Vote Smart Weekly Digest | February 6, 2026

Legislation · Elections · Candidates · Civic Context

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Without further ado, here is the week, in brief.

Issues Affecting Voters This Week

Immigration Enforcement Activity

Recent developments in federal immigration enforcement operations and agent deployment.

SOURCES:

National Elections Monitoring

White House clarifies federal agency presence at polling locations ahead of elections.

SOURCES:

→ Reuters

→ Yahoo News

→ Newsmax

Federal Government Shutdown Ends

Congress passes funding bill to reopen federal agencies after brief shutdown.

SOURCES:

State Legislation Highlights

Key Votes Viz by Region: West, South, Midwest, Northeast

Indiana (IN) - House Passed HB 1343

Authorizes the Indiana National Guard to Establish a Military Police Force

Washington (WA) - Senate Passed SB 5855

Prohibits Local, State, and Federal Law Enforcement From Wearing Face Coverings

West Virginia (WV) - Senate Passed SB 4

Requires Bystanders to Remain at Least 30 Feet Away From First Responders Following a Verbal Warning

For full details on legislation, visit our Vote Smart Issue Summary page.

Biographies & Elections

Texas State Senate District 9 - Special General Election Runoff

Democrat Taylor Rehmet won his special general election runoff on Saturday, January 31, 2026, for Texas State Senate District 9. Senator-elect Rehmet defeated Republican challenger Leigh Wambsganss by a final margin of 57.2% to 42.8%, with a total final vote count of 94,880. Republicans currently hold an 18-11 majority in the State Senate and are not in session again until the state legislature reconvenes in 2027.

District 9, located in Tarrant County and including parts of Fort Worth, has not been held by a Democrat for over 50 years, and became vacant after former Senator Kelly Hancock resigned to become the Acting Texas State Comptroller in July 2025. These results show a 31% increase in support for state democrats after President Trump won this district by 17% in the 2024 Presidential Election. With the candidate filing deadline having already passed in Texas, these two candidates will face off again in the General Election scheduled for November 3, 2026.

Alabama State House District 38 - Special General Election

Republican Kristin Nelson won her special general election on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, to represent Alabama State House District 38. Representative Elect Nelson defeated Democratic challenger Hazel Floyd by a final margin of 84.9% to 15.1%, with a total final vote count of 2,191. Former Representative Debbie Hamby Wood resigned from this seat in July 2025. The district extends from east of Auburn to the Georgia border. Alabama House members serve a four-year term, with Republicans currently holding a large 75-29 majority. The next general election is scheduled for November 3, 2026.

Other Special Elections This Week:

Texas Special General Election Runoff, State Senate District 9

Texas Special General Election Runoff, United States House District 18

Alabama Special General Election, State House District 38

Arkansas Special Republican Primary Election Runoff, State Senate District 26

Massachusetts Special Democratic Primary Election, State Senate 1st Middlesex

Michigan Special Primary Election, State Senate District 35

New Jersey Special Democratic Primary, United States House District 11

New York Special Primary Elections, State Assembly Districts 36 and 74, State Senate Districts 47 and 61

Civic Context

"WTF"

VIDEO: Executive Director Dr. Kyle Dell breaks down the words making headlines this week

Vote Smart Civic Trivia

VIDEO: 10 questions crafted by our research team & pulled from topics in last week's digest. You have 90 seconds to test your knowledge!

Government 101

RESOURCES: For students and teachers looking for nonpartisan educational materials