Politics
Polarized politics has changed the dynamics of legislation and policymaking at the state and local level. Political parties with supermajorities are increasingly in control in many states and cities. These stories explain what that means for legislators, governors and mayors and how politicians can navigate this new political landscape.
President Trump’s desire to place his party in charge of national elections is a tactic that collides with 250 years of constitutional history.
The circumstances have to be right, and real urban change agents know not to promise the impossible.
Democrats and Republicans disagree over whether a special election upset in Tarrant County points to broader shifts ahead of November.
A massive fraud scandal on Gov. Tim Walz’s watch gave Republicans an opening in Minnesota. The recent immigration enforcement surge has made things more complicated.
New governors in Virginia and New Jersey signed executive orders aimed at lowering costs.
Joe DiVincenzo has served as county executive for Essex County, N.J., since 2003. He's become a power broker in Democratic state politics even while working with and endorsing some Republicans.
States will be scrambling to manage new priorities and demands from Washington, tighten their belts in a tough budget cycle and respond to federal frameworks on AI regulation.
Thirty-six states will hold gubernatorial elections this year, with at least 21 incumbents term-limited or not running for another term.
New York’s 51-member city council unanimously selected Julie Menin as its next speaker. She could help determine the prospects for Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s ambitious agenda.
Her speakership begins as city leaders confront fiscal gaps and heightened community tensions.
The scandals that ended the Minnesota governor’s bid for a third term reflect the kind of oversight failure that comes with one-party control of government. Above all, voters expect competent administration.
Walz says campaigning would distract from confronting one of the largest social services fraud scandals in state history
Maura Healey broke new ground as the first woman and first openly gay candidate elected governor in Massachusetts, but her priorities have been firmly focused on quality-of-life and cost-of-living issues like housing and transportation.
Chicago’s mayor has low approval ratings and has struggled to pass his agenda. What does it mean for other big-city progressives?
The order calls for suing and denying grants to states with “onerous and excessive” artificial intelligence regulations, and for recommending a “minimally burdensome” national standard to pre-empt state laws.
There was plenty of coverage, but it provided little perspective on politics and government or on the important relationships among the people who ran cities and states. Newer forms of journalism might be evolving into something better.
The Republican he endorsed for mayor lost by nearly 20 points.
A runoff election to replace Miami’s outgoing Republican mayor has taken on national significance ahead of the 2026 midterms. And a progressive blocks a former governor’s hoped-for comeback in Jersey City.
Labor tensions and rent-control fallout opened the door for challenger Kaohly Her, St. Paul’s incoming first Hmong American mayor.
Big-city mayors are taking a wide range of approaches to interactions with the Trump administration.
A federal court’s ruling against Texas’ mid-decade redistricting won’t unravel California’s Prop. 50 map, which lawmakers insulated by removing trigger language tied to other states’ actions.
What happens in Georgia could be a harbinger of the next presidential contest as well as MAGA’s future. Politicians of both parties should not underestimate the political power of Black women.
Katie Wilson, a progressive challenger to Seattle’s mayoral incumbent, was declared the winner more than a week after the election concluded.
A 13-page contract promising up to $5,000 for signature gatherers to quit has surfaced, deepening concerns about outside money, campaign finance violations and partisan maneuvering.
People outside of government aren’t the only ones who could benefit from a better understanding of election processes.
After polling close to Democrat Mikie Sherrill, the Republican’s 13-point loss stunned party insiders — who now blame Trump’s shutdown, mixed messaging and a campaign that failed to reach beyond its base.
The issues that drove the winning campaigns reflected a mix of local and national concerns, and the results pointed to divergent, sometimes contradictory, priorities for big-city voters.
After generations in supporting roles, Black women are now leading some of America’s largest cities and reshaping how cities confront challenges from housing to public safety.
The media and politicians focus on which party is winning or losing congressional seats. But moving 20 million Americans into new districts mid-decade will represent a major tear in the fabric of representative democracy.
Results in New Jersey, Virginia and key ballot measures highlight voter unrest with the status quo — and raise new questions about Republican momentum heading into 2026.
Abigail Spanberger’s comfortable win in the Virginia governor’s race Tuesday, and Mikie Sherrill’s in New Jersey, gave Democrats their biggest electoral triumphs since Trump’s return to power.
