Politics
Polarized politics has changed the dynamics of legislation and policymaking at the state and local level. Political parties with supermajorities are increasingly in control in many states and cities. These stories explain what that means for legislators, governors and mayors and how politicians can navigate this new political landscape.
Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard against anti-deportation protesters is sadly familiar after other attacks on the First Amendment.
The Legislature is poised to put a constitutional amendment on next year’s ballot that would make thousands of state jobs “unclassified,” allowing at-will firing of employees.
The mayor declared a city emergency on homelessness, granting herself certain powers to address the crisis. Now, some members of the City Council want to reassert their authority and end the emergency declaration.
President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes an increase to the SALT — State and Local Tax — deduction, quadrupling the cap from $10,000 to $40,000 and phasing it out for incomes over $500,000.
The rejected bills included tax credits for the parents of young children, a provision for a state-funded scientific research institute, and legislation exempting service workers’ tips from state income tax.
Utah Republicans have sometimes been critical of President Donald Trump, but the state has already enacted several laws that advance “Make America Healthy Again” goals.
The Democratic governor of New Mexico and Utah’s GOP governor shared examples of cooperation and emphasized the need to turn down the heat on partisan conflict.
In New York, Cuomo's bid for mayor has gone from unlikely to almost inevitable. In other states, more new parties are forming.
Corey O’Connor, a longtime local official and son of a former mayor, pummeled Mayor Ed Gainey with a million-dollar barrage of negative ads.
Maryland has seen its credit rating drop for the first time in decades. It's the latest in a string of challenges for the state's Democratic governor.
Larry Krasner has endorsed three candidates for municipal courts appearing on Tuesday’s ballot alongside him. Those candidates in turn have donated to Krasner’s reelection campaign.
To take effect, the city would need a green light from state lawmakers. A statewide RCV measure failed in Massachusetts in 2020.
Christopher Bond, a former Missouri governor and senator, rallied schoolchildren to save an important collection of drawings. Bond died on Tuesday at 86.
A major debate in contemporary politics is whether it's smarter to nominate less ideological candidates. Recent scholarship suggests moderates don't do much better in general elections.
There are active secession movements in western states where Republicans feel underrepresented. A form of semi-independent home rule within existing states might work better.
An appellate court said it was "not a close call" that the state's map discriminates against Black voters.
It’s one of three dozen states that will elect governors next year, and its demographics mirror what the country will look like soon. It’s an opportunity for politicians who aren’t stuck in the past.
Residents of a Louisiana city finally figured out a way to get rid of entrenched incumbents. At the state level, high turnover among party chairs is happening naturally.
The California city has evolved over and over but not always for the better. A new mayor promises to be a uniter, but that's going to require some adjustments on her part.
Both Maine and Oklahoma have state House speakers who are in their early 30s. They talk about the fresh perspectives they bring to the job.
Matt Privratsky was appointed to serve as an interim city council member in St. Paul after the previous member resigned. He’ll cast some consequential votes.
Women have entered several high-profile races, including some where multiple women will be running against each other in primaries.
What happened in a Milwaukee courthouse is an escalation of the Trump administration’s assault on the rule of law. And it won’t keep us safer.
Gov. Greg Abbott has brought school vouchers to Texas. It's an achievement that can be studied by politicians of all parties.
Noncitizen voting is extremely rare, and a presidential executive order would create unfunded mandates and unintended consequences, two former Republican secretaries of state argue.
Jurors deadlocked in a bribery case involving Democratic state Sen. Emil Jones III, the third high-profile Illinois public corruption case to end inconclusively over the last several months.
Letitia James and other Democratic attorneys general have emerged as Trump’s leading antagonists, with lawsuits that have been essentially relentless.
These programs align with core American values. Democrats shouldn’t be the only ones defending them.
Its electoral system, bolstered by strong economic and social institutions, enables lawmakers to vote their consciences in bipartisan coalitions.
Last year, 6.2 million fewer Democrats showed up to vote than in 2020. Nine hundred thousand stayed home in Los Angeles and Cook counties alone.
Cody Balmer said he would have beaten Gov. Josh Shapiro with a hammer if he’d gotten the chance.
