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07.03.2026 04:06
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Mississippi has the highest Black population share of any state but there have only ever been four Black justices in the state’s history, and none of them have ever served at the same time. A judge recently took issue with the state’s “bleak” history.
All-timer file photo here
This is why we cannot take our eye off the ball. What ICE is doing is also an every day occurrence in marginalized communities. Solutions must center this fact. #DismantleChangeBuild
Thread.
Did you read about the blind refugee who was left to die in the Buffalo region?
NY’s AG is reportedly investigating the Buffalo sheriff’s office over this: www.investigativepost.org/2026/03/06/n...
We at Bolts reported on the frightening record of people dying under this office last year:
Berger is now down TWENTY-THREE votes in his reelection bid in North Carolina, worsening from his 2-vote deficit, with provisionals now counted. www.wral.com/news/nccapit...
ICE has arrested and detained a Nashville journalist who reported stories critical of ICE. She’s married to a U.S. citizen and has been seeking asylum here after fleeing death threats in Colombia because of her journalism there.
They’ve already sent her to Louisiana.
Wisconsin liberals have a chance next month to go up 5-2 on the state supreme court for the first time in modern history. If they succeed, they'll also block conservatives from earning a court majority through the next presidential election and until at least 2030.
New preview in @boltsmag.org:
Still coming up this month?
—this Tuesday: Mississippi primary, and specials in Arizona, Georgia, and New Hampshire.
—on March 14: a special in Louisiana
—on March 17: Illinois primaries!
—on March 24: intriguing local races in California & Florida
your guide: boltsmag.org/whats-on-the...
I know this already looks like a lot of items... but my guide below includes many more, including congressional primaries of course, but other other legislative, DA, sheriff primaries.
Check it out, & support @boltsmag.org!
1️⃣1️⃣: Bonus: The wildest race is the still-unresolved election is in North Carolina, where arguably the most powerful Republican (state Senate president Berger) is down TWO VOTES against a local sheriff challenging him. Stay tuned!
1️⃣0️⃣ Finally... it was the first state supreme court election of 2026!
A Huckabee Sanders appointee used a loophole to be able to run for a full term. And he beat a challenger by roughly 10%... which is surprisingly tight for conservatives in this state, but ultimately he'll hold the seat now.
"Sid Miller, the Texas agriculture commissioner since 2015, has been beset by serial scandals, including allegations that he has misused public funds, and that he instructed a friend to dispose of marijuana, possession of which still allows for serious criminal charges in the state, in order to evade the Drug Enforcement Administration. He faces a challenge from Nate Sheets, a wealthy ranch owner who used to be a donor to his campaigns." "Sheets win"
9️⃣ The statewide primaries in Texas mostly saw strong results for the far-right, including the "Doge TX" candidate winning for comptroller.
But the race I couldn't help paying particular attn was this one
More details on each: boltsmag.org/whats-on-the...
8️⃣ 2 races as one: Durham DA & Dallas DA. In each race, incumbent Democrats at least somewhat aligned with criminal justice reformers faced primaries. The Durham DA survived, the Dallas DA lost in an upset.
7️⃣ In the mayoral election in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, the GOP mayor is retiring—and one Democrat is moving to the runoff, but didn't do well enough to look like she has a great shot in April. (I'll still be watching then, though.)
6️⃣ Terry Johnson, a staunchly anti-immigrant sheriff in office for a long time in North Carolina's Alamance County, has long drawn accusations for intensely racist practices and rhetoric.
He faced his first GOP primary in a while tomorrow—he survived, not by a lot. Maybe faces an indy in November.
5️⃣ A fascinating special in Arkansas. I said what matters here is less the prospect of a flip (it's a HYPER red county), but the fascinating conversations about the scope and suitability of incarceration happening in a rural, GOP region.
The activist independent got > 30%, an impressive showing.
4️⃣ NC has cracked down on the discretion of local prosecutors, sheriffs, & judges; laws are forcing sheriffs to comply with ICE, and ballooning jails. But in the liberal enclave of Asheville, candidates are navigating how to flex their discretion.
Martin Moore won and will be the next DA.
Context:
3️⃣ The county executive ('county judge') of Fort Bend Co., a populous county that voted for Harris in 2024, switched to the GOP last year after being indicted for money laundering.
He lost the GOP primary hugely on Tuesday, and is ousted. And... his trial is about to begin.
Arkansas’ 70th House District March 3 This Arkansas vacancy is a rare GOP-held seat in a district that Kamala Harris carried in 2024, an opportunity for a Democratic gain. The Republican governor initially called the special election in June, but a court ordered the contest rescheduled, and Democrat Alex Holladay now faces Republican Bryan Renshaw. (The GOP will retain a supermajority regardless.)
2️⃣ Democrats flipped a legislative seat in Arkansas.
This was a special election, not a primary—and the Democratic nominee won very easily in a seat that had gone for Harris by a few points in 2024 but was held by the GOP.
Adds to a string of Dem flips.
Context: boltsmag.org/whats-on-the...
1️⃣ Last summer, a Democratic lawmaker in North Carolina gave the GOP *the* decisive vote to pass a pro-ICE law.
She faced a primary from a local progressive pastor, active in the Moral Monday movement.
The challenger ousted her, 70% to 22%.
2 other Dems who helped the GOP ousted too.
Context:
tuesday was one of the year's biggest election days. i made a thread that day about the 10 most interesting (local, non-federal) elections i was watching so they get more attention.
but that means i should do a thread to bring you their results!
so my follow-up 🧵:
Wow, a huge bipartisan coalition passed a bill in the Missouri House to allow anyone who is not presently incarcerated to vote.
More than half the states allow this, but Democrats have led this in the last decade. Haven't seen a GOP-led chamber pass this in that time. Big deal.
There are elections every week in March and beyond. We will continue to say NO to this putrid regime at the ballot box.
boltsmag.org/whats-on-the...
Yup: either liberals win on offense this year or next year...
... or they have a high-stakes election to worry about in the spring of 2028, right in the middle of presidential primaries (and we know how those suck up all the oxygen).
read about it! boltsmag.org/wisconsin-su...
NEW: Believe it or not, it’s that time of year: the Wisconsin Supreme Court election is next month.
Liberals have a huge opportunity: if they win, they can lock down the majority of this court thru 2030.
That means they’d have it in the next presidential race, a big democracy guardrail.
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An intriguing local election next Tuesday:
our whole staff at Bolts worked together to tackle reader questions about local and state responses to the federal immigration dragnet. lots of info here: boltsmag.org/how-state-an...