RandySF
RandySF's JournalTX-35: Redrawn to favor GOP, Texas' 35th Congressional District attracts competitive primaries in both parties
WASHINGTON — Voters in Texas’ new 35th Congressional District on Tuesday will cast their ballots in a pair of wide-open primaries to decide the Democratic and Republican nominees in the San Antonio-area seat, one of five overhauled last year to be more favorable for the GOP.
There are 11 Republicans and four Democrats running in the primaries for the 35th District, both of which could go to May runoffs between the top two finishers if nobody wins a majority of the vote. The area’s current representative, Democrat Greg Casar, was drawn out of his seat and is now running in the solidly blue 37th District.
The new 35th’s boundaries contain less than 10% of its former constituency and now cover parts of San Antonio and outlying eastern areas in Bexar, Guadalupe, Wilson and Karnes counties. If the updated lines had existed in 2024, the district would have gone to Donald Trump by about 10 points, though the nonpartisan Cook Political Report gives congressional Republicans a four-point advantage. Democrats have set their sights on overcoming the GOP gerrymander that created the Hispanic-majority district, believing they could capitalize on a leftward shift of Hispanic voters since Trump took office........
In the Democratic primary, Marine Corps veteran and policy analyst John Lira and Bexar County sheriff’s deputy Johnny Garcia have emerged as front-runners against two other candidates: housing justice organizer Maureen Galindo and gun club owner Whitney Masterson-Moyes.
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/28/texas-35th-congressional-district-republican-democratic-primaries-trump/
Cap Times to host public Madison School Board candidate forum
Two Madison School Board seats will be decided by voters on April 7, and the Cap Times will bring together the candidates for each seat in a public forum on Wednesday, March 11, at La Follette High School.
The moderators will be Cap Times education reporter Erin Gretzinger and Taylor Kilgore of the Simpson Street Free Press, which provides journalism and writing training for Dane County students in grades 3 through 12.
The forum is free and will run 7-8 p.m. in Room 1353 at La Follette High, 702 Pflaum Road. To get to Room 1353, enter the high school through its Arts Entrance from the main parking lot, and look for signs and greeters to guide you to the room.
The moderators will choose the questions for the candidates, but there are opportunities for you to suggest questions, too. In-person attendees can submit questions via notecard, but your question will be viewed much earlier if you submit it in advance to our moderators here.
https://captimes.com/news/elections/cap-times-to-host-public-madison-school-board-candidate-forum/article_c52f3112-026d-4312-aa85-593a98562f0a.html
Wisconsin Voters Turn Against School Tax Hikes, Poll Finds
Wisconsin voters are more concerned with reducing their property taxes than increasing funding for public schools. Voters also say they’re less inclined to support a school referendum.
These findings come from the latest Marquette University Law School Poll released this week. Voters’ attitude toward public school finances comes at a time when public school advocates are pushing the state Legislature to do more for schools.
Marquette surveyed 818 registered Wisconsin voters from Feb. 11-19. Those surveyed were asked “which is more important to you: reduce property taxes or increase spending on public schools?” Sixty percent said reducing property taxes are more important while 40 percent said funding K-12 schools was more important.
Poll director Charles Franklin said the 60 percent of people who are more concerned with property taxes than school funding is the highest in 26 Marquette polls that have asked the question since 2013.
https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2026/02/26/wisconsin-voters-turn-against-school-tax-hikes-poll-finds/
Harris calls on Detroiters to look after neighbors, engage each other
Detroit — Former Vice President Kamala Harris spoke about everything from the Democrats' chances to flip Congress blue to her favorite things to cook now that she has more free time during a moderated discussion on Friday night.
Harris, 61, spoke for an hour, stressing the need for neighbors to look after one another, saying President Donald Trump has worked to dismantle safety nets like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and to cut the federal departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development.
The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee said those efforts are the "high-velocity" peak of a decades-long attack on the nation's most vulnerable citizens. Harris said the under Trump, the nation has grown more divided.
"It's more than 'Can I trust that I don't need to lock my front door?' It's, 'Can I trust that you are not a threat to my very existence?'" Harris said.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2026/02/27/harris-calls-on-detroiters-to-look-after-neighbors-engage-each-other/88878854007/
Michigan lawmaker's (R) campaign pays her son, as he faces charges
Lansing — A Michigan lawmaker has used donor money to pay her son more than $24,000 in consulting fees over the last two years, continuing to benefit him after he was charged with domestic violence in September.
The expenditures by the campaign committee of state Rep. Jamie Thompson, R-Brownstown Township, were uncovered through an ongoing Detroit News investigation of legislators' campaign spending, which has previously revealed payments by other officials for Netflix, car repairs and housing.
Thompson's campaign paid her 24-year-old son, Jackson Thompson, $24,690 from August 2024 through December 2025 for canvassing and general consulting, according to disclosures filed with the Secretary of State's office. On Sept. 22, 2025, Jackson Thompson was arraigned in Wayne County on charges that included domestic violence, according to court records.
A judge ordered Jackson Thompson to obtain a GPS tether and set his bond at $50,000. A week after the arraignment, Rep. Jamie Thompson's campaign paid her son $1,220 on Sept. 29. The campaign has paid him $5,290 while the charges have been pending, records show.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/27/michigan-lawmaker-jamie-thompson-campaign-pays-her-son-as-he-faces-domestic-violence-charges/88845450007/
MI-AG: Murder case fuels McDonald (D) -Savit (D) feud, lawsuit in attorney general's race
Lansing — In a case of dueling Democratic prosecutors who want to be Michigan's next attorney general, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald's lawyer claims Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit masterminded a smear campaign that used a 2023 Detroit News story to accuse McDonald of letting campaign donations influence her decisions in a murder case.
McDonald filed a defamation lawsuit Feb. 4 in Ingham County Circuit Court against Lakeshore Leaders Fund, a southwest Michigan-based political action committee. According to the suit, the PAC had only $165.33 in its coffers when it received an influx of money from a political rival to try to thwart McDonald's run for attorney general.
The PAC sent text messages to voters across Michigan starting in January, along with mailers and information posted to a now-defunct website, www.whoiskarenmcdonald.com, and on social media, the lawsuit said. The PAC claimed in the text messages and postings that McDonald was the "recipient of over $80,000 in connection with the review of a murder conviction," the lawsuit said.
The postings included a photo of the May 23, 2023, Detroit News story referenced in the lawsuit. In the story, the widow of a murder victim, Genniver Jameel, expressed concerns about donations that were made to McDonald while she considered whether to ask a judge to vacate the first-degree murder sentence of the defendant, Hayes Bacall.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/27/murder-case-hayes-bacall-fuels-karen-mcdonald-eli-savit-feud-lawsuit-michigan-attorney-general-race/88323640007/
Candidates file in Orange, Belleville
Three of the four incumbents seeking re-election to their ward seats on the Orange City Council will face opposition in the May 12 non-partisan municipal election, with Quantavia Hilbert of the West Ward running unopposed.
North Ward Councilwoman Tency Eason faces Lynn Ogbourne. Four years ago, Eason turned back challengers Sharief Williams and Kami Willis 64-25-11%.
South Ward Councilwoman Jamie Summers-Johnson faces Lynval James and James Ward. A third challenger, Lionel Leach, a former CWA Local 1039 president and political operative, has not had his petition verified. Leach was tossed from his union post in 2012 after allegations of financial improprieties. Summers-Johnson, who won by only three votes in 2018, was re-elected in 2022 by a 50%-41% margin against Ward, with James getting 9%.
East Ward Councilman Kerry Coley will face Antoinett Hall, the Orange Democratic Municipal Chair. Coley defeated Fatimah Zurner and Tyrone Tarver, 52%-40%-8%,
https://newjerseyglobe.com/campaigns/candidates-file-in-orange-belleville/
Baraka draws seven opponents in Newark mayoral race, none of them credible
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka appears to have a clear path to a fourth term against seven challengers, all relatively minor and many of them perennial candidates, in the May 12 non-partisan municipal election.
Baraka will face Douglas R. Davis, Tanisha Garner, Noble Milton, Sheila Montague, Debra Salters, Nasheedah Singleton, and Jhamar Youngblood.
Ninteen candidates filed to run for four at-large seats on the Newark City Council, including three incumbents: Luis Quintana, a councilman since 1994, Lawrence Crump, and Rev. Louse Scott-Roundtree. All three are running on Baraka’s slate.
The fourth incumbent, Carlos Gonzalez, is not seeking re-election.
https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/baraka-draws-seven-opponents-in-newark-mayoral-race-none-of-them-credible/
Incumbent Mercer commissioners will share endorsement with challenger
Just two Mercer County commissioner seats are up for grabs this year, but a quirk in the math meant Mercer County Democrats endorsed three candidates for the Board; it’ll be up to the voters to winnow down the field.
The Democrats endorsed two incumbents, Lucylle Walter (D-Ewing) and John Cimino (D-Hamilton), as well as a challenger, Nakia White Barr, a former assistant vice president at Princeton University.
Walter garnered 272 votes, Cimino received 255, and Barr got 200 votes. The Mercer Democratic bylaws require endorsements to go to candidates who receive more than 50% of the vote. According to Mercer Democratic Chairperson Janice Mironov, the percentage totals are determined by dividing by the number of ballots cast (389) rather than total votes cast (727).
That means that even Barr, despite finishing third, got a percentage of 51.4% (200 divided by 389), and therefore an endorsement.
https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/incumbent-mercer-commissioners-will-share-endorsement-with-challenger/
NJ-11: Mejia gets first building trades endorsement
Analilia Mejia earned a new endorsement this morning from the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, the first building trades union to support her in her quest to represent New Jersey’s 11th congressional district.
The endorsement from the carpenters, who had stayed neutral in the district’s special election primary earlier this month, applies to every election Mejia will face this year: the April 16 special general election against GOP nominee Joe Hathaway; the June 2 primary election, in which Mejia could face some old or new Democratic primary foes; and the November 3 general election for her first full term.
“Analilia Mejia represents the next generation of leadership that working families deserve,” EASRCC Executive Secretary-Treasurer William Sproule said in a statement. “She has a deep respect for the labor movement and understands that investing in union jobs is essential to building a strong middle class. Her commitment to economic justice and worker protections aligns with the values of our membership.”
Mejia has a background in organized labor, and the unions she’d cultivated relationships with for years were instrumental in her upset special primary victory. The Communications Workers of America, 32BJ SEIU, and 1199 SEIU all supported her early and loudly, and the result was a narrow win against several better-known and better-funded foes.
https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/mejia-gets-first-building-trades-endorsement/
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