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State Rep. Julie Johnson of Farmers Branch appears to have narrowly avoided a runoff in the Democratic primary to replace U.S. Rep. Colin Allred in the 32nd Congressional District.

While she handily beat second-place finisher Brian Williams, a trauma surgeon, she had hovered near the threshold of being forced into a runoff against him as results came in late Tuesday and early Wednesday. Johnson claimed victory Wednesday.

This win belongs to all of us, and together, were going to make history, Johnson said on X. Today, we celebrate.

The North Texas district is considered safe for Democrats, so Johnson could be the first openly LGBTQ+ member of Congress from a Southern state if she prevails in November.

If no candidate gets a majority of votes in a primary race, the top two vote-getters will head to a May 28 primary runoff election. Whoever wins the runoff will be their partys nominee for that race in the Nov. 5 general election. There is also a May 4 local election, and subsequent June 15 runoff, during which some local governments, such as cities, school districts and water districts, hold a general election for their elected offices or special elections to fill vacancies.

In Texas, voters can only vote in one partys primary and runoff or in a third partys convention. During the November general election, voters can cast their ballot for any candidate, regardless of party affiliation. The candidate with the most votes wins, and there are no runoffs in state elections.

Election Day for the local election is May 4. You must register or update your voter registration by April 4 to participate. Applications to vote by mail must be received by the early voting clerk in your county not postmarked by April 23. Early voting is scheduled for April 22-30. (For any local runoffs on June 15, the last day to register or update your voter registration is May 16. Applications to vote by mail must be received by the early voting clerk in your county not postmarked by June 4. Early voting is scheduled for June 3-11.)

Election Day for the primary runoffs is May 28. You must register or update your voter registration by April 29 to participate. Applications to vote by mail must be received by the early voting clerk in your county not postmarked by May 17. Early voting is scheduled for May 20-24.

Election Day for the general election is Nov. 5. You must register or update your voter registration by Oct. 7 to participate. Applications to vote by mail must be received by the early voting clerk in your county not postmarked by Oct. 25. Early voting is scheduled for Oct. 21 to Nov. 1.

Yes, we noticed, too. Texas is one of just eight states that require primary candidates to win more than 50% of the vote before advancing to the general election. This adds runoff elections to the states election calendar. The long ballots Texas voters face, which include partisan elections for judges, stem from the states historic mistrust of government and desire to let Texans have a say at every level of government.

Allred, who first ran for Congress in 2018, is leaving his House seat to challenge Sen. Ted Cruz. Allred won the Democratic primary outright in that race Tuesday night.

Williams congratulated Johnson on X on Wednesday.

I got into this race because Ive had to pronounce too many victims dead on arrival due to gun violence and while this campaign is over, I look forward to continuing that work alongside the tireless friends and activists who were part of this team, he wrote.

Williams and Johnson led the field of 10 Democrats in the primary with their fundraising efforts, each amassing about $1 million in political donations since their campaigns were registered at the beginning of last summer.

Williams and Johnson are ideologically aligned. They both rank health care a top priority and have touted their ability to work across the aisle.

Johnson, a trial lawyer in her third term in the state House, ousted hardline conservative incumbent Matt Rinaldi by 13 points in 2018. Rinaldi now chairs the state GOP.

As a Democrat in the Republican-dominated state Legislature, Johnson has played a lot of defense trying to kill bills she and other progressives deem harmful. Johnson, who is gay, said she and other members of the Houses LGBTQ+ caucus have had success in killing anti-LGBTQ bills by mastering the rules of procedure and being better at the rules than the other side.

She drew notable endorsements from Beto ORourke, Democratic U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin, EMILYs List, Equality PAC and several labor unions.

While he may be new to the Texas political arena, Williams is no stranger to the halls of Congress.

Williams was a health policy adviser to Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut who endorsed him to help pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022, the furthest reaching gun safety legislation in decades. The legislation, crafted in the aftermath of shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo New York, allocated millions of dollars to expand mental health resources, strengthens background checks and tightens the boyfriend loophole. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn was a lead negotiator on the bill with Murphy, and Williams worked closely with Cornyns office.

Williams said his experience as a trauma surgeon operating on victims of gun violence and women experiencing reproductive health emergencies has fueled his priorities to fight for gun restrictions and increase access to abortions and other womens health care. Williams, who is Black, said his desire to limit racial disparities in health care will resonate with the districts diverse constituency. The district has a 37% Hispanic or Latino population, 22% Black population and 8% Asian population.

Allred did not endorse in the Democratic primary race to succeed him.

We cant wait to welcome you to downtown Austin Sept. 5-7 for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival! Join us at Texas breakout politics and policy event as we dig into the 2024 elections, state and national politics, the state of democracy, and so much more. When tickets go on sale this spring, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today.

The rest is here:
Democratic State Rep. Julie Johnson wins congressional primary race for North Texas seat - The Texas Tribune

The campaign of a little-known presidential candidate named Jason Palmer organized multiple events in American Samoa in recent weeks, including a town hall and beach cleanup day.

And while Palmer only appeared virtually, the outreach appeared to pay off Tuesday: He won the territorys Democratic caucuses, handing a loss to President Biden as he otherwise romped in the Super Tuesday contests.

From what Im gathering from the community there, they just wanted to be heard, Palmers campaign manager, Mario Arias, told The Washington Post on Tuesday night.

Palmer got 51 votes to 40 for Biden, according to the Associated Press. Initially, the AP said Palmer had won four delegates to Bidens two but later changed the delegate totals to three apiece.

The island territory in the South Pacific Ocean is home to about 45,000 people and Biden also lost there in the 2020 primary. Mike Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, defeated Biden in the only win of Bloombergs campaign.

Palmer is a Baltimore resident who describes himself on his campaign website as an entrepreneur, impact investor, and philanthropist. He lists Microsoft and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as places where he has worked.

In his campaign, Palmer has played up his age 52 claiming to be the youngest Democrat challenging Biden.

Young people dont feel like theyre being heard on the issues they care the most about, Palmer said in a November BBC interview, naming climate change as an example.

Campaign finance reports show Palmer has loaned himself over $500,000 and spent the money on several traditional campaign expenses, such as ad buys and ballot filing fees.

Palmer said Monday on X that Washington D.C. is long overdue for a president who will be an advocate for American Samoa, sharing photos of what he called a meet and greet in Malaeimi, a village in the territory.

His campaign manager said the campaign had a staffer on the ground who helped organize the events, which Palmer then addressed virtually. For example, the staffer rented out a restaurant where a few dozen people showed up for the town hall, Arias said.

Palmer told The Post early Wednesday that he sought to speak to the very specific needs of the people of American Samoa, like their desire for a second hospital in the territory.

Palmer said the next state he is focusing on is Arizona, which has a March 19 presidential primary. He plans to release a 12-page paper on immigration reform ahead of the contest.

Palmers victory in American Samoa caught the attention of another Biden primary challenger, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.).

Congratulations to Joe Biden, Uncommitted, Marianne Williamson, and Nikki Haley for demonstrating more appeal to Democratic Party loyalists than me, Phillips said Tuesday night, adding, And, Jason Palmer.

Read the rest here:
Who is Jason Palmer, the Democrat who beat Biden in American Samoa's caucuses? - The Washington Post

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) The Democratic attorney general and the Republican lieutenant governor won North Carolina's primaries for governor on Tuesday, setting the stage for what will be an expensive and high-stakes November contest in a state that the two parties see as a pivotal battleground.

What You Need To Know

Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein and Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson won North Carolina's primaries for governor

Their victories on Tuesday set the stage for what will be an expensive and high-stakes November contest in a state that the two parties see as a pivotal battleground

Stein is a longtime member of North Carolina's political scene who received the endorsement of term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and would be the state's first Jewish governor if elected

Robinson is a former factory worker who splashed into conservative circles after a 2018 viral speech to his hometown city council. He received former President Donald Trump's endorsement, and would be the state's first Black governor if elected

Josh Stein and Mark Robinson, each of whom turned back multiple party rivals, will present stark contrasts for voters in the ninth-largest state's fall elections. In separate election-night victory speeches, each candidate laid out policy and individual differences and said the other would harm the state's economy if he reached the governor's mansion.

Democratic North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein, right, is introduced by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper at a primary election night party in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, March 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

Stein is a longtime member of North Carolina's political scene, a lawyer with the endorsement of term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and a long history of consumer advocacy before and during his time as AG.

"We must be clear-eyed about the stakes of this election," Stein told supporters in Raleigh. "We're at a crossroads and the choice before us: two competing visions for North Carolina."

Robinson, meanwhile, is a former factory worker who splashed into conservative circles after a 2018 viral speech to his hometown city council catapulted him to lieutenant governor in 2020 and the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.

"The differences could not be more clear," Robinson said at a Greensboro victory party. "I'm sure the people of North Carolina will make the right choice."

See the full results of North Carolina's Super Tuesday primary elections here

Both Robinson and Stein are prolific fundraisers, amassing a combined $30 million through their campaign committees since early 2021. Democratic and Republican groups already talking about the seat in November are likely to spend millions more.

Stein, who would be the state's first Jewish governor if elected, and Robinson North Carolina's first Black lieutenant governor and the state's first Black governor if successful in November won their primaries convincingly. Stein's top primary rival Tuesday was former state Supreme Court Associate Justice Mike Morgan, while Robinson's opponents were State Treasurer Dale Folwell and trial attorney Bill Graham.

The North Carolina governorship has been a rare success story for Democrats in a Southern state. While the GOP holds narrow veto-proof majorities in the legislature and controls the state Supreme Court, Democrats have lost only one gubernatorial race since 1992.

The party has scored presidential victories in North Carolina only twice over the past half-century, however, with Trump winning narrowly in both 2016 and 2020. Democratic President Joe Biden is weighing whether to invest heavily for its 16 electoral votes. Stein could be weighed down by Biden's low poll numbers.

On the other hand, Democrats could use a Trump-Robinson combination atop the GOP ticket to tap into ongoing controversies, especially Robinson's harsh comments about LGBTQ+ issues, women in Christian leadership and other topics that had his primary rivals questioning his electability. Trump also raised eyebrows when formally endorsing Robinson last weekend at a rally, calling him "Martin Luther King on steroids," comparing his speaking skills to those of the late civil rights leader.

Stein, a Harvard-educated attorney who managed John Edwards' successful U.S. Senate campaign in 1998, wants to push Democratic policy preferences that largely follow what was sought by Cooper, who preceded Stein as attorney general. They include more public education spending, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and blocking attempts by Republican legislators to push their rightward agenda.

For Robinson, who said he lost jobs to the North American Free Trade Agreement and entered personal bankruptcy, it was a four-minute speech defending guns rights and lamenting the "demonizing" of police officers before the Greensboro City Council that sparked his political career.

Robinson said if Stein was elected governor, the state would return to times during the Great Recession when Democrats were in charge, the state's economy was foundering and government workers furloughed. Robinson argued Tuesday that Stein couldn't relate to working people harmed by government policies.

"I have an opponent who doesn't understand what it's like to be at work, have the boss man come and take you to a room and sit you down and tell you, 'We're moving this plant to Mexico, and there's nothing you can do about it,'" Robinson said.

After being elected lieutenant governor, Robinson spearheaded a task force report alleging that some teachers had assigned young pupils inappropriate reading materials on racism and sexuality. In 2021, he criticized efforts to teach LGBTQ+ issues in sex education, associating gay and transgender people with "filth." His remarks led to calls for his resignation, but he defended his words, saying he was referring to sexually explicit books, not people.

Stein's time as attorney general has been marked by efforts to protect citizens from polluters, illegal drugs and high electric bills, and to process untested sexual assault kits. In court, he has opposed Republican efforts to draw redistricting lines favoring the GOP and to further restrict abortion.

The General Assembly last year overrode Cooper's veto of a bill that reduced the state's ban on most abortions from after 20 weeks of pregnancy to 12 weeks. Robinson supports an abortion ban after roughly six weeks of pregnancy, with some exceptions, his campaign has said. Many women don't even know they are pregnant at six weeks.

Stein said Robinson's vision of the state is "bleak and divisive, consumed by spite and hate." On abortion, Robinson "would insert himself into the doctor's office with women and dictate to them what they must do with their bodies," the Democratic nominee said.

"You better believe that Robinson's extreme views would scare away business and good paying jobs," he added.

Robinson has said making education leaders accountable, teaching students the basics and helping boost business in rural areas are among his policy goals if elected.

In other statewide primary races on Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson won a three-way race for the Democratic nomination for attorney general. In November, he will take on Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop, the unopposed GOP nominee. Both Bishop and Jackson wanted to succeed Stein instead of seeking reelection to Congress.

In the effort to succeed Robinson as lieutenant governor, Democratic state Sen. Rachel Hunt won the Democratic nomination. Her father, Jim Hunt, was lieutenant governor in the 1970s and later served a record four terms as governor.

Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt was in a tight race with Michele Morrow. GOP Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey won their primaries.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Allison Riggs won her Democratic primary, but Court of Appeals Judge Hunter Murphy lost to District Court Judge Chris Freeman in the Republican primary. Both Freeman and Riggs have general election opponents.

Here is the original post:
Heated North Carolina governor's race ahead with Democrat Josh Stein vs. Republican Mark Robinson - Spectrum News

LOS ANGELES State Sen. Dave Min, who withstood millions of dollars of attack ads in a bitter battle for Rep. Katie Porters Orange County House seat, will advance to the November general election after his Democratic opponent, Joanna Weiss, conceded Wednesday night.

Hell face off with Republican Scott Baugh, a longtime GOP official in the area who came close to beating Porter in the swing district two years ago.

Min said he was "deeply humbled and grateful for the support from voters" in his victory over Weiss, a political activist and first-time candidate.

"This victory is not just about winning an election, it is about the future we are collectively shaping. It's about reclaiming the House for Democrats and Orange County families. Its about rejecting the divisive, Trump-supporting MAGA politics that our opponent, Scott Baugh, represents," Min said in a statement.

Weiss, on social media, said she called Min "and pledged to do all I can to keep [California's 47th district] blue."

The two candidates offered competing visions on the path to victory in Orange County, the one-time conservative bastion that now teeters between red and blue. Min argued that as a Korean American candidate he was best positioned to appeal to Asian American voters, who make up 20 percent of the district, while Weiss said she would better mobilize suburban women who have been key to Democratic victories since the Trump presidency.

But the campaign largely turned on acrimonious personal attacks and a deluge of outside money. Weiss hammered Min on his drunk driving arrest last spring. Coming to her aid was EMILYs List, a group that backs women candidates who support abortion rights, as well as the American Israel Political Affairs Committee. The pro-Israel groups super PAC spent at least $4.7 million against Min for reasons that remain somewhat inscrutable, since Min was not a vocal critic of Israel in public.

Danni Wang, a spokesperson for EMILYs List, said the organization was "so proud of the race Joanna Weiss ran."

"Day in, day out, Joanna stressed the urgency of electing Democratic, pro-choice women to office at a time when Republicans are threatening all our freedoms. We join her in our shared commitment to flipping the House this November," Wang said.

Min, for his part, got outside help from SEIU California, a major labor power player, and won the endorsement of the state Democratic party. He was also backed by Porter, who beat him in a hard-fought primary in 2018.

The general election matchup between Min and Baugh is poised to be one of the marquee races in the country. It is one of the few contests in California where Democrats will be playing defense in a toss-up seat.

Read more from the original source:
Dave Min will be Democrat battling to hold Katie Porter's seat - Yahoo! Voices

The perspective, the lens, the representation, the experience of a Black woman from California is badly needed.

Thats what Representative Barbara Lee a California Democrat vying for the Senate seat held for three decades by Dianne Feinstein told a television reporter last month about why people should vote for her in the race.

On Sunday, before a rally that evening outside a production studio in Los Angeles owned by the former N.B.A. all-star Baron Davis, I asked Lee what she meant by that, since Black people are only about 7 percent of the population of the state.

She replied in a way that was both shrewd and true to her career in politics: Ive taken everything I know about what it means to be Black in America or brown in America or low-income in America or a woman in America and tried to turn it into policies.

On paper, Lee strikes me as the perfect candidate. She has a decades-long record of standing up for progressive policies, she is a woman of color at a time when women of color are central to the success of the Democratic Party and she is a capable politician who has never lost an election.

But polls show her in fourth place going into Tuesdays primary. Under Californias open primary rules, the top two finishers will advance to the general election, regardless of party.

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Opinion | Why California Democrats Arent Voting for Rep. Barbara Lee - The New York Times