US Senate
Alabama: A new Remington Research Group survey (3/2-4; 692 AL likely Republican primary voters) finds US Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) posting a 22-16-12% advantage over Attorney General Steve Marshall and retired Navy SEAL and anti-Human Trafficking activist Jared Hudson. Former White House aide Morgan Murphy ended his candidacy. President Trump’s recent endorsement of Rep. Moore has propelled his campaign beyond AG Marshall who had previously commanded the first position. The data suggests, however, that a Moore-Marshall runoff election is probable and will occur if neither man reaches the 50% plateau in the May 19th primary.
Arkansas: Sen. Tom Cotton* won renomination in the Republican primary last Tuesday with 82% of the vote. The general election will now feature a contest between Sen. Cotton and Democratic farmer Hallie Shoffner. Sen. Cotton is a prohibitive favorite for re-election.
Florida: The University of North Florida conducted a survey of the state’s electorate, testing for the first time appointed Sen. Ashley Moody* (R) and potential Democratic nominee Alexander Vindman, a retired Army Lt. Colonel and ex-National Security Council staff member. According to the study (2/21-3/2; 786 FL likely general election voters; live interview & text), Sen. Moody would lead Mr. Vindman, 45-38%. State Rep. Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville), also an announced candidate, was similarly tested. In this ballot test, Sen. Moody would lead 46-38%.
Georgia: JMC Analytics (3/7-8; 560 GA likely Republican primary voters; live interview) tested the Georgia Republican Senate primary. The results found US Rep. Mike Collins (R-Jackson) again claiming first place. The Collins lead has now expanded to 31-13-11% over former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley and US Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Pooler/ Savannah). The Georgia primary is scheduled for May 19 with a runoff on June 16 if no one reaches 50% on the initial vote. The eventual Republican nominee will then challenge first-term incumbent Jon Ossoff (D).
Illinois: US Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Schaumburg) has led the open statewide US Senate primary from Day 1 and most polling, but not all, still shows him maintaining at least a small advantage. Two March Public Policy Polling (PPP) tracking surveys, however, find Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton taking the slightest of leads. The most recent PPP poll for Democratic Lt. Governors Association (3/9-10; 700 IL likely Democratic primary voters; live interview & text) projects Ms. Stratton to a 32-30-13% advantage over Rep. Krishnamoorthi and US Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Matteson/Chicago). Previously, the PPP track (3/2-3; 577 IL likely Democratic primary voters; live interview & text) found a similar 33-30% Stratton lead. Yet, Tulchin Research (3/4-8, 600 IL likely Democratic primary voters) sees the Krishnamoorthi margin at a still substantial 39-28%. Change Research reported almost identical numbers. According to the CR results (3/3-5; 717 IL likely Democratic primary voters; online) the spread is 36-26 percent. The Illinois primary is next Tuesday.
Iowa: While many Iowa Democratic leaders are lining up behind state Rep. Josh Turek (D-Council Bluffs) for the party’s US Senate nomination, GQR Research, conducting a survey for the Zach Wahls campaign (2/18-22; 605 IA likely Democratic primary voters; live interview), tells a different story. According to their data, state Senator Wahls (D-Des Moines) leads Rep. Turek by a wide 42-24% margin. The eventual Democratic nominee will very likely face US Rep. Ashley Hinson* (R-Marion/ Cedar Rapids) in the open US Senate battle. Sen. Joni Ernst (R) is retiring after serving what will be two terms when the current Congress adjourns.
Maine: A just released University of New Hampshire Pine Tree State poll (2/12-16; 1,120 ME likely voters; 478 likely Democratic primary voters; 406 likely Republican primary voters; online) finds oysterman Graham Platner crushing Maine Gov. Janet Mills in the 2026 US Senate Democratic primary contest. According to the ballot test result, Mr. Platner, a Democratic Socialist with support from Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), leads the Governor by a whopping 64-26% margin as the two move toward Maine’s June 9 primary election. The polls have been spotty. While UNH has always found Platner running way ahead of Mills, only three of the last four published surveys show him leading. The Pan Atlantic Research survey, from a firm that frequently polls the Maine electorate (11/29-12/7; 318 ME likely Democratic primary voters; live interview), found Gov. Mills posting a 47-37% advantage. Overall, however, according to the Real Clear Politics polling archives, Mr. Platner has an average 20.3 percentage advantage over Governor Mills for the length of their testing period. The eventual party nominee will challenge five-term Sen. Susan Collins* (R) in November.
Massachusetts: The regional UNH poll (2/12-16; 352 MA likely Democratic primary voters; online) finds Sen. Ed Markey leading his Democratic primary challengers, Congressman Seth Moulton (D-Salem) and sportswriter Alex Rikleen, by a 35-23-7% margin. This poll suggests the race is closer than most observers believe. In 2020, Sen. Markey withstood a primary challenge from then-US Representative Joseph P. Kennedy, III, with a 55-45% victory. Sen. Markey successfully defeated a member of the Kennedy family in their home state primary after beginning the race trailing in polling.
Mississippi: Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) won renomination on Tuesday night in an 81% landslide result. On the Democratic side, Lowndes County District Attorney Scott Colom claimed the Democratic nomination as expected with a strong 73% showing. Both Sen. Hyde-Smith and Mr. Colom will now advance to the general election. Sen. Hyde-Smith is favored to win a second full term.
Montana: The Treasure State of Montana’s political world experienced a political earthquake literally at the close of candidate filing when two-term Sen. Steve Daines (R) withdrew his previous re-election candidacy statement and will instead retire. Having his successor already prepped, US Attorney Kurt Alme (R) then filed for the office just as the deadline was expiring. In addition to Sen. Daines endorsing Mr. Alme, the Trump presidential endorsement was also pre-determined. With Mr. Alme as the only major Republican filing, his path to the party nomination appears virtually unencumbered. Democrats have five candidates, but possibly the most serious Alme opponent is former University of Montana president Seth Bodnar, running as an Independent. Chances are strong that this last-minute gambit will work and Mr. Alme will become the state’s next US Senator.
Nebraska: Part of the reason that Independent Dan Osborn would have some chance against Sen. Pete Ricketts* (R) is that no Democratic candidate is on the ballot, thus giving the party the opportunity of officially endorsing. This was the situation Mr. Osborn enjoyed in 2024 when challenging Sen. Deb Fischer (R). Two weeks ago, however, two Democrats filed for the Senate. Pastor Bill Forbes, who is known for his pro-life stands, filed in the Democratic primary prompting Osborn to label him as a “stooge” for Sen. Ricketts. The other filing Democrat is Cindy Burbank, who is actually an Osborn supporter. Ms. Burbank indicates that she would decline the nomination if winning the Democratic primary in order to help Mr. Osborn. Therefore, we will see political intrigue in the May 12 Democratic primary.
Oklahoma: The nomination of Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin as Kristi Noem’s replacement for the position of Homeland Security Secretary has caused upheaval in the Sooner State political ranks. GOP US Representative Kevin Hern of Tulsa has announced his Senate candidacy. Other potential candidates are Oklahoma City Congresswoman Stephanie Bice, and eastern region Congressman Josh Brecheen (R-Coalgate). GOP Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell announced that he will not run for the Senate. Once Senator Mullin is confirmed as the new Secretary, Governor Kevin Stitt (R) will appoint a short-term replacement. Under Oklahoma law, an appointed Senator is ineligible to run in the ensuing election, so the appointment will not affect the campaign. The Mullin seat is in-cycle, meaning the winner of the concurrent special and general elections receives a full six-year term.
Texas: The Texas primary was held on Tuesday, and incumbent John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton advanced into a Senate Republican runoff scheduled for May 26. US Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Houston) finished a distant third and is now eliminated. President Donald Trump is dropping hints that he may endorse Sen. Cornyn and saying that the individual he does not back should concede the race. For his part, Mr. Paxton says he will drop out if the Senate passes the SAVE Act relating to citizenship voting and other election oriented law and procedure. On the Democratic side, state Rep. James Talarico defeated US Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas). For the first time since the 1990s more Democrats voted in the Texas primary election than Republicans, which suggests the Senate general election will be a hotly contested campaign.
US House of Representatives
CA-1: Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City), a candidate in the special election to replace the late US Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R), also filed in the new 1st District for the regular term. Mr. Gallagher was undecided about running in the new 1st until the end of the filing period. The consensus Democratic candidate is former state Senate President Mike McGuire (D-Sonoma County). Because of the new redistricting map, Mr. Gallagher is favored to win the special election under the current district lines, while Mr. McGuire will have the edge for the full term.
CA-6: US Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin/Sacramento) announced that he would file in new District 6, but the surprise is that he did so under the No Party Preference label. The new 6th is designed to elect a Democrat. Currently, Rep. Kiley represents the 3rd District under the current map. When Rep. Ami Bera (D-Sacramento) decided to run in District 3, Mr. Kiley began looking for a new congressional district. Running as a District 6 NPP candidate is a long shot. The eventual Democratic finalist whether it is Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho, West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero, or former state Senator Richard Pan, will be favored in November.
CA-48: In another House retirement decision, veteran California US Rep. Darrell Issa (R-San Diego) reversed course and announced that he will not seek re-election this Autumn. The new California redistricting plan was not kind to Rep. Issa, but he initially made statements predicting victory in the new version of District 48. Under the current map, the Dave’s Redistricting App partisan lean calculation revealed a 58.3R – 39.8D split for CD-48. The new version, in use for the 2026 election, yields a 50.6D – 48.7R partisan lean. Though the Democratic map drawers attempted to make this a seat for their new party standard bearer, the numbers suggest a competitive contest will potentially develop into a toss-up. With the news of Mr. Issa’s intended retirement, San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond (R), who was running in Congressional District 49 against US Rep. Mike Levin (D-San Juan Capistrano), changed focus and moved into what will now be an open 48th CD. Democrats have a crowded field of candidates. The top two finishers in the June 2nd jungle primary will advance to the general election.
FL-2: Former Congresswoman Gwen Graham (D) announced that she will not enter the open seat race from her now open congressional district. Ms. Graham served one term in the House from 2015-17. She is the daughter of former Governor and US Senator Bob Graham (D). After a court ordered redistricting drew her into a Republican seat, Ms. Graham did not seek re-election in 2016. Five-term US Rep. Neal Dunn (R-Panama City) is retiring. The eventual Republican nominee will be a heavy favorite to hold the seat in the 2026 general election.
FL-19: Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno (R) who had been contemplating entering the open 19th Congressional District race announced that he will not become a candidate. This leaves an interesting Republican primary since the major participants are all former elected officials from other states. Incumbent US Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Naples) is running for Governor.
FL-27: Retired CBS News Miami anchorman Elliott Rodriguez (D) announced that he will join the Democratic field and compete for the right to challenge three-term US Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar* (R-Miami). Like Mr. Rodriguez, Rep. Salazar was a television reporter prior to winning her seat in Congress. Rep. Salazar will be favored in November, but this will be a competitive general election campaign.
KS-3: US Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Roeland Park/Kansas City) again made a public statement saying she is committed to seeking re-election unless the GOP state legislators redraw the congressional districts. At this time, it appears no redistricting move will be made in the legislature. Democratic leaders have been attempting to convince Rep. Davids to challenge Sen. Roger Marshall* (R) who is seeking a second term this year. It is very likely that Rep. Davids will seek re-election and win a fifth term in November.
ME-2: The aforementioned UNH poll also tested the 2nd Congressional District general election (2/12-16; 522 ME-2 likely general election voters; online) and found former two-term Gov. Paul LePage (R) slightly leading his two top potential Democratic opponents. Opposite state Sen. Joe Baldacci (D-Bangor), Mr. LePage posts a 48-47% edge. He records a similar 47-46% margin over State Auditor Matt Dunlap (D). The 2nd District is the most Republican seat in the nation that sends a Democrat to Congress. Rep. Jared Golden (D-Lewiston) is retiring after what will be four terms when the congressional session adjourns. The 2nd CD also voted three consecutive times for President Donald Trump. In 2026, ME-2 is a prime GOP conversion opportunity race.
NC-4: Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam has conceded to US Rep. Valerie Foushee* (D-Hillsborough/Chapel Hill) in the state’s 4th District Democratic primary. It appeared that Rep. Foushee’s small 1,202 vote lead over Ms. Allam would hold because only provisional and overseas ballots remain. Commissioner Allam and her campaign strategists agreed with the analysis. Now as the official nominee, Rep. Foushee becomes the heavy favorite in the Autumn.
MT-1: US Representative and former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke (R-Whitefish) announced that he will not seek a third consecutive term from the state’s western, and more politically competitive, 1st Congressional District. The veteran Representative says he must endure several medical procedures related to long-term injuries sustained from his days as a Navy SEAL, which, though non-life threatening, would require him to be absent from Congress over what will likely be a long recovery period. Thus Mr. Zinke, who returned to the House in 2023 after winning the 2016 and ’18 at-large congressional elections (Montana was awarded a second congressional seat in the 2020 national apportionment), said that western Montana deserves a full-time Representative. In conjunction with the situation surrounding Sen. Daines’ departure as previously described, the Zinke move had obviously been quietly planned for a sustained period. As part of his retirement announcement, the Congressman endorsed radio talk show host Aaron Flint as his successor. The Zinke endorsement of Mr. Flint was quickly followed with an equivalent show of support from President Donald Trump proclaiming his “complete and total endorsement” for Mr. Flint. Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) then publicly endorsed the new congressional candidate, as well.
Texas: Several open seat candidates won US House nominations outright last Tuesday. They are: Jessica Hart Steinmann (R-TX-8), Chris Gober (R-TX-10), Mark Teixeira (R-TX-21), Trever Nehls (R-TX-22), and Frederick Haynes (D-TX-30). All are prohibitive favorites to win their respective general elections.
TX-2: In a major upset, state Rep. Steve Toth (R-The Woodlands) defeated four-term US Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Humble) in what has to be categorized as a landslide result especially since the winner was badly outspent. Mr. Toth’s strong base within the conservative movement and receiving a late boost from US Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) helped push the challenger to victory. Rep. Crenshaw is the first incumbent of this election cycle to be denied renomination, but several others are expected to follow as the primary cycle progresses.
TX-15: Tejano music star Bobby Pulido, as expected, won the 15th District Democratic primary and will advance into the general election to challenge two-term US Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-McAllen). According to the Dave’s Redistricting App statisticians, the new district’s partisan lean is 51.4D – 46.8R, but President Donald Trump carried the seat with a whopping 59-41% margin in a district that is 79% Hispanic and stretches from the region east of San Antonio all the way to the Mexican border. Mr. Pulido is a strong Democratic recruit, so expect this to be another competitive Texas campaign later this year.
TX-18: It is now clear that the 18th CD Democratic primary featuring paired US Reps. Al Green (D-Houston) and Christian Menefee (D-Houston) will advance to a runoff election. Though former Houston City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards had withdrawn from the race, her name still appeared on last Tuesday’s ballot and attracted about 8% of the vote. Her total was enough to deny a majority to Rep. Menefee who held a slight lead. This means the race will be decided in a new election on May 26.
TX-19: Two candidates in retiring US Rep. Jodey Arrington’s (R-Lubbock) open 19th District will advance to a runoff election but only one of the participants is known. Agribusinessman Tom Sell has secured the first position. Separated by just 193 votes are Gov. Greg Abbott supported Abraham Enriquez and businessman Matt Smith, with only provisional and overseas ballots remaining to count. One of the latter two will advance into the runoff once the final vote tabulations are published.
TX-23: Now admitting to having an affair with his late staff member who committed suicide, thus recanting his previous claims that he had not engaged in adultery, three-term US Rep. Tony Gonzales* (R-San Antonio) on Thursday night conceded the 23rd District Republican runoff election to gun manufacturer Brandon Herrera. The Congressman also committed to serving the balance of the term. With such a small majority, the Republican leadership could not afford for the Congressman to resign. Therefore, the exit decision and announcement is seemingly the GOP leadership’s best-case scenario. Now they can openly support Herrera in order to hold the seat in the general election, while keeping Gonzales in the House to serve the balance of the term. The entire Gonzales scenario presented a difficult tightrope for Speaker Mike Johnson* and his leadership team to walk, but it appears they have made the best of a difficult and complex circumstance.
TX-32: In the new open 32nd District, businessman Jace Yarbrough, who enjoys support from both President Donald Trump and Governor Greg Abbott, is knocking on the door of 50%, but may fall just short once final tabulations are published. Therefore, second place finisher Ryan Binkley, the 2024 long shot presidential candidate who trails Yarbrough by approximately 30 percentage points, can either force the runoff or concede.
TX-33: Because of voting issues in Dallas County, a large number of ballots remain uncounted in the region’s 33rd Congressional District Democratic primary, but it is clear that former Congressman Colin Allred, who led the primary by 11 percentage points, and freshman US Rep. Julie Johnson* (D-Farmers Branch) will advance to a Democratic runoff election.
TX-38: In the Houston anchored open 38th District, businessman Jon Bonck is another contender close to, but not reaching, the majority support level required to secure a nomination. Like in District 32, it will be up to a trailing second-place finisher, likely businesswoman Shelly deZevallos, to decide if she will force a runoff or concede.
UT-3: Former state Rep. Phil Lyman, who held Gov. Spencer Cox to a 54-46% Republican primary victory in 2022, announced that he will challenge US Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-Cedar City) in the 3rd Congressional District under the state’s new court-imposed map. The 3rd District constituency is largely unknown to Rep. Maloy who represented District 2 under the 2021 congressional plan. Originally, it appeared Rep. Maloy and freshman Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-Alpine) would be paired in new District 3, but when Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Salt Lake City) announced his retirement, Mr. Kennedy was able to move into open District 4. Expect the Maloy-Lyman campaign to be highly competitive in the June 23 primary election.
UT-4: Due to a redistricting court decision, one Utah Republican congressional seat has been collapsed in favor of drawing a Democratic seat in Salt Lake City. With all the courts backing the initial judicial decision, three-term US Rep. Burgess Owens* (R-Salt Lake City), who would turn 75 years of age before the election, announced that he will not seek re-election. His decision prevents Reps. Celeste Maloy* (R-Cedar City) and Mike Kennedy (R-Alpine) from being paired in one district.
Proposed VA-7: Dorothy McAuliffe (D), wife of former Governor and ex-Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe, announced that she will run for the 7th Congressional District if the new redistricting map is in place for the 2026 election. The map must be passed in an April 21 referendum election, and the state Supreme Court is considering a GOP appeal of the entire redistricting process. Should the map stand, Ms. McAuliffe will be a serious contender. State Delegate Dan Helmer (D-Clifton) and former federal prosecutor J.P. Cooney are also announced candidates.
Governors
Arizona: The Noble Predictive Insights firm conducted one of their Arizona Governor race surveys and found incumbent Katie Hobbs (D) leading her two prospective rivals by a close margin, but in spreads that are improvements over her earlier polling standing. The Noble poll (2/23-26; 1,023 AZ registered voters; online) found Gov. Hobbs leading US Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Gilbert), 42-37%. If US Rep. David Schweikert* (R-Fountain Hills) were the Republican nominee, Gov. Hobbs’ advantage swells to 44-35%.
California: US Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Livermore) has taken the lead in a new statewide Emerson College survey (3/3-7; 1,000 CA likely jungle primary voters; multiple sampling techniques) for the state’s open Governor’s position. The Congressman posts a 17-13-11-11% lead over former Fox News host Steve Hilton, billionaire Tom Steyer, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco (R). No other candidate reached double digits. The jungle primary is scheduled for June 2, so this primary will continue to change for the next few months.
Florida: The University of North Florida’s poll (see Florida Senate above) also tested the impending open Sunshine State Governor’s contest. Here, we see US Rep. Byron Donalds (R) leading former Congressman David Jolly (D), 42-36%. If Orange County Executive Jerry Demings were the Democratic nominee, Rep. Donalds’ advantage would be a similar 43-36%. Rep. Donalds is a heavy favorite, at this point, to win the Republican nomination.
Georgia: The recent JMC Analytics Georgia poll (3/7-8; 560 GA likely Republican primary voters; live interview) also tested the open Republican gubernatorial primary. In this race, JMC projects healthcare company executive Rick Jackson to hold a significant 37-22-11-4% advantage over Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Attorney General Chris Carr. The Peach State primary is May 19. If no candidate receives majority support, the top two finishers will advance to a June 16 runoff election.
Maine: The previously covered UNH Maine poll also tested the state’s open Governor’s campaign. For the Democrats, former Maine Health Director Nirav Shah again leads the field with 25% support. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows is next with 19%, followed by ex-state Senate President Troy Jackson at 16%, ex-state House Speaker Hannah Pingree, daughter of US Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-North Haven/Portland), at 10%, with businessman Angus King III, son of US Sen. Angus King (I), only drawing 5 percent. For the Republicans, ex-State Department official Bobby Charles posts a 28-12-5% advantage over former state Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason, and Jonathan Bush, a relative of the former two Presidents, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.
New Mexico: The GBAO polling organization, surveying for the Deb Haaland for Governor campaign (2/9-12; 500 NM likely Democratic primary voters; live interview) posts Ms. Haaland, a former US Interior Secretary for the Biden Administration and an ex-Democratic Congresswoman, leading Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, 56-26% in the Democratic primary. The New Mexico primary is scheduled for June 2. The eventual Democratic nominee will be a heavy favorite to succeed term-limited Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D).
Rhode Island: The University of New Hampshire also surveyed the Rhode Island electorate (2/12-16; 703 RI residents; 687 RI registered voters; online) as part of their regional New England survey series. The RI poll finds current Gov. Dan McKee (D) in deep trouble as he seeks a second full term. According to the UNH result data, former CVS CEO Helena Foulkes, who opposed Gov. McKee in 2022, leads him in a Democratic primary by a whopping 34-18 percent. This race has a long time to develop, however. The Ocean State primary is not until September 8.
Wisconsin: Marquette University Law School (2/11-19; 817 WI residents; 792 WI registered voters; live interview) released their regular quarterly Wisconsin poll, and finds a very tight Democratic primary race for the open Governor’s position. State Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison) leads former Lt. Governor and 2022 US Senate nominee Mandela Barnes and Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez, 11-10-3%, with all others not exceeding the 2% support level. For the Republicans, US Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Minocqua) jumps out to a big 35-2% lead over medical technician Andy Manske. The general election to replace retiring Gov. Tony Evers (D) is expected to be close.
State and Local
New York Redistricting: The US Supreme Court granted US Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’ (R-Staten Island) motion to stay the New York state judge’s ruling that her 11th Congressional District is a racial gerrymander under the NY State Voting Rights Act. This was the first ever ruling that used a state law to invalidate a federal district. The SCOTUS action very likely means that the current New York map will remain in effect for the 2026 election.
Utah Redistricting: A three-judge federal panel in Utah turned down the Republican appeal of the new Beehive State congressional map, saying that the plaintiffs’ arguments are not likely to prevail at the upper court level. The judicial decision means that the new redistricting plan will be used in the 2026 election that will cost the Republicans one seat in the delegation. The map creates an open Salt Lake City Democratic district while pairing two Republican incumbents, Reps. Celeste Maloy* (R-Cedar City) and Mike Kennedy (R-Alpine) into a new eastern 3rd CD.
Virginia Redistricting: Clarifying the confusing Old Dominion redistricting situation, the Virginia state Supreme Court justices ruled that the April 21 special redistricting referendum election may proceed but stressed that the high court has not ruled on the substance of the issues before them. Therefore, a court ruling in favor of the Republican appeal, if the justices were so to decide, could nullify a favorable referendum vote. The legislature and Governor have moved the candidate filing deadline and the Virginia primary to May 26 and August 4, respectively, to yield more time to finalize the contentious issues.
