AP: “Efforts to remove Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards from office because of complaints about his coronavirus restrictions and mask mandate have failed. The Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office said Friday that all parishes but one have completed counting signatures on a petition seeking to recall the Democratic governor, and the numbers have fallen far…
“Ex-Florida state senator paid bogus candidate to ‘siphon votes,’ police say, in race GOP narrowly won”
WaPo: “When incumbent Democrat José Javier Rodríguez lost his Florida state senate seat to Republican challenger Ileana Garcia by just 32 votes in November, the losing party and investigators began asking questions about a suspicious third candidate. A man named Alexis “Alex” Rodriguez — who shared the incumbent’s last name — appeared on the ballotbut never campaigned,…
Another Dem Heavyweight Enters 2022 US Senate Race
The News & Observer: “The race for North Carolina’s open 2022 U.S. Senate seat is about to get more crowded. Former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley is expected to officially announce her candidacy in the next few weeks, according to a friend authorized to speak on her behalf. “She’s putting a team together,…
“What To Watch In Louisiana’s Two Special Elections”
FiveThirtyEight: “We’re barely two months removed from the last election of 2020, but Saturday marks the first congressional elections of the 2022 midterms: a pair of special elections for Louisiana’s 2nd and 5th districts. While there’s little question about which party will ultimately win each seat — the 2nd District is solidly Democratic, the 5th…
“31-year-old from Bryan, Texas arrested on weapons charge near VP Kamala Harris’ home in D.C.”
ABC 13: “A veteran from Bryan, Texas who was arrested outside Vice President Kamala Harris’ D.C. home Wednesday reportedly thought the government was after him. ABC News sources say 31-year-old Paul Murray’s mother called Capitol police after he made statements that worried her. Metropolitan Police said Murray was held on charges that he had a…
Caught on Tape! Top TX Utility Regulator Resigns After Recorded Assuring Bankers Their Profits Would Be Protected
Texas Monthly: “On Tuesday night, PUC chairman Arthur D’Andrea, who was appointed chairman by Governor Greg Abbott less than two weeks ago, has resigned. In a statement, Abbott said, “Tonight, I asked for and accepted the resignation of PUC Commissioner Arthur D’Andrea. I will be naming a replacement in the coming days who will have…
“South emerges as flashpoint of brewing redistricting battle”
Associated Press: “The partisan showdown over redistricting has hardly begun, but already both sides agree on one thing: It largely comes down to the South. The states from North Carolina to Texas are set to be premier battlegrounds for the once-a-decade fight over redrawing political boundaries. That’s thanks to a population boom, mostly one-party rule and a…
“Florida Republicans Are Passing Unconstitutional Laws That Threaten the State Supreme Court’s Legitimacy”
Slate: “For decades, Florida conservatives decried decisions by the Supreme Court of Florida striking down laws that violated the state constitution. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis sounded this note in his January 2019 inaugural address, complaining that Florida “has seen judges expand their power beyond proper constitutional bounds” and promising to end “judicial activism.” DeSantis entered office…
“Warnock win unleashes flood of Black candidates”
Politico: “Raphael Warnock’s Senate victory in Georgia has opened the floodgates to a surge of African American Senate candidates, raising the prospect that the 2022 midterm elections could dramatically alter the face of a chamber that is currently 89 percent white. While it’s too early in the election cycle to know exactly how many Black candidates…
“Tracking North Carolina’s ‘blue shift'”
The McDowell News: “Democrats here have been inspired by Democrats in Georgia, which went for President Biden and elected two Democratic senators. Efforts have begun to replicate Georgia Democrats’ voter registration and turnout juggernaut. But North Carolina isn’t Georgia. We’re more rural. While both states have over 10 million people, Georgia’s rural population is about…