2018 elections

August 2, 2018 - State supreme court seats across the South are up for grabs this year, and contributions are pouring into partisan races. What does the research tell us about the effects of big-money politics on the judiciary?

July 19, 2018 - A campaign to encourage politicians to reject contributions from electric utility monopolies aims to recast Virginia politics-as-usual as unethical. Though the pledge effort is meeting opposition from those who benefit under the current conflict-ridden system, it's still going strong — and has spread beyond the state.

June 1, 2018 - This November, voters in Alabama and West Virginia will weigh in on ballot questions about adding anti-abortion provisions to state constitutions. The legislatively-placed measures are part of a broader effort to limit women's access to reproductive health care that's made dramatic headway in Southern states in recent years.

May 18, 2018 - An Arkansas judge blocked an election ad by the conservative Judicial Crisis Network attacking a state Supreme Court judge, citing libel concerns. If the group, which spends millions to influence state and federal courts, appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, its spending would present an ethical dilemma for Justice Neil Gorsuch.

March 23, 2018 - Sheriff candidates in some Southern counties are campaigning on a promise to stay out of immigration enforcement, but new state laws could force police and judges to participate in the Trump administration's crackdown.

December 15, 2017 - Over half of the South's governor's offices, six of its U.S. Senate seats, and all of its U.S. House seats are up for grabs next year. We run down the races to keep an eye on.

November 17, 2017 - This month's elections in Georgia and Virginia showed that Democrats can make inroads in Southern state legislatures, but gerrymandering still tilts the field in favor of Republicans.