Seattle primary election set for Tuesday with City Council and county races on ballot
Washington’s Aug. 4 primary will narrow contested fields for the Nov. 3 general election, including Seattle City Council District 5 and races across King County.
Politics & Government
Elections, public policy, government decisions, budgets, regulation, ethics, civil rights, and public administration.
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Delaware governor orders updates to permitting accelerator and public publication
Gov. Matt Meyer’s Executive Order 23 amends an earlier order, authorizes updates to the Delaware Permitting Accelerator and requires the updated program to be published.
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Nebraska executive order directs administration of ImagiNE incentives amid large-project power pressures
Gov. Jim Pillen issued Executive Order 26-17 on July 20, setting a state executive-branch framework for the responsible administration of economic-development incentives under the ImagiNE Nebraska Act.
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Fargo-area Republicans schedule Aug. 4 debate on council-versus-commission government
The Cass County United Republican Committee will hold an Aug. 4 public discussion in Fargo on whether local government should use a council form rather than the city’s commission structure.
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Madison Common Council moves Aug. 4 meetings online amid security concerns
Madison will hold its Aug. 4, 2026, Common Council and Common Council Executive Committee meetings virtually after city officials cited heightened security concerns. Online public-comment registration remains available.
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Tallahassee annexation of 1,742 acres near Lake Jackson heads toward August first reading over county legal objections
Leon County commissioners unanimously authorized legal objections to Tallahassee’s proposed voluntary annexation of about 1,742 acres near Lake Jackson and Meridian Road. The City Commission’s first reading is scheduled for Aug. 26.
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Oklahoma Republican runoff set Aug. 4 for governor and three other statewide offices
Oklahoma’s Aug. 4 Republican primary runoff includes contests for governor, superintendent of public instruction, labor commissioner and insurance commissioner.
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Utah declares emergency in Beaver, Piute and Sevier counties after wildfires and flooding
Gov. Spencer Cox signed a state emergency declaration July 22 for Beaver, Piute and Sevier counties as wildfire and flooding response operations continued.
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Los Angeles City Council shelves proposed ballot measure to repeal apartment ‘mansion tax’
The Los Angeles City Council voted 14-0 on July 1 not to place a proposed rollback of the city’s high-value real-estate transfer tax on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot.
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Cedar Rapids advances Caledonia Haulers urban-renewal and TIF package
Cedar Rapids City Council moved forward with hearings and initial actions tied to a proposed transportation and logistics facility at 420-550 French Court SW, but the urban-renewal, tax-increment-financing and development-agreement package still requires further consideration.
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Hinds County District 2 special election canceled after judge vacates election order
A court-ordered July 14 special election for the Hinds County Board of Supervisors District 2 seat was canceled after Judge Barry Ford vacated the order setting the contest.
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North Dakota certifies 2026 primary results; House District 26 contest qualifies for recount request
North Dakota’s State Canvassing Board certified the June 2026 primary results, while the Republican House District 26 nomination met the threshold for a demand recount request.
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Baltimore approves approximately $4.9 billion FY2027 city budget
Baltimore City Council approved the approximately $4.9 billion FY2027 budget in a reported unanimous 14-0 vote on June 24, 2026. Mayor Brandon M. Scott signed the measure June 25, and it took effect July 1.
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Chesapeake pauses data-center application reviews for up to eight months while drafting new policy
Chesapeake City Council approved an up-to-eight-month pause on data-center application reviews as staff and the Planning Commission develop a formal policy.
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Missouri Amendment 4 proposal would require ballot initiatives to win all eight congressional districts
A proposed Missouri constitutional amendment would replace a traditional statewide-majority test for citizen-led constitutional amendments with a requirement to win every one of the state’s eight congressional districts.
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Eugene council adopts framework for 2027–29 budget decisions amid structural gap
Eugene City Council has approved revised budget principles, a service framework and a strategic-plan framework to guide development of the city’s 2027–29 biennial budget.
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Topeka-area voters face Aug. 4 Kansas primary as Shawnee County advance voting continues
Kansas’ statewide primary is Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. Shawnee County began early voting July 20 at its election office in Topeka.
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Idaho confirms reproductive-rights initiative for the November 3 statewide ballot
Idaho’s Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act initiative has met the statutory requirements to appear on the Nov. 3, 2026, statewide general-election ballot, according to the Secretary of State’s elections information.
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Ayotte vetoes nine New Hampshire bills, including school book-removal and out-of-state toll measures
Gov. Kelly Ayotte vetoed nine bills on July 2, including measures on school book removals, fees for out-of-state visitors, abortion-related conscientious-objector protections and tenant security deposits.
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Vermont voters will choose nominees for governor and statewide offices in Aug. 11 primary
Vermont’s statewide primary is Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, with contests for governor, other statewide offices, legislative seats and county positions. Voters can register on Election Day but may cast only one party ballot.
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Sacramento’s $1.7 billion fiscal 2026-27 budget takes effect after deficit fight
Sacramento’s fiscal 2026-27 budget took effect July 1 after the City Council adopted a $1.7 billion spending plan while confronting a $66.2 million structural deficit.
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Aurora adopts ethics ordinance with $1,500 contractor-donation cap
Aurora City Council approved a comprehensive ethics ordinance July 15, 2026, setting a $1,500 campaign-donation cap for entities doing business with the city and expanding disclosure requirements.