Elections news - November 17, 2019

It turns out that "Bel" is his middle name, and more in today's ELECTIONS NEWS:

HOUSE

• NY-02: Rep Pete King (R) announced his retirement.  King, who combined pragmatism on issues where it meant money for New York with support of Irish terrorism and a vicious anti-Islam attitude, will not be missed.  Expect active primaries on both sides; District is Lean R for now.
• CA-25: Lot of folks are coming out of the woodwork to run in the special to fill Katie Hill's seat.  The Dem establishment seems to have lined up behind Assemblywoman Christy Smith, but Cent Uygur of the lefty Young Turks has also filed, although not yet announced.  On the right, former Rep Steve Knight is in, as apparently is Trump water boy George Papadopoulos.  The election date has been set for the same date as the CA primary, which is likely to goose Dem turnout. District is Leans D.
• MD-07: Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, widow of late Rep Elijah Cummings is, as expected, running to fill his seat.  Her name may help her dominate what is likely to be a crowded field.  District is Solid D.
• VA-05: Interesting intrigue here, where the local GOP committee may be trying to replace incumbent Rep Riggleman (you remember, this is the guy horny for Bigfoot).  He's pissed off local extremists by officiating at a same-sex wedding, and the party has decided to select a nominee through a convention, rather than a primary (this is not uncommon in Virginia). District is Likely R, so dissension in the party could let a Dem squeak through.
• IL-03: The effort to primary out conserva-Dem Lipinski seems to be coalescing behind 2018 challenger Newman.  It's critical to only have one challenger to Lipinski, because this is a Solid D district, but IL has open primaries, meaning GOP voters will likely cross over to vote for him - this is what saved him in 2018.
• FL-15: DOJ investigating whether Rep Spano (R) violated campaign finance laws. District is Leans R.

SENATE

• KY: Talk radio host Matt Jones, who was considered an interesting potential candidate for the Dems, has decided not to run.  Amy McGrath is the only major candidate at this point, although state Rep Charlie Booker is looking at it.
• MS: Mike Espy, who ran a credible race against Cindy Hyde-Smith in the special election last year, is running again. 
• AL: Former Sen Jeff Sessions is running for his old seat, but he may not find it a cakewalk.
• AR: Dem nominee Mahony dropped out of the race after the filing deadline.  Unless Dems can work something out with the secretary of state's office - state law is a little nebulous  -  they may have no candidate here (although Sen Tom Cotton is safe, regardless).

STATES

• KY gov: After making significant noises that he would challenge the election, a re-canvass netted him no votes, and incumbent GOP gov Bevin accepted his loss to Dem Beshear.  Failure of the media to buy into mythical "irregularities" combined with Bevin having spent years burning bridges with his own party probably put paid to the idea.  We still await to see if Bevin convenes an emergency session of the legislature to restrict the new governor's powers, as we saw in WI and MI last year.
• LA gov: Incumbent Dem gov Edwards was re-elected in the second round, 51-49 over GOPer Rispone (this is basically exactly what polling showed).  Substantially increased turnout in blue areas, likely combined with some lingering hard feelings on the right over a contentious GOP primary were enough to do the trick. 
• LA House: The GOP needed to win seven runoffs to secure a supermajority in the House (they already had one in the Senate), and failed to do so.  Barring bribes to change parties, etc., the Dems will be able to block veto overrides and have a say in redistricting.  Fairer maps would likely add at least one left-leaning seat.
• UT gov: Former ambassador Jon Huntsman is in for the GOP primary for governor.  This should be Solid R regardless, but the primary should be spicy, as the right is riven with various internecine feuds, among them Huntsmans versus Romneys.

ODDS & ENDS

• NC's GOP-controlled legislature passed a new Congressional map in the wake of a state court decision that the old one was illegally gerrymandered.  However, there were the usual NC GOP shenanigans in this process, and the map still isn't particularly reflective of the state vote, so Dems are asking the court to intervene and have a special master draw the lines.
• Energized Texas Dems contesting - and even having primary contests! - for downballot stuff like courts and the Railroad Commission (this is a big deal in Texas, don't ask).  Dems have a shot at flipping the state Supreme Court.
• For reasons that surpass understanding, CA's Dem governor has vetoed a bill to require high schools to pre-register/register voters.
• Federal district court strikes down FL law that lists the party of the governor first on ballots, finding this (as expected) rewards that party.  There's litigation around similar laws in other states, as well.
• Credit where due: new GOP SOS in MS to push for removal of the Jim Crow-era law that requires statewide candidates to win a majority of state House districts, as well as a majority of votes.
• Monroe County, NY (Syracuse) Republicans lost the county executive for the first time in decades, so immediately moved to pull a WI/MI style stripping of the exec's powers.  They have backed off after public outcry, though.

Comments

[Ed Henry]

IL-06 should be IL-03 (HOUSE - 5th paragraph)

Also: I continue to love your elections news posts.

[Gaius Sempronius Gracchus]

Fixed, thanks!