A high point of my time on Twitter has doing my #overlookedelectionstakes thread, after the 2018 midterms: stuff that's way under the radar, but so crucial. Tomorrow is Election Day 2019 , and all but a handful of elections are way too neglected. Time for a preview. New thread.
In 2018, Navajos won a majority of seats on the county commission of Native-majority San Juan County, Utah, for the 1st time, after a legal fight to make that possible. So white residents want to change local government again. Organized a referendum. #overlookedelectionstakes
Corey Stewart (the neo-Confederate GOPer in #VASen in 2018) has long been chair of board of Prince William Co. It's a large, blue-leaning county in NoVa, but Stewart has kept it closely tied to ICE, among other policies. He's retiring. Can Dems pick-up? #overlookedelectionstakes
As opioid crisis unfolds, DAs have increasingly come to treat overdoses as homicides, a problematic practice. In all of NY & PA, I found one DA candidate who pledged to just not do this: Hobie Crystle (D) in Lancaster Co., PA. theappeal.org/politicalrepor… #overlookedelectionstakes
Partisan majority of the Pennsylvania Superior Court is on the line: Dems flip it if they sweep both open seats (both are statewide elections). Not quite as crucial as a Supreme Court. But we see with gerrymandering cases the importance of state courts. #overlookedelectionstakes
Not so long ago it felt unthinkable for Dems to regain a majority in the Texas House. Now they're just 9 seats away from doing it (in 2020). They could make it 8 tomorrow if they pick-up #HD28 (Fort Bend County) in a special election. #overlookedelectionstakes
ICE looms large in Virginia sheriff races, esp. in Prince William Co.: Challenger Josh King (D) has said ending 287(g) contract is one of his priorities. Neighboring Loudoun doesn't have 287(g), but challenger Justin Hannah also wants less cooperation. #overlookedelectionstakes
New York City could vastly expand the use of ranked-choice voting: in a referendum tomorrow, city residents may choose to adopt the system for their local elections. #overlookedelectionstakes
In San Francisco, Chesa Boudin could become one of most decarceral prosecutors elected yet if he wins the DA race—which uses ranked choice voting. His opponent, S. Loftus, cancelled a diversion program within a few weeks of taking office in mid-October. #overlookedelectionstakes
KY is exceptionally suppressive: Nearly 10% of Kentuckians, & 26% of Black adults, are barred from voting. But results of governor's race may cut that: Beshear (D) says he'd restore rights of ≈5% of KY's voting-age population. theappeal.org/politicalrepor…
#overlookedelectionstakes
#overlookedelectionstakes
Multiple socialist-identified candidates (Sawant, Scott) are running for city council in Seattle, where Amazon has decided to pour in a very large amount of money in city elections in the wake of major city council fights involving it. #overlookedelectionstakes
Pittsburgh's longtime DA faced no challenger between 1999 & 2019. Now, he is up against a public defender who wants to end pot charges, the death penalty, cash bail, & mandatory minimums. theappeal.org/politicalrepor… #overlookedelectionstakes
All eyes have been on Louisiana's Gov race, but that result matters less if GOP grabs a supermajority in the legislature. They already gained one in Senate on 10/12. They can also gain one in the House if they sweep 7 runoffs on 11/16, per @DKElections. #overlookedelectionstakes
Fairfax, VA's largest county, is ground zero for criminal justice reform: Descano ran on a platform of ending mass incarceration to oust a Dem prosecutor in primary. Now, the GOP, the incumbent, & police unions back his opponent. theappeal.org/politicalrepor… #overlookedelectionstakes
Maine has a statewide referendum on expanding democracy & access: It'll allow people with disabilities who cannot sign their name to provide an alternative form of signature on petition drives. #overlookedelectionstakes
Can you run for prosecutor & support reform to abolish disenfranchisement, & enable all citizens to vote incl. from prison? Yes, Arlington, VA, showed you can: Parisa Dehghani-Tafti ousted an incumbent in June primary, is unopposed in tomorrow's general #overlookedelectionstakes
Washington State is one of 8 states with a ban on affirmative action. There's a referendum tomorrow to end that ban, & restore possibility of affirmative action in the public sector. nytimes.com/2019/11/04/us/… #overlookedelectionstakes
Three Virginia prosecutors who supported the lawsuit against Gov. McAuliffe's 2016 executive action restoring people's voting rights are now facing contested elections: in Albemarle, in Orange, and in Culpeper. Will they win tomorrow? #overlookedelectionstakes
Philadelphia reserves some of its city council to party that's not in majority. That tends to mean the GOP, but tomorrow the WFP hopes to grab 2 seats. Note: a reform-minded candidate already got a win in Philly when Krasner-ally Bilal won sheriffs race #overlookedelectionstakes
We know MS has a governor's race. We also know that Medicaid expansion is a major issue in the race. More neglected: Formerly incarcerated individuals are likelier to lack care access for health issues, & most will be barred from voting in the election. #overlookedelectionstakes
"Family separation is not just an ICE policy." What will it mean to fight against mass incarceration if ppl can run for prosecutor & compete while using such language, & accompanying policies? That's on the line in VA's Albemarle. theappeal.org/politicalrepor… #overlookedelectionstakes
Striking in context of an all-GOP runoff: in LA's St. Tammany, a GOPer challenging the sheriff says he wants to cut jail in half & review parish's ICE contract. (This is after prominent Dems backed a GOP sheriff with huge ICE contract in another parish.) #overlookedelectionstakes
They may not be most crucial for legislative control, but they are individually intriguing as aftermath to 2017: HD94 was decided by random for GOP, HD13 & HD50 are Roem & Carter's reelection bids, HD28 is where some voters were assigned wrong district. #overlookedelectionstakes
Of all DA races I've written on, old-school template of accusing a reform candidate of "coddling criminals" has actually grown rare. But that's what Buta Biberaj faces in Loudoun, VA, & attacks for having done defense work. theappeal.org/politicalrepor… #overlookedelectionstakes
No need to introduce the affordable housing crisis in San Francisco. Enter Prop A, which would authorize $600 million in bonds for affordable housing. And also look at Prop D, tax on rideshares (modest enough to have gotten Uber/Lyft support). #overlookedelectionstates
This is the sort of measure that has had devastating fiscal consequences for public projects in many states: An anti-tax initiative in Washington State (I976) could wield massive cuts in transit services and bus/rail projects. #overlookedelectionstakes
If she were elected attorney general, Jennifer Riley Collins would become the first Black official in any statewide office in Mississippi *since Reconstruction.* MS is state with highest share of African Americans. A continued crisis of representation. #overlookedelectionstakes
New York's 2019 debates on bail showed how coordinated DAs can be resisting criminal justice reform. In Dutchess & Monroe counties, 2 incumbents who played this role this year (& long before) face big challenges. (The Dutchess DA is seeking a 9th term!) #overlookedelectionstakes
Today's elections mark 1st time Colorado implements new law enfranchising people on parole. Tens of thousands who'd have been barred from voting last year can vote this week. Same last month in Louisiana. Many voting rights setbacks—but also major wins. #overlookedelectionstakes
If Virginia Dems win legislature, they'll run state government for 1st time since 1993—& many reforms suddenly become viable. Just on crim justice & voting, I hear most: legalize pot, counter disenfranchisement, automatic registration, reform discovery #overlookedelectionstakes
New York City is voting on whether to expand the powers of its civilian review board, and investigate the 'truthfulness' of police statements & recommend penalties. theappeal.org/new-york-city-… #overlookedelectionstakes
2 last-minute additions to this preview thread:
1) LGBT rights at issue in ugly way in city council races in Olathe, KS
2) a bond vote for affordable housing in Durham, NC, to go along the sales tax hike in Charlotte, NC, and the housing bond in SF.
#overlookedelectionstakes
1) LGBT rights at issue in ugly way in city council races in Olathe, KS
2) a bond vote for affordable housing in Durham, NC, to go along the sales tax hike in Charlotte, NC, and the housing bond in SF.
#overlookedelectionstakes
I ran out of time to flag statewide tax referenda in Colorado & Texas, some local votes in Albuquerque & Snohomish, or Kentucky's Supreme Court race, & more.
Time for the results in the days ahead. For now, that is on whatsontheballot.com Follow along tonight!
Time for the results in the days ahead. For now, that is on whatsontheballot.com Follow along tonight!
