Press release via email:
The Transparent Election Initiative, a Montana organization, today released the public draft of a historic constitutional amendment that takes direct aim at Citizens United—and the corporate and dark money it unleashed into Montana’s politics. The amendment… Continue reading
NYT:
The largest super PAC backing House Democrats is creating a new fund with upward of $20 million to target congressional Republicans in Texas if legislators there follow through on plans to redraw district lines to eliminate Democratic seats ahead… Continue reading
I’m back at the helm, except for next week, when Nick is on.
I so appreciate the work of my fellow bloggers, which frees me to do other writing and travel over the summer.
Thanks all!
Tomorrow, the three-judge district court in the Alabama congressional redistricting litigation will hold a hearing on whether to bail-in Alabama to the VRA’s preclearance regime. If bailed-in, Alabama would have to seek preapproval for any redistricting changes from either DOJ… Continue reading
I’ve been reading Lawless Republic: The Rise of Cicero and the Decline of Rome, by Josiah Osgood. I came across this striking passage on campaign finance issues in elections in 66 BCE, which shows that some of the same issues… Continue reading
Via Politico:
“I don’t think it’s doable. I think there are too many constitutional constraints,” said Bruce Cain, a Stanford political scientist who was deeply involved as a staffer in the partisan gerrymanders from a prior era of California politics.… Continue reading
NYT takes a deep dive into NYC’s ranked-choice ballots to show how Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani beat former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Big takeaway: although voters could list up to five candidates on their ballots, 54% didn’t include Cuomo at all.
The U.S. Capitol may be in Washington and the President in Scotland at the moment, but Florida is at the center of American politics, Kimberly Leonard suggests in Political Playbook.
Not only has President Trump spent much of his… Continue reading
Politico on the limited options available to counter Republican redistricting efforts in Texas, Ohio, and Missouri:
In conversations with more than a dozen state lawmakers and redistricting experts, Democrats’ best shot at redrawing a map lies in California, a heavily… Continue reading
Washington Post:
The House Committee on Ethics determined in a report released Friday that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) failed to comply with the House’s gifting rule as part of her appearance at the 2021 Met Gala, determining that… Continue reading
From the NYT, reports of what sounds like old-fashioned election fraud in a GOP city council primary:
The New York City Board of Elections asked prosecutors on Friday to investigate possible ballot stuffing and votes being cast by dead… Continue reading
This is from the WSJ, which is paywalled. To put this in a broader perspective, the combined “favorability” of both parties is -41% (Rs at -11%, Ds at -30%), which is the worst combined ratings for the two parties… Continue reading