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November 3rd has a mountain of important elections that could upend the criminal legal system & mass incarceration.
These often fly under radar, or stakes are opaque.
We at @TheAppeal's Political Report have planned a big series on these. I'll keep track here, in this thread.
These often fly under radar, or stakes are opaque.
We at @TheAppeal's Political Report have planned a big series on these. I'll keep track here, in this thread.
Oregon could become the first state to decriminalize drug possession with its Measure 110 referendum. @ZachWritesStuff reports on what this would look like: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/oregon-could-decriminalize-drugs-in-november
DeKalb County, IL, has a prosecutor's race: The Dem challenger to the GOP prosecutor took part in protests, & is running against Trump's messaging that the tougher-on-crime policies are what is necessary to fuel public safety. I talked to her about why: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/why-dekalb-county-prosecutor-candidate-wilhelmi-draws-inspiration-protests/
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: Two of the biggest progressive winners in DA primaries (Worrell in Orlando, & Garza in Austin) are favored in the general election. Still, both face opponents they'll need to get thru.Florida context: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/florida-primaries/
Texas context: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/travis-county-primary-garza/
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Two very populous counties in the Atlanta suburbs — Cobb & Gwinnett — have been bastions of pro-ICE policies. But now they're also trending blue.And @TimothyJPratt reports that their two sheriff's races could considerably roll back ICE's power. https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/georgia-sheriff-elections-limit-ices-reach/
Summer's BLM protests echoed in many ways demands & demonstrations already ongoing in Charleston, South Carolina.Now the area is electing its new DA, and a challenger wants to confront racial injustice by "shutting off the mass incarceration mindset." https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/charleston-prosecutor-candidate-pogue-discusses-racial-injustice/
Cincinnati has emerged as an epicenter for the death penalty nationally, despite some emerging GOP pushback there.The prosecutor's race this year could end that, @rmc031 reports. Biggest election on the death penalty this year? https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/cincinnati-is-an-epicenter-for-the-death-penalty-its-prosecutor-race-could-end-that-in-november/
The Maricopa County sheriff's office was nation's most infamous under Joe Arpaio. In his comeback bid, Arpaio lost the GOP primary in August.But, @jerryiannelli reports, the GOP nominee is Arpaio's longtime deputy -- and tied to a lot that took place. https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/arpaio-deputy-sheridan-candidate-maricopa-county-sheriff
Colorado is voting for all of its DAs. And in some key districts (e.g. those covering populous Jefferson & Arapahoe counties), what's under debate is 'war on drugs'-style practices & the alarming frequency of life sentences. A statewide primer: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/colorado-prosecutor-elections-2020/
Four states are voting on whether they will legalize marijuana (AZ, MT, SD, NJ), and MS on whether to legalize medical marijuana. @KailaPhilo looks at the measures, & what they may mean for racial justice going forward: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/november-referendums-to-legalize-marijuana/
California's ballot initiative to end cash bail (PRop 25) has many advocates concerned the pretrial system it'd set up may be more punitive. Other say failure would vindicate the bail industry. @laurenleewhite reports: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/california-proposition-25-cash-bail/
New Orleans DA has attacked bail reform, fought to keep nonunanimous jury convictions, vowed to put more children in jail.Now there's a DA election, @kjfernelius reports there's tremendous grassroots energy to bring change: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/new-orleans-district-attorney-election/
Florida's Pinellas County is home to a sheriff that's championed arming teachers, cooperating with ICE, and the "stand your ground" law.I talked to his challenger, who wants to break with that legacy: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/sheriff-pinellas-county-santana/
You know it as *the* key battleground in the WH race & in the battle for US Senate.But Maricopa County is also ground zero for prosecutorial elections this year, and a Dem flip could go a long way for criminal justice reform. @megoconnor13 reports: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/maricopa-prosecutor-election-mass-incarceration-adel-gunnigle/
North Carolina is deciding 3 Supreme Court elections, and the fate of civil rights & racial justice — including on matters related to the criminal legal system, but also beyond — is at stake: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/north-carolina-supreme-court-elections/
Jail deaths & ICE cooperation have defined the tenure of the Tarrant County sheriff, and as this huge Texas county shifts blue Democrats are hoping to flip it, and to significantly change local policies, @_teamat reports: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/tarrant-county-waybourn-keyes-sheriff-election/
Since the summer, many school districts have terminated the presence of police officers in schools. But that, too, depends on who is sitting in local governments. Often, of school boards.
@rmc031 dives into Prince George's County, Maryland: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/school-board-elections-school-to-prison-pipeline/
Los Angeles's DA race is undoubtedly the marquee election on this thread -- if for no other reason than it covers 10 million people (!).@eli_kamisher reports on everything that's at stake in this race, and all that's changed since March: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/los-angeles-district-attorney-election-lacey-gascon/
A group of 7 current & former public defenders are running for judge in New Orleans, with the idea of (finally) using the vast discretion of judicial offices to change the city & fight mass incarceration.@kjfernelius reports: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/new-orleans-public-defenders-judicial-elections/
ICE is on the ballot, and not just in deciding whether Stephen Miller stays at the White House.I dived into the twelve state and local elections that will play a huge role in deciding immigration policy. https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/immigration-in-november-2020/
& : Two analyses of state-specific patterns that are making it very difficult for criminal justice reform to break thru via the ballox box...... in Wisconsin: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/wisconsin-prosecutor-elections-democracy
... and in Oregon: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/oregon-district-attorney-elections-governors-appoint/
There are hundreds of local elections around the country, but only a fraction are offering clear openings for reform or decarceration. What to look for in November?I dived into 30 key DA & sheriff elections to map out the terrain: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/guide-prosecutor-sheriff-elections-2020/
*BONUS before I close:* Just some of our major articles from earlier this summer on major movement in primaries.
In Tuscon & Ann Arbor: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/prosecutor-elections-pima-washtenaw-san-luis/
In Portland: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/portland-district-attorney-election/
In Vermont: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/vermont-high-bailiffs/
In Athens: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/georgia-sheriff-who-cooperated-with-ice-loses-re-election-bid/.
In Tuscon & Ann Arbor: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/prosecutor-elections-pima-washtenaw-san-luis/
In Portland: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/portland-district-attorney-election/
In Vermont: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/vermont-high-bailiffs/
In Athens: https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/georgia-sheriff-who-cooperated-with-ice-loses-re-election-bid/.
The criminal legal system is a moisaic of local systems, & political battles. Our new interactive tool helps you keep track of all that's brewing in the 2020 cycle around the country -- incl. stories in the thread above, and more. https://theappeal.org/political-report/criminal-justice-on-the-2020-ballot/
