Category: Local Politics
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Ketanji Brown Jackson on Verge of Confirmation
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson seemed poised for confirmation to the Supreme Court after a week of grueling hearings in the U.S. Senate. Judiciary committee chairman Richard Durbin from Illinois scheduled a markup meeting for Monday which sets the timetable for confirmation in April. Despite the intense questioning from Republicans, Judge Jackson is expected to be […]
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Florida Concludes Combative Legislative Session
The Florida legislature capped a combative regular session with the traditional handkerchief drop in the capital rotunda. The Republican legislature used the 60-day annual session to approve a $112 billion budget as well as increased funding for education, environmental protection, and pay raises for teachers and law enforcement. Governor DeSantis praised the efforts of the […]
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Texas Primaries Mark Beginning of 2022 Midterms
Democrats and Republicans in Texas turned out on March 1st to select nominees for office in primary elections. As expected, both Republican incumbent governor Greg Abbott and Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke won their respective contests outright. The primaries in Texas provided few surprises as many candidates were running in safely-drawn seats. The only statewide, high-profile […]
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Public Schools Become Political Battleground
The recent political debate over education arrived in San Francisco as voters in this famously progressive city overwhelmingly recalled three members of the city’s school board. Analysts attribute the recall to unpopular initiatives and for putting politics over the needs of children. Particularly unpopular were the board’s effort to rename a third of the schools […]
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States Spar Over Redistricting Maps
Several states still had unresolved redistricting maps as midterm elections loomed in November. Congressional districts are redrawn after every decennial census and might determine which party controls the House of Representatives next January. The legislatures are tasked in most states with redistricting, but an increasing number have established commissions to draw more representative districts. Commissions, […]
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New Leaders Take the Helm in VA and NYC
Glenn Youngkin was inaugurated the 74th governor of Virginia on January 15. Youngkin became the first Republican to assume that office in nearly a decade in the increasingly Democratic-leaning commonwealth. Governor Youngkin wasted little time after he was sworn in and signed eleven executive orders on his first day. Among the more controversial actions were […]
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A Mayoral Election in Dallas
Dallas holds an election for mayor on May 4. The city is the third largest in Texas and the eighteenth largest in the United States. The ballot will feature nine candidates running in a blanket primary. If no candidate receives 50% or more of the vote, there will be a runoff election in June. Instructors, […]