Next week, IVN will launch its 2012 General Election coverage for independent voters. The Network’s focus will be on contests in which independent voters are likely to play a critical role. This includes the US Presidential race, the US Senate race in the state of Maine (where voters may be close to electing an independent US Senator), and other races that are important to independent-minded voters.

IVN's election coverage for independent voters will also cover Arizona’s Nonpartisan Open Primary initiative campaign and several ballot propositions in California. Finally, IVN will cover Congressional, State Senate, and State Assembly races in California, where Ballotpedia has noted that, thanks to the state’s new Nonpartisan Open Primary system, California has moved from being the state with the fewest competitive elections, to the state with the most competitive elections. You can see a list of the races currently on IVN’s watch list below.

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California Election Coverage for Independent Voters

Congressional Districts to Follow

CD 8  Paul Cook (R) v Gregg Imus (R)

CD 13  Barbara Lee (D) v. Marilyn Singleton (NPP)

CD 15  Pete Stark (D) v. Eric Swalwell (D)

CD 23  Kevin McCarthy (R) v. Terry Phillips (NPP)

CD 24  Abel Maldanado (R) v. Lois Capps (D)

CD 29  Tony Cardenas (D) v. David Hernandez (NPP)

CD 30  Howard Berman (D) v. Brad Sherman (D)

CD 31  Bob Dutton (R) v. Gary Miller (R)

CD 33  Bill Bloomfield (NPP) v. Henry Waxman (D)

CD 35  Joe Baca (D) v. Gloria Negrete-McLeod (D)

CD 40  Linda Roybal-Allard (D) v. Benjamin Sanchez (D)

CD 43  Bob Flores (D) v. Maxine Waters (D)

CD 44  Laura Richardson (D) v. Janice Hahn (D)

CD 52  Scott Peters (D) v. Brian Bilbray (R)

State Senate Districts to Follow

SD 5  Bill Berryhill (R) v. Cathleen Galgiani (D)

SD 9  Loni Hancock (D) v. Mary-Catherine McIlroy (P&F)

SD13  Sally Hill (D) v. Jerry Lieber (D)

SD 15  Joe Coto (D) v. Jim Beall (D)

SD 19  Hannah-Beth Jackson (D) v. Mike Stoker (R)

SD 27  Fran Pavley (D) v. Todd Zink (R)

SD 31  Virginia Roth (D) v. George Miller (R)

SD 33  Ricardo Lara (D) v. Lee Chauser (P&F)

SD 39  Block (D) v. Plescia (R)

State Assembly Districts to Follow

AD 1  Rick Bosetti (R) v. Brian Dahle (R)

AD 2  Wesley Chesbro (D) v. Tom Lynch (D)

AD 5  Frank Bigelow (R) v. Rico Oller  (R)

AD 6  Beth Gaines (R) v. Andy Pugno (R)

AD 8 Ken Cooley (D) v. Peter Tatishi (R)

AD 10  Mike Allen (D) v. Mark Levine. (D)

AD 15  Nancy Skinner (D) v. Eugene Ruyle (P&F)

AD 18  Rob Bonta (D) v. Abel Guillen (D)

AD 19  Michael Breyer (D) v. Phil Ting (D)

AD 20  Jennifer Ong (D) v. Bill Quirk (D)

AD 23  Jim Patterson (R) v. Bob Whalen (R)

AD 28  Chad Walsh (NPP) v. Paul Fong (D)

AD 32  Rudy Salas (D) v. Pedro Rios (R)

AD 39  Raul Bocanegra (D) v. Richard Alarcon (D)

AD 47  Cheryl Brown (D) v. Joe Baca (D)

AD 50  Betsy Butler (D) v. Richard Bloom (D)

AD 51  Jimmy Gomez (D) v. Luis Lopez (D)

AD 59  Reggie Sawyer-Jones (D) v. Rodney Robinson (D)

AD 61  Jose Medina (D) v. Bill Batey (R)

AD 62  Steve Bradford (D) v. Mervin Evans (D)

AD 67  Melissa Melendez (R) v. Phil Paule (R)

AD 72  Travis Allen (R) v. Troy Edgar (R)

AD 76  Rocky Chavez (R) v. Sherry Hodges (R)

AD 77 Shirley Weber (D) v. Mary England (R)