School voucher

Republicans retained control of Tennessee's state government on Election Day, but Democrats flipped six GOP-held state House seats, expanding their caucus from 24 to 30 members with 11 new lawmakers overall. The flipped districts span mostly Middle Tennessee. Republicans keep their supermajority, but Democrats say the gains, now four seats from breaking that supermajority, could give them added leverage on issues like grocery taxes, school vouchers, and transportation funding.

House Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons framed the results as voter dissatisfaction over affordability, while Republican Speaker Cameron Sexton attributed the losses to national political trends and lower GOP turnout. New members join the General Assembly when it convenes in January 2027.

Michael Alfonso, a 26-year-old accountant and son-in-law of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, won Wisconsin's deep-red 7th Congressional District, becoming the youngest member of the incoming Congress. He defeated Democrat and former state lawmaker Fred Clark, 67, in a race that was not competitive given the district's partisan lean. Alfonso succeeds retiring Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running for governor. A first-time officeholder, Alfonso campaigned heavily on his Trump endorsement, pledging to make tax cuts permanent and lower costs, and says his first priority will be a bill restricting bathroom access by sex. His ties to Duffy and transportation-industry donations drew scrutiny during the campaign.

Texans head to the polls Tuesday, November 3, to decide the governor's race, a U.S. Senate seat, several congressional districts and local Bexar County offices. The marquee contests pit Gov. Greg Abbott against state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, and Attorney General Ken Paxton against state Rep. James Talarico for Senate. Local races include Bexar County Judge, where former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg faces Patrick Von Dohlen, and a competitive Bexar County District Attorney contest with a Republican, Democrat and independent candidate. Congressional races in Texas' 15th, 23rd, 34th and 35th districts, plus a Texas House seat, are also on the ballot, with results updating as polls close.

University Heights, Ohio, City Council voted 7-0 to reject a proposed amendment to its fair housing ordinance that would have let landlords refuse tenants using rent vouchers, including Section 8. The amendment, introduced in March, had cited ongoing court appeals tied to a lawsuit against Huntington Green Apartments over alleged voucher discrimination. Huntington Green's ownership separately sued the city in federal court over the ordinance's wording. After a packed, two-hour meeting featuring dozens of residents opposed to the change, council members chose to vote the measure down rather than table it, citing concerns over sending mixed signals while litigation remains pending in state and federal appeals courts.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, seeking a fourth term against Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, faces a closer-than-expected race amid rural backlash over data centers, school vouchers, and an unpopular Iran conflict. Public polling shows Hinojosa within striking distance, an unusual position for Texas' dominant GOP leader. Abbott is deploying his extensive "Abbott Impact App" turnout operation, built on thousands of volunteers and voter data, to aid his own campaign and that of Attorney General Ken Paxton, who faces Democrat James Talarico in a competitive Senate race.

Democrats are meanwhile building new grassroots infrastructure in traditionally Republican counties like Brazoria, hoping demographic shifts and sustained organizing can finally end the party's three-decade statewide losing streak.

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.

Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn is one of 15 candidates running for Tennessee governor, and among the top four per polling, alongside David Hatley, Jerri Green, and Lauren Pinkston. Blackburn's platform centers on economic development, public safety, education, and cutting government spending, including support for a "Tennessee DOGE" effort to reduce the budget, though she has not committed to eliminating the state's grocery sales tax.

She backs expanding school vouchers statewide, leaving data center siting decisions to local governments, and supports capital punishment, including reinstating the electric chair. Blackburn has declined debate invitations from opponents, instead emphasizing door-to-door campaigning. A Senate ethics inquiry into her office was resolved, she said, without findings of misconduct. Democratic rival Jerri Green, by contrast, has centered her campaign on affordability, eliminating the grocery tax, and expanding health care access.

South Carolina schools Superintendent Ellen Weaver is running for reelection, facing Democrat Sylvia Wright in a race that is competitive in fundraising but has favored Republicans since 2011. Weaver touts gains in reading and math, a push for school safety, and expanded career pathways, while defending the state's three-year-old voucher program that provides over $7,600 per student for private school or homeschool expenses. Critics, including Wright, say the program lacks accountability and mostly benefits families who could already afford private schooling; a recent cyberattack froze vendor payments. Weaver's tenure has also drawn controversy over book bans, cutting AP African American Studies, and aligning with conservative groups like PragerU amid broader public-school enrollment decline.