Utah held a special election on November 21 to fill the vacancy in the Second District. The results: Republican 57.35%; Democratic 33.73%; Libertarian 2.66%; Constitution 2.17%; United Utah 1.79%; independent Perry Myers 1.42%; independent Joe Buchman .84%. See the full results here.
When this seat was last up, in November 2022, the percentages had been: Republican 59.71%; Democratic 34.01%; United Utah 3.32%; Constitution 2.96%.
The decision was issued on Monday, November 20, 2023, with a 2-1 vote.
On November 17, 2023, US District Court of North Dakota Chief Judge Peter D. Welty, a Trump appointee, ruled that North Dakota State Senate Districts 9 and 15, and the two ND House Districts within each, were in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in an action brought against the State of North Dakota by two Native American tribes and three individuals.
Based on the Gingles case from the US Supreme Court, Judge Welte ruled that the plaintiffs met all three necessary conditions:
#1: The minority group . . . is sufficiently large and geographically compact to constitute a majority in a single-member district; and,
#2: The minority group . . . is politically cohesive; and,
#3: The white majority votes sufficiently as a bloc to enable it—in the absence of special circumstances . . . usually to defeat the minority’s preferred candidate.
The legislature and the ND Secretary of State have until December 22, 2023 to come up with a plan to remedy the situation, and the new districts will be used for the November 2024 elections.
His opinion has detailed analyses as to how he arrived at his opinion.
Here is the latest on this matter from CNN.
The state Court judge ruled that the 14th Amendment does not apply to Presidents of the United States. UPDATE: here is the decision in Anderson v Griswold, Denver district court, 2023cv-32577. The Colorado Supreme Court will hear the appeal on December 6. Both sides are appealing. The plaintiffs, who want to keep Trump off the ballot, disagree with the state lower court’s conclusion that section three of the 14th amendment doesn’t apply to president and vice-president. Trump disagrees with the part of the ruling that says he engaged in insurrection.
Here is the story from CNN.
