NOTUS has this story on independent candidates for congress and state office in 2026. It points out that there are probably going to be more strong independent candidates in 2026 than in the past. The story is free but readers must sign up to read it. It mentions U.S. Senate candidates in Idaho, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Dakota, and gubernatorial candidates in Michigan and California.
As already noted, on August 14, the Fifth Circuit agreed with a lower court that Louisiana’s legislative district boundaries violate the federal Voting Rights Act. Nairne v Landry, 24-30115. On August 15, the state asked for a stay.
On August 19, the groups that brought the lawsuit filed this brief, arguing against a stay. They mention that the next legislative elections in Louisiana are in 2027, and that if an indefinite stay is issued, chances of new districts being in place for the 2027 are threatened.
On Saturday, August 23, at about 12:30 a.m., the Texas Senate passed the redistricting bill, HB 4.
On August 16, the Service Employees International Union held a California gubernatorial debate in Sacramento. It was not broadcast, except internally to various SEIU meeting halls. Seven candidates participated, including Butch Ware, the Green Party candidate. The other participants were all Democrats: Toni Atkins, Xavier Becerra, Stephen Cloobeck, Katie Porter, Tony Thurmond, and Betty Yee.
The SEIU invited certain other candidates, but they declined. One of the candidates who declined is Steve Hilton, the Republican who is near the top of polls. Another who declined is Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa.
On August 18, some of the plaintiffs in an ongoing Texas lawsuit over redistricting asked the judges to set aside time for a hearing in early September over the new expected U.S. House districts. Here is the filing in League of United Latin American Citizens v Abbott, w.d., 3:21cv-259.
The bill for new U.S. House districts has passed the House and the Senate Elections Committee, but not the full Senate. When the Senate takes up the bill on Friday, August 22, in the late afternoon, Senator Carol Alvarado, a Democrat, plans to conduct a filibuster.
The original case was filed in 2021 and challenges the old U.S. House district lines as well as the legislative district lines.
