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RandySF's Journal51 percent in new poll say they hope Democrats take control of House
Over half of American voters say they want Democrats to take control of the House, according to a new poll.
In the Quinnipiac University poll, 51 percent of respondents said they wished for Democrats to take back the House in a hypothetical election, while 40 percent wanted it to remain in Republican hands. Nine percent were unsure or gave no response about who they wanted to lead the House.
The poll found 57 percent of independents wishing for the Democrats to take control of the House, with 26 percent of the same group wanting the Republicans to control the House. Seventeen percent of independents were unsure or gave no response about who they wanted to hold power in the lower chamber.
Republicans are facing rocky political territory as they head into this year’s midterms, with the current conflict in Iran shown to be unpopular in recent polling, recent Democratic election wins and President Trump’s low approval ratings.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5799016-poll-shows-democrats-lead/
Benyo leaves post as Lehigh County's clerk of elections, registrations
Timothy Benyo, Lehigh County’s chief clerk of elections and registrations, has left his position to work for the Committee of Seventy, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that focuses on issues impacting voters.
Benyo has become the group’s senior adviser, election administration. His job includes working with election officials and policymakers, supporting poll worker recruitment and training initiatives, and advancing key election administration reforms.
“I’m honored to be part of an organization with such a long history of promoting my beliefs on free, fair, safe, and secure elections,” Benyo said in a statement.
“The people who worked alongside me for the past 20 years have provided me with this opportunity as well as great success in Carbon and Lehigh counties. I’m very excited to continue what was started at the county level and expand those successes throughout the Commonwealth at the Committee of Seventy.”
https://armchairlehighvalley.substack.com/p/benyo-leaves-post-as-lehigh-countys
NY-07, NY-12: DC 37 endorses Bores, Reynoso for open House seats
nfluential labor union District Council 37 is backing Assembly Member Alex Bores and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in New York City’s two open congressional primaries.
The former gives the Manhattan legislator a boost in the crowded race to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler. The latter means the city’s largest public sector union is breaking with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who’s been trying to rally support for Reynoso’s opponent, Assembly Member Claire Valdez, to succeed retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez.
Union delegates approved endorsements for seven other Democratic congressional incumbents in the city Tuesday night as well. That includes Rep. Dan Goldman, who’s facing serious opposition from Brad Lander, the man who used to sign DC 37 members’ checks as city comptroller. The union also backed Reps. Greg Meeks, Grace Meng, Hakeem Jeffries, Yvette Clarke, Adriano Espaillat and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
One conspicuous absence from the slate: Rep. Ritchie Torres. “The screening committee hasn’t taken action on that race at this time, it’s still under consideration,” DC 37 spokesperson Thea Setterbo said. Torres is being primaried by former Assembly Member Michael Blake, who earned an early endorsement from DC 37 in his first run against Torres in 2020.
https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2026/03/dc-37-endorses-bores-reynoso-open-house-seats/412353/?oref=csny-category-lander-featured-river
Oakland Co. voters to decide on enhancement millage for schools in August
Oakland County voters will decide in August on a proposed "enhancement millage" to generate additional money for public schools across the county.
The Oakland Schools Board of Education voted 3-1 on Tuesday to place the 1.5 mill ask on the Aug. 4 ballot, after enough school boards in the county representing a majority of the student population passed resolutions to endorse putting the measure before voters. Board member Carol Finkelstein was the dissenting vote.
Residents will be asked to approve or reject an additional 1.5 mills for a six-year period, starting this year and ending in 2031. The millage would be on top of whatever mills each individual district has on the books or any other proposed millages on an upcoming ballot.
The hike would generate $125 million more annually for schools across Oakland County, Michigan's wealthiest county, for an average of $728 per student the first year, and $782 a student the next five years. Every local school district and eligible public school academy would receive that amount multiplied by the number of students it has.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2026/03/25/oakland-county-schools-enhancement-millage-ballot-august/89317193007/
Democrats see a new crop of rising leaders ready to take control of the legislature
What aree Wisconsin’s future leaders doing in the present day? Some of them are probably in the early stages of their first run for elected office, and the state Assembly Democratic Leader thinks several of them will help flip control of the legislature this fall.
“What we’re looking for are people who are deeply connected to their communities,” said Rep. Greta Neubauer (D-Racine). “People who have already worked with their neighbors as members of the PTA, volunteering to serve concessions at the high school, running the Cub Scout troop.”
Neubauer understands the current political winds favor Democrats, but she says she’s taking nothing for granted in her role of recruiting Assembly candidates and using her background as an organizer to find people best suited to represent their hometowns in Madison.
“These are people who we know can be successful,” Neubauer told UpNorthNews, “because they’re people who understand the concerns of their neighbors, and who are going to be able to communicate that they’re in this because they want to make life better for their community, not because they’re partisan politicians.”
https://upnorthnewswi.com/2026/03/25/democrats-new-crop-rising-leaders-control-legislature/
In less than two weeks, Wisconsin voters head back to the polls to vote on over 70 referendums.
In less than two weeks, Wisconsin voters head back to the polls — and there will be more than 70 school referendums in districts across the state. The rising tide of referendums is happening because the Republican-controlled Legislature hasn’t kept the state’s share of school funding in line with inflation for 15 years. And it also refuses to fix some deception on property tax bills.
You might see a big dollar amount going to your local school district, but you don’t see how much of your tax dollars are actually siphoned off that amount and used for private school vouchers, making public school even more reliant on local property taxes.
https://upnorthnewswi.com/2026/03/25/in-less-than-two-weeks-wisconsin-voters-head-back-to-the-polls-to-vote-on-over-70-referendums/
How is this upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court election more important than past elections?
What’s at Stake – How is it that this upcoming Wisconsin Supreme Court election is even more important than past elections where control of the court was at stake?
Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor says the stakes are even bigger this time because it’s not about progressive vs. conservative justices, it’s about a state and its people being able to stand up to big government at the federal level — one that is threatening voting rights, personal liberties, and even the right to control our own bodies and healthcare.
Taylor faces off on April 7 with conservative Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar. Taylor took part in a live online event organized by UpNorthNews.
https://upnorthnewswi.com/2026/03/25/how-is-this-upcoming-wisconsin-supreme-court-election-more-important-than-past-elections/
AK-GOV: A Critical Political Season Could Decide if Alaska Is a Failed 'Petrostate'
Juneau, Alaska, takes pride in providing services that some larger cities would shy away from — child care and housing assistance, arts grants, three libraries, two public pools, an arboretum, a ski area and a pledge that all 250 miles of borough roads will be plowed, if possible, within 48 hours after a snowstorm ends.
But the system that has made that possible — a steady flow of revenue from oil production — is cracking like Arctic ice in spring, not just in Juneau, Alaska’s capital, but across the state. Even with the war in Iran sending oil prices sky high, the oil-dependent model that has financed generous public services while giving Alaskans annual checks from a Permanent Fund can no longer keep both promises.
And a political year that will include a wide-open governor’s race and one of the most watched Senate contests in the country could help decide the future of what has become known in some circles as a “petrostate,” for its public reliance on oil production, on the brink.
“The petrostate hasn’t quite failed yet,” said Joseph Geldhof, a Juneau lawyer, but “it will if something does not change.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/25/us/politics/alaska-oil-midterms.html
Democrats Spend Big but Face Tough Fight in Virginia Gerrymandering Battle
The battle over congressional maps in Virginia, the latest in the nationwide clash over mid-decade redistricting in the lead-up to this year’s midterm elections, is intensifying with a statewide referendum only weeks away.
Tens of millions of dollars have poured into the state to fund campaigns for and against the referendum, which takes place on April 21 and will decide whether Democrats can redraw the state’s map to flip as many as four U.S. House seats currently held by Republicans. The vast majority of the money has flowed in on the Democratic side.
With early voting already underway, the evidence so far points to surprisingly healthy turnout and a relatively close outcome, potentially much closer than the California vote for redistricting was in November.
The stakes are significant: If Virginians approve an amendment that would allow redistricting, Democrats could fight their way to a rough draw in the country’s gerrymandering war. The Virginia delegation in the U.S. House is currently made up of six Democrats and five Republicans; the map proposed by Democratic leaders would give Democrats an advantage in 10 of the state’s 11 districts.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/25/us/politics/virginia-redistricting-referendum-house-seats.html
Maricopa County recorder asks prosecutors to investigate 207 alleged noncitizen voters
Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap has formally referred potential noncitizen voters identified by an error-prone federal database to local prosecutors for further investigation ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said in a statement that Heap referred a total of 207 individuals for review — significantly more than the 137 voters Heap had previously announced he suspected were noncitizens. It said those referrals came in two batches — 137 voters were referred last week, and another 70 people were added on Monday.
Judy Keane, a spokeswoman for Heap, did not respond to a question about why he referred an additional 70 voters.
Prosecutors added that the probe was in “very early stages.”
https://www.votebeat.org/arizona/2026/03/24/maricopa-county-recorder-justin-heap-alleged-noncitizen-voters/
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