U.S. state

Gov. Tina Kotek and state Sen. Christine Drazan, facing off again for Oregon governor, are offering competing visions for the state's struggling schools. Kotek points to a cell phone ban, increased school funding, and a new accountability system, saying progress is underway but will take more than one term. Drazan wants to replace Department of Education and state board leadership, end social promotion by third grade, and reinstate graduation skills requirements.

The candidates also split on a new federal school-choice tax credit program: Drazan would opt Oregon in, while Kotek remains skeptical of the Trump administration's rules. Both want more instructional time and reforms to funding formulas, as districts face budget cuts, closures, and a higher education system under financial strain.

Early voting continues to outpace prior midterm cycles ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Nationally, more than 12.6 million Americans have voted early, with a CNN analysis of 25 states finding Democrats leading turnout among both high- and low-propensity voters, especially in Kansas and North Carolina. Iowa absentee ballots are up nearly 30% from four years ago, and Florida has topped 3.5 million ballots cast with Republicans narrowly ahead. Oklahoma saw a 41% jump in first-day turnout over 2022, driven largely by Democrats and independents, though Republicans still led overall. In Buncombe County, N.C., turnout has already surpassed all of 2022. Analysts caution early returns don't reliably predict final results.

A Democratic-backed super PAC has poured $2 million into ads attacking Florida Sen. Ashley Moody over her record on releasing Jeffrey Epstein's files, featuring survivor Marina Lacerda questioning Moody's priorities. The ad notes Moody joined other Republicans in blocking a September 2025 measure tied to the defense budget, but omits that the Senate later approved a standalone release bill by unanimous consent. The National Republican Senatorial Committee called the ads false and misleading, saying Moody ultimately supported transparency legislation. Epstein-related ads have run in 63 congressional races nationally, totaling $76 million.

With Election Day days away, Moody faces Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon, a democratic socialist who accuses Moody of refusing to debate and of involvement in misappropriating $10 million in Medicaid funds, which Moody denies. Moody has campaigned with gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds, branding Nixon a communist, a label Nixon rejects.

California lawmakers passed Senate Bill 960 and Assembly Bill 2694, expanding community colleges' authority to offer bachelor's degrees, and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed them after previously rejecting similar measures. Community college Chancellor Sonya Christian opposed last-minute amendments that added a complex formula limiting which degrees colleges can offer, arguing they undercut the bills' original intent. The fight reflects a long-running dispute among community colleges, California State University, and the University of California over academic turf, rooted in the 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education's division of roles. Cal State has resisted community college expansion as duplication, while also seeking doctoral authority opposed by UC, leaving the broader jurisdictional conflict unresolved.

Two serious crashes on Orange County's State Road 429 within five days have renewed attention on Florida's Move Over law. On October 23, six people died when a speeding SUV without headlights struck a Road Ranger's truck near Weatherby Road. Days later, on October 27, an FHP trooper was seriously injured and airlifted to a hospital after being hit during a lane-closure operation; the driver faces pending charges.

State data shows 170 Move Over crashes in Florida this year, with three deaths, and 385 crashes over the past two years. Officials expanded the law in January 2025 to cover hazard-light situations like roadside tire changes, though awareness remains low. Retired FHP Chief Joe Lopez urged stiffer penalties to improve compliance.

President Donald Trump made his third October campaign stop in Ohio, rallying supporters in Chillicothe ahead of the November 3 midterms. Joined by Sen. Bernie Moreno, Trump backed Sen. Jon Husted, who faces former Sen. Sherrod Brown in a tight special election for the seat JD Vance vacated, and gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who faces Democrat Amy Acton. Trump criticized Democratic economic policy and touted Ohio data-center growth while urging turnout.

Democrats countered with their own events, including a Cincinnati rally featuring Acton and Brown, following a Cleveland appearance where former President Barack Obama campaigned alongside them. Early voting is already underway statewide.