RandySF
RandySF's JournalCA-14: Bay Area state senator (D) adds name to the list of candidates hoping to replace Eric Swalwell
DUBLIN — The number of candidates hoping to fill Eric Swalwell’s East Bay congressional seat keeps growing.
This week, state Sen. Aisha Wahab, D-Fremont, officially added her name to the list, declaring her candidacy in an exclusive interview with this news organization. She said that if elected, her familiarity with the district’s issues will allow her to hit the ground running.
“This is my home. I know it really well. I understand the issues, I understand the communities,” Wahab said of District 14. “The honest truth is we need somebody that is able to go to congress that can start the work from day one.”
Wahab’s entry into the race brings the total number of candidates to five; BART Board President Melissa Hernandez, independent businessman Matt Ortega, immigration attorney Abrar Qadir and retired tech executive Wendy Huang — the lone Republican candidate — had previously announced their bids to replace Swalwell, who is running in California’s gubernatorial race this year.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/01/24/bay-area-state-senator-adds-her-name-to-the-growing-list-of-candidates-hoping-to-replace-eric-swalwell/amp/
Alabama candidate qualifying ends; Dems have largest slate since 2018
On the Democratic side, five candidates qualified for the state’s highest office. Joining former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones will be pastor Will Boyd, hemp businessman Chad “Chig” Martin, former state Rep. Nathan Mathis, and former gubernatorial candidate Yolanda Flowers.
In 2022, 87 Democrats ran for office, according to paperwork submitted to the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office. For the 2026 midterms, there were 94 as of early Friday evening.
“I think a healthy democracy does include more candidates rather than less,” said Alabama Democratic Party Vice Chair Tabitha Isner, a candidate for Senate District 26 in the Montgomery area. “I see more candidates on the ballot as evidence of a healthier democracy, or at least a desire to have a healthier democracy.”
https://alabamareflector.com/2026/01/23/alabama-candidate-qualifying-ends-dems-have-largest-slate-since-2018/
TX-SEN: Jasmine Crockett, James Talarico show different fighting styles in first debate of Senate Democratic primary
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico both pitched themselves as fighters Saturday during their first, and perhaps only, debate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, with Crockett framing herself as a “street fighter” and Talarico leaning into his record battling GOP proposals in the Texas House.
The two Democrats debated for an hour at the Texas AFL-CIO’s political convention in Georgetown ahead of the March 3 election. Early voting begins Feb. 17, just over three weeks out from Saturday.
Crockett, D-Dallas, and Talarico, D-Austin, are competing for their party’s nomination to take on the eventual Republican nominee in November, when Democrats hope that backlash to the Trump administration — and a GOP nominee damaged from a bruising primary battle — will help lift the party to its first statewide victory in over three decades. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, the Republican incumbent, is fighting to defend his seat in a bitter primary against Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston.
Crockett has pitched her candidacy, defined by her reputation as a political brawler, as the one best positioned to expand the electorate, with a focus on juicing Democratic turnout and motivating low-propensity voters to show up at the polls. Talarico, meanwhile, has emphasized his Christian faith and a top-versus-bottom brand of economic populism, betting those tenets can win over disaffected Republican and independent voters while also engaging the Democratic base.
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/24/jasmine-crockett-james-talarico-debate-texas-senate-democratic-primary-2026/
Paige Bueckers pledges $50,000 to help children and families in Minneapolis area.
Paige Bueckers, the burgeoning WNBA superstar from Hopkins, has pledged a $50,000 matching donation to the Hopkins Strong Relief Fund to support children and families struggling with “the heightened stress and uncertainty” in her home state.
Bueckers was the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year last summer after averaging 19.2 points, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals in her first professional season with the Dallas Wings. The Hopkins Education Foundation announced Bueckers’ donation in a release Thursday.
Hopkins Strong is a partnership between the Hopkins Education Foundation and the ICA Food Shelf to support the Hopkins Public Schools community. According to the release, Hopkins Education Foundation has raised $50,000 “and, with Paige’s help, hopes to reach $250,000 total to provide ongoing support.”
“With families in Paige’s childhood school district (especially immigrant families) facing food insecurity and struggling with rent and utilities due to the heightened stress and uncertainty in our state, Paige committed her matching donation to the #HopkinsStrong Relief Fund this week,” Hopkins Education Foundation said in its release.
https://www.twincities.com/2026/01/22/paige-buckers-pledges-50000-to-help-children-and-families-in-hopkins/
Tri-Cities school districts seek levy renewals in February election
TRI-CITIES, Wash. — Ballots for the Feb. 10 special election in Benton and Franklin counties are on their way to voters, with all three Tri-Cities school districts—Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland—seeking renewal levies.
These levies, which currently provide 10 to 20 percent of the school districts' budgets, are set to expire. Dr. Joey Castilleja, executive of fiscal services for the Pasco School District, noted, "It's only allowed to be used on things that aren't funded by the state, so an example of this is a big one that people often think about easily is athletics. There is no money that comes in from the state or anywhere else, for that matter, to fund an athletic program, and so our local dollars go right into things like that."
If the levies aren't approved, all three districts would have to make cuts from things not paid for by Washington state, including security, athletics, and other extracurricular activities.
Lance Hansen, superintendent of the Kennewick School District, emphasized the importance of the levies, stating, "One, it's a replacement of expiring levies... And two, it fills the gap between what we receive and what we need to ensure our kids have the appropriate supports, opportunities, and safety so that they can be well prepared for success—post-secondary education, work, and life."
https://keprtv.com/news/local/tri-cities-school-districts-seek-levy-renewals-in-february-election
Early voting kicks off Saturday for Feb. 7 primary election
LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - Some voters in Southwest Louisiana will be able to cast their votes early for the seat of Dist. 37 State Representative starting on Saturday.
The seat opened up when former State Rep. Troy Romero submitted his resignation in December 2025.
The early voting period runs Saturday, Jan. 24 through Saturday, Jan. 31 (excluding Sunday, Jan. 25) from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office.
To find out where you can vote early by parish, click HERE or contact your parish’s registrar of voter’s office.
https://www.kplctv.com/2026/01/23/early-voting-kicks-off-saturday-feb-7-primary-election/
Republican lawmakers seek opinion of Arizona Supreme Court on election canvassing
PHOENIX — The state’s top two Republican lawmakers are asking the Supreme Court to rule that county supervisors don’t have to accept the vote total figures they get from election officials.
In a new filing, attorneys for Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Steve Montenegro argue that supervisors have “discretion’’ to determine whether to certify the vote tallies as official. To rule otherwise, they said, would “transform the boards into rubber stamps.’’
The pair are specifically suing Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.
He produced an Elections Procedure Manual which said that the duty of the supervisors, in essence, is strictly ministerial: Take the report given to them by the county employees who have run the election and declare them valid. What makes that important is the manual has the force of law, complete with criminal penalties for violations.
https://www.pinalcentral.com/arizona_news/republican-lawmakers-seek-opinion-of-arizona-supreme-court-on-election-canvassing/article_e7dd547e-834f-4db4-82e4-372d9fd92cd7.html
TX-18: Early voting Sunday for District 18 special election canceled because of weather
HOUSTON — Early voting for the Congressional District 18 special runoff election will be suspended Sunday because of severe winter weather, the Harris County Clerk’s Office announced.
County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth said all early vote centers will remain open Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., but will close Sunday, Jan. 25.
“The safety of employees, election workers, and voters is my top priority,” Hudspeth said. “I strongly encourage voters who are eligible to participate in this election to cast their ballots today and Saturday.”
It’s all because of a winter storm that will begin affecting the region Saturday evening and continue into early next week.
https://www.khou.com/article/weather/early-voting-sunday/285-d4ed8df6-d67c-4485-b9aa-82351631bb58
Labor, business on collision course for June ballot battle over taxes
The likelihood of a business-vs.-labor tax-policy duel at the June ballot box is rising as the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and its allies have settled on a tax-cut initiative, while unions push forward with their own effort to get voters to increase The City’s Overpaid Executive Tax.
The outcome could significantly affect city finances — backers of the union-sponsored measure say that it would add about $200 million a year into The City’s coffers, but The City could lose tax revenue if the business-backed measure wins.
The union-backed Stand Up for SF coalition has already collected the 10,643 valid signatures it needs to qualify its “Overpaid CEO Act” for the ballot, according to coalition spokesperson Scott Mann. He said the campaign will celebrate the milestone Wednesday at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. The Chamber of Commerce-led group has until Feb. 2 to submit its signatures.
Mann said the increase to the Overpaid Executive Tax is needed to prevent cuts to essential public services, largely as a result of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law by President Donald Trump in July. Among other provisions, the law includes historically large cuts to Medicaid that the City Controller said will cost San Francisco more than $200 million per year by 2027-28.
https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/politics/sf-overpaid-executive-tax-june-2026-ballot-battle/article_756cd74f-7b47-450a-beb9-4da371f3275a.html
Early Voting for NYS Senate Seat on West Side Postponed
The special election for the New York State Senate seat on the West Side of Manhattan in District 47 which pits Democrat Erik Bottcher against Republican Charlotte Friedman has postponed the start of early voting on Sunday, Jan. 25.
In making the announcement to postpone that race and two others in the city–including the race for the NYS Assembly seat held by Zohran Mamdani before he took office as Mayor–Hochul said the second day of early voting on Monday Jan. 26 could be postponed as well, depending on the severity of the storm.
The district includes Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen as well as parts of Greenwich Village and part of the UWS up to W. 113th St.
Bottcher, the incumbent city council member from that side of Manhattan, has picked up a slew of endorsements from other leading Dems in his run for NYS Senate including Congressman Jerry Nadler, comptroller Mark Levine, City Council speaker Julie Menin, Democratic majority leader in the city council Shaun Abreu and upper west side assembly member Micha Lasher. Botthcer, who is gay is running with strong support from the LBGTQ+ community and is running on a platform stressing affordability, addressing mental health crisis, environmentalism and defense of democracy.
https://www.otdowntown.com/news/early-voting-for-nys-senate-seat-on-west-side-postponed-NF5502582
Profile Information
Gender: MaleHometown: Detroit Area, MI
Home country: USA
Current location: San Francisco, CA
Member since: Wed Oct 29, 2008, 01:53 PM
Number of posts: 81,624