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Lone Star Politics: Aug. 9, 2026
The Dallas City Council will vote on putting a $960 million public safety bond on the Nov. 3rd ballot. We spoke with the Dallas Police Chief about why Dallas needs the new Law Enforcement Training Center. Plus, an update on the Race for U.S. Senate.
Wisconsin, Minnesota primaries are next to feature progressive clash with Democratic establishment
Progressive candidates for governor in Wisconsin and U.S. Senate in Minnesota are making their final pushes ahead of Tuesday’s election
Trump's immigration crackdown looms over Minnesota's bruising Senate primary
Months later, confrontations between immigration agents and protestors in Minneapolis remain the backdrop to Minnesota's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, which features establishment-backed U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and the more progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.
Ted Cruz’s college sports bill left in limbo as U.S. Senate takes August recess
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s bill that would place sweeping new regulations on college sports failed to reach the floor this week before the Senate gaveled out for recess, imperiling its chances to become law this year as the midterm elections approach.
Senate adjourns without vote on college sports bill
The U.S. Senate took no action on the Protect College Sports Act, adjourning for summer recess early Saturday with a promise the Senate will consider the bill next month.
Burcum: Putting Flanagan and Craig to the test on health care
Columnist Jill Burcum asked the DFL candidates for their positions on several pressing Minnesota health care issues to provide a more detailed look at how they’d approach the job in the U.S. Senate.
7+ Florida Politics Now: Previewing the U.S. senate race
On this episode, we’re previewing the U.S. senate race and more.
Ted Cruz’s college sports bill on brink of U.S. Senate vote
The Protect College Sports Act gained a burst of momentum with last week’s support from the SEC and Big Ten, but the clocking is ticking as the Senate prepares to leave town.
Mississippi Senate race highlights shifting map as Democrats and Republicans battle for majority
Mississippi does not top the list of hotly contested U.S. Senate races this fall
Will Mississippi send a Black Democrat to the US Senate? Scott Colom says don't count him out
Scott Colom is a Black man and a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate in Mississippi, a state traditionally led by white conservatives. Colom aims to unseat Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a white supporter of President Donald Trump who is seeking her second term.
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed on Historic Michigan Win: “People Are Sick and Tired of This Politics of Hatred”
We speak with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed after his victory in Michigan’s primary race for U.S. Senate sent shockwaves through the Democratic Party. El-Sayed, a former public health official, ran a progressive campaign focused on affordability, Medicare for All, getting money out of politics, and opposing Israel’s genocide in Gaza. He defeated Congressmember Haley Stevens, who was backed by tens of millions in outside spending including by AIPAC, the powerful pro-Israel lobby group. “In an era where many of us can’t afford basic things like groceries or rent or healthcare, the idea that your government is sending your tax dollars to buy bombs and tanks for foreign governments seems anathema,” El-Sayed says. “That money could be spent to fix your potholes, rebuild your kid’s school.” El-Sayed says his focus now is on beating Republican nominee Mike Rogers, whom he calls a “bootlicker for Trumpism,” and to present a positive vision for his party that can lead into the next Democratic presidential administration.
ADF urges Senate to clarify college sports bill won’t preempt state women’s sports laws
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom CEO, President, and Chief Counsel Kristen Waggoner regarding the Protect College Sports Act (S. 4668), a bill currently in the U.S. Senate that could be voted on this week: “For nearly a decade, Alliance Defending Freedom has worked with courageous female athletes, state and national […]
Nate Morris questioned about attacks on McConnell in nomination hearing
At a hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Nate Morris faced questions about his attacks on Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., during Morris' campaign for U.S. Senate
Senate confirms Dr. Erica Schwartz as CDC director, bringing new leadership to troubled agency
Dr. Erica Schwartz has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Takeaways from Tuesday's elections in Michigan and more
Democrats need to rack up as many wins as possible to take back the U.S. Senate, so the party has little room for error.
Does Congress have the guts to successfully challenge Trump’s politicization of science funding?
The U.S. Senate is emerging as a potential bulwark against proposed rule changes that would give government bureaucrats more control over scientific
4 questions about the high-stakes Michigan Democratic primary
For two days last week, I lived inside the hottest political race in the country — the Michigan U.S. Senate Democratic primary between the more centrist congresswoman Haley Stevens and progressive former public health director Abdul El-Sayed. Producer Sam Weber and I flew into Detroit with some questions. How do these candidates stack up in real life? What actually matters to Michigan? Will this divide be a problem for Democrats in November? Does this race
James Talarico Refuses to Sell Out Transgender People
The Texas Democratic U.S. Senate nominee explained why he won't sell out the transgender community in favor of votes.
Burcum: Q&A with U President Cunningham on Trump admin threats to science
As U.S. Senate leaders weigh blocking a controversial OMB rule, Rebecca Cunningham explains what’s at risk if political appointees, not experts, decide where federal funding flows, columnist Jill Burcum writes.
Fact-checking Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens' claims ahead of the Michigan Democratic Senate primary
Michigan Democrats will pick their nominee for the U.S. Senate on Aug. 4 in a battle dominated by views on U.S.-Israel relations and the Democratic Party’s future.
Democrats' future is on the line as El-Sayed and Stevens make final push in Michigan primary
The Democrats running for U.S. Senate in Michigan spent one of their final days campaigning in Detroit-area churches and union halls.
Democrat U.S. senate candidate Stevens campaigns at Detroit church
U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., campaigns for the U.S. Senate seat on the. eve of the primary election at Wendell Anthony's church in Detroit, Sunday.
Republican Victor Marx taps George Markert as his lieutenant governor pick in Colorado’s gubernatorial race
Colorado Republican gubernatorial nominee Victor Marx named George Markert, a retired Marine colonel, as his running mate for lieutenant governor Friday morning, saying the former U.S. Senate candidate will bring “exceptional character, proven leadership and a lifetime of serving others” to the ticket. Marx is facing Democratic nominee Phil Weiser, the state’s attorney general, and […]
As progressives seek to take on inequality, some cite religion as a motivating factor
Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed says his Muslim faith shapes his progressive views
Senate adjourns without scheduling vote Protect College Sports Act
The U.S. Senate adjourned for the week Thursday without scheduling a vote for the Protect College Sports Act, a bill aimed at reforming college sports.
Connecting research to policy on Capitol Hill
MIT students and postdocs traveled to Washington to meet with U.S. Senate and House of Representatives staffers. Over two days, they met with over 60 offices from 32 states, advocating for policies ranging from NSF funding to AI safety.
Sen Darline Graham drops campaign video on heels of brother's funeral services amid tight primary timeline
Sen. Darline Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, dropped a campaign video as she runs for U.S. Senate with President Donald Trump's endorsement.
Under pressure over China backers, Mercedes CEO pledges to defend U.S. business
The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee approved legislation last week to toughen a ban on Chinese automakers entering the U.S. market.
NC political campaigns ramp up with 99 days until midterms
Though the U.S. Senate race between Roy Cooper and Michael Whatley has attracted the most attention, down-ballot contests could have significant implications for the state and nation.
Fancy Farm picnic set to draw major political attention ahead
Kentucky’s Fancy Farm Picnic returns as a key political platform, featuring U.S. Senate hopefuls and statewide leaders.
Ken Paxton has survived years of scandals. Can James Talarico change that?
Democrat James Talarico is challenging Republican Ken Paxton in a closely watched U.S. Senate race in Texas.
U.S. Senate candidates not addressing Michigan’s economic woes, political experts say
“Michigan’s economy over the past 25 years has become calcified in its nostalgia for manufacturing,” said pollster Richard Czuba, who regularly surveys Michigan residents for the Detroit Regional Chamber. “And that is, at the very core, what has caused Michigan’s economy to just stagnate. We have got to change.”
Years of scandals haven't stopped Ken Paxton. Can James Talarico change that?
Democrat James Talarico is challenging Republican Ken Paxton in a closely watched U.S. Senate race in Texas.
Beyond the nasty ads, there are key differences between Craig and Flanagan
With the DFL U.S. Senate primary is around two weeks away, Flanagan and Craig have been exchanging critiques in ads, but those ads have not gotten too deep into where they differ on several key policies
There are political races in Arkansas this year
They aren’t getting a ton of attention, but there are races for Congress and the U.S. Senate in Arkansas this year. Democrats are challenging Republican incumbents in all four Congressional...
Troy Jackson officially clinches Maine Democratic U.S. Senate nomination
Former logger from Allagash turned politician Troy Jackson on Saturday officially became the Democratic nominee in the U.S. Senate race for longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins’ seat.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorses Haley Stevens in Democratic US Senate primary
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has endorsed Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate over progressive Abdul El-Sayed
What to know about Troy Jackson, Maine Democrats' likely nominee for US Senate
Maine Democrats who have been scrambling to tap a new nominee for a pivotal U.S. Senate race against Republican Susan Collins are expected to nominate Troy Jackson at a last-minute convention this weekend.
What to know about Troy Jackson, Maine Democrats' likely nominee for US Senate
Maine Democrats who have been scrambling to tap a new nominee for a pivotal U.S. Senate race against Republican Susan Collins are expected to nominate Troy Jackson at a last-minute convention this weekend
Democrats, Hinson campaign clash over health care record in Iowa's race for U.S. Senate
Health care took center stage Thursday in Iowa's U.S. Senate race as Iowa Democrats criticized U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson's voting record.The Iowa Democratic Party
Source: No vote on college sports bill expected before August
The Protect College Sports Act is not expected to be put to a full vote in the U.S. Senate before Congress takes its August recess, a Congressional source told ESPN Thursday.
ICYMI Cruz in USA Today: Congress must fix college sports before it's too late - U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) published an op-ed in USA Today emphasizing how the Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan bill introduced with Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), is the best legislative solution to stabilize college athletics for future generations. In the op-ed, Chairman Cruz argues that without congressional action, college athletics could be reduced to a super league dominated by the wealthiest […]
James Talarico calls for tighter regulations on data center development
Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico on Wednesday called for a broad set of tighter regulations on data centers in Texas, seizing on what has become a potential political liability
Answer for Rising Costs of Club Sports? Involvement inEducation-Based Sports in Schools
Back in May, a bill entitled “Let Kids Play Act” was introduced by several members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. The bill targets certain groups that, according to the sponsors of the bill, have priced kids and their families out of youth sports. Sponsors of the bill note that the cost […]
Breaking down N.C. U.S. Senate candidates' latest finance reports
With fundraising numbers in the millions, one expert breaks down what it means for the election, the role outside donors will play and much more.
‘Iowa is acting different’: Political expert discusses Democrats’ chances in Iowa
Political expert Charlie Cook, the founder of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, said Monday he thinks Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand will win Iowa’s gubernatorial election, but the U.S. Senate race between State Rep. Josh Turek and U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson may not be as competitive as Democrats might think.
‘Iowa is acting different’: Political expert discusses Democrats’ chances in Iowa
Political expert Charlie Cook said Iowa's U.S. Senate race may not be as competitive as Democrats might think.
Shaky political "science": breakdown of the peer review process
[This article is the latest in our “Shaky Political Science” series. In our 38 page report, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting,” released in December 2025, we examined over 40 studies focused on ranked choice voting (RCV). Many of these studies suffered from puzzling research methodologies, poorly constructed surveys, unrealistic simulated elections, cherry picked data and faulty analyses that often were contradicted by results from real-world elections (a link to our full paper is here). Here are links to the first four articles in our series: the first one summarizing the overall results of our report; the second one analyzed a study co-authored by University of Minnesota academic Larry Jacobs, which was one of the most error-prone of all the research we reviewed in our report; a third article showing an admirable example of two political scientists holding two other political scientists accountable for their flawed, sloppy research; and a fourth article that analyzed seven studies sponsored by New America’s political reform program that deployed flawed methodology based on “simulated” elections instead of real-world elections, which when combined with some basic misunderstandings of RCV, produced odd and misleading results]. In this fifth article in our “Shaky Political Science” series, we examine two flawed studies on the impact of RCV on voter turnout authored by San Francisco State University professor Jason McDaniel. McDaniel’s research in these two papers stands out for its puzzling methodology, inadequate and cherry-picked data, and faulty analyses that not only misunderstands ranked choice voting but reflects a basic misunderstanding of politics in general. The first of the McDaniel studies actually passed through a peer review process and then was subsequently published by the Journal of Urban Affairs, despite its obvious errors. It is perplexing that a jury of peer political scientists did not catch the errors and send it back to McDaniel for a rewrite or outright rejection. This calls into question the credibility of the peer review process itself. The peer review process is supposed to represent the intellectual pinnacle of the profession – a way for academics to certify the quality of each other’s work, and to act as a check against sloppy research. In the case of the McDaniel study, the peer review process failed. Yet his flawed study has been cited dozens of times by other political scientists in their own flawed works — an unvirtuous circle of academic research. Here is the first Jason McDaniel study that we analyzed: “Writing the Rules to Rank the Candidates: Examining the Impact of Instant-Runoff Voting on Racial Group Turnout in San Francisco Mayoral Elections,” by Jason McDaniel, 2016, Journal of Urban Affairs. This study covered San Francisco’s use of ranked choice voting (RCV) in mayoral elections, purporting to show that RCV reduces voter turnout overall, increases voter errors, and has a negative impact on “marginal populations,” i.e. racial minorities, mainly as the result of the alleged complexity of RCV asking voters to rank candidates and having to be familiar with multiple candidates and related dynamics. McDaniel reached these conclusions by examining five San Francisco mayoral elections taking place in odd years (i.e. where there are no federal or state races on the ballot) from 1995 to 2011, comparing three earlier non-RCV races (in 1995, 1999 and 2003) with the later two RCV races (in 2007 and 2011). Only two RCV races were studied, and as McDaniel acknowledged, only the contest in 2011 was “competitive” (that contest in 2007 was the first mayoral election using RCV, and incumbent mayor Gavin Newsom won easily in the first round of counting, earning 74% of first choices and far ahead of the second place candidate who had just 6.3% of first choices). Yet even the allegedly competitive contest in 2011was won by an incumbent with a landslide margin of nearly 20 points. No other elections were studied by McDaniel, even though San Francisco elects 17 other offices besides mayor with RCV, including the 11 seats on the Board of Supervisors (the name for the city council) in even years, and six other citywide offices in odd years. Previous academic research has found that competitive elections can stimulate greater voter involvement and higher turnout. For unexplained reasons, this study ignored at least 34 other RCV races between the years 2004 to 2011, many of which were very competitive and had high voter turnout. Instead, McDaniel’s analysis based its conclusions on data from only a single, marginally-competitive mayor’s race using RCV. These 2007 and 2011 mayoral elections were the only two RCV elections that McDaniel used as the sole basis for his small data set to determine the impact of RCV on voter turnout. Despite having no meaningful data to inform his study, McDaniel nonetheless concluded that RCV lowered turnout when compared to the previous three mayoral non-RCV elections using two-round runoffs. Then, using the same inadequate database of San Francisco elections, McDaniel also found that “Instant-runoff voting is associated with a significant decline in Black voter turnout and White voter turnout…On average, Black voter turnout decreases by 18 points and White voter turnout decreases by 16 points …” But how could he credibly arrive at that conclusion when his study was based on voter turnout in two RCV contests that were not even remotely competitive? Beyond that, McDaniel tacitly admits that the key determining factor driving Black voter turnout was not RCV vs non-RCV elections, but the presence of a viable Black candidate. McDaniel wrote, “Black voter turnout was about 17 percentage points higher for the two elections that featured an African American candidate compared to the three elections that did not” — but one of those three elections did not use RCV. The same dynamic was present for White voter turnout, in which higher turnout was not correlated with RCV vs non-RCV elections, but the presence of a viable White candidate. Beyond that, McDaniel’s voter turnout results, whether correlated with the race of the candidates or RCV vs non-RCV elections, showed no clear patterns. In his Figure 1, he shows low Asian voter turnout in the non-RCV elections in 1999 and 2003 when there was no viable Asian candidate running, but in the 2007 mayoral election using RCV, there is still no viable Asian candidate, yet Asian turnout increases dramatically. For Latinos, voter turnout is virtually the same in 1999 (no viable Latino candidate, non-RCV elections), 2003 (leading Latino candidate, non-RCV elections), 2007 (no viable Latino candidate, RCV elections) and 2011 (leading Latino candidate, RCV elections). Meanwhile White voter turnout increased dramatically from a low in the 2007 mayoral election, in which the leading candidate was a white incumbent, to the 2011 election in which there were no leading white candidates that finished any higher than sixth place with 5.6% of the vote. Clearly other factors were determining voter turnout than either the race of the candidates or RCV vs non-RCV elections. Despite these inconsistent findings, McDaniel boldly marches forth to render conclusions about the impact of RCV on different groups of racial voters, even though his conclusions are not remotely supported by his data. This looks like the worst kind of “data cherry picking” to cover up a puzzling conclusion based on a poor data set involving only two RCV elections, neither of which were remotely competitive. McDaniel’s cherry picking didn’t stop there. In calculating voter turnout for the three non-RCV mayoral elections in 1995, 1999 and 2003, he failed to mention that in each of these years there was a two-round runoff election, with a first round election in November in which no candidate garnered a winning majority of the vote, followed by the decisive runoff in December. So there were two non-RCV elections in each election year. But McDaniel only decided to include one of the two elections in his data set, apparently the December runoff in each year (which had higher turnout in two out of the three mayor’s races, and lower turnout in the third). So he ignored the November 1995 election, the November 1999 election when turnout was only 45 percent, and the November 2003 election when turnout was only 45.7 percent. This is flawed methodology based on blatant cherry picking, since McDaniel simply omitted three elections worth of data that did not fit within his frame. His study should never have made it through a peer review process, and it is an embarrassment to political science that not only was it approved for publication, but it has been uncritically cited by dozens of other political scientists. Share A “study” without wider context or credible data Lacking a data set that included even a single competitive RCV mayoral race, McDaniel declared that RCV lowered voter turnout in 2011, when turnout was 42.5 percent. But he also ignored -- or did not realize -- that voter turnout in mayoral elections during 2011 had sharply declined in all big cities, including far more steeply in nearby Los Angeles and other cities. In fact, San Francisco’s election in 2011 had the second highest turnout of any mayoral election in the nation’s 22 largest cities from 2008-2011. Was 2011 just a particularly low turnout year all across the country, perhaps because the country was still reeling from the aftermath of the housing market collapse in 2008-2010? McDaniel ignored this factor and did not search for alternative explanations beyond his flawed thesis. Furthermore, while McDaniel suggested that RCV leads to more “overvotes” – which is an invalidated ballot in which a voter, in either a non-RCV or RCV race, makes a mistake and selects two candidates for a single choice – he failed to address that in the June 2012 US Senate primary contest, which used the typical “one-choice” plurality method and did not use RCV, there was more than five times as many overvotes in San Francisco and Oakland than in the RCV mayoral elections in those cities. Additionally, turnout had been significantly higher and more representative in RCV elections for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors races -- that McDaniel didn’t even bother to study -- as compared to previous “delayed two-round runoffs” for those offices, often higher by as much as 40% in the RCV races. Perhaps the most surprising irony was that an earlier study co-authored by McDaniel (Overvoting and the Equality of Voice under Instant-Runoff Voting in San Francisco by Francis Neely and Jason McDaniel, 2015, California Journal of Politics and Policy) found that overvotes are often more common in lower-income precincts, but that the pattern of overvoting is similar in both RCV and non-RCV contests. Wrote Neely and McDaniel: “[Overvote] errors appear to be a function of complexity in general and not IRV per se…. the pattern of overvoting is similar in both IRV and non-IRV contests…Even among votes cast in a top-of-the-ticket race like U.S. Senate, overvoting occurs in an uneven fashion” (IRV, or ‘instant runoff voting,’ is another name for ranked choice voting in single-winner contests). So McDaniel not only contradicted his own conclusion in his earlier study with Neely, but the earlier study had been an important corrective for one of the most frequently made mistakes made by anti-RCV political scientists – a continual failure to provide crucial context by pairing a comparative analysis of real world RCV elections with an analysis of real world plurality or other electoral methods. Unfortunately McDaniel’s earlier study does not get cited much by other researchers, and McDaniel did not even cite it in his own flawed study analyzed above. Incredibly, McDaniel cherrypicked McDaniel, even as his flawed study has been cited dozens of times. Despite being a textbook example of poor political “science,” featuring both inadequate as well as cherrypicked data, the shelf life of McDaniel’s study has been extended endlessly by other political scientists and media outlets who have cited it uncritically. Equally troubling, the Journal of Urban Affairs put this paper through its peer review process and published it despite its numerous flaws. McDaniel gets it wrong, Part II Not content with producing one shoddy, confused paper, McDaniel produced another one a few years later, here is the link: Electoral Rules and Voter Turnout in Mayoral Elections: An Analysis of Ranked-Choice Voting by Jason McDaniel. San Francisco State Univ. (McDaniel, 2019). In this paper, McDaniel extended his previous flawed research focused on San Francisco, about voter turnout and voter impact, to multiple RCV cities through the 2018 elections. In his data set he included San Francisco, Minneapolis, St Paul, Oakland, Berkeley, San Leandro and Santa Fe. He then compared their turnout in mayoral elections to non-RCV cities, and to mayoral elections in those cities held before first RCV usage, and concluded “a significant decrease in voter turnout of approximately 3–5 percentage points in RCV cities after the implementation of RCV.” But he replicated many of the same mistakes as his first study presented above. While in this study McDaniel attempted to distinguish between various factors, such as odd year vs. even year elections, competitive races vs. noncompetitive, contests with open seats and other factors, the analysis is superficial and inadequate. He attempts to incorporate so many often-conflicting variables that his conclusions are once again unsupported by the actual data, and ultimately unconvincing (this second study never underwent a peer review process). For example, McDaniel declared that for RCV cities “in elections that are more competitive than average (margin of victory less than 20%), there is no significant RCV effect on voter turnout.” Yet McDaniel is a professor in a city, San Francisco, in which the 2018 special election using RCV to fill a mayoral vacancy was exceedingly close, decided by a margin of only one percentage point, and resulted in the second highest turnout in San Francisco history for a mayoral election. Illustrating the complexity involved in assessing the critical factors in turnout, that special election was held on the same election day as federal and state offices, which tends to boost turnout. Yet more voters participated in that RCV mayoral election than voted on the same day in the non-RCV primary for governor in which former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom was running. Even more puzzling, in this study McDaniel inaccurately cited his own previous study from 2015 with Neely. McDaniel wrote, “Neely and McDaniel (2015) examine individual ballot image files within a natural experiment, and find higher rates of ballot errors in RCV elections compared to non-RCV elections” (emphasis added). However, we quoted from that 2015 study several paragraphs above, and in actual fact Neely and McDaniel actually concluded the opposite -- that the pattern of overvoting – which is the most common form of ballot error – is similar in both RCV and non-RCV contests. McDaniel also ignored the fact that in Bay Area RCV elections held in even years – at the same time as federal and state elections, when turnout is highest -- the “undervote” (that is, the dropoff in ballots cast for governor or mayor) has declined, which contradicts his thesis that the act of ranking ballots in RCV elections is too complex and presents a barrier for certain demographics of voters. To his credit, McDaniel actually acknowledged another contradiction in his own paper, which found a negative RCV turnout effect in some odd-year elections but not others, admitting that “may present a challenge to the theory that increased complexity [from RCV] will have a marginal negative effect on voter turnout.” But he tried to wallpaper over that contradiction by blaming it on an unlikely source -- bad election administration. McDaniels wrote, “This would suggest that the negative impact of RCV on voter participation may be alleviated by high quality election administration,” without presenting any data or even anecdotes to support such an unfounded theory. While competent election administration of any election, whether RCV or non-RCV, is crucially important, there is no credible research that supports the far-fetched notion that the quality of election administration has much of an impact on voter turnout in US elections, whether using RCV or otherwise. Upgrade to a $5 subscription The unvirtuous circle of academic research It is puzzling how McDaniel’s first study could have survived the peer review process for the Journal of Urban Affairs. The mistakes in McDaniel’s first study above should have been obvious to anyone with a basic understanding of ranked choice voting as well as elections in general, and elections in San Francisco specifically. It undermines faith in the credibility of the peer review process to think that a jury of peer political scientists did not catch the egregious errors and reject McDaniel’s sloppy research and paper. And it remains a black mark on political science that this thoroughly discredited study has been cited dozens of times by other researchers. Indeed, in our research paper it became apparent that many political scientists cite each other’s flawed research to pad their list of citations and to legitimize their own flawed research, creating an unvirtuous circle of political science. More broadly, McDaniel’s voter turnout studies, like other studies evaluating RCV’s impact on turnout, lacked a recognition that no credible opinion or research can claim that RCV increases voter turnout merely because so many voters are excited to vote for their favorite candidates instead of “lesser evil” candidates without worrying about spoilers. Instead, with respect to turnout, the advantage of RCV has always been that, in most places where it has been used, it has eliminated a pre-November primary or post-November runoff, which usually saw about half the turnout of the November general election. This is especially true during even years when there are state and federal elections on the ballot which substantially drive turnout more than local contests. Any study that does not adequately account for this non-November primary/runoff vs November general election dynamic, or odd year vs even year election factors, is simply not credible. Both of McDaniel’s studies largely failed on those grounds. Steven Hill and Paul Haughey Share Upgrade to a $5 subscription Thanks for reading DemocracySOS…your digital portal for the pro-democracy movement. Subscribe for only $5 per month to receive full benefits and to support our work. Subscribe
Troy Jackson gains momentum to replace Platner
Former Maine lawmaker Troy Jackson has moved into a strong position to replace Graham Platner as the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine after several of his opponents dropped out of the race.
Troy Jackson gains momentum to replace Platner as Democrats' Senate candidate in Maine
Former Maine lawmaker Troy Jackson has moved into a strong position to replace Graham Platner as the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine after several of his opponents dropped out of the race
Troy Jackson gains momentum to replace Platner as Democrats' Senate candidate in Maine
Former Maine lawmaker Troy Jackson has moved into a strong position to replace Graham Platner as the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine after several of his opponents dropped out of the race.
Troy Jackson gains momentum to replace Platner as Democrats' Senate candidate in Maine
Former Maine lawmaker Troy Jackson has moved into a strong position to replace Graham Platner as the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine after several of his opponents dropped out of the race.
Bellows drops out of U.S. Senate race
Bellows is one of 13 Democrats seeking the nomination after Graham Platner dropped out.
Abdul El-Sayed backers see 'pick-a-side moment' in Senate primary
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders said the campaign fight unfolding in Michigan's Democratic U.S. Senate primary was "democracy versus oligarchy."
Florida politics Re-Cap: Voter data, campaign cash and two lawmakers in court
The week brought major courtroom developments for two state lawmakers, a new fundraising milestone in Florida’s U.S. Senate race & another looming legal fight over the Republican primary for governor.
Trump urges Darline Graham to run for full Senate term as funeral planned for her brother
President Donald Trump said Friday that Darline Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham, has his support to run for a full term to replace her brother in the U.S. Senate.
Ken Paxton’s campaign says he will debate James Talarico in Texas’ U.S. Senate race
Paxton's campaign said he plans to debate after Talarico challenged him to do so, though it did not commit to a specific host.
In heated Minnesota Senate primary, barrage of political ads is omen of more to come this fall
In a closely contested battle for DFLers in the U.S. Senate primary, candidates and their backers are spending big on advertising. They’re bringing their case to every available screen they can find.
Michigan Democratic voters want to see change in the American health care system, poll finds
Michigan Democratic voters were asked in a recent poll about the 2026 U.S. Senate primary and their views on various topics.
Darline Graham Nordone to join Senate. Who is Lindsey Graham's sister?
Lindsey Graham's sister, Darline Graham Nordone, will take his U.S. Senate seat moving from helping people with disabilities to high-profile politics.
With Platner out, Democrat Jordan Wood relaunches U.S. Senate bid
A former congressional chief of staff, Wood, 36, said he knows how Washington works and has spent more than a year explaining his positions on federal issues to Maine voters.
Why Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death could impact Texas politics
Political experts say Lindsey Graham’s death introduces uncertainty into the fight for control of the U.S. Senate, creating ripple effects that could reach far beyond South Carolina — includi…
'We're uniting Texas' Talarico rallies El Paso voters in US Senate race
Democratic James Talarico brought his U.S. Senate campaign to El Paso, calling on voters to fight against a \
Maine candidates hoping to fill Platner’s place have similar politics
A ‘Fox News @ Night’ panel debates the fallout from Graham Platner’s withdrawal in the Maine U.S. Senate race.
Krull Commentary: McConnell, Platner and the politics of entitlement
This column was originally published by TheStatehouseFile.com. By John Krull TheStatehouseFile.com July 10, 2026 The medical mystery surrounding U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, and the political meltdown of Maine Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner together illustrate much of what is wrong with American politics today. Many, many ambitious people in this country see running
McConnell, Platner and the politics of entitlement
The medical mystery surrounding U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, and the political meltdown of Maine Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner together illustrate much of what is wrong with American
Sexual Assault Allegations Reshape Political Races from Maine to San Francisco
Sexual assault allegations have upended high-profile political campaigns across the country. This week, Democrat Graham Platner, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine, suspended his campaign following an accusation of rape. It comes months after former East Bay Congressman Eric Swalwell’s California gubernatorial bid collapsed under similar allegations. Now, a sexual assault allegation has emerged
Bangor Daily News political editor: Voters need 'time to heal' after Platner fallout
Bangor Daily News political editor Michael Shepherd discusses the difficult path forward for Maine Democrats as they search for a new U.S. Senate candidate following the allegations against Graham Platner on 'The Will Cain Show.'
Political expert says Platner’s exit unprecedented in modern Maine politics
University of Southern Maine political science professor Ron Schmidt says he has never seen a U.S. Senate candidate in Maine withdraw this close to Election Day. He compared the Graham Platner situation to the 2024 presidential race, when…
Replacing Senate Candidates Is a Risky Business
There have been more losses than wins for substitute U.S. Senate candidates. But Graham Platner’s replacement in Maine isn’t necessarily doomed.
Harold Ford Jr: Our character standards have changed in politics
‘The Five’ analyzes the Democratic Party’s path forward after Graham Platner dropped out of the Maine U.S. Senate race.
Mitch McConnell's health absence a mystery with US Senate poised to return
The U.S. Senate returns on Monday for a four-week work period expected to include votes on defense and other national security legislation, with one of the most influential voices on those issues – Republican Senator Mitch McConnell – still absent with undisclosed health problems.
Mitch McConnell's Health Absence a Mystery With US Senate Poised to Return
By David Morgan WASHINGTON, July 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate returns on Monday for a four-week work period expected to include votes on defense and other national security legislation, with one of the most influential voices on those issues – Republican Senator Mitch McConnell – still absent ...
Who will replace Graham Platner on the Maine ballot?
Democrats in Maine are beginning a sprint to nominate a new candidate for a pivotal U.S. Senate seat, This, after progressive nominee Graham Platner announced he's withdrawing from the race after a sexual assault allegation.
Talarico polling stronger with Texas' Black voters than expected, but enthusiasm questions remain
Recent polling from The Texas Politics Project suggests Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico is performing better with Black voters than his predecessors were at this point in their campaigns.
GOP tightens grip on Senate amid Dems' dysfunction in Maine
As Democrats scramble to contain a political disaster in Maine, the Republicans on the front lines of the GOP's fight to hold the U.S. Senate majority are breathing a sigh of relief.
Maine Democrats plan convention to replace Platner
The Maine Democratic Party has voted to hold a convention now that Graham Platner has announced he'll drop out of the U.S. Senate race.
Graham Platner says he plans to withdraw from Maine Senate race
Democrat Graham Platner says he plans to withdraw from the U.S. Senate race in Maine after a woman who dated him said he drunkenly forced her to have sex despite her telling him to stop. Platner denies the allegation.
Graham Platner drops out of U.S. Senate race, opening narrow path to replace him
Graham Platner's exit from the race comes just days before a statutory deadline allowing the Maine Democratic Party to replace him by July 27. So far, party leaders aren't saying how that process is going to work.
Graham Platner ends U.S. Senate campaign in Maine
Maine Democrats have until July 27 to choose a replacement candidate to take on Sen. Susan Collins (R).
Patrick Dempsey doesn’t want to replace Graham Platner in Maine U.S. Senate race
In a new op-ed, Patrick Dempsey declared he’s ‘concerned about the direction our country is heading,’ but will not replace Graham Platner in the Maine U.S. Senate race after calls mount for the Democratic nominee to drop out following sexual assault allegations against him.
Trump Administration Removes, Then Restores, Ocean Science Instruments
PROVINCETOWN — After the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the “Saving the OOI Act” on June 17, the Trump administration backed off its plan to dismantle a $386-million ocean monitoring system […]
Yormark says Protect College Sports Act is about ‘progress over perfection’
While not a perfect solution, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said Tuesday he supports the Protect College Sports Act that is currently working its way through the U.S. Senate. Speaking on day on…
Protect College Sports Act of 2026 draws criticism from UT System, other organizations
The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved the Protect College Sports Act of 2026 on June 18. As the act awaits Senate approval, universities and conferences have openly opposed the act. The act would provide a national framework for college athletics, specifically regarding student-athletes’ ability to profit from their Name, Image and...
Sanders says Platner should drop out of Maine's US Senate race
Sen. Bernie Sanders says Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner should step aside after a sexual assault allegation.
Stevens courts McMorrow supporters, leans into electability pitch at small business visit
U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, a Democratic candidate in a U.S. Senate primary that is now a two-person race, drew hard lines between herself and her primary opponent, former Wayne County Health Department executive Abdul El-Sayed, in a visit to Sea Leveaux, a Cajun boil restaurant in downtown Lansing that opened on Thursday.
Alabama, Auburn oppose federal college sports bill
The University of Alabama and Auburn University are urging the U.S. Senate to reject the proposed Protect College Sports Act, saying the legislation would creat
Catawba College Dr. Michael Bitzer on shifting political attitudes and America's 250th anniversary
New polling is out on where North Carolinians stand on President Trump, the state’s U.S. Senate race, and the nation’s 250th birthday. We’ll explore the details with Catawba College political scientist and pollster, Michael Bitzer
Mallory McMorrow suspends campaign for U.S. Senate
Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) has suspended her campaign for U.S. Senate, announcing the news on Instagram on Sunday afternoon.
Mallory McMorrow to end her U.S. Senate campaign
Mallory McMorrow's departure would make it a two-way race between U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and former Wayne County health chief Abdul El-Sayed.
Colorado primary election voters shake things up
Every election has its surprises, but last Tuesday’s Colorado primary election results gave us several unexpected outcomes. U.S. Sen. Michael Bennett lost his bid to switch from the U.S. Senate and become Colorado’s next governor. Meanwhile, progressive Democratic U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, from Denver, who had served 30 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, […]
New to politics, Skovgard throws his hat in the race for U.S. Senate
CODY — In the Parable of the Sower, a sower throws seeds out in a field, and some are choked by thorns; others are eaten by birds; some fall onto
Trump got the Senate candidates he wanted. How much will he spend to help them?
President Donald Trump has reshaped the U.S. Senate map by sidelining some Republican incumbents and promoting loyalists
Politics complicate push for year-round E15, Iowa Farm Bureau president says
Questions loom over the status of E15 legislation in the U.S. Senate. “Mixed signals is very accurate.” Iowa Farm Bureau president Brent Johnson says he’s heard members of Congress say E15 can’t pass on its own, while others say it can. “So when you look at the makeup of the Senate, I do think we […]
Colorado primary election results: Melat Kiros leads Dianne DeGette in congressional race
Here are the early, unofficial results as of 7 p.m. • In the 1st Congressional District, challenger Melat Kiros is leading U.S. Rep. Diane DeGette, 47%-45% • In the U.S. Senate race, U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper is leading challenger Julie Gonzales, 51%-49% Colorado voters head to the polls today to pick primary winners that will […]
New to politics, Skovgard throws his hat in the race for U.S. Senate
CODY — In the Parable of the Sower, a sower throws seeds out in a field, and some are choked by thorns; others are eaten by birds; some fall onto
Live Results: Colorado midterm primaries
The Democratic gubernatorial primary between U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and state Attorney General Phil Weiser will not only determine who might lead Colorado, but it could also create an opening in the closely divided U.S. Senate.
Senators, Pennsylvania businesses to represent Commonwealth at Great American State Fair
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WHTM) — Pennsylvania will be represented at the Great American State Fair after all. The Commonwealth’s delegation to the U.S. Senate announced a planned “strong…
Trump-backed Letlow faces Fleming in Louisiana GOP Senate runoff
President Donald Trump’s choice for U.S. Senate in Louisiana is seeking to secure the GOP nomination and deliver another win for the president in his effort to replace Republicans who crossed him