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Arizona Democrats say they are "cautiously optimistic" about flipping the state Legislature, where Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both the Senate (17-13) and House (33-27). House Minority Leader Oscar De Los Santos points to a cost-of-living backlash against Republican policies as a key factor, while Senate Pro Tempore T.J. Shope says the GOP's candidates and messaging will hold the majority. Every seat in both chambers is up for election, but only a handful of districts are genuinely competitive. If Democrats win both chambers alongside Gov. Katie Hobbs's re-election, it would end years of divided government and Hobbs's record pace of vetoes.

A ConsumerAffairs analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data ranks the Jacksonville metro area No. 2 among the 100 largest U.S. metros for property taxes rising faster than home values from 2022 to 2024. The typical homeowner's tax bill rose 21.7% while median home values increased 8.1%, a gap second only to Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida. Nationally, home values rose faster than taxes over the same period, though a five-year view shows Jacksonville home values up 63.1% since 2019, outpacing a 44.9% rise in taxes.

Florida's Amendment 3, needing 60% approval, would raise the non-school homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 while cutting the non-homestead assessment-growth cap from 10% to 5%. Backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, it has split Republicans and drawn opposition from police, firefighter, and county groups warning of billions in lost local revenue; proponents argue local governments can absorb cuts after years of rapid tax collection growth.

Wendy Alvarez, mother of Arlene Alvarez, a 9-year-old fatally shot in Houston in 2022, is demanding Gov. Greg Abbott's reelection campaign remove an ad featuring her daughter's photo. The ad shows Arlene's aunt, April Aguirre, discussing the killing while criticizing Democratic opponent Gina Hinojosa's positions on bail and policing. Alvarez says she never consented to her daughter's image being used politically, though Aguirre brought the photo and volunteered for the ad without payment, according to Abbott's campaign. The man convicted in Arlene's death was sentenced to 20 years for manslaughter in September 2025. Alvarez says the backlash has led her to pause efforts for "Arlene's Law."

An NRCC ad targeting Jamie Ager, the Democratic candidate in North Carolina's 11th District, highlights a past "kid-friendly" farm festival where drag performers from the Beer City Sisters, including figures using names like "Sister Domina Trix," appeared. Ager's Hickory Nut Gap Farm had publicly thanked the group for attending the 2019 event before later locking the related Facebook post.

Performers and LGBTQ advocates, including Blue Ridge Pride, disputed the ad, with some performers claiming parts of the footage were AI-generated and issuing cease-and-desist demands. The NRCC stands by the ad. The dispute has become a flashpoint in the closely watched race days before the election.

Federal prosecutors have charged Matthew Unglesbee, 37, of Quincy, Illinois, with mailing threatening communications and perpetrating a hoax after at least four envelopes containing a white powder, postmarked in Springfield on Oct. 19, were sent to Illinois congressional offices, including Reps. Brad Schneider, Mike Quigley and Jan Schakowsky, with a fifth unmailed envelope addressed to a Washington, D.C. office found during a search. Notes read "HA HA" and "HAH enjoy the gift." Testing found the substance harmless; Unglesbee admitted using salt because it resembled anthrax, telling agents it was a joke inspired by similar nationwide mailings. The FBI arrested him at his mother's Quincy home; he has a prior criminal history including threatening a public official.

The Onondaga County Deputy Sheriff's Benevolent Association, representing Justice Center jail deputies, announced a "no confidence" vote against Sheriff Toby Shelley days before early voting opened in his reelection race against Republican challenger RJ Lenhart. The union cited understaffing, low morale and frequent labor disputes, also opposing Shelley's plan to close the downtown jail and consolidate operations at the Jamesville facility. Shelley attributed the vote to a contentious relationship with union leadership and disputed grievances, calling many complaints gratuitous. Two other sheriff's office unions, covering patrol and Jamesville deputies, declined to issue no-confidence votes, with one voicing qualified support for Shelley.