CA-GOV: Trump endorses Steve Hilton in California governor's race

Donald Trump endorsed former Fox News host Steve Hilton in the California governor’s race early Monday morning, dealing a potentially fatal blow to GOP rival Chad Bianco’s campaign — and to Republicans’ hopes of locking Democrats out of the runoff.

“I have known and respected Steve Hilton, who is running for Governor of California, for many years. He is a truly fine man, one who has watched as this once great State has gone to Hell,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, before bemoaning the state’s leadership under Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Steve can turn it around, before it is too late, and, as President, I will help him to do so!”

Trump’s intervention comes despite some California Republicans arguing that the party’s best, if narrow, shot at the governor’s mansion depended on him staying out of the contest in this heavily Democratic state. Republicans had been hoping that a large field of Democrats would split the vote in California’s jungle primary, allowing two Republicans to advance. But with Trump boosting Hilton, it becomes more unlikely that he and Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff, will be able to evenly split the GOP vote and keep Democrats out of the run-off.

The endorsement may also spare Democrats from having to spend heavily to boost one of the Republican candidates themselves — a strategy they have employed in several races in the past.



https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/06/trump-endorses-steve-hilton-in-california-governors-race-00859470?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it

WNBA free agency to kick off Monday, league announces

The WNBA and players union agreed Sunday evening to start free agency Monday, the league announced.

Qualifying offers, along with core player designations, will be sent during the designation period starting Monday. Negotiations will follow from Wednesday to Friday, and players will ink their deals starting Saturday, two days before the WNBA Draft.

On the heels of the 2026 WNBA expansion draft, this year’s free agency is poised to be a massive reshuffling of rosters. Over 100 players — more than 80 percent of the league — are free agents during this signing period. The league’s recently ratified collective bargaining agreement, which saw a $5.5 million increase in salary caps, positions many players for a significant salary raise. The addition of two teams to the league for 2026, the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, will add new destinations for players as the league now mandates a 12-player roster.




https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7174955/2026/04/06/wnba-free-agency-league-announcement/

Barack Obama, Kamala Harris Congratulate Lauren Betts, UCLA Seniors After First NCAA Title

This class of seniors has officially changed what UCLA means in women’s basketball. Before this class, UCLA was seen as a rather dormant team. They had deep NCAA Tournament runs under Close but never really contended among the top, instead settling near the middle until this class changed everything. Cut to today, Lauren Betts and Co. have defeated serial winners South Carolina 79-51 in the National Championship game, earning glowing praise from a former president.

“The way this team has embraced the hard work and work ethic and shown up early, staying late, it’s definitely shifted the culture in a great way,” UCLA assistant coach Michael Onyenwere said. Kiki Rice and Gabrila Jacquez made this change from the ground up and Lauren Betts was the key ingredient to success. “(Betts) just makes playing basketball so easy,” Angela Dugalić said. Now they bear the fruit of their efforts, earning wishes from Barack Obama and Kamala Harris.

“Congratulations to Lauren Betts and the sensational seniors at @UCLAWBB for winning their first NCAA Championship!” Obama wrote. Why did he congratulate the seniors particularly? Well, according to the ESPN broadcast, UCLA’s last 170 points have come from senior players, including Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez.

And Obama must have known this dynamic. As most know, he is a big hoop fan. He attended his niece’s (Leslie Robinson, who played for Princeton) NCAA first-round matchup back in 2015. Obama even gave special attention to his youngest daughter’s elementary basketball team. Coaching them from the sidelines while enlisting Reggie Love, a former Duke standout on the 2001 NCAA championship team.




https://www.essentiallysports.com/ncaa-college-basketball-news-barack-obama-kamala-harris-congratulate-lauren-betts-ucla-seniors-after-first-ncaa-title/

More than 675K early ballots have been cast statewide in the Virginia Redistricting Referendum.

Volatility Ahead in LA Mayor's Race; UCLA Luskin Poll Finds 40% of Voters Undecided

With just two months to go before a primary election for Los Angeles’ next mayor, 40% of the electorate remains undecided, signaling volatile weeks of campaigning ahead, according to a new poll by the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass led the field with 25% support, followed by conservative television personality Spencer Pratt at 11% and Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman at 9%, according to the poll of likely LA primary voters.

Also on the ballot are tech entrepreneur Adam Miller and housing activist Rae Huang, who each received 3%. Nine percent of respondents indicated they would support “a different candidate.” A total of 14 candidates are vying for the city’s top office.

If no candidate wins a majority in the June 2 primary, the top two vote-getters will face off in November to determine who will lead the nation’s second-most populous city.



https://luskin.ucla.edu/volatility-ahead-in-la-mayors-race-ucla-luskin-poll-finds-40-of-voters-undecided

Wisconsin Lawmakers Propose Ranked Choice Voting for All Elections

BELOIT, Wis. — State Senator Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) and Representative Clinton Anderson (D-Beloit) introduced LRB-5709 on March 5, legislation that would implement ranked choice voting for state, federal, and local elections in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin legislation would also eliminate the need for February primaries in nonpartisan elections.

Today, voters in Wisconsin almost never elect independent candidates, because the state’s elections are decided by first-past-the-post plurality voting (FPPV). In this system, a voter’s expression of preference is restricted to a single candidate. Each voter has just one choice, and if there are more than two candidates in the race, winning by plurality rather than majority is quite possible.

Consequently, no matter how attractive an independent candidate may seem in the spring, summer, and early fall of an election year, he or she will be tarnished as a “spoiler” on Election Day and will almost certainly lose.



https://thefulcrum.us/elections/wisconsin-ranked-choice-voting-proposal-2026

Jackson County Legislature will turn over this year. See who's running for a seat

Jackson County residents will select a new slate of leaders later this year to helm the county government through another season. And with several longtime legislators bowing out or ineligible to rerun, at least half of the Jackson County Legislature is guaranteed to turn over in 2027, following a few years of fierce division that made it hard for the current body to take action on much.

The Jackson County Legislature consists of nine members, six of whom represent specific districts. The other three are at-large members representing all county residents. Legislators meet weekly to discuss and pass local ordinances, approve municipal contracts and set policies that have a countywide impact, particularly for the unincorporated parts of the county.

Members serve four-year terms and are limited to two consecutive terms as of 2019. However, current legislators who won their seats in 2018 - namely, Jalen Anderson - are exempt from the new term limits and will be eligible to run for a third term in August. (Legislator Charlie Franklin is also eligible for a third term under the exemption, but did not file to run again.)

A primary election will take place on Aug. 4 to replace between five and nine current legislators, with a general election on Nov. 3. Those elected or re-elected this year will start their terms on January 1, 2027, and will serve through January 1, 2031.




https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/jackson-county/article315291335.html#storylink=cpy

Millburn Charter Study Commission Signals Support for a Special June Election

MILLBURN, NJ — The Millburn Charter Study Commission in its March 31 meeting discussed when voters should decide whether to adopt a new form of government.

A majority of commissioners indicated support for a June 2026 special election as opposed to placing the question on the general ballot next November.

Attorney Mike Collins reported that the first two sections of the Commission’s final report are nearly complete, with the final analytical section to be drafted once decisions on timing and structure are finalized.

Collins also clarified that draft reports should not be released publicly and that the Commission dissolves immediately after approving its final report.




https://www.tapinto.net/towns/millburn-slash-short-hills/articles/millburn-charter-study-commission-signals-support-for-a-special-june-election

2 candidates in Houston District C council race appear to be headed to runoff election

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The District C special election appears to be headed to a runoff.

Houston District C candidates Joe Panzarella and Nick Hellyar received the most votes in a field of seven candidates, according to unofficial results from the Harris County Clerk's Office.

Nearly 9,400 voters cast ballots in the special election, according to the Harris County Clerk's Office

Panzarella and Hellyar would be headed to a runoff because no candidate reached the required 50% threshold to avoid a runoff.



https://abc13.com/post/houston-district-race-2-candidates-appear-headed-runoff-election/18843781/

Early voting for May 2 local elections begins in two weeks

HUNT COUNTY – Voters in Greenville and Greenville ISD will be among those across Hunt County deciding a slate of municipal propositions, along with city council and school board races in the May 2 election.

In Greenville, six proposed amendments to the city charter will appear on the ballot, alongside a contested city council race for Place 4.

Proposition A would amend the charter to clarify the city council’s authority under state law to set city boundaries and annex adjacent territory only with the consent of affected residents or as otherwise permitted by law. Proposition B would require city council vacancies to be filled by special election within 120 days if more than 12 months remain in a term, while allowing appointments if a year or less remains.

Proposition C addresses eminent domain, proposing updates to ensure compliance with state law, including requirements for fair market value compensation, public purpose and proper notice. Proposition D would remove term limits for the mayor and council members while maintaining three-year terms.


https://www.heraldbanner.com/news/local_news/early-voting-for-may-2-local-elections-begins-in-two-weeks/article_224f8680-a82a-49d7-84cb-a334f231180b.html