Public policy

Illinois voters on Nov. 3, 2026, will decide more than candidate races, with several non-binding advisory referenda also appearing on ballots. In Chicago, questions ask whether the city should create a permanent festival and outdoor event space for large-scale gatherings and whether it should restart use of gunshot detection technology, an issue tied to the earlier removal of ShotSpotter under Mayor Brandon Johnson. Other statewide and local referenda gauge support for school funding measures, including using a millionaire income tax surcharge for public schools and charging owners of long-vacant commercial properties to help fund Chicago Public Schools. Though results won't enact law, experts say they signal public opinion to lawmakers and the broader community.

Akron residents will vote on Issues 11 and 12, a pair of proposed charter amendments aimed at addressing the city's housing situation, likely involving new rules or protections affecting landlords and tenants. A former Akron planning director has publicly urged a "no" vote on both, arguing that setting public policy through charter amendments bypasses the normal legislative process, creates legal ambiguity, and limits future officials' flexibility. Critics contend the measures could raise rents and discourage rental housing investment and construction in the city. Opponents point instead to existing tools, such as a residential property tax abatement program and ongoing zoning reform, as better paths to improving housing affordability and availability in Akron.

President Trump is set to hold a rally Sunday in Port Huron, Michigan, ahead of the Nov. 3 election, with Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers' attendance uncertain. The visit comes as Rogers faces Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in a closely watched race that could decide Senate control, a rematch dynamic after Rogers' narrow 2024 loss to Sen. Elissa Slotkin. Political scientists say the rally could mobilize GOP turnout but also hand Democrats material tying Republicans to an unpopular president. A day earlier, Barack Obama rallies in Detroit alongside El-Sayed and gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson, who faces Republican Rep. John James. Republican ads have largely avoided mentioning Trump, while Democratic ads increasingly invoke him.

A large field of candidates began filing nominating petitions this week ahead of Chicago's February mayoral election. Mayor Brandon Johnson faces a steep challenge after his approval fell to 22% in a Mansueto Institute/University of Chicago poll, which also showed Alexi Giannoulias leading the field, followed by Johnson and Susana Mendoza, with over a third of voters undecided. Candidates need 12,500 valid signatures; several, including Giannoulias, Willie Wilson, John Kelly, Matt Brewer and Mike Quigley, turned in tens of thousands each on the first filing day. Other likely filers include Maria Pappas and George Cardenas. Attorney Bill Quinlan's challenge to candidates seeking dual offices was dismissed as premature and is being appealed. Petitions are due by October 26, with ballot qualification decided by December 17.

Lamar Cook, 46, a former deputy director of Gov. Maura Healey's western Massachusetts office who was fired in November 2025 after being arrested on cocaine and gun charges, now faces federal charges for SNAP and wire fraud. U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley announced the charges, and Cook was scheduled to appear in Boston court.

Prosecutors allege that in April 2026 Cook applied for SNAP benefits claiming zero income and a household limited to himself and a minor child, failing to disclose that his fiancée and his mother lived with him, that his fiancée earned more than $80,000 annually, and that he had nearly $9,000 in the bank. His mother had also recently won about $1 million in the Massachusetts Lottery and allegedly sent him roughly $12,000 via Zelle. Cook received about $546 monthly in SNAP benefits, allegedly spending them at retail stores and during a July trip to Florida. Separately, the state mistakenly paid Cook roughly $22,000 for accrued vacation time after his firing and could not recover the funds.

Cook faces up to five years in prison for SNAP fraud and up to 20 for wire fraud. Healey, running for re-election, said she was glad federal authorities acted; her opponent Mike Minogue has seized on the case politically.

Colorado Republicans head into the 2026 election cycle with a statewide slate widely criticized as among the weakest in party history, with gubernatorial candidate Victor Marx at the center of multiple controversies. Marx was fined $57,000 for exceeding legal campaign donation limits, has faced scrutiny over fabricated claims about rescuing trafficking victims, and was found to have used manipulated and AI-altered imagery in campaign materials. Video also surfaced of Marx describing past incidents of violence toward his wife and son.

Marx is not alone: election deniers Mark Baisley and James Wiley are running for U.S. Senate and secretary of state respectively, wealthy independent Bob Chew has self-funded a long-shot Senate bid, and perennial candidate Greg Lopez is making a third gubernatorial attempt, this time as an independent. Critics attribute the party's decline to campaign finance changes, the rise of direct digital fundraising bypassing party vetting, and increasing ideological polarization that has narrowed the primary electorate. The weakened GOP field raises questions about competitive balance in Colorado's statewide races against well-established Democratic contenders.

Kalamazoo Public Schools voters will see four names on the November ballot for three open Board of Education seats, though one candidate, retired finance supervisor Karen Morton, is no longer seeking the position after missing the withdrawal deadline because she is moving out of the district.

The remaining active candidates are Mariah Bryant, a Voters Not Politicians programs director and Kalamazoo County Democratic Party chair; board president TiAnna Harrison, who has served since 2014; and Patti Sholler-Barber, a 20-year board veteran and former longtime board president. Board member Carol McGlinn is not seeking re-election, leaving her seat open.

Candidates outlined priorities including early childhood education and literacy (Bryant), continued academic rigor and mental-health support (Harrison), and sustained "safely achieved academic excellence" (Sholler-Barber). All emphasized school safety, parental engagement, and building on the district's recent record graduation rate. The election takes place Nov. 3.

California voters will decide in November on Proposition 40, a proposed one-time 5% tax on the net worth of the state's roughly 250 billionaires. Supporters estimate the measure could raise about $100 billion, with 90% directed to healthcare and the rest split between food assistance and education. Backers argue the funds are urgently needed as federal budget cuts under the Trump administration have already stripped Medi-Cal coverage from more than 200,000 Los Angeles County residents, with researchers warning losses could exceed 1 million statewide by 2028. Advocates, including six Nobel-winning economists, say California billionaires' combined wealth has grown from $700 billion to roughly $2.3 trillion in a decade and that they can afford the tax.

Opponents, including Governor Gavin Newsom, argue such taxation should happen at the federal level and warn of legal and administrative challenges, with rival measures already placed on the ballot. Critics call the proposal's design complex, and a court challenge is considered likely if it passes. The measure's fate could set a precedent for other states weighing wealth taxes.