All articles tagged with #special elections
The House opens with Republicans holding a razor-thin 218-213 margin after Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation and Doug LaMalfa’s death; a Texas special election later this month is expected to boost Democrats, further narrowing the GOP edge and making party-line votes hinge on a single defection or attendance, undermining governance as the chamber heads into an election year.
A Mississippi federal judge ordered special elections for the state's Supreme Court after ruling that the current electoral map, which dilutes Black voters' influence, violates the Voting Rights Act. The Mississippi Legislature has until the end of 2026 to redraw the map, with the new elections scheduled for November 2026, following a lawsuit by the ACLU highlighting racial disparities in representation.
Two primary elections in Minnesota will determine the candidates for two vacant House seats in St. Paul and Woodbury-Maplewood, with the DFL candidates favored to win and potentially resulting in a tied legislature if both succeed.
Democrats in Mississippi won two special elections for State Senate, breaking the Republican supermajority and increasing Black representation in the state legislature, following court-ordered redistricting aimed at addressing racial dilution in voting districts.
Democrat James Walkinshaw wins the vacant 11th Congressional District seat in Virginia, increasing Democratic representation in the House, with key votes on Jeffrey Epstein files and government funding upcoming.
Democrats see potential in Iowa as a key battleground and are motivated by recent special election wins, but Republicans remain confident in holding their seats, especially with strong campaigns like Sand's gubernatorial run. The political landscape is competitive, with Democrats aiming for a comeback in 2026 despite recent setbacks in 2024.
Recent special elections in Iowa show significant Democratic gains, including flipping a Republican-held Senate seat and improving margins in other districts, fueling optimism for the 2026 midterms despite skepticism from Republicans about low turnout and the impact of these elections on broader state and national trends.
Texas Attorney General Paxton plans to try to expel absent Democratic lawmakers if they do not return by Friday, but the legal process is complex and lengthy, involving court cases and potential special elections. Democrats have fled the state to block a new congressional map favored by Republicans, leading to a political standoff.
The Republican Party's narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives is being shaped by three undecided races in California and Iowa, as well as the departure of some GOP members to join President-elect Donald Trump's administration. With Republicans holding 219 seats to Democrats' 213, the outcomes of these races will determine the size of the majority. Special elections will be needed to fill seats vacated by members joining Trump's team, adding further complexity to the GOP's slim control in the House.
Special elections in Michigan flipped control of the lower house back to Democrats, potentially allowing them to pass legislation protecting voting rights and election administration. Efforts to codify voter protections stalled after Democrats lost their majority last November, but with the election of Mai Xiong and Peter Herzberg, legislators could renew those efforts. Michigan voters passed a constitutional amendment enacting election reforms, and the Democratic-controlled state legislature passed legislation to enact the amendment. Measures to protect voting rights and ban prison gerrymandering have been introduced, and a set of bills banning guns at polling places has cleared the state senate.
Democrats in Michigan won special elections in two metro Detroit-based districts, restoring their majority in the state House of Representatives. Mai Xiong and Peter Herzberg, both Democrats, secured victories and will join the state House, giving Democrats a razor-thin, one-vote majority. The wins could end the legislative gridlock that has defined the tied chamber for the past several months, allowing Democrats to move forward with their priorities. The Democratic victories were celebrated by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee and President Joe Biden's campaign, and the special elections come ahead of the November elections where every seat in the Michigan House of Representatives is up for election.
Democrats won two special elections in Michigan, regaining control of the state government. With the House deadlocked, Republicans have pushed for bipartisan legislation, while Democrats are expected to focus on the state budget and legislative agenda, including education and hate crime laws, before the upcoming summer break and November reelections.
Michigan voters will participate in two state House special elections to fill vacant seats, which will determine partisan control of the chamber. The races are seen as a referendum on the Democratic trifecta's policies, with Democrats emphasizing reproductive rights and progressive achievements, while Republicans focus on economic issues. The outcomes could potentially shift the balance of power in the state House, where Democrats currently hold a tie with Republicans.
The Kentucky Senate has passed a bill that would remove the governor's power to appoint a U.S. Senator, instead calling for special elections to fill vacancies. The bill's sponsor, Republican state House Majority Floor Leader Steven Rudy, insists it's not about Sen. Mitch McConnell but rather the process for filling vacant Senate seats. Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, has opposed the bill, citing partisanship. McConnell, who plans to step down as Senate Minority Leader, attributed his decision to reevaluate his career plans to the recent death of his sister-in-law.
In two special elections in England, Labour Party candidates won seats previously held by the Conservatives, dealing a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The results reflect growing support for change and signal potential trouble for the Conservatives in the upcoming national election. Sunak's leadership is facing challenges amid declining party popularity, while Labour also grapples with internal issues.