.
      • Four of the seven seats on the Clark County School District school board were 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 was 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 also held 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 held elections.
      • Two of the five school board seats in Bismarck Public Schools were 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 held an at-large general election for four of nine school board seats. A single incumbent filed for re-election and faced 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 held a primary election for five of nine school board positions. Only the District 5 race featured multiple candidates; challenger James Smith defeated incumbent Louis Clyburn Jr. to win the primary. Smith will run unopposed in the general election. The other four unopposed races did not appear on the ballot. The Kershaw County School District served 10,493 students during the 2013-2014 school year.
  • FILING DEADLINE: Deadline passed 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.

Preview of the day

The excerpts below were compiled from issue #20 of The Tap, which was published on June 11, 2016. READ THE FULL VERSION HERE.

Federal

  • 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.

State

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.

Local

  • 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.