RandySF
RandySF's JournalSF: Stakes are high in contest for the Sunset's supervisorial seat
The June supervisorial election in District 4 will inevitably be a public judgment on Mayor Daniel Lurie’s appointment of Supervisor Alan Wong to fill a vacancy.
In addition, the vote could determine whether the Board of Supervisors will remain as receptive as it has been to the popular mayor’s policies.
That is, at least until the November election, when a full four-year term will be up for grabs. Wong is running against four other candidates to finish out the remainder of former Supervisor Joel Engardio’s term.
Dramatically illustrating the stakes, the organization GrowSF collected $297,000 as of March 31 for an independent committee to support Wong, city records show. That war chest — which includes $250,000 from billionaire venture capitalist Michael Moritz — is part of a broader effort by GrowSF to preserve a more "pragmatic" Board of Supervisors majority.
https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/politics/district-4-supervisor-election-could-shift-city-direction/article_f467846a-5971-4730-8087-7324470e1be3.html
St. Louis voters decide to keep 1% earnings tax for another 5 years
Voters in St. Louis have retained a 1% tax that makes up more than a third of the city’s general revenue fund.
Proposition E passed 85% to 15% on Tuesday in final unofficial results. The earnings tax is paid by people who live or work in the city. The every-five-years retention vote is required by state law.
Tuesday’s results marked the fourth time voters have retained the tax. It is the largest margin of victory for the tax since an initial vote in 2011.
Mayor Cara Spencer has said she knows the city must look for alternate sources of revenue. State lawmakers regularly introduce legislation that limits who would have to pay the earnings tax or makes other changes that would reduce the amount of revenue it generates.
https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2026-04-07/st-louis-voters-pass-earnings-tax
St. Charles County voters reject expanding property tax freeze to all homeowners
ST. CHARLES, Mo. (First Alert 4) - St. Charles County voters have rejected Proposition RT, a proposal that would have expanded the senior property tax freeze to all homeowners.
The vote failed 59-41 percent.
Supporters say it would help seniors on fixed incomes stay in their homes amid rising property values. Opponents say it would have led to cuts in schools and other programs.
A similar proposal was on the ballot in Jefferson County; that plan passed.
https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/04/08/st-charles-county-voters-reject-expanding-property-tax-freeze-all-homeowners/
Left-of-center candidates lead initial Anchorage election results; school bond and levy failing by slim margins
The Anchorage Assembly is set to have three new members after preliminary election results were released Tuesday night. Meanwhile, two school-related propositions -- a bond package for capital improvements and a one-time tax hike intended to hire more teachers, are both failing by razor-thin margins.
Incumbent Assembly members Anna Brawley, representing West Anchorage, South Anchorage’s Zac Johnson and East Anchorage’s George Martinez are currently leading their challengers. All three faced opponents with more conservative political leanings.
- Brawley currently has a 13% lead over challenger Brian Flynn.
- Martinez leads challenger Cody Anderson by 15%.
- Johnson has 47% of the vote while challengers Bruce Vergason and Janelle Sharp, have about 38% and 11% respectively.
Johnson, who identifies as a moderate and typically votes with the Assembly’s left-of-center majority and Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, said he sees the results as voters affirming the way the city has been run recently.
https://alaskapublic.org/news/anchorage/2026-04-07/left-of-center-candidates-lead-initial-anchorage-election-results-school-bond-and-levy-failing-by-slim-margins
Incumbents Sweep Milwaukee County Board Elections
The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors will begin their next term with little change in the makeup of the legislative body. Only three incumbents faced competitive races Tuesday, and all won reelection.
However, the board will have one new member.
n District 5, after nearly a decade on the board, Sup. Sequanna Taylor did not run for reelection. She won election to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2024. Taking her place on the board is Leevan Roundtree Jr., who ran unopposed for the empty seat.
Supervisors are elected to two-year terms and paid $32,819 annually. The County Board is the county’s legislative body in charge of financial oversight and approval of the county’s $1.3 billion annual budget. The new board will be sworn in on April 20.
https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2026/04/07/mke-county-incumbents-sweep-county-board-elections/
Voters reject conservative candidates for Francis Howell school board
ara Dillard, Jason Adams and Kevin McGuire are the projected winners of seats on the Francis Howell School District Board of Education — marking a sweeping rebuttal of conservatives who dominated after the pandemic and protests for racial justice in 2020.
Each of the three candidates received about 19% of the vote.
The candidates were endorsed by the Francis Howell Education Association, the district’s teacher union, and the progressive political action committee, Francis Howell Forward.
“I'm just so excited that our community has decided to finally put the hate and the divisiveness that has existed on our board to rest so we can concentrate on the serious matters instead of the manufactured noise that's taken place over the last few years,” Adams said in an interview Tuesday night.
https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2026-04-07/francis-howell-school-board-election-st-charles
Vote YES Campaign Manager Briefing on "Super Saturdays" Early Voting Expansion, Campaign Update
“Before I get into Super Saturday, I do want to start with where things stand right now. I feel very confident about where we are. But we always knew this was always going to be a fight across the Commonwealth. The data is clear – Virginians are showing up. They are voting early and they are voting YES. Right now, we are seeing a consistent advantage in early vote. Our projections have us leading in early vote and we just need to keep that momentum going. Pedal to the metal here. As of yesterday, we’ve already seen a staggering 740,000 early votes cast in this referendum. What that is telling me is that Virginians understand what’s at stake. They aren’t distracted by Trump-aligned billionaires dumping millions of dollars to mislead voters. They see this referendum as stopping MAGA Republicans from rigging the the system and imposing their harmful policies on Virginians and on Americans. If Virginians pass this temporary measure, this emergency measure, they can level the playing field, protect Virginia’s independent redistricting process long term, and meet this moment right now. and we’re confident that Virginians will do just that.
Now, let’s talk about Super Saturday. Saturday, April 11th, and again, Saturday, April 18th, Virginia voters will have more access to early voting than at any point in this election cycle. There will be major expansions in key localities like Fairfax County, Prince William County, Loudoun County, Richmond and Norfolk that are opening up. And we’re coming out swinging. We are activating across the state with major events and doing all that we can to build towards Super Saturday. Just this week, we have SEIU tomorrow, our SEIU labor brothers and sisters are endorsing, and we have them at a major event in Tyson’s Corner. On Thursday and on Friday, national and statewide leaders are joining Roland Martin for two live stream vote YES town halls at Virginia State University and Norfolk State University. Also on Friday, we’re kicking off the weekend with a press conference with some of our Virginia Democratic leaders, urging Virginians to come out and vote early to make their voices heard on Saturday in Richmond. Throughout the week, we’ll have over 50 grassroots activations statewide that’ll include canvassing, phone banking, text banking.
On Super Saturday, you’ll see our leaders across the Commonwealth barnstorming. They will be launching canvasses, casting their own votes, greeting voters, driving out turnout, and encouraging our Virginia voters throughout the Commonwealth. From Norfolk to Charlottesville to Arlington, and everywhere in between and all across the Commonwealth, you’re going to see major activation as we kick off the Super Saturdays featuring our state and federal leaders. That energy is going to be replicated and continued all the way from this weekend to April 21st. Vote YES on the referendum. That is our message and that’s what we’re doing. So, Super Saturdays once again, April 11th, Saturday, April 18th, Virginians have a chance to show up, show out, and vote YES. It is the opportunity to stop the Trump power grab. It is the opportunity to level the playing field. It is the opportunity to enact a very responsible, temporary emergency measure to ensure that voters have the final say. Not Trump, not MAGA Republicans, not Florida, not Texas. So, Virginians, to get your information about where to cast your ballot, please go to iwillvote.com/va – that is iwillvote.com/va. This is an important moment. We are early voting from now to April 21st. Vote YES.”
https://bluevirginia.us/2026/04/video-vote-yes-campaign-manager-briefing-on-super-saturdays-early-voting-expansion-campaign-update/
RELEASE: State Democrats are Shattering Records While Republicans are Stepping Down
PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON — Another week, another round of state Democrats trouncing state Republicans. As the DLCC announces record candidate recruitment and launches target races earlier than ever, state Republicans are suffering yet another headache as dozens of leaders head for the exits.
Historic candidate recruitment
State Democrats have been shattering records with candidate recruitment numbers across the country, marking the latest display of grassroots enthusiasm and Democratic momentum heading into November. Following the resounding success of flipping 30 seats since Trump’s election, “more Democratic candidates [are] running than any time in recent history” in many states – especially in red districts. These “once-in-a-generation levels of participation” build on the DLCC’s most expansive midterm strategy.
GOP exodus raises alarm bells
Meanwhile, “Republicans are losing clout” after the last 14 months have revealed a pattern of retirements and resignations among GOP state leaders across the country. Politico reports that at least 14 Republican leaders are “headed for the exits” compared to about half as many Democrats, “in another possible sign of midterm trouble.”
DLCC announces Target Races
As Republicans play recruitment Whac-A-Mole with a growing number of vacancies, the DLCC is full steam ahead to execute our ambitious midterm strategy. We’ve launched our first 50 Target Races earlier than ever in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, and more. Over 500 districts have been identified as targets in the DLCC’s most expansive map ever, including 300 districts held by Republicans – the DLCC is on clear offense heading into the midterms.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement:
“From flipping 30 seats to shattering candidate recruitment records, Democrats are continuing to pick up steam heading into the midterms. The incredibly strong candidates raising their hands to run for office are laser-focused on making life more affordable for working families, and the DLCC has the strategy to support their campaigns to victory across every corner of the country. Meanwhile, the GOP is scrambling as legislators jump off their sinking ship, and they have yet to flip a single seat since Trump’s election. The contrast couldn’t be clearer as the DLCC executes our strategy to win the largest shift of power at this ballot level in decades.”
https://www.dlcc.org/news/press/release-state-democrats-are-shattering-records-while-republicans-are-stepping-down/
'The 19th Amendment was a bad idea': The far-right's wish list for extreme voter suppression
President Donald Trump and the GOP are attacking voting rights through executive orders to roll back mail-in voting and the SAVE America Act, which would impose strict ID requirements.
But to some far-right Christian influencers, that’s small potatoes.
They’re pushing for even harsher voting restrictions. Among them: revoking women’s right to vote, instituting “family voting,” and only allowing property owners the right to vote.
These ideas haven’t made it into legislation — yet. But they’re growing in popularity among far-right Christian nationalists, many of whom are motivated by a belief that women should have no role at all in public affairs.
https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/the-19th-amendment-was-a-bad-idea-the-far-rights-wish-list-for-extreme-voter-suppression/
OH-SEN, MI-SEN: Republican PAC reveals $124 million spending plan for Ohio and Michigan Senate races
With Republican control of the U.S. Senate in jeopardy in the 2026 midterm elections, the party’s leading super PAC announced an aggressive spending plan for key Senate races, including $124 million for Ohio and Michigan.
The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) is the largest outside spending group dedicated to electing and expanding a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate. On Monday, the PAC outlined a $342 million spending plan across eight races in the 2026 midterms.
https://heartlandsignal.com/2026/04/07/republican-pac-reveals-124-million-spending-plan-for-ohio-and-michigan-senate-races/
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Gender: MaleHometown: Detroit Area, MI
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Current location: San Francisco, CA
Member since: Wed Oct 29, 2008, 02:53 PM
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