by Todd Carney
This past week was the last one before the US officially entered a midterm election year. Below are the latest updates.
States
In Alaska, the Lieutenant Governor is not running for reelection. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has said he will endorse the incumbent Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy, so long as Dunleavy does not back incumbent Senator Lisa Murkowski.
In Colorado, Mesa County dropped a lawsuit against their County Recorder over an ongoing dispute about attesting to documents. The County Recorder is still facing other investigations.
In Georgia, a review of elections found that only four deceased people voted in the 2020 election.
In Arizona, a lawyer who is representing the company from the controversial audit, no longer wants to have them as a client.
In Texas, some election workers are calling on a federal judge to block a rule against soliciting ballots.
In Tennessee, there is a bill to get rid of early voting machines for their elections. Governor Bill Lee is trying to get political conventions to come to Nashville.
In Wisconsin, Democrat Governor Tony Evers is opposing a state constitutional amendment pushed by Republicans to change the electoral system. Meanwhile Democrats running for US Senate are calling to get rid of inside traders from Congress.
In Pennsylvania, the Governor has appointed a new secretary of state. In the U.S. Senate race, Dr. Oz is facing scrutiny over past controversial medical positions he has taken.
In Florida, some counties are considering whether to make their school board elections partisan. Meanwhile a Democrat state senator is accusing Republicans of election corruption.
In New Hampshire, the legislature is considering a bill that could make their primaries closed.
In Virginia, the new redistricting maps were approved. RealClear’s Sean Trende helped design the maps.
In Indiana, the Secretary of State has eliminated some precincts.
In Michigan, the redistricting commission approved their new legislative maps.
In New York, the Governor has signed voting reform bills that increase the availability of early voting.
In Kentucky, the deadline to change parties to vote in a different primary in 2022 has passed.
In Oregon, New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof is facing controversy over whether he meets the residency requirement.
In Massachusetts, a bill to give gig economy workers more rights could be on the ballot this Fall.
In Ohio, the State Supreme Court heard legal arguments over the new redistricting map.
Culture
USA Today has an interesting review of 10 political events in the new year that could have major impacts on the 2022 elections.
Hillary Clinton is attacking progressive Democrats and saying they could cause Democrats to lose in 2022.
The New York Times is suggesting Democrats have not worked hard enough to win in state elections, which make a difference in areas such as redistricting and conducting elections.
The Hill has a review of 2021 that says women running for office won in record numbers.
South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsay Graham has proclaimed that the 2024 election is Trump’s to lose.
Republican Senator Rand Paul is facing attacks for saying Democrats are planning to steal elections.
Controversial Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has called for a “cooling off” period for Democrats who move to Red states before they can vote, out of fear that they could bring Liberal policies to Red states.
Vice President Kamala Harris is warning that the US may lose its place in the world as a role model of democracy, if the US does not pass voting rights legislation.
Biden’s approval rating among African Americans is falling. Meanwhile Republican Lieutenant Governor-elect Winsome Sears, an African American woman, is calling on Black voters to give the Republican Party a chance. The Los Angeles Times has a piece looking at the fact that Hispanics might vote Republican more over the issue of abortion.
Joe Rogan made noise this past week for promoting former First Lady Michelle Obama as the leading 2024 Democrat presidential candidate.
Corporate
A Venezuelan businessman is suing Fox News and Sidney Powell over election conspiracy theories about him and the 2020 election.
Florida is investigating whether there is state investment in Chinese corporations and ones with woke policies.
MSNBC is taking issue with Harris forming a closer relationship with corporations.
A group is out with a “worst of the woke” list from 2021, that lists Disney and Major League Baseball as the two most problematic companies in terms of pursuing “woke” policies.
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Todd Carney is a writer based in Washington, DC. The views in this piece are his alone and do not reflect the views of his employer.
Photo “Voting Sign” by Lorie Shaull CC BY-SA 2.0.
