Email from Vote Smart This Week's Research Today   Vote Smart Weekly Digest Vol.8 The Vote Smart Weekly Digest brings you timely, non-partisan insights straight to your inbox, helping you stay informed on key political facts and developments.   Research Highlights: Presidential Election Outcome: Former President Donald Trump won the 2024 U.S. presidential election, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris. This victory makes Trump the first former president in over a century to serve non-consecutive terms. His success in key swing states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, contributed to this outcome. State Legislature Shifts: The Republican Party saw gains in various state elections, including South Carolina, where they added four seats in the state Senate, achieving a supermajority for the first time in that chamber. They maintained their seats in the state House, allowing them to potentially pass constitutional amendments without needing votes from the opposing party. Historic Wins for LGBTQ+ Candidates : The 2024 elections featured several notable wins for LGBTQ+ candidates. Keturah Herron became the first LGBTQ+ person of color elected to the Kentucky State Senate, Rashaun Kemp became the first openly gay Black man in the Georgia State Legislature, and Sarah McBride became the first openly transgender member elected to the U.S. Congress.    Presidential Election Outcome State Legislature Shifts Historic Wins for LGBTQ+ Candidates   Key Votes: Congressional and State No Congressional legislation updates this week Pennsylvania (HB 1509): Authorizes Various Criminal Sentencing Regulations and Parole Guideline Reforms Pennsylvania (SB 365): Authorizes Worker Compensation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Injuries Oklahoma (HB 1105): Increases the Challenge Period for Initiative Petitions and Referendums from 10 to 90 Days     Political Highlights: Elections: Our team is hard at work processing the election results! Click on the links below to view the winners of each race! 2024 Presidential Election 2024 Congressional Elections 2024 Gubernational (Governor) Elections 2024 Statewide Elections 2024 State Judicial Elections 2024 State Legislative Elections Biographies of Candidates and Officials: Click on the links below to view the profiles of each person Donald Trump: Elected as the 47th President of the United States J.D. Vance: Elected the 50th Vice President of the United States Lisa Blunt Rochester: The first Black Senator from Delaware, and the first woman from Delaware elected as a U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks: The first Black Senator from Maryland Andy Kim: The first Korean-American Senator from New Jersey Bernie Moreno: The first Colombian-American Senator from Ohio Candidates who have recently filled out our Political Courage Test (PCT):  No new candidates have filled out the Political Courage Test; check back next week! Click here to view your state’s Political Courage Test   No PCT Updates This Week   Endorsements: Here are some interesting endorsements and interest group ratings our team found this week! Kamala Harris: National Women's Political Caucus Donald Trump: North Carolina Right to Life Political Action Committee (PAC) 3rd Party Candidates: No endorsements this week     Staff Shoutout! Caleb is one of Vote Smart's Research Associates under the Elections team! When he isn't working, Caleb's hobbies include following his favorite sports team (New York Yankees and Iowa Hawkeyes), hiking, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family.   Donate to keep us running on facts.   Share This Email Share This Email Share This Email Vote Smart | 1153 24TH ST | DES MOINES, IA 50311-4308 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice