Jay Jordan has won the Republican primary for the vacant seat in House District 63. Unofficial results have Jordan with 1,927 votes, Robby Hill with 1,076, and Elijah Jones with 517.

No Democrats filed to run in the special election on April 14, 2015.

The vacancy was created when Republican Kris Crawford resigned his seat a month after being elected unopposed to a fifth term.

Photo of the South Carolina Capitol Building by Nikopoley on Wikimedia Commons.

Two Senate bills pertaining to Michigan election law were signed by Gov. Rick Snyder on February 19, 2015.

Senate Bills 44 and 45 change the date of the presidential primary election to the second Tuesday in March.

The bills will take effect in time for the 2016 presidential primary election.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has called a special election for May 5, 2015, to fill the congressional vacancy left by former Rep. Michael Grimm.

A federal judge compelled the governor to set a date for the election by February 20, 2015.

Political parties now have 12 days to designate their candidates and a few short months to campaign.

Photo of Gov. Cuomo courtesy of Pat Arnow on Wikimedia Commons.

A federal judge has ordered Gov. Andrew Cuomo to set a date by Friday, February 20, 2015, for a special election filling the congressional vacancy left by former Rep. Michael Grimm.

Judge Jack Weinstein wrote in his opinion the constituents of the 11th Congressional District, mostly covering Staten Island, are “bereft of an advocate to help them navigate the morass of government bureaucracy.”

Shortly after the federal court issued its opinion, the governor’s spokeswoman made a statement saying Cuomo will announce a date for the special election “shortly.” If Cuomo does not set a date by Friday, February 20, 2015, the judge will set a date “as promptly as the law will allow.”

A federal lawsuit has been filed against Gov. Andrew Cuomo in an attempt to force the governor to call a special election for the congressional vacancy left by former Rep. Michael Grimm. Grimm resigned from Congress in early 2015 after pleading guilty to felony tax fraud.

By law, Cuomo must call a special election to fill the seat and such election must take place 70 to 80 days after it is announced. However, the governor has no present plans of calling a special election, angering the constituents of Grimm’s former district, which encompasses Staten Island and southern Brooklyn.

The suit alleges constitutional violations and requests the court to compel Cuomo to call a special election.

Judge Jack Weinstein of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York will hear the case on February 13, 2015.

Photo of Governor Cuomo courtesy of Pat Arnow on Wikipedia.

Lobbying

“Top Frankfort Lobbyists Make Big Money … VERY Big” by Tom Loftus for Louisville Courier-Journal

Missouri: “Ethics Amendment Sponsor Sees Little Chance for Effective Action by Lawmakers” by Rudi Keller for Columbia Daily Tribune

Campaign Finance

“Capitalizing on a Political Contribution Cap Hike” by Carrie Levine for Center for Public Integrity

California: “San Diego County Supervisors Put Caps on Campaign Spending” by City News Service for KPBS

Ethics

“Obama Administration Seeks to Negotiate Medicare Drug Prices” by David Morgan for Reuters

Nevada: “When Do Lawmakers’ Day Jobs Become Conflicts of Interest?” by Kyle Roerink for Las Vegas Sun

New York: “State Ethics Panel Seeks More Clout, Leeway” by Casey Seiler for Albany Times Union

New York: “New York City Councilman Arrested on Corruption Charges” by Nikita Stewart for New York Times

Oregon: “Cylvia Hayes Scandal: Kitzhaber associates helped create jobs for her that had Oregon influence in mind” by Nick Budnick and Laura Gunderson for Portland Oregonian

Pennsylvania: “After Rapid Rise, Pennsylvania Attorney General Faces Sharp Fall” by Jennifer Steinhauer for New York Times

Elections

“The Surprising Power of Blue-State Republicans” by Nate Cohn for New York Times

Lobbying

Missouri: “Missouri Lawmakers’ Steady Shift to Lobbying Raises Concerns with Critics” by Jason Hancock for Kansas City Star

New Jersey: “Christie’s Overseas Travel Funded by Firms That Do Business with N.J.” by Shawn Boburg and Hugh Morley for Bergen Record

Campaign Finance

Montana: “State Legislative Panels Reject Campaign Finance Reform Bills” by Charles Johnson for The Missoulian

Ethics

Indiana: “Indiana Gov. Pence Walks Back State-Run Media Site” by Danielle Hayes for UPI.com

Kansas: “Kansas House Rejects Amendment to Address Private E-mail Loophole” by Bryan Lowry for Wichita Eagle

New York: “Speaker Candidate Drew Ethics Panel’s Notice” by Susanne Craig and Thomas Kaplan for New York Times

Pennsylvania: “Pennsylvania Treasurer McCord to Plead Guilty in Campaign Finance Case; Resigns Immediately” by  The Associated Press for Greenfield Daily Reporter

Wisconsin: “Wisconsin’s Treasurer Wants to Cut Needless Workers, Starting With Himself” by Julie Bosman for New York Times

Elections

Massachusetts: “Statute Against Lying in Campaign Ads Faces Legal Test” by Stephanie Ebbert for Boston Globe

Legislative Issues

Texas: “Texas Lawmaker Demands Muslim Visitors Take Loyalty Oath” by Adam Lerner for Politico

Lobbying

Missouri: “Missouri House to Halt Committee Meetings at Country Clubs and Restaurants” by Kevin McDermott for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Washington: “Lawmakers Grouse about Free Meals Rule” by Jordan Schrader for Tacoma News Tribune

Campaign Finance

“National Donors Pick Winners in State Elections” by Ben Weider for Center for Public Integrity

New Jersey: “Auditor Finds No Pay-to-Play Conflict in N.J. Pension Investment” by Andrew Seidman for Philadelphia Inquirer

Ethics

“Amid Ethics Concerns, House Energy Chairman Drops Bill” by Tony Cook for Indianapolis Star

Massachusetts: “State Senator’s Lavish Gift Raises Concerns on Ethics” by Andrea Estes for Boston Globe

New York: “6 Days That Felled Sheldon Silver, the Speaker Who Ruled Albany for Decades” by Jesse McKinley, Thomas Kaplan, Susanne Craig, and William Rashbaum for New York Times

Elections

“Mitt Romney Decides against Running for President Again in 2016” by Philip Rucker and Dan Balz for Washington Post

On March 20, a special election will be held for the American Samoa House of Representative seat left vacant by the death of Lemapu Suiaunoa Talo.

Lemapu, who had been in office for four years, ran in the November general election opposed by only one candidate, according to Marianas Variety. The deadline to file as a candidate for the office is February 6.

State Rep. Elizabeth Dickerson of House District 93 resigned from the Maine House of Representatives, saying she has decided to move to another state.

Secretary of State Matt Dunlap set a special election to fill Dickerson’s seat for March 10, 2015.

Candidates must be nominated by February 9, 2015.

Lobbying

Indiana: “House Education Chair Robert Behning Backs Off Lobbying Plan” by Tom LoBianco for Indianapolis Star

Kentucky: “Record $18M Spent Lobbying Legislature” by Tom Loftus for Louisville Courier-Journal

Tennessee: “Lobbyists Spent Record Amount of $725K Last Year on ‘Wining and Dining’ Events” by The Associated Press for Greenfield Daily Reporter

Vermont: “Should Lobbyists Be Required to Wear Nametags at Vt. Statehouse?” by Kyle Midura for WCAX

Campaign Finance

“The Rise of ‘Scam PACs’” by Kenneth Vogel for Politico

New York: “Legalized Bribery” by Zephyr Teachout for New York Times

New York: “Developer Who Keeps Low Profile Is Embroiled in Silver Scandal” by Charles Bagli for New York Times

Ethics

Massachusetts: “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished” by Jack Sullivan for CommonWealth Magazine

Elections

“Romney’s Consideration of Candidacy Is Closely Tied to His Faith, Allies Say” by Ashley Parker and Alex Thompson for New York Times

A by-election will be held on February 5 to select a representative for the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada, for the Electoral District of Sudbury. The by-election was announced on January 7 by Chief Electoral Officer Greg Essensa.

The campaign period for candidates began on January 7 and will end on May 5.

Photo of the Ontario Legislative Building by Andrijko Z. on Wikimedia Commons.

Gov. Jerry Brown has announced special elections to fill vacancies in state Senate Districts 7, 21, and 37. The vacancies were created by departures of three former state senators to Congress.

The special primary ballot is scheduled for March 17, 2015. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, a runoff will take place on May 19.

Lobbying

“L.A. Alliance for a New Economy Confirms Failure to Report Lobbying” by Emily Alpert Reyes for Los Angeles Times

“In Unusual Arrangement, W.Va. Party Chairmen Double as Lobbyists” by David Gutman for Charleston Gazette

Campaign Finance

“Brian Foley Gets 3 Months in Halfway House in Rowland Case” by Mark Pazniokas for Connecticut Mirror

“Illinois Inauguration Raises Questions of Corporate Influence” by Mark Guarino for Reuters

“Judge Blocks City Campaign Fundraising Rule” by Theodore Schleifer for Houston Chronicle

Ethics

“Christie Ethics Adviser’s Law Firm Does Work for Port Authority” by Matt Friedman for Newark Star Ledger

Elections

“How Campaigns Are Courting 16-Year-Olds” by Darren Samuelsohn for Politico

“Vermont Governor Re-Elected After Failing to Win Majority” by David Gram (Associated Press) for ABC News

Legislative Issues

“G.O.P. Governors Face Test in Shift on Ideological Agendas” by Campbell Robertson and Trip Gabriel for New York Times

“Expenses Quietly Inflate S.C. Legislators’ Salaries” by Jamie Self for The State