RandySF
RandySF's JournalCook Political Report: Four Senate Races Shift Towards the Democrats
GA-SEN - From Tossup to Lean D
NC-SEN - From Tossup to Lean D
OH-SEN - From Lean R to Tossup
NE-SEN - From Solid R to Likely R
https://politicalwire.com/2026/04/13/four-senate-races-shift-towards-the-democrats/
AK-SEN: Peltola raises almost $9M in first three months of Senate bid
Former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) raked in nearly $9 million across her authorized committees over the first three months of the year, a staggering sum for Alaska that reflects how critical national Democrats believe the race is to their chances of retaking the Senate majority.
Peltola’s $8.9 million haul represents the largest first-quarter raise of any Senate candidate in the state’s history, according to her campaign, which shared its numbers first with POLITICO. It’s quadruple the amount her rival, GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan, raised over the same period.
“Alaskans know DC isn’t working for them, and they’re ready for change,” Peltola said in a statement. “I’m so grateful for the support we’ve received from every single borough and census area across our state, and it’s that support that will bring us to victory this November.”
Sullivan’s campaign said last week he had raised $2.1 million across his authorized committees and had $7.5 million in cash on hand. Peltola’s campaign declined to provide her amount of cash on hand, raising the possibility that she spent a lot to raise that much. Her team noted that 95 percent of the contributions she received since launching her Senate bid in mid-January were $100 or less, meaning she can go back to those small-dollar donors for more money in future months.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/13/senate-midterms-peltola-fundraising-sullivan-alaska-00868627
April 20 is deadline to register to vote in Kentucky's May primary election
Kentuckians have a week to register to vote in the May 19 primary election.
The deadline to register is 4 p.m. local time Monday, April 20.
Highlighting the ballot is the race for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell who is retiring after 42 years in the Senate.
Kentuckians this year will also be choosing members of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Kentucky legislature and county and city offices.
https://kentuckylantern.com/briefs/april-20-is-deadline-to-register-to-vote-in-kentuckys-may-primary-election/
Can felons vote in North Dakota? Democracy group seeks to dispel misconceptions
The League of Women Voters of North Dakota is coordinating with state agencies and jails to make sure people with criminal records know their voting rights.
Under state law, North Dakota residents cannot vote while incarcerated for a felony. They can vote after they’re released, however, as long as they meet all other requirements. People can also vote if they’re serving time for a misdemeanor, or if they’ve been charged but not convicted.
But these nuances aren’t well understood by the public, said Whitney Oxendahl, a volunteer for the League of Women Voters of North Dakota.
Many volunteers for the League meet people who think having a felony means they permanently lose their voting rights, she said. Sometimes people with felonies also think they can vote in state elections but not federal races.
https://northdakotamonitor.com/2026/04/13/can-felons-vote-in-north-dakota-democracy-group-seeks-to-dispel-misconceptions/
WV-02: In race for WV's 2nd House of Representatives district, three Dems vie for chance to unseat Moore
Democratic voters will choose between Ace Parsi, an Iranian-born community organizer, Stephanie Spears Tomana, a science teacher and youth sports coach, and Steven Wendelin, a navy veteran. The primary election is May 12.
Ace Parsi’s family immigrated to the United States when he was 8 years old to escape the authoritarian regime there. His brother was about to be conscripted into the military.......
Steven Wendelin, of Lost River, is a Northern California native who settled in West Virginia after retiring from a 39-year career in the U.S. Navy. The military took him all over the world, but when he got to choose where to live, he chose West Virginia, he said.....
Stephanie Spears Tomana is a Fairmont science teacher and a lifelong West Virginia resident. She said she was inspired to run for office after seeing West Virginia being exploited over and over.
https://westvirginiawatch.com/2026/04/13/in-race-for-wvs-2nd-house-of-representatives-district-three-dems-vie-for-chance-to-unseat-moore/
AK-SEN: 'It would be catastrophic': A Supreme Court decision could upend Alaska's crucial Senate race
In the villages that dot Kodiak Island off the coast of southwest Alaska, the post arrives by plane. Mailing a ballot to the archipelago’s hub takes at least two days — if the region’s frequent storms haven’t grounded air traffic.
It’s a common problem across Alaska. And it’s a big reason why the state allows ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted for up to 10 days afterward, a critical reprieve for voters in remote communities that are disconnected from the state’s highway system and sometimes even polling locations.
That’s why Alaskans across the political spectrum are sounding the alarm about a pending Supreme Court ruling. A majority of justices appear to be leaning toward barring states from counting late-arriving ballots, a ruling that would upend voting laws in Alaska and more than a dozen other states. That could potentially disenfranchise hundreds of voters in Kodiak’s distant villages and thousands more across the remote reaches of The Last Frontier — and upend Alaska’s election process in a state that could determine Senate control.
“This matters a lot in a place like Kodiak, because absentee voting, it’s not a convenience here,” said Jared Griffin, the mayor of Kodiak Island Borough, who is an independent. “It’s going to really hurt those rural, remote voters.”
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/12/it-would-be-catastrophic-a-supreme-court-decision-could-upend-alaskas-crucial-senate-race-00867699
Sen. Warner, Rep. Jeffries lead rally to support Virginia redistricting referendum in Charlottesville
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Democratic elected officials participated in a Vote YES rally at Random Row Brewing Co. in Charlottesville, urging people to vote yes on the commonwealth’s April 21 redistricting referendum.
Among them was Virginia Sen. Mark Warner. His stop in Charlottesville was also part of a statewide re-election campaign. He put equal amounts of focus on both his re-election and the referendum.
“I’m a strong yes vote, but what’s different as well is though that, at least in Virginia, it’s not a bunch of politicians deciding, you guys decide,” Sen. Warner said.
Warner wasn’t the only person from the Senate to speak in Charlottesville. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made a surprise appearance and spoke at the event
https://www.29news.com/2026/04/12/sen-warner-rep-jeffries-lead-rally-support-virginia-redistricting-referendum-charlottesville/
At Carter-Lewis dinner, Beshear urges Georgia Democrats to get 'dirt on our boots'
Georgia Democrats say they are getting ready for a rebirth as this year’s midterm election season approaches.
At the annual Carter-Lewis dinner Saturday, headlined by Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, supporters, donors and elected officials from across the state gathered to mobilize for what many expect to be a tough fight for Democrats at the ballot box.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is facing a competitive reelection campaign, as the only Senate Democrat up for reelection in a state Trump won in 2024, and candidates for statewide offices like governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general are tasked with winning over voters who previously supported Republican candidates.
But with strong Democratic turnout during last year’s Public Service Commission elections and overperformances during off-year special elections, Democrats see plenty of signs for hope.
https://georgiarecorder.com/2026/04/11/at-carter-lewis-dinner-beshear-urges-georgia-democrats-to-get-dirt-on-our-boots/
Will Hawaiʻi Voters Once Again See Long Lines On Election Day?
Ever since Hawaiʻi first implemented its statewide mail-in voting system in 2020 there have been complaints that there aren’t enough places to vote in person on Election Day.
On two occasions, most recently during the 2024 general election, long lines formed at several polling sites. The lines were most prominent on population-heavy Oʻahu, where voters could only cast their ballots in person on Nov. 5 at Honolulu Hale and Kapolei Hale.
Many voters stood in line for hours, delaying the reporting of results until well after midnight. Although the polls technically close at 7 p.m. on Election Day, by law they cannot close as long as someone is still waiting to perform their civic duty. At Kapolei Hale, the last voter cast a ballot well after 11 p.m. There were also lines in Wailuku on Maui and in Kona on the Big Island.
One solution, according to many lawmakers and government reform advocates, is to add more voter service centers to all four counties. The centers handle in-person voting, same-day voter registration and collection of voted ballots.
https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/04/will-hawaii-voters-once-again-see-long-lines-on-election-day/
After threats to clerks, Vermont lawmakers push election interference bill
Lincoln town clerk Sally Ober opened up her email days before the 2016 election. She found what she described as a disturbing email that included a seven-page manifesto informing her that there was a CIA terrorist cult in Vermont and that people were going to die if she didn’t pay attention. Ober wasn’t sure whether to ignore it or report it.
Ober, who has served as an election official for almost 20 years, said she has come to expect these kinds of messages ahead of federal elections ever since 6. She said the problem is not just the threats themselves, but the way they interfere with running an election.
“All of these incidents are distracting from doing the work that we clerks need to do to be well prepared for running free and fair elections,” she told the House Committee on Judiciary on Jan. 15.
Ober’s testimony was in support of H.541, a bill that would create a new section of Vermont law, prohibiting interference with voters and election officials.
https://vermontbiz.com/news/2026/april/12/after-threats-clerks-vermont-lawmakers-push-election-interference-bill
Profile Information
Gender: MaleHometown: Detroit Area, MI
Home country: USA
Current location: San Francisco, CA
Member since: Wed Oct 29, 2008, 02:53 PM
Number of posts: 84,821