All about the U. S. elections this year
2023.01.19 07:13
All about the U. S. elections this year
By Tiffany Smith
Budrigannews.com – This year will see some elections that measure public sentiment on major issues and the influence of former President Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 presidential campaign. These elections will take place after the U.S. midterm elections of 2022 are over.
Some races to watch include:
The gubernatorial race in Kentucky, where Democratic Governor Andy Beshear will run for a second term in a state that backed Trump, a Republican, by more than 25 percentage points in 2020, is perhaps the most talked-about election this year.
This month, Morning Consult tracking poll data showed that Beshear is the most popular Democratic governor in the country. Despite the state’s Republican dominance, six out of ten Kentuckians approve of his performance.
His handling of two catastrophes earned him high marks: historic flooding that killed more than 40 people in eastern Kentucky last year and deadly tornadoes that killed 80 people in western Kentucky in 2021.
Daniel Cameron, the state attorney general, is one of his Republican rivals. Cameron, who has Trump’s support and would be the nation’s first Black Republican governor, is running for the position. Mike Harmon, the state auditor, is one of the other candidates; Ryan Quarles, the commissioner of agriculture; and Kelly Knight Craft, who under Trump was the United Nations ambassador.
In Louisiana, Republicans have a prime opportunity to retake the governorship in a state that Trump won by nearly 20 percentage points because Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards cannot run for a second term. The primary is in May, and Trump won the state by nearly 20 percentage points. Three Republicans have announced their candidacies for governor, including State Attorney General Jeff Landry. The race has not yet been entered by notable Democrats.
In the state’s “jungle primary” in October, all candidates, regardless of political party, will compete in the same primary. The top two vote-getters will face off on Nov. 18 if no one reaches 50 percent.
On April 4, the balance of power on Wisconsin’s highest court will be up for election, which could have big repercussions for things like abortion rights. The conservative majority on the current court is 4-3, but conservative Justice Patience Roggensack’s seat is open because she decided not to run again.
After the U.S. Supreme Court decided last year to eliminate a nationwide right to abortion, the court is expected to eventually decide whether to enforce an 1849 near-total ban on abortions. Despite the fact that all of the state’s abortion providers have stopped performing the procedure, Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul has filed a lawsuit to question whether the 174-year-old statute is constitutional.
In the competitive state, the court may also be faced with cases affecting voter access prior to the 2024 presidential election. The conservative majority found that ballot drop boxes were illegal and ruled against them in a 4-3 decision last year.
When she runs for re-election on February 28, Democrat Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot will be up against a slew of opponents. U.S. Representative Jesus “Chuy” Garcia is one of her eight rivals. Two days before announcing his mayoral campaign, he easily won re-election in his Chicago-based district in November.
The two candidates with the most votes advance to an April runoff if no candidate reaches 50%.
This year, mayors will be elected in cities across the United States, including Houston and Philadelphia, where Democratic mayors cannot run again due to term limits.
Two years after Republican Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s victory in a state that backed Democratic President Joe Biden by a double-digit margin, control of both legislative chambers in Virginia is at stake in November. In the state Senate, Democrats have a slim majority, while Republicans have an even smaller advantage in the state House of Delegates.
It is likely that abortion will be important. Youngkin, who could run for president in 2024, has advocated for a ban on abortions after 15 weeks, which could become law if Republicans take control of the legislature. The majority of abortions are performed in the first trimester, but the state currently allows them in the first two trimesters, or up to approximately 26 weeks.
Following the unexpectedly strong performance of the Republicans in 2021, legislative elections will also be held in New Jersey. However, it is anticipated that Democrats will maintain their hold on both chambers.
