A slew of prominent Republicans in Kentucky are lining up to challenge Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who is seeking a second term.
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP Photo
The 2023 election should serve as a temperature check heading into 2024. It will also be the first election held under new maplines in the state, after a chaotic redistricting process led to the state House races in 2021 being held under last decade’s lines. (The state Senate was not up in 2021.)
A preview of the battle for control of the chambers will come in January, where there is a special election to fill Republican Jen Kiggans’ state Senate seat. She vacated it to join the House after defeating Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria in November, and both parties are competing in the Virginia Beach-area district. President Joe Biden carried the district in 2020, according to data compiled by CNalysis, but Youngkin won the area in 2021. Republican Kevin Adams will face off against Democrat Aaron Rouse on Jan. 10, and the contest will be held under last decade’s lines.
Louisiana, Mississippi and New Jersey will also hold legislative elections next year, but partisan control of the state House is unlikely to flip.
Big city scrambles
Five of the nation’s 10 largest cities — Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, San Antonio and Dallas — are holding mayoral elections this year, according to Ballotpedia, setting up battles over local control that will affect millions of Americans.
Chicago’s mayoral election is already incredibly contentious. Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot is facing eight rivals in her bid for a second term. The election is on Feb. 28, but if no candidate receives a majority of the vote — which is likely, given the field — the top two advance to a runoff in early April.
The polling that has been publicly released, although sparse, has shown Democratic Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia with an edge, with Lightfoot and a few other candidates close behind. Crime will likely play an outsize role in debates, and progressive politics and the power of Black and Latino voters in the majority-minority city will come into play, too.
Chicago Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot is facing eight rivals in her bid for a second term.