Council of the District of Columbia

At-Large D.C. Councilmember Robert White resigned his council seat on Monday, Nov. 2, a day before the general election in which he is the Democratic nominee for D.C. delegate. The move follows advice from the D.C. Attorney General that the District of Columbia Delegate Act of 1970 bars a delegate-elect from holding another paid public office "on the date of their election." White disputes that reading of the statute but resigned to avoid jeopardizing his eligibility. He has served ten years on the council, including on the Committee on Housing. The D.C. Democratic Party will appoint an interim At-Large member until a special election fills the vacancy.

Missouri's 5th Congressional District, anchored in the Kansas City metro, will use the 2022 map rather than the 2025 redistricting plan for the November 2026 election, after the state Supreme Court ruled on the matter following legal challenges. The district, traditionally Democratic-leaning, pits longtime incumbent Rep. Emanuel Cleaver against Republican state Sen. Rick Brattin, who sued over primary disruptions caused by the map dispute, and Libertarian Randy Langkraehr. Cleaver, in office since 2005, has won previous races by wide margins, while Brattin is campaigning as a Trump ally focused on border security and spending cuts. The redistricting fight had aimed to dilute Kansas City's Democratic base across neighboring districts.

The Rochester Hills City Council unanimously approved a three-year, $183,000 contract with Flock Safety, despite vocal opposition from nearly 50 residents at the meeting. Councilmember Marvie Neubauer's amendment shifted oversight to the public safety and infrastructure technical review committee, requiring quarterly reviews of data usage. Supporters, including Oakland County Sheriff's Capt. Paul Workman, cited the cameras' role in solving two homicides and locating missing people, and noted deputies' searches are limited to template-based queries.

Critics raised Fourth Amendment concerns, data-sharing risks with ICE, and a pending investigation into a former deputy accused of leaking Flock data to immigration officials. The city currently operates 17 of a possible 20 Flock cameras. Elsewhere, scrutiny of Flock contracts continues: Fort Wayne and Bloomington, Indiana, have dropped the vendor, and Indianapolis is weighing a surveillance-regulation ordinance alongside debate over whether to cancel its own Flock contract.

Aiken City Council voted Oct. 26 against naming Aiken Regional Airport or its terminal after the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham. The proposal, initiated by council member Kay Brohl, originally sought to rename the airport itself but was amended to apply only to the terminal building after the General Aviation Commission unanimously recommended keeping the airport's name unchanged. Several speakers argued the terminal should instead honor Michael L. Laughlin, a former state senator and aviation businessman who funded its original construction. In a roll-call vote, Brohl, Messina and Mayor Teddy Milner supported naming the terminal for Graham, while Morgan, Price, Waldo and Diggs opposed it, defeating the measure.

D.C.'s 2026 general election falls on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with early voting running Oct. 26 through Nov. 1 and same-day registration available at any voting center. Mail ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 13; results are set to be certified Dec. 2. With Mayor Muriel Bowser not seeking re-election, Democratic nominee Janeese Lewis George is heavily favored over independent and third-party challengers. Eleanor Holmes Norton is also stepping aside from the city's non-voting House seat, with Democrat Robert White favored to succeed her. Voters will also decide council races, the attorney general contest, and Initiative 86, a proposed ban on foie gras production and sales.

Washington, D.C. voters head to the polls Nov. 3 to elect a new mayor for the first time in 12 years, as Mayor Muriel Bowser leaves office, and a new delegate to Congress for the first time in 36 years, following Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton's departure. The open seats have also reshaped races for several D.C. Council positions, as sitting members sought the higher offices. Mayoral candidates include Janeese Lewis George (Democrat), Rhonda Hamilton (Independent) and Robert L. Gross (Statehood Green Party); the delegate race features Robert White (Democrat), Denise Rosado (Republican) and Kymone Freeman (Statehood Green Party). Voters will also decide on an attorney general race, several ward and at-large council contests, and shadow representative and senator positions.

A separate ballot measure, Initiative 86, asks voters whether to ban the sale and distribution of foie gras in the District. Key dates include an Oct. 13 voter registration deadline, an Oct. 19 absentee ballot request deadline, and early in-person voting from Oct. 26 to Nov. 1.

A Tempe, Arizona council member is drafting an ordinance to permanently bar the city from using automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, following its decision in August to end a contract with Flock Safety over privacy and misuse concerns. Councilmember Bobby Nichols says the measure would formalize that choice in city code, prohibiting ALPR use for law enforcement, requiring destruction of existing data, and allowing discipline, including termination, for employees who violate the rules. Exceptions would permit use of ALPR data from other agencies in cases like missing-persons searches or under search warrants, and non-law-enforcement uses such as managing city parking facilities.

The proposal has drawn pushback from residents like retired detective Bill Richardson, who argues the cameras help address Tempe's crime rate and that a full ban is an overreaction rather than a push for stronger safeguards. Tempe joins nearly a dozen Arizona jurisdictions that have ended, suspended, or declined to renew ALPR contracts. Nichols plans to introduce the ordinance at the council's September 24 meeting, with a possible vote in October.