Minnesota's 5th congressional district

Austin voters head to the polls in 2026 to fill five City Council seats and decide three ballot measures, the first election since a 2025 property tax measure failed. Contested races include District 1's open East Austin seat, District 3's incumbent facing critics of a major southeast Austin development tied to Amazon's robotics division, District 5's incumbent challenged over spending, homelessness and safety, District 8's race to replace a term-limited council member, and District 9's fight over dense development. Voters will also weigh two bond propositions totaling $295 million for parks and libraries, and Proposition I, a contested measure calling for an outside financial audit of the city. Community college and school board seats are also on the ballot.

Colorado, once a reliable Republican state, has leaned decidedly Democratic in recent cycles, and 2026 looks similar. Gov. Phil Weiser and Sen. John Hickenlooper are favored for easy wins over underfunded Republican opponents Victor Marx and Mark Baisley, with some GOP figures, including former Rep. Ken Buck, crossing over to back Weiser. The closest races are in the U.S. House: Democrat Manny Rutinel is seen as favored over Republican incumbent Gabe Evans in District 8, while Republican incumbent Jeff Crank is expected to hold District 5 against well-funded Democrat Jessica Killin despite backlash over the Space Command relocation. Analysts attribute the overall Democratic advantage to anti-Trump sentiment and weak Republican statewide recruitment.

St. Paul City Council President Rebecca Noecker and state Rep. Maria Isa Perez-Vega are competing for the open District 5 seat on the Ramsey County Board, vacated by longtime Commissioner Rafael Ortega, who has endorsed Perez-Vega. The district spans downtown St. Paul, Highland Park, Macalester-Groveland, West Seventh, the West Side and Dayton's Bluff. The race has been closely contested, ending in virtual ties at both the DFL endorsement convention and the August primary, with early voting now underway ahead of the November election.

Noecker emphasizes her council record on housing, wages and constituent services, and has criticized Ramsey County's handling of the Riverview Corridor transit project and detox center closures. Perez-Vega highlights her legislative work on insulin price caps and West Seventh Street road funding, prioritizing protection of federal assistance programs and downtown revitalization. Noecker has secured more labor union backing, while Perez-Vega holds endorsements from a majority of county commissioners and numerous state legislators. County commissioners earn $107,000 annually, and the board oversees a proposed 8.25% tax levy increase alongside a $320 million downtown development package.

JD Mazuera Arias, who represents Charlotte City Council's District 5, is marking one year since becoming the first Latino elected to the body. Born in Colombia in 1998, he immigrated with his family to the U.S. as an infant, settling in east Charlotte in 2001. Undocumented for much of his childhood, he lived under DACA protections as a "Dreamer," graduated from East Mecklenburg High School and Queens University of Charlotte, and later earned a graduate degree in New York City before becoming a naturalized citizen in 2021.

After returning to east Charlotte, he ran for office citing long-standing neglect of the majority immigrant, Latino and Black working-class district, pointing to the decade-long vacancy left by Eastland Mall's demolition. Elected in November 2025 at age 28, he is also the first Gen-Z member of the council. Over his first year, he has backed creation of the city's first international relations office, aimed at expanding immigrant services and foreign investment, while saying he hopes future Latino leaders won't face the same "first" milestone.