LobbyComply Blog

Maine will hold a special election for House District 29 on June 9, which corresponds with the primary election date. The seat became vacant after Rep. Kathy Javner passed away after a battle with cancer during her final term in office. Candidate nominations are to be submitted to the Office of Secretary of State by March 6.

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The Second Session of the 57th Legislature adjourned sine die on February 19 at noon after 30 days in session. During the session, legislators passed bills on topics including universal childcare, medical malpractice reform, mental health commitment standards, and immigration restrictions. Lawmakers failed to advance bills introduced concerning lobbyist reporting, revolving door disclosures, and state procurement amendments. This does affect lobbying reporting. The grassroots lobbying report for advertising campaigns will be due on March 6.

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Gov. Mark Gordon recently signed an executive order banning campaign contributions in state buildings used for activities of the Executive Branch. The ban applies to state facilities and commercial buildings operating under state leases. It does not apply to areas controlled by the Legislature, including the Legislative Services Office, committee rooms, and the Senate and House floor. The order applies to contributions and donations made in person by “cash, check, or any other means.” Online campaign contributions and donations would also be banned when the solicitation, delivery, or acceptance of online contributions and donations originates within a facility owned or leased by the state. Executive Order 2026-01 is effective immediately.

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Pennsylvania will hold a special election on May 19 for House Legislative District 196. Rep. Seth Grove resigned after holding the seat for 17 years due to a potential conflict of interest from a new job he has taken in the private sector. Grove had previously announced that he will not run for re-election in the upcoming general election.

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The Virginia Supreme Court ruled a referendum on congressional redistricting may move forward and appear on ballots at the April 21 special election. The proposed constitutional amendment redrawing the congressional map is supported by the Democratic Party of Virginia. The court ruling does not end the broader legal challenge regarding the Democrats redistricting method but a final ruling is not expected prior to the special election.  

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 Lawmakers have proposed an amendment to a campaign finance bill passed during the 2024 legislative session. House Bill 4018 establishes contribution limits along with various other oversight of campaign finance and is slated to become effective in future years. The newly proposed amended version of House Bill 4018 seeks to delay the upcoming rollout of certain portions of the bill, including a modernized online system until 2031 or 2032. Some legislators suggest that delaying parts of the bill going forward would lower the costs for the Office of Secretary of State. The new contributions limits would currently be left intact and would still become effective January of 2027.

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The Arkansas Secretary of State promulgated the Combating Hostile Foreign Influence Rule to implement a 2025 state law requiring registration and disclosure by representatives of hostile foreign principals and foreign-supported political organizations. The rules expand the information that must be disclosed for foreign-supported political organizations; create a method for submitting complaints; and provide details of investigation, hearing, and enforcement procedures. The rules took effect January 18, 2026.

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The City of Austin, Texas increased campaign contribution limits for candidates for mayor and city council from $450 to $500 per contributor per election. The aggregate contribution limit to candidates from donors outside of Austin increased to $48,000 per election, and $32,000 per runoff election.

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The Arizona Legislature passed a bill adjusting the primary election date and making other election law changes. House Bill 2022 (Senate Bill 1425), permanently changes the primary election date from the first Tuesday in August to the second-to-last Tuesday in July during even numbered years; makes technical changes for the July 21, 2026 primary election; adjusts ballot signature curing deadlines for federal elections; and expands the locations where authorized party representatives may observe and challenge voting activity. The measure was passed as an emergency and will take effect immediately, if signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs.

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The Arkansas Ethics Commission has reported a website outage, due to an attack by malicious actors. Estimated full restoration time is unknown. It is recommended to reach out to the commission at (501) 324-9600 or (800) 422-7773, or email jill.barham@arkansas.gov for any specific website need. The website is ordinarily a resource for ethics rules, opinions, complaints, and guidance for campaign finance reporting entities. Website visitors are cautioned to confirm the outage is restored before attempting to navigate to the site.

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The Utah Legislature passed a bill concerning state court expansion. Senate Bill 134 increases the number of Utah Supreme Court justices from five to seven; increases the number of court of appeals judges from seven to nine; and adds three additional district court judges. The bill was signed by Gov. Spencer Cox on January 31. Senate Bill 134 is effective immediately but remains at risk of amendment if required funding during the legislative session is not approved.

Pennsylvania will hold special elections on February 24 and March 17 after four representatives resigned to assume other offices. An election for Legislative District 24 and 42 will be on February 24. An election for the Legislative District 79 and 193 will be on March 17.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has called for two special elections in state House District 94 and 130. Rep. Karen Bennett of House District 94 resigned after being found guilty of unemployment fraud. Rep. Lynn Heffner of House District 130 resigned citing constitutional residency requirements after her home in Georgia was destroyed during Hurricane Helene. Both special elections will occur on March 10 with a special runoff election on April 7, if necessary.

The 69th Legislative Assembly Special Session adjourned sine die on January 23 after passing all the bills needed to accept the federal rural health transformation program funding. The Legislature was called into special session to address four issues that needed to be addressed and a bill to authorize the ND Department of Health & Human Services to spend the grant funds.