Rapid transit

Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Atlanta mayor, has won Georgia's governor's race, defeating Republican healthcare executive Rick Jackson, who self-funded his campaign with over $200 million. The Associated Press called the race for Bottoms, who finished with about 54% of the vote to Jackson's 46%. Bottoms becomes the first Black woman elected governor in U.S. history and the first Democrat to win Georgia's governorship since 1998, succeeding term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp. Her victory came four years after Stacey Abrams's unsuccessful bids against Kemp. Bottoms campaigned on Medicaid expansion, raising the minimum wage, repealing Georgia's six-week abortion ban, and countering President Trump's policies.

The race topped a 2026 midterm ballot that also included Sen. Jon Ossoff's reelection bid against Republican Mike Collins, all 14 U.S. House seats — with Democratic incumbents Hank Johnson and Nikema Williams both winning reelection — and record midterm early voting exceeding 2.8 million ballots.

Voters in the Birmingham metro area head to the polls Nov. 3 to decide county, legislative, judicial and congressional races in Jefferson and Shelby counties. Most county offices are uncontested, but notable contests include Jefferson County Sheriff, where incumbent Mark Pettway (D) faces Jacob Reach (R), and Shelby County Sheriff, where John Samaniego (R) faces Antonio Weatherly (D). Other contested races span county commission, tax offices, coroner and school board seats.

Statewide and district races include U.S. House contests for Alabama's 6th and 7th districts, featuring incumbents Gary Palmer (R) and Terri Sewell (D), plus several Alabama Senate and House seats split between the two counties.

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.

Mysterious mailers and text messages referencing the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) have circulated across Texas, prompting confusion, nonprofit disruptions, and calls for investigation. TENT says it did not create or authorize the materials. Preservation Austin received unrelated calls after its number appeared near TENT's in search results, while LGBTQ+ youth nonprofit OutYouth temporarily paused services over safety concerns. The Texas Tribune traced mailer tracking IDs to Maryland-based SnailWorks, which denies producing or distributing the mailers. State Rep. Jeff Leach has twice asked Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate potential privacy, data, and deceptive-practices violations, though the content itself appears largely protected under the First Amendment. No sender has been identified, and the episode has fueled "false flag" speculation ahead of the 2026 midterms.

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.