In Alaska, Ranked Choice Voting Worked
Partisan outrage over Sarah Palin's defeat shouldn't obscure the obvious benefits of better voting systems.
Campaigns/Elections
Poll: Republican Voters Were Mad About Inflation, Not Trans People
It's still the economy, stupid.
What's Next for Chase Oliver, the Libertarian Who Forced a Runoff in the Georgia Senate Race?
He wants election reforms in Georgia, different priorities for the national Libertarian Party, and plans to challenge Justin Amash—but maybe not how you'd expect.
Republicans Contemplate a Post-Trump World
With his luster dimmed, former President Donald Trump is no longer the unchallenged party leader.
No, You Don't Have a First Amendment Right To Get Your Speech Aired on Cable News
On Tuesday night, Trump spokesperson Liz Harrington made the baffling claim that, if mainstream news channels failed to air the former president's campaign announcement in full, it would mean that "we do not have the First Amendment."
Republicans Need an Actual Plan To Grow the Economy
The biggest beneficiaries of economic growth are poor people. But the deepest case for economic growth is a moral one.
Donald Trump Announces He Will Run for President in 2024
The former president will seek a second term, despite continuing to insist he already won one in 2020.
Kari Lake's Defeat Is the Latest Disaster for Arizona's Trump-Backed Republicans
Voters rejected other Republicans who have cozied up to the former president, including Senate candidate Blake Masters and secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem.
The Red Wave That Wasn't
Plus: The editors field a question on U.S. ballot counting and talk more on Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover.
A Potted Plant Could Beat a Trump Republican
A cult following fails to attract voters dismayed by Democratic policies.
COVID Lockdown Helps Bounce Democratic Governor in Nevada
Republican Joe Lombardo ousts incumbent Steve Sisolak over pandemic closures.
Maybe Republicans Need a Policy Agenda After All?
The GOP has hit the dead end of Trump-style personality-cult populism. It's time to try having ideas.
Blake Masters' Defeat Should End the GOP's Fealty to Trump and the Big Lie
The Arizona Senate candidate who said "libertarianism doesn't work" is expected to come up short.
Pay Attention to Policy, not 'Narratives'
Punditry ought to be less important than wonkery.
The Election Betting Markets Fell Short. They're Still the Most Flexible Predictor.
People with money on the line try harder than pundits to be right, and they adjust quickly when they've made a mistake.
Chase Oliver, Georgia Senate Race Spoiler: 'You Can't Spoil What's Already Rotten'
As the race that may decide control of the Senate heads to a runoff, the third-party candidate is fielding criticism from both sides that he spoiled the race.
Democrats Spent Millions Boosting Far-Right Republicans. How Did It Pan Out?
And is this a good precedent to be setting?
The Crime Backlash Mostly Failed To Materialize on Election Night
Apocalyptic attack ads about crime failed to drive a red wave, and criminal justice reform candidates were still successful in several local races around the country.
It Was a Good Night For Abortion Rights, Ron DeSantis, Iowa Gun Owners—and Democrats
What we know about 2022 midterm results so far
Bernie Sanders-Backed John Fetterman Prevails in Pennsylvania
Voters told exit pollsters they had little confidence in the ability of either Fetterman or Oz to represent Pennsylvania.
North Dakota Voters Reject Marijuana Legalization
Since approving medical marijuana by a wide margin in 2016, North Dakotans have said no twice to allowing recreational use.
Kari Lake's Election Conspiracy Theories Aren't Even the Worst Thing About Her
It's her willingness to wield state power to punish the ideas and groups she dislikes.
Nevada Voters Could Smash the Two-Party Duopoly
Abolishing party-specific primary elections makes a lot of sense, and might help steer American democracy back towards the center.
Small Blessings: Tom Cotton Isn't Running for President
Cotton is one of the Senate's staunchest drug warriors and no friend of liberty.
Abortion, Pot, Slavery, and More: 34 Ballot Initiatives We're Watching Today
Plus: California's latest faux-trafficking sting, judge suspends New York gun restrictions, and more...
'This Is What Democracy Looks Like. And It Kinda Sucks.'
Plus: Peter Suderman may or may not attempt a rendition of a famous rap from the movie Bulworth.
Neither Democrats Nor Republicans Have a Clear Advantage Going Into Election Day
Plus: University cancels "The Problem of Whiteness" class, Twitter's snowflake-in-chief, and more...
Kansas Voters Could Give Legislature Power To Veto Executive Branch Regulations
The proposed constitutional amendment would shift the state's balance of political power.
'Election Fraud' Can Become Our Awful New Hyperbole
If we go through one election cycle after another and every loser unjustifiably cries fraud, eventually the claim will cease to impress.
Herschel Walker's Unseriousness Overshadowed What Should Have Been a Serious Race
Even before his personal foibles became front-page news, the former football star was more like a caricature of a bad candidate.
A New Authoritarian Political Style Is on the Ballot in Ohio
The most jarring thing about Senate candidate J.D. Vance is how open he is about rejecting the rule of law.
In Pennsylvania, John Fetterman and Dr. Oz Race to the Bottom
Neither candidate in the crucially important Pennsylvania Senate race has made much of a positive case for his candidacy.
A GOP-Led Congress May Focus on Owning the Libs. Instead, It Should Focus on Owning Inflation.
If the midterms favor Republicans, their top priority needs to be the fight against inflation—whether or not they feel like they created the problem.
Turning 'Saving Democracy' Into a Campaign Slogan Isn't Helping Save Democracy
Biden's planned address on Wednesday night will call out "those who deny the documented truth about election results and those who seek to undermine public faith in our system of government."
In Arizona, Blake Masters and Kari Lake Embrace Bad Border Policies
The anti-immigrant tenor of the state's GOP candidates is keeping reasonable conversations about border security out of reach.
Will Pennsylvania's Libertarian Senate Candidate Drop Out? 'That's a Hard No.'
Like Arizona's Marc Victor, Erik Gerhardt is a potential spoiler in one of the nation's biggest Senate races. Unlike Victor, he's embracing the role.
Could the Supreme Court Decide Moore v. Harper on Statutory Grounds?
An amicus brief by Professor Derek Muller suggests the justices need not confront the "Independent State Legislature" doctrine head on.
This Election Day, Listen to the Betting Market Instead of Pundit Predictions
Over time, betting has been a better predictor than polls, pundits, statistical models, and everything else.
Prison Slavery Up for a Vote in 5 States
Plus: Federal court dismisses state challenge to student loan debt forgiveness, not all independent contractors want to be employees, and more...
Georgia Sets Early Voting Record, Despite Controversial Voting Law
Many opponents, including the president, criticized the law in misleading terms, obscuring its very real issues.
Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams Both Advocate More Government in Georgia Governor Debate
The governor favors more punitive policing, while his Democratic opponent thinks the governor should have a say in who buys what properties in the state.
Midterm Polling, PayPal, and Patellas
Plus: The editors consider Ye and social media, then field a question about the TARP bailouts during the 2008 fiscal crisis.
In Utah Senate Race, Evan McMullin Has To Reckon With an Ugly History
In a campaign where much of the focus has been on Donald Trump and January 6, McMullin's CIA career deserves more interrogation.
In Arizona, Libertarian Party Senate Candidate Polls at 15 Percent
Marc Victor is gaining ground with a “live and let live” message.
Divided Government Is Good. In 2023, Bipartisanship Would Be Better.
From immigration to drug reform, there is plenty of potential for productive compromise.
Herschel Walker's Campaign Shows Why Third-Party Candidates Are Important
Republicans turned off by Walker at least have a third option, but for House races in Georgia, state law makes it extremely difficult for third-party candidates to get on the ballot.
The Government Should Be Pro-Market, Not 'Pro-Business'
Businesses are all in favor of competition, tax cuts, and deregulation only until they aren't—meaning only until subsidies might benefit them.
