Leah Askarinam, Author at The Rapid City Post

FILE - The interior of the Minnesota State Capitol is seen Monday, May 19, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt, File)

AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Minnesota on Election Day

October 29, 2025

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey faces more than a dozen challengers as the Democrat seeks a third term. His highest-profile challenger is state Sen. Omar Fateh, who describes himself as a democratic socialist. Under the city’s ranked-choice-voting system, voters can choose three candidates, ranked in order of preference. Fateh has framed his campaign as a fight against the “status quo.” Beyond the mayoral race, voters will also fill two vacancies in the state Senate. One seat was previously held by a Democrat who resigned after a burglary conviction, the other by a Republican who died in office. Democrats currently hold a one-seat majority in the chamber.

A Texas flag is on display outside the office of the state's 18th Congressional District, which has a seat that became vacant March 5, 2025, following the death of Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner, in Washington, Sept. 2, 2025. The (AP Photo/Robert Yoon)

AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Texas on Election Day

October 29, 2025

Texans will vote on a large menu of constitutional amendments Tuesday. Some Houston voters are also filling a vacant seat in the 18th Congressional District, after the death of Congressman Sylvester Turner. Voters statewide will check off whether they are “for” or “against” 17 ballot questions on issues including judicial conduct, changes to the bail system and state taxes. Some questions reflect Republicans’ national political priorities. Proposition 15 affirms that parents are the primary decision makers for their children, and Proposition 16 clarifies that a voter must be a United States citizen, though it is already illegal for people who are not U.S. citizens to vote in federal elections.

FILE - Stickers lay on a table inside a polling place, Nov. 5, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Atlanta on Election Day

October 28, 2025

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is running for reelection against three lesser-known candidates, arguing that the city has seen major improvements during his first term in office. Dickens was an underdog when he first ran for mayor in 2021, but he’s in a much more favorable position as he seeks a second term on Tuesday. Dickens’ campaign is far outspending his challengers, and the ad-tracking firm AdImpact says he has been the only candidate on air in Atlanta. The city has a long history of awarding second terms to mayors who seek them.

A woman holds a sign during a rally to protest against redistricting hearings at the Texas Capitol, Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

How redistricting in Texas and other states could change the game for US House elections

July 26, 2025

Redistricting usually happens after the once-a-decade population count by the U.S. Census Bureau or in response to a court ruling. Now, Texas Republicans want to break that tradition. And other states could follow suit. President Trump has asked the Texas Legislature to create districts, in time for next year’s midterm elections, that will send five more Republicans to Washington and make it harder for Democrats to regain the majority and blunt his agenda. There’s no national impediment to a state trying to redraw districts in the middle of a decade and to do it for political reasons, such as increasing representation by the party in power.

Bryan Bedford, President Donald Trump's nominee to run the Federal Aviation Administration, testifies at the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate confirms new FAA administrator at a time of rising concern about air safety

July 9, 2025

The U.S. Senate has confirmed a new leader at the Federal Aviation Administration. Lawmakers on Wednesday confirmed Bryan Bedford as FAA administrator in a 53-43 vote. The vote puts Bedford in charge of the federal agency at a precarious time for the airline industry after recent accidents, including the January collision near Washington, D.C. Republicans and industry leaders lauded President Donald Trump’s choice of Bedford, citing his experience as an airline CEO. But Democrats and flight safety advocates opposed his nomination, citing Bedford’s lack of commitment to the 1,500-hour training requirement for pilots that was put in place after a 2009 plane crash near Buffalo.

FILE - Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., speaks during a confirmation hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

The GOP’s big bill would bring changes to Medicaid for millions

June 15, 2025

Republican Sen. Josh Hawley has been clear about his red line as the Senate takes up the One Big Beautiful Bill Act: no Medicaid cuts. But what, exactly, would be a cut? Republicans acknowledge that the main cost-saving provision in the bill would cause millions of people to lose their coverage. But they insist they are not cutting the vital safety net program but simply rooting out what they call waste fraud and abuse. Whether that argument lands with voters could go a long way toward determining whether Trump’s bill ultimately ends up boosting or dragging down Republicans as they campaign for reelection.