State Legislature Special Election Megathread v3

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The special election win is cool and all but Florida is still Florida.

It's a Trump state through and through and his voters will show up for him in November.

Yeah I don't think anyone disputes that, but it is a counter to the "Dems in disarray" narrative.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I just learned of this via the Minnesota Secretary of State site looking up election results for the primary, but there is a special election in the Minnesota House for seat 27B. The special primary was held a week ago and the general is March 12.

It's a Safe R seat and was previously held by former House Speaker Kurt Daudt. What's odd is Daudt announced his resignation in January but I can't find any specific reasons why, he made no mention of taking a private sector job or even "spend more time with his family" (he's unmarried and has no children.) He just stepped down abruptly. And Daudt has been suspected of corruption in the past, he once had $50k of debt wiped out for seemingly no reason.

But again, absurdly Safe R seat regardless. If you still want to compare numbers Trump won it 70.9 to 27 for Biden, and Daudt won 73.23-26.61 in 2022. Scott Jensen won it over Walz 68.43-27.81.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Three tonight. The one in Minnesota I mentioned above and two in Kentucky, House districts 24 and 26. The two Kentucky seats are also very Safe R.

Dull night with nothing interesting in the presidential primaries either.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Minnesota results:
R   Bryan Lawrence   1,752   84.52%
DFL   Brad Brown   319   15.39%
WI   WRITE-IN   2   0.10%

Turnout was less than 10% though and the DFL didn't even really bother with a campaign or GOTV (no reason to) so this is about as useful as reading entrails after eating a plate of lasagna.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Minnesota results:
R Bryan Lawrence 1,752 84.52%
DFL Brad Brown 319 15.39%
WI WRITE-IN 2 0.10%

Turnout was less than 10% though and the DFL didn't even really bother with a campaign or GOTV (no reason to) so this is about as useful as reading entrails after eating a plate of lasagna.

'

at least it wasn't uncontested.

Same guy who ran in 2022.

Also in 2022 despite receiving only 26.61%, he still got almost three times as many votes (4815) as the winning Republican did this time.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Kentucky results: https://criticalreport.substack.com/p/ky-state-house-districts-24-26-specials

KY-HD 24:
Courtney Gilbert (R) 62.5% 1,025
Johnny Pennington (D)  22.7% 372
Craig Astor (Independent) (Write-in) 14.9% 244

Was Trump 78.5-20.2. Biden still received more votes (4,332) than were cast in the entire special.

KY-HD 26:
...actually Republican Peyton Griffee won unopposed. He received 100% of the vote...and a total of 75 votes. LMAO.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Kentucky results: https://criticalreport.substack.com/p/ky-state-house-districts-24-26-specials

KY-HD 24:
Courtney Gilbert (R) 62.5% 1,025
Johnny Pennington (D)  22.7% 372
Craig Astor (Independent) (Write-in) 14.9% 244

Was Trump 78.5-20.2. Biden still received more votes (4,332) than were cast in the entire special.

KY-HD 26:
...actually Republican Peyton Griffee won unopposed. He received 100% of the vote...and a total of 75 votes. LMAO.

I would like to have seen him get zero votes. That would have been even funnier. I hate when people run unopposed in a special or general election. I always leave it blank in that case.

I mean in theory at least he would've definitely voted for himself, so that means he was guaranteed one vote. Now THAT would've been hilarious.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Don’t do that Alabama… don’t give me hope.

Alabama has already given me great hope.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Fun fact: prior to this literally every single district in both chambers of the Alabama legislature was held by the same party that carried it in 2020. I think the only state in the country for which that was true.

So notable for that. Although a Trump+1 district in a D-trending area makes sense.