BREAKING: Government Negotiations Fail, Snap Elections Imminent
May 25, 2018Four days after the seating of the new Pennsylvania congressional delegation led to the failure of a confidence motion in President Donald Trump's government, negotiations between the governing parties and the Center Party led by Susan Collins has broken down. The parties ave been thought to be at an impasse for the last two days, with Center refusing to back any government led by Trump's America First Party and the President refusing to support any non-AF-led government. In a Friday afternoon tweet, Collins stated "The President's childish refusal to negotiate and compromise has completely stalled any hope of progress or moderation in the confidence talks. Minutes ago I informed Chief Secretary Pelosi that I no longer believe a deal can be reached." Barely an hour later, Pelosi stated on the Senate floor that she did not believe a viable government could be formed. Barring a sharp turnaround in the negotiations, the government will be dissolved and snap elections called when the Senate reconvenes on Tuesday. The news is a resounding victory for the center-left parties, who have made ousting the President their top priority since his election in November 2017.
The snap election will be the first in nearly 38 years; each state (except Pennsylvania, Nevada, South Carolina, and Tennessee, which held Congressional elections within the last two months) will be required to hold new elections for Congress within 6 months of the elections being called. Incidentally, the weekend delay will allow the state of California to synchronize with their statewide election in late November.
Snap Elections Called, Haley to Lead Interim Government
May 29, 2018The Senate officially called for snap elections to begin on Monday after the failure of government talks last week. The election period will last until November 29. Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley has recalled UN Ambassador Nikki Haley (CDP-SC) and named her Acting President, and named Joe Manchin of the Liberal Conservative Party as Vice President, a move thought to have been made in exchange for the LCP support of the provisional government.
The House quickly voted to retain most of Trump's cabinet in the interim, but did vote to expel Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, and Director of National Intelligence Devin Nunes. Grassley swiftly named Rep. Josh Hawley (AMR-MO) as Attorney General, Rep. Mark Warner (LCP-VA) as Director of National Intelligence, and Sen. Lamar Alexander (CDP-TN) to serve in his former position as Secretary of Education and as the constitutionally mandated Cabinet Senator. Alexander and Warner's nominations went unchallenged, while a challenge to Hawley's nomination fell several dozen votes short.
Schedule for Snap electionsPrimaries in ItalicsGeneral Elections in bold* - already scheduled prior to calling of snap election
** - primaries already held
June 5Iowa*
Montana*
New Mexico*
South Dakota*June 12Maine*
New Hampshire*
North Dakota*
Vermont*June 19Connecticut
Illinois**June 26Arkansas
Colorado
Delaware
Oklahoma*
Rhode IslandJuly 3Idaho
Indiana
Kentucky
West Virginia
July 10New MexicoHawaii*
Maryland
North Carolina
VirginiaJuly 17Alabama
Florida*
Mississippi
Louisiana
TexasJuly 24California
Georgia
Massachusetts*
OregonJuly 31Delaware
Rhode IslandAlaska
New York
New JerseyAugust 7Arkansas
Indiana
KentuckyKansas*
Michigan*
Missouri*August 14New Hampshire*
Vermont*Minnesota*
Wisconsin*August 21Colorado
Hawaii
IdahoUtah
Washington
Wyoming*August 28Maryland
North Carolina
Virginia
West VirginiaArizonaSeptember 18AlaskaSeptember 25Alabama
Florida*
Louisiana
Mississippi
TexasOctober 2Massachusetts
OregonOctober 9New Jersey
GeorgiaOctober 16WashingtonOctober 25New YorkNovember 6Arizona
Iowa*
Kansas*
Maine*
Michigan*
Minnesota*
Missouri*
Montana*
Nebraska**
North Dakota*
Oklahoma*
Ohio**
South Dakota*
Utah
Wisconsin*
Wyoming*November 27California
