Elections You Need to Know About This November

While this November's elections (yes, there are elections this year) might be referred to as an “off-year election” that doesn’t mean there are not very important races and issues being decided at the ballot box this November. Built By Girls looked at all the elections across the country and broke down five that you should be aware of. Remember to check your voting status and VOTE to make your voice heard on November 7th.

Virginia Legislative

All eyes on election day this November will be on the state of Virginia where all 140 seats are up for grabs in the state House and Senate. The “purple state” which is the political term for a state that is not entirely Democratic or Republican could likely be a referendum not only on abortion but also on Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin and his further political ambitions. Currently, the state capitol in Richmond is narrowly divided, with Republicans holding a 52-48 majority in the House and Democrats holding a 21-19 majority in the Senate. When Gov. Youngkin won his 2021 gubernatorial race the GOP has praised his victory as the path for post-Trump era republicans to win back suburban voters. Democrats hope to deny him from winning a majority that would help him enact legislation like his proposed plan for a 15-week abortion ban. A big win for the GOP in Virginia could signal a presidential run for Youngkin in the near future.

Kentucky Governor

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is seeking a second term in what is expected to be a tight race. A democrat in a deeply red state that Trump won by 25 points in 2020, Beshear is still one of the most popular governors in the country. According to a Morning Consult poll, about half of Republicans in Kentucky approve of the job Beshear is doing. That rate is higher than any other governor in the country with the opposing party. Beshear is running against Republican Daniel Cameron, Kentucky’s Attorney General, with most polls giving an edge to Beshear with some even giving him a multi-point lead.

Mississippi Governor

Nearly 40% of Mississippi residents are Black, and Democratic nominee for Governor Brandon Presley is smartly courting Black voters who have been traditionally key to Democrats’ efforts to win in the state. Presley is trying to unseat the Republican incumbent Tate Reeves and recently got help from Independent candidate Gwendolyn Gray. Gray recently dropped out of the race and endorsed Presley but unfortunately her announcement came two weeks after absentee voting began and thus her name will still be on the ballot come November 7th. This could complicate things for Presley as winning in Mississippi requires a majority of the popular vote and if no candidate tops 50% in the general election, the top two candidates will advance to a runoff election on November 28th.

Louisiana Governor

The race for Governor of Louisiana was expected to be one of the elections to watch this November but a shocking October result saw Attorney General Jeff Landry, a Republican backed by former President Donald Trump receive more than half the votes and thus avoided an heavily expected runoff election. This will be the first time that there will not be a gubernatorial runoff in Louisiana since 2011. The win is a major victory for the GOP as they reclaim the Governor’s Mansion for the first time in eight years. Landry will replace current Gov. John Bel Edwards, who was unable to seek reelection due to consecutive term limits. Edwards had been the only Democratic Governor in the Deep South which consists of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and of course Louisiana.

Pennsylvania State Supreme Court

Only 24 states elect justices to their respective state Supreme Courts. Of those states, only eight - including Pennsylvania, hold elections in which the candidates run with a party affiliation. In October 2022, Democratic Chief Justice Max Baer passed away, leaving a vacancy on the bench. Even with the vacancy, Democrats currently still hold a 4-2 majority on the court. This November on the Democratic ticket is Judge Daniel McCaffery, who is currently a judge on the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. The Republican candidate is Judge Carolyn Carluccio, a judge of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas. Much like the election in Wisconsin this past spring, abortion will be a major issue when voters go to the polls in November. McCaffery has pointed out, Carluccio “ran as a pro-life, pro-gun candidate, and then right after the primary season was over, she scrubbed all references to pro-life and pro-gun from her website.” Democrats have held the majority on the state’s highest court since 2015.

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