Self-funding challenger leads Houston mayoral candidates in fundraising

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Welcome to your review of the week in state and local politics. This week, we take you to Mississippi, Seattle, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Houston. For a full review of the week, click the button and launch the full edition in your browser. 

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** WITH 2 WEEKS TO GO, CANDIDATES TOUT BIOS AND POLICIES IN MS GOVERNOR'S RACE
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Two Mississippi gubernatorial candidates released television ads this week, while a third proposed a funding package for the state's education system.

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Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood ([link removed]) (D) began airing his first ad in the state's Democratic gubernatorial primary ([link removed]) . The ad, titled "A Day in the Life", depicts Hood fixing a lawnmower and reloading ammunition and discusses his record as state attorney general.

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In the Republican primary ([link removed]) , former state Supreme Court Justice Bill Waller Jr. ([link removed]) (R) began running an ad titled "Schools.” In the ad, Waller says he would move to increase teacher pay and expand access to vocational training. 

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Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves ([link removed]) (R) released his "Ready to Work" plan. It calls for a $100 million expenditure that would make Mississippi eligible to receive funds from the federal Ready to Work program by funding career training programs at state colleges, limiting tuition costs for students pursuing certain degrees to $20,000, and expanding access to computer science classes at the K-12 level.

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Eight Democrats and three Republicans are seeking their parties' gubernatorial nominations in the August 6 primary. If no candidate wins a majority of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to an August 27 runoff. 

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** SELF-FUNDING CHALLENGER LEADS THREE OTHER HOUSTON MAYORAL CANDIDATES—INCLUDING MAYOR TURNER—IN FUNDRAISING
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Attorney Tony Buzbee ([link removed]) led Houston mayoral candidates in fundraising during the first half of 2019, according to financial reports filed with the city.

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Buzbee reported receipts of $5.5 million, more than three times as much as any other candidate. He is not accepting contributions and is choosing to self-finance his campaign. Incumbent Sylvester Turner ([link removed]) was second with just under $1.7 million raised, while businessman Bill King ([link removed]) raised $680,000 and City Councillor Dwight Boykins ([link removed]) raised $140,000. 

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Buzbee also led the four in cash on hand, with $5.1 million as of June 30 to Turner's $3.2 million, King's $320,000, and Boykins' $70,000.

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Candidates have until August 26 to file to run in the nonpartisan election ([link removed]) . If no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the November 5 general election, a runoff will be held between the top two finishers on December 14. Under Houston's strong mayor-council system, the mayor serves as chief executive with powers including proposing a budget, signing legislation into law, appointing department heads, and overseeing city council meetings.

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** $2.5 MILLION RAISED SO FAR IN SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL RACES
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On Monday, campaign finance reports became available in Seattle for 53 candidates across seven city council races. The reports covered the period through July 15 and showed a total of $2.5 million raised and $1.7 million spent. District 3 incumbent Kshama Sawant raised the most of all candidates, with $214,882 in contributions. The second-highest fundraiser was Logan Bowers, who is one of five candidates challenging Sawant in District 3, with $92,240. Third was Alex Pedersen who raised $91,320. He’s facing nine other candidates for the open District 4 seat.

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The races with the highest average contribution amount per candidate are those for District 3 and District 1—races with incumbents whose re-election bids are being opposed by the local Chamber of Commerce political action committee. 

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The District 3 race drew the most campaign contributions both overall and on a per-candidate average basis. The six candidates have brought in a total of $596,105—an average of $99,351 per candidate. 

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In District 1, where incumbent Lisa Herbold faces two challengers, the average amount raised per candidate was $69,925. Herbold had raised the most of the three, with $78,967 in contributions.

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Seven of nine city council seats are up for election ([link removed]) in Seattle, with a primary election August 6 and general election on November 5. The races have seen satellite spending ([link removed]) from the local Chamber of Commerce PAC, and many candidates have received funds from the Democracy Voucher program, a public financing program in which residents distribute $25 vouchers to candidates of their choosing. As of July 16, $1.3 million had been distributed to 35 candidates participating in the voucher program.  

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Across all seven districts, 15 candidates had raised more than $75,000. Participation in the Democracy Voucher Program requires candidates to agree to a $75,000 spending limit in the primary; however, that limit can be lifted in a few cases, including if a challenger (who is not participating in the program) raises or spends above that level or if satellite spending in the race exceeds it. Spending limits have been lifted in all but the District 5 race, where incumbent Debora Juarez faces five opponents. 

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** KENTUCKY GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES SQUARE OFF AT FORUM
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Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear ([link removed]) (D) and Governor Matt Bevin ([link removed]) (R) attended a debate hosted by the Kentucky Farm Bureau on Wednesday. The two discussed agricultural issues, the state budget, public pensions, and taxes during the hourlong forum.

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Bevin told the audience that the 2019 election has national implications, saying he was actively working to support President Trump's agenda and citing Beshear's support of Hillary Clinton in 2016. Beshear, meanwhile, questioned Bevin's temperament, and told the crowd Bevin would "attack, bully, and demean your employees."

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Beshear, Bevin, and John Hicks ([link removed]) (L) are running in the gubernatorial election ([link removed]) on November 5. Heading into the election, Kentucky is a Republican trifecta. If Bevin wins, Republicans will maintain their trifecta control of the state, while a Beshear or Hicks victory would result in divided government in the state.

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** TWO LOUISIANA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES EACH REPORT HAVING OVER $9 MILLION FOR CAMPAIGN
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Republican businessman Eddie Rispone and incumbent Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) both reported having more than $9 million available for this fall’s gubernatorial top-two primary ([link removed]) , according to campaign finance reports published this week. The reports showed Rispone with $9.8 million in cash on hand, Edwards with $9.6 million, and state Rep. Ralph Abraham (R) with $1.3 million. Rispone had spent $1.5 million to Edwards' $1.4 million since the beginning of the year. Abraham spent $613,000.

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Those three candidates—along with Libertarian Gary Landrieu—have entered the race so far. The filing deadline is August 8 and the primary election will take place October 12.

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Some other highlights:

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Edwards raised $2.6 million between January 1 and April 5. State law prohibited the governor from fundraising during the state's regular legislative session, which was from April 8 to July 7. His $9.6 million in cash-on-hand includes money raised prior to 2019.

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Abraham raised the most of the four candidates in the second quarter, bringing in $803,000. He received $799,000 in contributions in the first quarter. 

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Rispone raised $277,000 in the second quarter and $602,000 in the first quarter, in addition to the $10 million he has loaned his campaign.

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Landrieu has not yet filed finance reports for the 2019 election.

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** BALLOT MEASURES UPDATE
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** 2019:
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Twenty-two statewide measures ([link removed]) are certified for the 2019 ballot so far in Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington.

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No new measures were certified for the ballot last week.

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Four of the 26 states ([link removed]) with a process for citizen-initiated measures allow for ballot initiatives or veto referendums on ballots in any odd-numbered years: Colorado ([link removed]) , Maine ([link removed]) , Ohio ([link removed]) , and Washington ([link removed]) .

[Tuesday Count]

 
** 2020:
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Thirty-eight statewide measures ([link removed]) in 18 states have been certified for the 2020 ballot so far.

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Four of the 36 certified 2020 measures are citizen-initiated measures. Thirty-three are legislative referrals. One is an automatic constitutional revision commission question.

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** SPECIAL ELECTIONS
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So far this year, 65 state legislative special elections ([link removed]) have been scheduled in 24 states. Special elections have been held for 49 seats so far; heading into those races, Democrats had previously controlled 29 of the seats while Republicans previously controlled 20. Four seats have flipped from Democratic control to Republican control. One seat has flipped from Republican control to Democratic control. One seat has flipped from Republican control to an independent officeholder. 

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In special elections between 2011 and 2018, one party (either Republicans or Democrats) saw an average net gain of four seats nationally each year.

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An average of 91 seats were filled through special elections in each of the past four odd years (2011 ([link removed]) : 94, 2013 ([link removed]) : 84, 2015 ([link removed]) : 88, 2017 ([link removed]) : 98).

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An average of 55 seats were filled through special elections in each of the past five even years (2010 ([link removed]) : 26, 2012 ([link removed]) : 45, 2014 ([link removed]) : 40, 2016 ([link removed]) : 65, 2018 ([link removed]) : 99).

 
** UPCOMING SPECIAL ELECTIONS INCLUDE:
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July 30

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South Carolina House of Representatives District 84 (primary) ([link removed])

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** STATES IN SESSION
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[States in session]

Five states—Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wisconsin—are in regular session ([link removed]) . Alaska and Kentucky are in special session. California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia are in recess. Thirty-eight states have adjourned their 2019 legislative sessions.

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