10 months ago

Tulsa elects first Black mayor

Monroe Nichols will become the first Black mayor of Tulsa.

Nichols, a state representative, edged out Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith in a runoff election to become the mayor of Oklahoma’s second largest city.

Nichols’ election comes 103 years after the Tulsa Race Massacre, when a white racist mob, including some deputized by authorities, descended on the city’s Greenwood District, also known as Black Wall Street. They burned down homes and businesses, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 75 to 300 Black residents.

Nichols, who ran on a platform of adding more affordable housing and ending homelessness in the city, spoke from the stage of the Greenwood Cultural Center.

“If there is anyone out there that questions whether Tulsa is a place where big things are possible,” Nichols said, “If there’s anyone out there that doubts that you can make an impact, tonight you got your answer.”

10 months ago

Missouri voters approve measure to protect abortion rights

Missouri voters have approved an amendment to the state constitution that will protect reproductive rights.

This comes two years after Missouri became the first state to outlaw abortion following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which ended nearly five decades of precedent for abortion rights. The state’s ban had no exceptions except for “serious risk of the health of the pregnant woman.”

Amendment 3, which earned 53 percent of the vote, will add language to the state constitution that guarantees a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom” — the right to make decisions about reproductive care, which includes both abortion and contraceptives. It is set to take effect in 30 days, according to state Missouri law, though it will likely be challenged in court.

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10 months ago

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wins third term

Republican incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz wins reelection to serve Texas for another term, defeating Democrat Colin Allred, the Associated Press reports. Cruz has been serving as senator since 2013 and was a key election denial figure in 2020 when he objected to Arizona’s electoral votes.

10 months ago

An Electoral College check-in

With most polls now closed, all eyes turn to the battleground states as the presidential race is still too early to call.

Former President Donald Trump picked up North Carolina’s 16 electoral votes and has a current lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in Georgia. While Harris still has a pathway to an Electoral College victory, Trump currently has leads in other critical battleground states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin that could ultimately tip in his favor.

10 months ago

New York Democrat John Mannion wins House race in first flip of the night

Democrat John Mannion is elected in New York’s 22nd Congressional district, beating incumbent Republican Brandon Williams. It’s the first House of Representatives race of the night to flip a seat, giving Democrats a win in their quest to take back the House.

10 months ago

Bernie Moreno unseats Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown

Republican businessman Bernie Moreno will become Ohio’s next U.S. senator, defeating incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown, the Associated Press reports. Moreno was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and became a U.S. citizen at age 18.

10 months ago

Trump wins North Carolina

Donald Trump wins North Carolina, a key battleground state, according to the Associated Press. This is the third time Trump has won the state – and the fourth straight win for a Republican ticket, going back to Mitt Romney in 2012. North Carolina has 16 electoral votes.