Explore Criminal Justice on the 2019 Ballot
The 2019 elections are upon us. Many voters will choose their next prosecutor, sheriff, governor, or attorney general in November. These offices set the policies that shape incarceration rates, the criminal legal system, cooperation with ICE, and much more.
We covered these elections throughout the year with previews, analyses, and interviews. Now you can use our interactive tool, below, to track the criminal justice battlegrounds. These elections are concentrated in about ten states, which is far less than in 2018 , and than in 2020. Still, they feature important contrasts for the local politics of criminal justice reform and mass incarceration.
Some elections have already been resolved in primaries; many will be in November. We will continue to add to the map in the weeks ahead.
Key races: Prosecutor Sheriff Referendum Governor Att. Gen.
US
all 2019 elections desktop
To use the interactive version of the map, please use a nonmobile device.
This map is not exhaustive. There are approximately 500 counties holding elections for sheriff and prosecutor this year. The full list is available here.
National results
Nov. 7, 2019: Voters Beyond Big Cities Rejected Mass Incarceration in Tuesday’s Elections
National results
Nov. 6, 2019: Tuesday’s Election Boosts Voting Rights for People with Past Convictions
California
Nov. 14, 2019: “This Is Where the Real Work Begins”: What Chesa Boudin’s Win Means for San Francisco
California
Nov. 9, 2019: Public Defender Chesa Boudin wins San Francisco DA Race
National Preview
Oct. 2019: Your Guide to the 2019 Elections, in Six Questions
Virginia
Oct. 2019: “How Are You Keeping My Community Safe If You’re Stealing My Resources?” A Q&A with a Loudoun County Candidate
New York & Pennsylvania
Oct. 2019: DAs Increasingly Treat Overdoses as Homicides. Will November Reel That In?
Mississippi
Oct. 2019: Former Colleagues Accuse Mississippi D.A. Candidate Jody Owens of Sexual Harassment
New York
Oct. 2019: New York Adopted Pretrial Reforms. Its DA Races Will Decide Who Implements Them.
Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi
Oct. 2019: Three States Vote for Governor This Year. Each Has Criminal Justice Stakes.
Louisiana
Sept. 2019: In Louisiana, Sheriff Elections Will Shape ICE’s Reach
Kentucky and Virginia
Sept. 2019: Elections Could Expand Voting Rights This Fall. They Will Take Place in an “Intolerable Condition.”
Mississippi
Sept. 2019: An Attorney General Candidate Explains How She Would Fight Overincarceration
Mississippi
August 2019: Candidates for Governor Divided on Expanding Medicaid
Virginia
August 2019: Longtime Public Defender Runs for Prosecutor to Fight “Family Separation”
Louisiana
August 2019: Criminal Justice Reform is on the Line in Louisiana’s Governor’s Race
Hinds County, Mississippi
July 2019: Jody Owens on How He Would Reform Mississippi’s “Truly Broken” Legal System
Virginia
Prince William County, Virginia
Interview with Amy Ashworth (D)
Interview with Mike May (R)
New York
July 2019: Tiffany Cabán’s Success in Queens Shines Spotlight on Grassroots Organizing
New York
June 2019: The Queens DA Race Shakes Up New York’s Legal System
Virginia
June 2019: In Key Virginia Primaries, Winners Ran on Ending Mass Incarceration
Virginia
June 2019: Tuesday’s Elections Could Overhaul Prosecution in Northern Virginia
Pennsylvania
May 2019: In Pennsylvania Primaries, Mixed Results for Reformers
Pennsylvania
May 2019: Pittsburgh’s DA Election Showcases ‘Fundamental Disagreement’
Pennsylvania
May 2019: Foreclosures and ICE Are on the Menu in Philadelphia’s Sheriff Election
New York
April 2019: New Yorkers from Rochester to Queens Vote for Prosecutor This Year
Virginia
April 2019: “Ending Mass Incarceration” Requires “a Systemic Approach:” Q&A with Steve Descano, Candidate in Fairfax
New York
April 2019: New York Sheriff Who Joined ICE May Coast to Re-Election
New Jersey
April 2019: Why New Jersey’s Elections for Sheriff Matter
Missouri, and beyond
April 2019: Representation By Those Directly Impacted by the Criminal Legal System is Increasingly Important
Pennsylvania
March 2019: The Stage Is Set for 2019 DA Elections: A Preview
Florida
March 2019: Jacksonville Kicks Off the Year’s Sheriff Elections
Mississippi
March 2019: Mississippi Sets Up Its DA Elections, and Only Five Will Be Contested
Virginia
Feb. 2019: “The Commonwealth’s Attorney Has a Very Holistic Role:” An interview with Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, Running in Arlington
Pennsylvania
Jan. 2019: Democratic Primary to Replace Northampton DA John Morganelli Takes Form
National Preview
Jan. 2019: Plenty of Prosecutors and Sheriffs Will Be Elected in 2019, Too
