Democrats flip control of state House, Senate in Virginia
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Welcome to this special edition of the Tap with all the notable results from Tuesday's elections. If you missed our briefings reviewing the results you can find those on our YouTube channel ([link removed]) . Let's dive in! 

Read the full Tap online ([link removed])

** BESHEAR LEADS KENTUCKY GUBERNATORIAL RACE, BEVIN ASKS FOR RECANVASS 
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* On November 5 ([link removed]) with 100% of precincts reporting, unofficial tallies gave Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear ([link removed]) (D) a victory over Gov. Matt Bevin ([link removed]) (R) by a 49.2 to 48.8 margin, which was about 5,000 votes. Libertarian John Hicks ([link removed]) earned 2% of the vote. On election night, Bevin said that he would not concede the race. On November 6, he requested a recanvass, and that is expected to be complete by November 14.
 
* Beshear won 21 counties that President Donald Trump (R) won en route to his 2016 presidential election victory. In total, Beshear won 23 counties, the most by a Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Kentucky since his father Steve Beshear (D) won in 2011.
 
* This cycle, 17 counties were won by a candidate of the opposite party that won the county in the 2015 election. Thirteen of those counties flipped from Bevin (R) in 2015 to Beshear (D) in 2019. The other four counties flipped from Jack Conway (D) in 2015 to Bevin (R) in 2019.
 
* Aside from governor, Republicans won the five other executive offices on the statewide ballot ([link removed]) this year. The party picked up the offices of attorney general and secretary of state, and held the offices of agriculture commissioner, auditor, and treasurer. Once the newly elected officials are sworn into office, all non-gubernatorial positions in Kentucky with partisan elections will be held by a Republican.
 
* In the race to succeed retiring Attorney General Andy Beshear (D), Daniel Cameron (R) defeated former state Rep. Gregory Stumbo (D) 58-42. Republicans last held the office in 1948. Michael Adams (R) defeated Heather French Henry (D) 52-48 for the secretary of state position. Incumbent Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) was term-limited and unable to run for re-election. Republicans last held the office in 1972.
 
* Republican incumbents won re-election in the other three races by double digits. Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles (R) defeated Robert Haley Conway (D) 58-39. Auditor of Public Accounts Mike Harmon (R) defeated Sheri Donahue (D) 56-41. Treasurer Allison Ball (R) defeated Michael Bowman (D) 61-39. 

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** DEMOCRATS GAIN MAJORITIES IN BOTH HOUSES OF VIRGINIA STATE LEGISLATURE
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* Democrats won majorities in the Virginia State Senate ([link removed]) and the Virginia House of Delegates ([link removed]) , giving them full control of the Virginia General Assembly for the first time since 1993. Gov. Ralph Northam ([link removed]) is also a Democrat, making the state a Democratic state government trifecta ([link removed]) . This means that Democrats will have full control of the state’s redistricting process following the 2020 census.

* Republicans entered the Senate elections with a 21-19 majority. Democrats flipped two seats to achieve their own 21-19 majority going into the next legislative session. Ghazala Hashmi (D) defeated Sen. Glen Sturtevant (R) 54-46 in the District 10 race, while Del. John Bell (D) defeated Geary Higgins (R) 54-46 in the District 13 race for the seat held by Sen. Richard Black (R). The next regularly scheduled elections for the chamber will take place in 2023.

* Republicans entered the House elections with a 51-49 majority. Democrats picked up Districts 28, 40, 76, 83, 91, and 94 to claim a 55-45 majority. Democratic candidates defeated four Republican incumbents: Tim Hugo (HD-40), Chris Jones (HD-76), Christopher Stolle (HD-83), and David Yancey (HD-94). The other two seats won by Democrats were in open races for seats held by Robert Thomas Jr. (HD-28) and Gordon Helsel (HD-91). The next regularly scheduled elections for the chamber will take place in 2021.

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** REEVES ELECTED GOVERNOR, REPUBLICANS MAINTAIN CONTROL OF STATE LEGISLATURE IN MISSISSIPPI
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* Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves ([link removed]) (R) defeated ([link removed]) state Attorney General Jim Hood ([link removed]) (D), Bob Hickingbottom (Constitution), and David Singletary (I) in Mississippi's gubernatorial election. Reeves will succeed term-limited Phil Bryant (R) as Mississippis' 65th governor, becoming the third consecutive Republican to hold that office.

* Reeves' 5.7% margin of victory was narrower than Bryant's 34.1% margin in 2015 and his 22.0% margin in 2011. In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) carried Mississippi by a margin of 17.8 percentage points. Hood carried both of Mississippi's pivot counties ([link removed]) , winning Chickasaw County by a 22.7% margin and Panola County by a 2.5% margin.

* Reeves' win preserves the Republican party's hold on the governorship and, alongside the Republican hold on both chambers of the state legislature, Mississippi's Republican trifecta. Mississippi Republicans held the secretary of state's office and gained the state attorney general's office, winning a triplex (control of each of the top three executive offices) for the first time since 1876.

* Both chambers of the Mississippi State Legislature ([link removed]) were up for election in 2019. A primary was held August 6, and the general election was on November 5.

* All 52 seats in the Mississippi State Senate ([link removed]) were up for election. Entering the election, the Senate had 18 Democrats, 31 Republicans, and three vacancies. A majority in the chamber requires 27 seats. Republicans won 36 seats to Democrats' 16, picking up a net addition of five seats and keeping their majority in the chamber. 

* Thirty-eight incumbents were on the ballot in the general election (14 Democrats and 24 Republicans) and all were re-elected. 
* Thirty-four candidates were unopposed; of the unopposed candidates, 11 were Democratic incumbents, 18 were Republican incumbents, and five were non-incumbent Republican candidates.

* Entering the election, the Mississippi House of Representatives ([link removed]) had 44 Democrats, 74 Republicans, two independents, and two vacancies. All 122 seats were up for election. A majority in the chamber requires 62 seats. As of November 8, races in Districts 40 and 64 were too close to call. Of the decided races, 44 were won by Democrats, 75 by Republicans, and one by an independent. 

* One hundred incumbents were on the ballot in the general election (38 Democrats, 60 Republicans, and two independents) and 97 were re-elected. One incumbent, Steve Holland (I-16), was defeated, and the remaining two—Ashley Henley (R-40) and Bill Denny (R-64)—are in races that have not yet been called. 
* Eighty-nine candidates were unopposed; of the unopposed candidates, 34 were Democratic incumbents, 45 were Republican incumbents, two were non-incumbent Democratic candidates, and eight were non-incumbent Republican candidates.

* Mississippi has a Republican trifecta. A state government trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and both state legislative chambers.

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** ROUNDUP OF STATEWIDE BALLOT MEASURES
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* On November 5, voters in seven states decided 32 statewide ballot measures.

* 17 were approved, 
* 11 were defeated, 
* two in Washington are too close to call with certainty yet, and 
* one, Pennsylvania’s Marsy’s Law amendment, was approved by voters but the outcome is pending a court ruling.

COLORADO:

* Proposition CC ([link removed]) : Voters rejected Proposition CC Colorado 54% to 46%. Proposition CC would have allowed the state to retain revenue it is required to refund to taxpayers under TABOR. At stake was an estimated $310 million in 2019 and $342 million in 2020. The measure proposed using the revenue for education and transportation.
 
* Proposition DD: ([link removed]) Voters approved Proposition DD 50.7% to 49.3%. It authorized sports betting in Colorado and allowed the legislature to levy a tax of 10% on those conducting sports betting operations. Most of the estimated $10 to $15 million in annual revenue will go to state water projects. Proposition DD required voter approval under the state’s Taxpayer's Bill of Rights Amendment since it was designed to implement a new tax.

KANSAS: 

* Revision of Census Amendment: ([link removed]) Voters approved the one Kansas constitutional amendment by 60% to 40%. It ends the state's practice of adjusting the U.S. Census population regarding military personnel and students when redistricting the Kansas State Legislature.

MAINE: 

* Question 1: ([link removed]) Voters approved the $105 million bond issue for transportation infrastructure by a vote of 76% to 24%.
* Question 2: ([link removed]) Voters approved Question 2 by a vote of 76% to 24%. It authorized legislation allowing for persons with physical disabilities that prevent them from signing their own names to use an alternative signature to sign petitions for citizen-initiated ballot measures.

NEW JERSEY:

* Public Question 1: ([link removed]) Voters approved Public Question 1 by a vote of 76% to 24%. It authorized continuing care retirement centers to take a $250 property tax deduction on behalf of veterans living there and pass it on to them through a credit or payment.

PENNSYLVANIA:

* Marsy’s Law amendment: ([link removed]) A preliminary injunction prevented the state from officially counting or certifying results. Counties were still able to report results, however, and 74% of voters were in favor of the Marsy’s Law amendment to add a set of crime victim rights to the state constitution. The outcome of the measure depends on the final ruling on the validity of the measure.

TEXAS:

* Voters approved nine constitutional amendments ([link removed]) , including Proposition 4—which added a prohibition against a state income tax to the state constitution. Voters rejected one measure ([link removed]) , Proposition 1, which would have allowed persons to serve as more than one appointed or elected municipal judge. The last time voters rejected a proposed amendment was in 2001.

WASHINGTON:

* Initiative 976: ([link removed]) This measure is ahead by 54% to 46%, a margin of about 60,000 votes. As of Friday, however, there were an estimated 470,000 votes left to be counted, so the outcome of this measure can’t be called with certainty. Washington Initiative 976 was the only statewide ballot initiative in the country, and one of two citizen-initiated statewide measures. It would limit annual license fees for most vehicles to $30. It would also base vehicle taxes on the Kelley Blue Book value and repeal the ability for certain regional transit authorities, such as Sound Transit, to impose motor vehicle excise taxes. The Washington Office of Financial Management estimated the measure would result in a $1.9 billion reduction in state revenue and a $2.3 billion reduction in local revenue over 6 years. The initiative was sponsored by Tim Eyman.

* Although the outcome isn’t completely certain for this measure, King County, Seattle, and Sound Transit have announced they will sue in an effort to invalidate it. Gov. Jay Inslee also told the transportation department to delay any projects not currently underway and pause non-essential expenses.
 

* Referendum 88: ([link removed]) Voters were rejecting this measure by 51% to 49%, but it is too close to call. It was the only statewide veto referendum in 2019 and one of two citizen-initiated statewide measures. Approval would uphold Initiative 1000, thereby expressly allowing the state to implement affirmative action policies without the use of preferential treatment (as defined) or quotas (as defined) in public employment, education, and contracting.
 
* SJR 8200: ([link removed]) Voters approved this measure by a vote of 65% to 35%. It authorized the Washington State Legislature to pass bills addressing the succession of powers and duties of public offices during periods of catastrophic incidents that are considered emergencies.
 
* 12 advisory questions ([link removed]) : Voters saw the largest number of advisory measures related to tax increases since the first in 2012. Voters were in favor of repealing nine tax revenue increases and were in favor of maintaining three.

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** TURNER, BUZBEE ADVANCE TO HOUSTON MAYORAL RUNOFF DEC. 14
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* Incumbent Mayor Sylvester Turner and former Texas A&M Board of Regents member Tony Buzbee advanced from Tuesday's election to a Dec. 14 runoff election for mayor of Houston, Texas. Turner received 47% of the vote to Buzbee's 28% in the general election. The runoff will take place since no candidate received more than 50% of the vote.

* Ten other candidates ran in the general election. Bill King came in third place with 14% of the vote, Dwight Boykins scored fourth with 6%, and Victoria Romero and Sue Lovell both received about 1% of the vote. The other six candidates took less than one percent of the vote. 

* Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, with a population of 2.2 million.

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** SEATTLE COUNCIL RACES REMAIN UNCALLED AS OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO RECEIVE MAILED-IN BALLOTS
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* Seven seats on the Seattle City Council were up for election ([link removed]) Tuesday. No races have been called. Washington uses a vote-by-mail system, and election officials will continue counting ballots postmarked on or before Nov. 5. King County will certify election results Nov. 26. 
 

* Unofficial, incomplete election returns from ballots counted as of Thursday showed the following:

* District 1: Lisa Herbold (incumbent) 53.5%, Phil Tavel 46.1%
* District 2: Tammy Morales 58.0%, Mark Solomon 41.5%
* District 3: Kshama Sawant (incumbent) 48.6%, Egan Orion 51.0%
* District 4: Alex Pedersen 55.0%, Shaun Scott 44.6%
* District 5: Debora Juarez (incumbent) 59.2%, Ann Davison Sattler 40.5%
* District 6: Dan Strauss 53.8%, Heidi Wills 45.7%
* District 7: Andrew Lewis 50.5%, Jim Pugel 49.0%
 

* The races saw record-breaking satellite spending of more than $4 million, which was more than 5 times the amount spent in 2015, the last time the same seven council seats were up for election. 
 

* Amazon contributed $1.5 million to the local chamber of commerce's PAC—Civic Alliance for a Sound Economy (CASE)—which endorsed candidates in each race, including challengers to incumbents Lisa Herbold and Kshama Sawant. A 2018 head tax proposal, which the council passed and subsequently repealed, met with opposition from the chamber of commerce and Amazon. Civic Alliance for a Progressive Economy (CAPE) and UNITE HERE! political action committees, affiliated with labor groups, endorsed and spent in support of 2019 candidates opposing those backed by the chamber in most races.

* THURSDAY'S UNOFFICIAL, INCOMPLETE RESULTS REPORT SHOWED CANDIDATES ENDORSED BY CAPE AND/OR UNITE HERE! LEADING IN FOUR OF SEVEN RACES. CANDIDATES BACKED BY CASE LED IN THE OTHER THREE.
 

* THIS WAS THE SECOND ELECTION IN WHICH A VOTER VOUCHER PROGRAM WAS USED TO PROVIDE PUBLIC FUNDING TO CAMPAIGNS. PARTICIPATING CANDIDATES, INCLUDING THOSE WHO DID NOT ADVANCE FROM PRIMARIES, RECEIVED A TOTAL OF $2.5 MILLION FROM MORE THAN 98,000 RETURNED VOUCHERS. 

* It was also the second election in recent history in which councilmembers were elected by district; from 1910 to 2013, all Seattle councilmembers were elected at large.

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** DEMOCRATS RETAIN CONTROL OF NEW JERSEY GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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* New Jersey held elections for all 80 seats ([link removed]) of the state General Assembly—the lower chamber of the state legislature—on November 5, 2019. A primary was held on June 4.

* Prior to the November election, the chamber had 54 Democratic members, 25 Republican members, and one vacancy. A majority in the chamber requires 41 seats. In the election, Democrats won 44 seats to Republicans' 20. Elections for 16 seats remained too close to call as of November 7.

* Seventy-four incumbents were on the ballot in the general election (53 Democrats and 21 Republicans). Sixty-one incumbents were re-elected (43 Democrats and 18 Republicans). The remaining 13 incumbents' races had not been called as of November 7. The New Jersey General Assembly was one of seven state legislative chambers holding elections in 2019.

* A special election for District 1 of the New Jersey State Senate also took place on November 5. A primary was held on June 4.

* The seat became vacant after Jeff Van Drew (D) won election to New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House on November 6, 2018. Bob Andrzejczak (D) was appointed to fill the seat until a special election could be held. Republican Mike Testa Jr. defeated Andrzejczak in the general election by a 7-point margin.

* New Jersey has a Democratic state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers. As of November 7, 2019, there are 22 Republican trifectas, 14 Democratic trifectas, and 14 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control.

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** ROUNDUP OF LOCAL BALLOT MEASURES
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* HIGHLIGHTS:

* With the approval of Question 1 ([link removed]) , New York City became the largest jurisdiction to approve the use of ranked-choice voting. Question 1 established ranked-choice voting to be used for primary and special elections beginning in 2021.

* Tucson voters rejected Proposition 205 ([link removed]) , which would have made Tucson the first city in Arizona to enact sanctuary jurisdiction policies.

* Click here ([link removed]) to review results for the 141 local ballot measures in 17 different states that Ballotpedia covered for the November 5 election.

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** WORKING FAMILIES PARTY CANDIDATE WINS PHILLY COUNCIL SEAT, SAN FRANCISCO DA RACE STILL UNDECIDED
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* Municipal elections took place across the country Tuesday as 46 cities and counties within Ballotpedia's coverage scope held regularly scheduled general elections. The results of those elections include:

* San Francisco held its first election ([link removed]) for district attorney without an incumbent on the ballot since 1909. As the city's top prosecutor, the district attorney has the ability to influence law enforcement priorities within San Francisco. As of 7:45 a.m. on November 8, the race remained too close to call. Public defender Chesa Boudin ([link removed]) , who was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) and the city Green Party, led in the first-place vote but was nearly 20% short of the majority necessary to win outright. San Francisco elections use ranked-choice voting, meaning that voters can rank their preferred winners from among multiple candidates. If no candidate wins a majority, the last-place candidate is eliminated and their votes are reassigned to their voters' next choice. The process repeats until one candidate has a majority. In a preliminary tally, the city Department of Elections projected that interim DA Suzy Loftus ([link removed]) would win by a margin of 0.66 percentage points. Loftus is backed by the city Democratic Party and Sen. Kamala Harris (D), herself a former San Francisco DA.
 
* Philadelphia's city council elections ([link removed]) resulted in a third party candidate winning an at-large council seat for the first time in city history. All 17 seats on the city council were up; 10 of those were elected by voters from the city's 10 districts while seven were elected by the entire city at-large. Each party could nominate only five candidates for the seven at-large seats, so no one party could win every council seat. Since Philadelphia adopted its charter in 1951, every election had resulted in Democrats winning five at-large seats and Republicans winning two. This year, Working Families Party candidate Kendra Brooks ([link removed]) won election to one of the two seats usually won by Republicans. Control of the ten district seats, which had been held by nine Democrats and one Republican, did not change. The city council's new partisan balance is 14 Democrats, two Republicans, and one Working Families Party councilor.
 
* Incumbent David Bieter ([link removed]) faced six challengers in a nonpartisan election ([link removed]) for mayor of Boise, Idaho. Bieter placed second, with 30.3% of the vote to City Council President Lauren McLean's ([link removed]) 45.7%. Since neither received a majority, Bieter and McLean advanced to a December 3 runoff. This is the first mayoral runoff in Boise history. McLean is seeking to become Boise's first female mayor.
 
* Kansas state Rep. Brandon Whipple ([link removed]) defeated incumbent Jeff Longwell ([link removed]) in Wichita's nonpartisan mayoral election ([link removed]) . Whipple received 46.1% of the vote to Longwell's 36.3%. In the primary held August 6, Longwell had outperformed Whipple 32.3% to 25.9%. Although the office of mayor is nonpartisan, Whipple serves as a Democrat in the state House.

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** TEXAS ANNOUNCES STATE TAKEOVER OF HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AFTER TUESDAY'S SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS
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* On November 6, Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath notified the Houston Independent School District (HISD) of his decision to appoint a board of managers to replace the elected board. Morath cited both a Texas Education Agency (TEA) investigation into the board's governance and repeatedly poor academic performance ratings at a school in the district that triggered a response under Texas state law. 
 
* Under a state-appointed board, elected board members would keep their positions but lose decision-making power. HISD has the opportunity to request a formal review before the decision is finalized.
 
* Four out of nine seats on the HISD school board were up for general election on November 5.  Incumbents Sergio Lira (District III) and Diana Davila (District VIII) lost their re-election bids to Daniela Hernandez and Judith Cruz, respectively. Races for the District II and District IV open seats head to a runoff election on December 14, since no candidate received more than 50% of the vote on November 5. Katherine Blueford-Daniels and John Gibbs Sr. advanced in the race for District II, defeating three other candidates. In District IV, Patricia Allen and Matthew Barnes advanced from a four-candidate field.
 
* In August 2019, the TEA recommended that Morath downgrade the district's accreditation and install a board of managers after an investigation into "allegations of a systemic breakdown of [the board's] ability to govern, operate within the scope of their authority, and ensure adherence to contracting laws and district policies." 
 
* School ratings were released in August that under Texas state law could have led to the board being replaced separately from the special investigation. The district appealed the failing grade of one of the district’s high schools in September, and Morath denied the appeal on November 5.
 
* As of the 2018-2019 school year, HISD was the largest school district in Texas and the seventh-largest school district in the United States, serving 209,772 students in 280 schools with a budget of $2.04 billion.

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** TWO SEATS FLIP PARTY CONTROL OUT OF 20 STATE LEGISLATIVE SPECIAL ELECTIONS NOV. 5
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* Special elections ([link removed]) were held in 20 state legislative districts across 11 states on November 5. In Missouri, District 99 of the state House flipped from Republican control to Democratic control as a result of the special election. In New Jersey, District 1 of the state Senate flipped from Democratic control to Republican control.

* In Alabama ([link removed]) , Van Smith (R) defeated Kenneth Allison Sr. (D) in the special election for District 42 of the Alabama House of Representatives. The seat became vacant when James Martin (R) died on May 31.

* In California ([link removed]) , Megan Dahle (R) defeated Elizabeth Betancourt (D) in the special election for District 1 of the California State Assembly. The seat became vacant after Brian Dahle (R), the husband of Megan Dahle, was elected to represent District 1 of the California State Senate.

* In Georgia ([link removed]) , Jim Quinn (R) and Bill Yearta (R) advanced to a general election runoff for District 152 of the Georgia House of Representatives. The seat became vacant after Ed Rynders (R) resigned his seat on September 5, citing health concerns.

* In Kentucky ([link removed]) , Samara Heavrin (R) defeated Becky Miller (D) in the special election for District 18 of the Kentucky House of Representatives. The District 18 seat became vacant after Tim Moore (R) resigned on September 10, citing a belief in term limits and a transition into a Christian ministry role. Kimberly Banta (R) defeated Josh Blair (D) in the special election for District 63 of the state House. The District 63 seat became vacant after Rep. Diane St. Onge (R) resigned August 12 because of her anticipated move to California.

* In Mississippi ([link removed]) , Scott DeLano (R) defeated Dixie Newman (R) in the special election for District 50 of the Mississippi State Senate. The special election was ordered as a revote in five of the district's 16 precincts. DeLano had contested the results of the August 6 primary, citing concerns that not all votes were counted. The final results of the race were the combined results from the primary on August 6 and the partial revote on November 5.

* In Missouri ([link removed]) , special elections were held for Districts 22, 36, 74, 78, 99, and 158 of the Missouri House of Representatives. The District 99 seat changed in party control after Trish Gunby (D) defeated Lee Ann Pitman (R). The seat became vacant after Jean Evans (R) stepped down in February 2019 to become the executive director of the Missouri GOP. Other special election winners include Yolanda Young (D) in District 22, Mark Sharp (D) in District 36, Mike Person (D) in District 74, Rasheen Aldridge (D) in District 78, and Scott Cupps (R) in District 158.

* In New Jersey ([link removed]) , Mike Testa Jr. (R) defeated Bob Andrzejczak (D) in the special election for District 1 of the New Jersey State Senate. The seat became vacant after Jeff Van Drew (D) won election to New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House on November 6, 2018. Andrzejczak was appointed to fill the seat until a special election could be held.

* In New York ([link removed]) , George Borrello (R) defeated Austin Morgan (D) in the special election for District 57 of the New York State Senate. The seat became vacant when Catharine Young (R) stepped down on February 28 to take a leadership position at the Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell AgriTech.

* In Tennessee ([link removed]) , Michael Smith (D) and Rusty Grills (R) advanced past their respective primaries to face independent candidates Ronnie Henley, Billy Jones, and Max Smith in the general election on December 19. The seat became vacant after Bill Sanderson (R) resigned his seat on July 24, citing family and business demands.

* In Texas ([link removed]) , special elections in Districts 28, 100, and 148 of the Texas House of Representatives all advanced to a general election runoff. The date of the runoff elections has not yet been set by Gov. Greg Abbott (R). In District 28, Elizabeth Markowitz (D) and Gary Gates (R) advanced to a runoff election. The District 28 seat became vacant after Rep. John Zerwas (R) resigned, effective September 30 to take a position with the University of Texas System. In District 100, Lorraine Birabil (D) advanced to a runoff election against either James Armstrong III (D) or Daniel Davis Clayton (D). The results between Armstrong and Clayton were too close to call as of November 8. The District 100 seat became vacant after Eric Johnson (D) was elected to serve as mayor of Dallas. In District 148, Anna Eastman (D) and Luis La Rotta (R) advanced to a general election runoff. The District 148 seat became vacant after Rep. Jessica Farrar (D) resigned from her seat on September 30.

* In Washington ([link removed]) , Liz Lovelett (D) defeated Daniel Miller (R) in the special election for District 40 of the Washington State Senate. The seat was vacated by Kevin Ranker (D) after allegations of sexual misconduct. Alex Ybarra (R) defeated Steve Verhey (D) in the special election for District 13-Position 2 of the Washington House of Representatives. The seat was vacated by Matt Manweller (R) at the start of the 2019 legislative session.

* So far this year, 77 state legislative special elections ([link removed]) have been scheduled in 24 states. Special elections have been held for 71 seats so far; heading into those races, Democrats had previously controlled 37 of the seats while Republicans previously controlled 34. Five seats have flipped from Democratic control to Republican control. Two seats have flipped from Republican control to Democratic control. One seat has flipped from Republican control to an independent officeholder.

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

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** VOTERS SELECT TWO KENTUCKY APPELLATE JUDGES; FOUR PENNSYLVANIA APPEALS COURT JUDGES WIN RETENTION
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* Voters decided two state judgeships in Kentucky, six up in Pennsylvania, and three up in Washington state Nov. 5.

* KENTUCKY: Christopher Nickell defeated Whitney Westerfield to win the Kentucky Supreme Court 1st District judgeship, and Jacqueline Caldwell defeated Michael Caperton to win the Kentucky Court of Appeals 3rd District, Division 1 judgeship. Both were nonpartisan special elections.

* PENNSYLVANIA: Two seats on the Pennsylvania Superior Court were up for partisan election, and the race remained too close to call as of November 8. The two leading vote recipients were Daniel McCaffery (D) and Megan McCarthy King (R) with 25.74% and 25.57% of the vote, respectively; Amanda Green-Hawkins (D) trailed in third place with 24.95% and Christylee Peck (R) was in fourth at 23.74%. Four sitting judges—Kevin Brobson and Patricia McCullough on the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court and Anne Lazarus and Judith F. Olson on the Pennsylvania Superior Court—all won retention elections with more than 70% of the vote.

* WASHINGTON: A trio of Washington Court of Appeals judges—John Chun, Lori Smith, and Anne Cruser—ran for and won re-election unopposed. All three were nonpartisan special elections; the incumbents had been appointed to vacancies on the court in either June 2018 or February 2019.

* In 2019, five states—Kentucky, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin—scheduled elections ([link removed]) for 17 appeals court judgeships. This included three state supreme court ([link removed]) justice positions and 14 intermediate appellate court ([link removed]) judgeships. 

* WISCONSIN held its state judicial elections for four seats in February and April. LOUISIANA had one seat on the ballot in March, but it has another up for general election on November 16. William J. Crain (R) and Hans J. Liljeberg (R) are running in that special election to fill the District 1 seat on the Louisiana Supreme Court that was vacated by Greg Guidry (R), who was appointed to a federal judgeship earlier this year.

* In 2020 ([link removed]) , there are 280 state appeals court judgeships scheduled to be on the ballot across 36 states. This includes 81 state supreme court justice positions across 35 states and another 199 intermediate appellate court judgeships across 29 states. These totals are similar to the 2018 ([link removed]) election cycle, which featured 296 state judgeships up for election.

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