Ron Desantis’ presidential bid is giving life to a struggling Florida Democratic Party
The Florida Democratic Party recently held its annual Leadership Blue Gala in Miami Beach, and though Republican Ron Desantis’ won the states last gubernatorial election by nearly 20 percentage points, the mood among Florida Democrats was positive. Desantis’ struggling presidential campaign over the past few months has given a burst of energy to Democrats.Visit NBC News to learn moreImage Credit:Matt Johnson (CC BY 2.0)
Tennessee Democrats expelled over protests win primaries for their old seats
Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson, two Democratic state representatives in Tennessee who were expelled by Republicans over gun violence protests, both won primary races for their old seats last Thursday night. Preliminary results show that not only did the representatives win their primaries, they won overwhelmingly. The primary victories could serve as a message to Tennessee Republicans that Jones and Pearson retain significant support in their districts and could also provide momentum for advocates of gun legislation ahead of a special session scheduled
Ohio Supreme Court rules in favor of August election that could preserve abortion ban
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled last week in a 4-3 decision that an August election scheduled by Republican lawmakers, which could make it harder for abortion rights supporters to amend the state constitution, can proceed. The ballot measure in the upcoming election allows voters to decide whether to raise the threshold of support required for future state constitutional amendments to 60%, currently only a majority is needed. The ruling is a significant blow to reproductive rights advocates, who had filed a suit to prevent
Supreme Court backs landmark voting rights law, strikes down Alabama congressional map
The Supreme Court has struck down Republican-drawn Alabama congressional districts in a surprising affirmation of the Voting Rights Act. The court, in a 5-4 vote, ruled against Alabama, which means the seven congressional districts which heavily favored Republicans will now be redrawn. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, both strong conservatives, joined the three liberal justices in the majority. Visit NBC News to learn moreImage Credit:Joe Ravi (CC BY-SA 3.0)
New Mexico grand jury charges ex-GOP candidate with election interference in shootings at lawmakers’ homes
A former Republican political candidate, Solomon Peña, has been indicted on federal charges of election interference with additional conspiracy and weapons related charges. Peña and two accomplices allegedly committed a series of drive-by shootings at the homes of four Democratic officials, including the current state House speaker, in December of 2022. Thankfully no one was injured in the shootings, but in one case bullets did sail through the bedroom of a state senator’s 10-year-old daughter. Visit NBC News to learn moreImage Credit:Jimmy Emerson, DMV (CC