On February 18, the Utah Senate passed SB 194. It changes the method for filling legislative vacancies. Current law says if a legislative seat becomes vacant, the party can choose a replacement. Under current law, a State Senator who had been elected as a Republican in 2024, but who had changed its registration to the Forward Party during 2025 and who had then resigned, made it possible for the Forward Party to choose his replacement last year.

The bill says that current political party of the legislator who vacated that seat is not the party that chooses the replacement. Instead, the party that chooses the replacement is whatever party the outgoing member was last elected under. If this bill had been policy last year, the Forward Party would not have a State Senator in Utah.

On February 25, the South Dakota Senate State Affairs Committee passed HB 1095. It moves the petition deadline for non-presidential primary candidates from the last Tuesday in March to the third Tuesday in March.

On February 26, PPIC released a California gubernatorial poll, listing more candidates than most polls. It listed Butch Ware, the Green Party candidate, and found him at 2%. The poll also differs from other polls by showing that only 10% of the respondents are undecided.

The poll shows five candidates with at least 10%: Steve Hilton 14% (Republican), Katie Porter 13% (Democrat), Chad Bianco 12% (Republican), Eric Swalwell 11% (Democrat), Tom Steyer 10% (Democrat).

The poll did not mention the Peace & Freedom and Libertarian candidates, but the poll shows that 3% of the voters support a candidate who was not listed.