• California's Prop. 31 Seeks Government Reform But Could Backfire, Critics Say
• BY: McClatchy News   |   California   |   October 19, 2012
• A proposal to revamp the way California handles its budget and web of state regulations is running into opposition from politicians, unions and various activists who say it would only worsen Sacramento's dysfunction.

• With the Death of Texas Sen. Mario Gallegos, What Happens to His Seat?
• BY: The Texas Tribune   |   Texas   |   October 19, 2012
• The late Texas state Sen. Mario Gallegos' name will still appear on the ballot in November, and if he wins, Gov. Rick Perry will call a special election to fill his seat.

• Gov. Cuomo to Campaign for Obama Beyond New York
• Source: New York Times   |   New York   |   October 19, 2012
• Andrew Cuomo said that nothing he did on President Barack Obama’s behalf should be viewed as evidence that he was laying the groundwork for a presidential run of his own.

• Bloomberg Creates Own Super-PAC
• Source: The Hill   |   Nation   |   October 18, 2012
• New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is forming a super-PAC will spend at least $10 million promoting his top priorities — gun control, education policy and gay marriage — while helping centrists get elected to Congress.

• Why Isn't Education a Bigger Political Issue in 2012?
• BY: Dylan Scott   |   October 18, 2012
• The candidates agree education is essential to American prosperity. So why aren't they talking more about it?

• Campaigns Bombard Florida Seniors With 'Medi-Scare' Ads
• BY: McClatchy News   |   October 17, 2012
• The attack ads arrive in the mailboxes of Florida voters and pierce the television airwaves with the rapidity of tracer bullets. Politicos have a shorthand for the chatter: Medi-Scare. The dueling messages are designed to stoke financial fears in the swing state with one of the biggest senior populations in the country. And even campaigns for the state House and Senate, which do not have any control over Medicare, are being hit with the attacks.

• Montana Oil Boom Reshapes Gubernatorial Race
• BY: Stateline   |   Montana   |   October 17, 2012
• Montana’s next governor must capitalize on the current oil boom, build infrastructure to keep it going and develop industries that will make Montana less susceptible to market highs and lows.

• Voting by Party is Fast But Problematic
• BY: The Texas Tribune   |   Texas   |   October 17, 2012
• Lots of people get elected by voters who didn't look at their names but instead voted by choosing all candidates from one party or another.

• Maryland’s Online Voter Registration Files are Susceptible to Attack, Researchers Say
• Source: Washington Post   |   Maryland   |   October 17, 2012
• A voting rights group and some of the nation’s leading researchers on election technology are urging Maryland voters to check the accuracy of their online voter registration files after warning that the data had been left vulnerable to tampering.

• U.S. Supreme Court Refuses to Block Ohio Early Voting Ruling
• Source: Toledo Blade   |   Ohio   |   October 17, 2012
• The U.S. Supreme Court handed President Obama another victory in the critical battleground state of Ohio by refusing to block a lower federal court ruling requiring the state to keep its doors open during the last three days before the Nov. 6 election for in-person early voting.

• Washington State Governor's Race: Inslee, McKenna Duel in Final Debate
• Source: Seattle Times   |   Washington state   |   October 17, 2012
• Democrat Jay Inslee and Republican Rob McKenna sparred over education funding, immigration and transportation in their last debate of the governor's race.

• North Carolina Gubernatorial Debate: Dalton Thrusts, McCrory Parries
• Source: Raleigh News & Observer   |   North Carolina   |   October 17, 2012
• The North Carolina candidates for governor held a sharp-edged debate, clashing over ethics, race, taxes and education before a statewide television audience.

• Presidential Debate: Former Michigan Gov. Glad Obama ‘Called Mitt Out on Autos’
• Source: The Hill   |   Michigan   |   October 17, 2012
• Jennifer Granholm was among liberal pundits who expressed disappointment in Obama for not mentioning the assistance that was given to the auto industry in his first debate with Romney.

• Judicial Races in 4 States Draw Big Money, Partisanship
• BY: Louis Jacobson   |   October 16, 2012
• Often, judicial races are sleepy. But sometimes they’re hard-fought, high-stakes, big-money affairs. And that’s the case this year in at least four states.

• Races (Besides the White House) You Should Watch
• BY: Dylan Scott   |   October 16, 2012
• The folks at Ballotpedia have highlighted 15 federal, state and local races that they say could dictate the future of the country. For full election coverage, go to Governing's Election Center.

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