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.
Urban Democrats and state-level Republicans have long been at odds. Could what’s happening in Charlotte signal a ceasefire?
One-third of the state’s legislators have collectively reported at least $14 million worth of investments. But analysis has found that their stocks don’t always align with their political stances.
Only 75,490 votes were cast nationally for a candidate other than Joe Biden or Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. And yet, 1,500 voters have already registered with Oregon's newest party: the No Labels Party.
A poll found that 42 percent of North Dakota Republicans ages 18-34 said climate change was human-caused, as compared to just 11 percent of those ages 50-64. But this wouldn’t be the first GOP generation to prioritize the environment.
A new poll of the state’s Hispanic voters found that 53 percent said inflation was the most important policy ahead of the 2024 election with the economy ranking second. Latinos are the state’s second-fastest growing group.
The state has not been able to find an adequate successor program after leaving ERIC in October. Texas officials are now considering how they might build their own voter roll cleaning system.
More than 95 percent of PAC spending from the four biggest public-sector unions went to Democrats, according to the Commonwealth Foundation.
Government centers can be more than simply places where official business is conducted. They can be places for residents to meet, interact and celebrate each other.
Republican-led states that withdrew from the Electronic Registration Information Center are now struggling to find new ways to adequately update their voter rolls. Prior to 2022, more than half the states participated in the program.
The Dallas native was the state’s first Black district attorney and used DNA testing in cases, leading to about two dozen exonerations. His Conviction Integrity Unit has been nationally and internationally recognized.
A successful lawsuit based on 19th-century laws to combat the Ku Klux Klan has renewed attention on how police officers can help protect voters. It's part of a broader effort to crack down on intimidation.
Legislative veteran John Whitmire should be able to improve Houston's relations with the state, while pledging to crack down on crime and deficit spending.
Its sprawling size is one reason. But there are other factors at work, including discouraged Democrats and Republicans’ success at courting Hispanic voters.
The primary is often the only real contest in choosing those who will represent us. Closed party primaries are unrepresentative and undemocratic, and they disenfranchise more than half of the voting public: independents.
The state’s new maps added more majority-Black districts but added them to areas that already had Black representation and whitewashed or combined other districts, leading to maps that offer little chance of partisan competition.
The Michigan GOP is not the only state party with a treasury running dry. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, the fix is in for the governor's race. Plus, a reflection of Sandra Day O'Connor, legislator.
Election offices in California, Georgia, Nevada, Oregon and Washington received powder-filled letters around the November election. But states and workers are increasing efforts to protect democratic elections amid continued risk.
The National League of Cities has created a task force to make presidential candidates aware of local concerns — and to forge relationships with officials who'll move from the campaign into the next administration.
On Monday, Nov. 27, the governor’s office conceded that it lacked the votes to push ahead its “Clean Cars” regulations. Now the governor must find another way to achieve his goal of phasing out new gas-powered cars by 2035.
The 4-3 ruling approved the new state House and Senate maps and will enact them through 2030, dismissing lawsuits that claimed the new maps were illegally gerrymandered.
Despite an election having just passed, at least 11 states are considering abortion-related ballot measures for next year’s election. But garnering enough support to get the measures on the ballot will require time and money.
The state will join 16 other states and the District of Columbia in allowing 16-year-olds to preregister to vote once Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs the bill. The new law will go into effect next year.
Democrat Andy Beshear wins re-election in a state that otherwise elects only Republicans to statewide office, the particular challenges facing Black women mayors and other election fallout.
In a busy year for ballot initiatives, Ohio voters approved abortion rights and marijuana legalization, while voters elsewhere were wary about taxes, public ownership of major assets and participatory budgeting.
The tilt of major cities to the left continued, with progressives winning key races in Boston, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and other cities. The few bright spots for the GOP were in the Northeast.
This time next year, Americans will be casting votes in the 2024 general election. State and local races (and issues) will take place in the long shadow of a carefully watched presidential rematch.
Ohio voters approved an abortion rights measure while Virginia Democrats won control of the legislature, guaranteeing rights there will be preserved.
Virginia Democrats have made abortion central to their campaign for legislative control. Gov. Glenn Youngkin and other Republicans believe they've come up with a rejoinder.
Dissident counties are joining quixotic efforts to secede from their states in much of the country. They’re a manifestation of real political resentments and a way to attract some attention.
Concerns about crime and homelessness have made urban voters more open to centrist appeals, even in liberal strongholds such as Seattle and Boston.
The city’s next mayor will have to face fiscal shortfalls, public safety worries, aging infrastructure and how to pay for it all. Former mayors and neighborhood leaders can offer guidance, but there’s no singular solution.
