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The Downballot
@the-downballot.com
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The premier source of information for the thousands of elections below the presidency, from Senate to city council.

Our site: http://the-downballot.com/
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There will, however, be a special election in NH next year in Carroll County's 7th House District, which covers the towns of Ossipee, Tuftonboro, and Wolfeboro. This area voted Trump+9, so a competitive race is possible. indepthnh.org/2025/12/17/e...
December 18, 2025 at 6:09 PM
the-downballot.com
There's much more detail at the link, including recent precedent, but in short:
December 17, 2025 at 7:23 PM
the-downballot.com
In case you missed it last night (watching the NBA Cup, of course), Kentucky Democrat Gary Clemons racked up a *wild* 42-point overperformance in a special election for a Harris+5 Senate seat in Louisville. Our writeup: www.the-downballot.com/p/morning-di...
December 17, 2025 at 5:32 PM
the-downballot.com
There's a special election tonight for the KY Senate in a seat that Harris won by just 5 points last year, but the GOP doesn't seem to be contesting it seriously.

One possible reason? Their candidate called young women “coddled americunts."

Our writeup: www.the-downballot.com/p/morning-di...
Kentucky Democrats are defending a state Senate seat in the Louisville area in a special election on Tuesday night, one that saw a close race at the top of the ticket last year. Republicans, however, do not appear to be seriously contesting it. The 37th District became vacant in October after its previous holder, Democratic Sen. David Yates, was appointed Jefferson County clerk. Yates defeated Republican Calvin Leach by a wide 60-40 margin last year, but Kamala Harris carried the district by a much smaller 52-47 spread, according to calculations from The Downballot. That also represented a considerable drop from Joe Biden’s 54-44 win four years earlier. In the contest to succeed Yates, Democrats nominated Army veteran Gary Clemons, who is president of the local branch of the United Steelworkers union. Republicans once again went with Leach, who is also an Army veteran. Shortly after Leach was selected, Kentucky Public Radio reported on an article he wrote in 2018 in which he described young women as “promiscuous skanks,” “coddled americunts,” and “party whores.” He defended the article in an interview with KPR but quickly deleted it, though as the outlet noted, he continued to make similar comments online as recently as this summer.
December 16, 2025 at 6:52 PM
the-downballot.com
Democratic Rep. Marc Veasey ends campaign to become judge of Tarrant County, TX (executive, not judicial) post one week after he unexpectedly entered it less than an hour before candidate filing closed. County Commissioner Alisa Simmons is now favored to go up against GOP incumbent Tim O’Hare.
December 15, 2025 at 11:05 PM
the-downballot.com
Too many campaigns try to get clever when sharing fundraising numbers, obfuscating the most important detail: How much did you actually raise from donors who aren't the candidate? This press release at least makes things clear!
VILLARAIGOSA FIRST TO SURPASS $5 MILLION IN DIRECT DONATIONS RAISED IN THE CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S RACE “No Transfers, No Self-Funding, No Gimmicks – Every Dollar Raised an Investment in California’s Future with Antonio Villaraigosa as Governor” LOS ANGELES, CA — Antonio Villaraigosa’s campaign for Governor announced that he is the first candidate in the race to surpass the $5 million fundraising mark, and the only candidate to achieve that milestone with 100% of contributions made as direct donations supporting Villaraigosa’s candidacy for Governor. “Self-funders have spent millions trying to buy this election, and millions more have been funneled in by candidates who actually raised those funds for a different political office,” said Villaraigosa chief strategist Josh Pulliam. “Antonio Villaraigosa continues to set the fundraising bar in the governor’s race, with $1.5 million raised the first week of his announcement and as the first to surpass $5 million in direct donations. No transfers, no self-funding, no gimmicks – every dollar raised is an investment in California’s future with Antonio Villaraigosa as Governor.”
December 15, 2025 at 5:13 PM
the-downballot.com
Politico's Adam Wren was one of the first (if not the first) to write about the possibility of a mid-decade gerrymander in Indiana, all the way back in July. This turned out to be spot-on. www.politico.com/newsletters/...
Indiana: This one bubbled into the national conversation yesterday, but reporting from your Playbook author — who calls Indiana home — tells us that this is more a trial balloon by Trump world than anything real on the radar of the state’s leaders. Republicans last redistricted in 2021, and despite an eager White House looking to potentially push Democratic Rep. Frank Mrvan out of his seat near the Chicago suburbs, there is little-to-no appetite for remapping, according to four Hoosier Republicans close to the process. How seriously should you take it? It’s possible — particularly if Trump really leans on lawmakers — but there currently is very little interest in it from Indiana legislators.
December 11, 2025 at 10:12 PM
the-downballot.com
"Limbaugh’s reasoning is similar to a scene in the movie 'Air Bud' .... "

www.stlpr.org/government-p...
But Circuit Judge Christopher Limbaugh ruled that even though there’s no explicit authorization for mid-decade redistricting, there’s no explicit prohibition, either. “[The Missouri Constitution] appears to be silent on the specific issue at hand, that is whether its language allows the legislature to conduct a second redistricting using the same census,” Limbaugh wrote. “In these situations, Missouri courts have consistently held that the legislature has the power to act unless expressly prohibited. Given the fact that [the Constitution] contains no restrictive language, this court concludes that the legislature had the power to enact [the new map].” Limbaugh’s reasoning is similar to a scene in the movie "Air Bud," in which a referee ruled that a dog named Buddy could play basketball because there wasn’t an explicit rule that said a dog couldn’t. That analogy to the 1997 Disney film has been embraced by Republicans who support redistricting and used by Democrats to mock the GOP redistricting gambit.
December 10, 2025 at 8:54 PM
the-downballot.com
We tried to tell the people! Seriously, if you want to know about these kinds of special elections well in advance, subscribe --> www.the-downballot.com/subscribe
December 10, 2025 at 3:48 AM
the-downballot.com
GA Republicans seem pretty upset over tonight's special election loss.

This is Insurance Commissioner John King, a statewide elected official. He is exhorting Republicans to help win *another* special ... in a Trump+47 district. x.com/JohnKingGA/s...
Georgia Republicans, we need to sound the alarm from now until November, starting with helping Bill Fincher win the runoff for HD 23. Our donors aren’t motivated and our voters aren’t either. Of course we need to talk about why liberal policies are bad, but we also must put forward a clear agenda to lower prices and help working families keep more of what they earn.
December 10, 2025 at 3:04 AM
the-downballot.com
Local NM reporter Annalisa Pardo says that Republican Darren White has conceded the ABQ mayor runoff to Democratic incumbent Tim Keller x.com/ApardoReport...
December 10, 2025 at 2:59 AM
the-downballot.com
Here are all 25 red-to-blue flips this year, as well as the corresponding list. docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
December 10, 2025 at 2:17 AM
the-downballot.com
Interesting. In the ultra-red GA-HD-23 (like Trump+50), there will be a Jan. 6 runoff between a Republican and a Democrat after a six-way race with five Republicans. GOP will win, but interesting to see a D vs. R race in an area like this.

results.sos.ga.gov/results/publ...
December 10, 2025 at 2:06 AM
the-downballot.com
Dem Sen. Michael Bennet, who is running for #COGov, has come out in favor of Colorado pursuing mid-decade redistricting.

CO would need a constitutional amendment to move forward. A grassroots group is pursuing one: www.redistrict.co
“Donald Trump and Republicans have taken us down this dangerous path of mid-cycle redistricting. We have no choice but to fight back. I support a one-time change to Colorado’s constitution so we can do our part. That process begins in 2026, but our maps won’t change until 2028. Right now, the most important thing we can do is flip the House of Representatives in 2026. Colorado has real opportunities, from CD-5 in El Paso County — a longtime GOP stronghold that’s trending our way — to CD-8, one of the nation’s top battlegrounds.”
December 9, 2025 at 6:39 PM
the-downballot.com
Democratic Rep. Marc Veasey reportedly is running against Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare, a Republican who leads the populous Texas county that's home to Fort Worth and Arlington. News broke 35 minutes before candidate filing closed on a truly unpredictable day.
December 9, 2025 at 12:06 AM
the-downballot.com
Steve Stockman, the twice-over former congressman, convicted criminal, and proto-MAGA crank, has announced his newest comeback. Stockman, who represented Texas from 1995-1997 and 2013-2015, is seeking "re-election" in the new and dark red 9th District.
December 8, 2025 at 6:16 PM
the-downballot.com
State Sen. Julie Gonzales announces she'll challenge U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper from the left in next year's Democratic primary in Colorado. coloradonewsline.com/2025/12/08/j...
December 8, 2025 at 1:12 PM
the-downballot.com
So it turns out that, with the TX GOP's new gerrymander, there are no fewer than 18 of what you might call "Aftyn Behn" districts. That is to say, seats between Trump +20 to +25—seats Dems probably won't win, but where they could throw a serious scare into the GOP.

Via @donnermaps.bsky.social
December 5, 2025 at 1:30 AM
the-downballot.com
A Missouri appeals court just handed a big win to reproductive supporters by rewriting a summary of a GOP-backed ballot measure to repeal the right to an abortion after concluding the prior version was misleading in many ways.

Decision here: www.aclu-mo.org/sites/defaul...
December 4, 2025 at 6:57 PM
the-downballot.com
Quite the passage from NOTUS about Trump's pardon of Henry Cuellar. "Wow." mailchi.mp/notus/secret...
December 4, 2025 at 12:42 PM
the-downballot.com
Via Punchbowl's Ally Mutnick, a top VA Dem says they're considering a 10-1 gerrymander. It's currently 6D, 5R. x.com/allymutnick/...
December 3, 2025 at 9:25 PM
the-downballot.com
Neighboring #TN05 — the district the GOP flipped by cracking Nashville — is a bit less red at Trump+18. It also features a much worse Republican candidate.

From @oriana.bsky.social at @notus.com today: www.notus.org/2026-electio...
December 3, 2025 at 2:29 AM
the-downballot.com
Sure, why not.
December 1, 2025 at 9:27 PM
the-downballot.com
AdImpact tells the National Journal that Walker is putting at least five figures behind his spot well ahead of the May 19 GOP primary.
December 1, 2025 at 7:29 PM
the-downballot.com
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan doubles down on his refusal to condemn Donald Trump's threats to execute Democratic lawmakers.

Here is a statement from a spokesperson: x.com/AndreaBitely...
Andrea Bitely @AndreaBitely Another misleading attack from the Dem Party. Duggan has been clear: political violence is unacceptable, but chasing every episode of DC chaos won’t fix Michigan. If you want a candidate who lives for nightly outrage on TV, the two parties have plenty. Mike is focused on results. Quote Kevin Donohoe @kdonohoenh · 18h Mike Duggan on Trump's threats to execute Michigan's US Senator: no comment https://metrotimes.com/news/duggan-wont-say-if-trumps-execution-threats-go-too-far/ 6:06 PM · Nov 25, 2025 ·Twitter Web App
November 26, 2025 at 4:38 PM