Election News

In a preliminary injunction issued Monday, Federal judges blocked Alabama's new congressional map from being used. The three-judge panel said that since the state's Black population is 27%, should have two districts — instead of one — "in which Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority or something quite close to it." 

As the New York Times reports, "The case is certain to be appealed and could lead to the U.S. Supreme Court addressing the question of whether lawmakers can draw political maps to achieve a specific racial composition, a practice known as racial gerrymandering. In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that federal courts have no role to play in blocking partisan gerrymanders. However, the court left intact parts of the Voting Rights Act that prohibit racial or ethnic gerrymandering."

The judges moved the candidate qualification deadline from January 28 to February 11 to give the Legislature time to draw a new map.

New shapes for Kentucky and Mississippi have been added to the House Interactive Map.  Kentucky's map was enacted after the legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's veto.  In Mississippi, the new plan awaits the signature of Gov. Tate Reeves, but there's little reason to think that won't happen.

16 other states, with 157 total districts have yet to complete congressional redistricting. Florida and New York, with 54 combined, make up more than 1/3 of the total.

This includes Ohio, where the State Supreme Court invalidated the plan previously signed into law.

New York State Assembly District 68

Democrats hold 103 of the 150 seats in the New York State Assembly. There are 43 Republicans as well as one member from the Independence Party. There are three vacancies. Terms are for two years; the next regular elections are in November. These will be contested using newly redistricted boundaries that have not yet been finalized.

Vacancies in Districts 60 and 72 will be filled in special elections on February 15. The prior incumbents of these two districts, both Democrats, were elected to the New York City Council in November.

Reps. Jim Langevin (RI-02) and Jerry McNerney (CA-09) each announced Monday that they will not seek reelection. This brings to 28 the number of House Democrats retiring or seeking other office this year. 13 Republicans are also departing.

Langevin, in his 11th term, has represented the 2nd district for his entire House career. He won by a 17% margin in 2020. While redistricting isn't yet complete, a proposed map put forth last week by the Rhode Island Special Commission on Reapportionment would change very little.  

Rep. John Katko announced Friday that he won't seek reelection this year. Katko's 24th district is currently located in the central part of the state, bordered by Lake Ontario to the north. The largest city in the district is Syracuse.

In 2020, Katko won his 4th term by a 10% margin. He ran 19 points ahead of Donald Trump here, as Joe Biden carried the district by 9%.  That differential was the largest across any of the 16 total crossover districts that year. 

Katko is one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former president Donald Trump last January. He becomes the third of that group to retire; all 10 have suffered some political repercussions within the party as a result of their vote. After Katko's announcement, Trump released a statement that read "Great news, another one bites the dust. Katko, from Upstate New York, is gone!"

The Ohio Supreme Court struck down the state's new congressional map Friday, labeling it a Republican gerrymander in violation of the state constitution. The 4-3 decision returned the process to the state legislature with instructions to draw a new that is "not dictated by partisan considerations."

Republicans currently hold a 12-4 edge in the state's congressional delegation. The new map, with one district lost after the 2020 Census, positioned the party to win as many as 13 of 15 seats this year. The consensus house forecast, as of the time the map was voided, is below. 

Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (IN-09) said Tuesday that he won't seek reelection this year. He is the 12th Republican to retire or seek another office. 26 Democrats have also made that decision.

The first special elections of 2022 are taking place Tuesday. A longstanding vacancy in Congress will be filled. There are also several state legislative special general and primary elections.

Congressional Special General Election

Florida District 20

This seat - one of two House vacancies - has been open since long-time Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings died in April, 2021. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick won the special Democratic primary by just 5 votes over Dale Holness and she is a heavy favorite against Republican Jason Mariner. 

Polls close at 7:00 PM Eastern Time.

Rep. Ed Perlmutter of Colorado announced Monday that he won't run for reelection this year. He is the 26th Democrat - out of 37 total House members - to announce they are retiring or seeking another office.

Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson will seek a third term this year. He made the announcement via an opinion piece published Sunday at WSJ.com. The move comes a day after his fellow Republican, South Dakota Sen. John Thune said he too will run in November. 

Today, I am announcing I will continue to fight for freedom in the public realm by running for re-election. It is not a decision I have made lightly. #WISen

Read more about my decision here: https://t.co/mLufNGWYhl

— Ron Johnson (@RonJohnsonWI) January 9, 2022

Unlike South Dakota, where Thune should have little trouble winning a 4th term, the Wisconsin race is expected to be one of the most fiercely-contested in the country. About a dozen Democrats have already entered the race; the early frontrunner appears to be Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes.  

Despite being loathed by Democrats, many in the party hoped Johnson would seek another term. As The Hill reported last week: "Democrats view him as vulnerable, pointing to provocative comments on the coronavirus, 2020 election, racial justice protests and more, and are eager to take another crack at him."

All 34 Senate incumbents holding seats up in 2022 have now made their reelection intentions known. Five Republicans and one Democrat are retiring:  Roy Blunt (R-Missouri), Richard Burr (R-North Carolina), Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Richard Shelby (R-Alabama), Pat Toomey (R-Pennsylvania). The remaining 15 Republicans and 13 Democrats are running. The Senate is currently evenly split at 50-50; Democrats control by virtue of Vice-President Kamala Harris' ability to break ties.