Articles by Cara Brown McCormick
Super PAC Spending Tops $49 Million in Most Expensive State Judicial Election in History
According to Buying Time 2025 election spending data as of March 26, 2025, more than $81.4 million has been spent on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race between Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford and Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel, making it the most expensive state judicial election in US history.
Landmark Legislation Introduced to Address Mental Health Crisis Among Correctional Officers
On the second anniversary of Federal Correctional Officer Blake Schwarz’s death by suicide, an Iowa congresswoman has reintroduced a significant bill aimed at combating the ongoing mental health crisis among correctional officers.
With 10 Million Votes, Proposition 36 Takes Effect in California, Ushering in New Approach to Drug and Theft Crimes
In November 2024, California voters in all 58 counties approved Proposition 36, known as the "Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act," with approximately 68.4% in favor.
Super PACs Drive Record Spending in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race
Early voting starts March 18 in Wisconsin’s high-stakes Supreme Court race. Super PACs have fueled record-breaking spending, which is now close to $59 million and has surpassed the previous record set in 2023 for a state Supreme Court election.
A House Divided: Minnesota Lawmakers Say Both Parties Will 'Alternate Gavel Daily'
The Minnesota House is once again evenly split at 67-67, following Democrat David Gottfried’s decisive victory in a special election held Tuesday night for House District 40B, representing Roseville and Shoreview.
Maine Lawmakers Vote to Protect RCV Counting Process, Which Generates Results in 'One Minute'
On Monday, Maine's Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee voted 3-7 against restoring batch elimination to the ranked choice voting (RCV) system through LD 656 (HP 424), the title of which claims it will save taxpayers money, but the secretary of state says is unnecessary.
Democracy Expert Larry Diamond Warns of Growing Culture of SuperPAC Intimidation in Congress
In his new regular column, Diamond on Democracy, democracy scholar Larry Diamond, acknowledges that “[h]aving won the presidency fair and square, Donald Trump has earned the right to propose, and in many cases to implement, radical new policy directions.”
The Illusion of Competition in American Elections
American elections are becoming less competitive, and the consequences are eroding democracy. As The New York Times journalists Nick Corasaniti and Michael Wines report this week, most congressional and state legislative races in 2024 were effectively decided by low-turnout primaries or weren’t contested at all.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams Once Benefited from Ranked Choice Voting -- Now It May Be His Undoing
For the second time in history, New York City voters will use ranked-choice voting (RCV) to determine their party nominees in the citywide primary elections held this June.