Political Report

Jail deaths and ICE cooperation have defined the first term of Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn, who faces a tough challenge in next month’s election.

Of the four, only Arizona’s initiative would directly tackle racial justice and invest in communities harmed by drug enforcement laws.

The state has not had a justice with experience as a public defender since the mid-1980s.

In many places that have long helped arrest and detain immigrants, voters will decide the fate of local partnerships with ICE, possibly dealing a series of blows to the agency.

The retirement of a notoriously harsh DA has opened the door for criminal justice reform in New Orleans.

Much has changed in the seven months since George Gascón faced off against incumbent DA Jackie Lacey in one of the most important elections in the country.

Eliseo Santana, running for sheriff in Florida’s Pinellas County, wants to end collaboration with ICE, reduce arrests, and shift some funds toward health services.

Republicans could lose their grip on the state House this November, and their control over the 2021 redistricting process hangs in the balance. Justin Berry and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who endorsed him, are hoping to win an important seat back from the Democrats by scaring voters.

California just made it harder for prosecutors to exclude Black people from jury trials, amid broader reforms against racial discrimination in courtrooms.

In four populous districts with open prosecutor elections, debates center on issues such as drug policy, jail capacity, and police impunity.

In Maricopa County, years of harsh charging and sentencing policies have sent state incarceration rates soaring. Now that legacy is in question in November’s prosecutor election.

Jerry Sheridan, who beat Arpaio in the Republican primary, has been complicit in many of the former sheriff’s worst misdeeds.

Prosecutors across the country are rethinking their membership in professional organizations that oppose a meaningful reform agenda.

In Hamilton County, Joe Deters has sent more people to death row than any other prosecutor in Ohio. His challenger, Fanon Rucker, promises to stop that practice.

In a Q&A, Ben Pogue, who is running to be the chief prosecutor of South Carolina’s Ninth Circuit, discusses how he would confront racial injustice.

This DeKalb County attorney says that fighting mass incarceration will make people safer than President Trump’s “law and order” messaging.

In Gwinnett and Cobb counties, sheriff candidates are promising to roll back cooperation with ICE. Advocates say they should cut ties completely, while the federal agency threatens retaliation.

A ballot initiative could decriminalize low-level drug possession and fund addiction treatment.

Most members of the state’s congressional delegation now say they support restoring voting rights to incarcerated people. Will Tuesday’s primaries elect more proponents?

This Massachusetts special election, which starts with next week’s Democratic primary, will shape criminal justice reform prospects in this county—and in state politics.

A heated race for New Orleans First City Court Judge highlighted the power judges have to limit evictions, as millions of Americans are at risk of losing their homes.

In Florida’s primaries, voters set up November clashes on criminal justice, multiple sheriffs lost re-election bids, and Miami’s prosecutor secured a new term.

Two criminal justice reform advocates, now poised to become high bailiffs, are reimagining this odd office to make the case for civilian oversight on law enforcement.

In South Florida, the crowded Aug. 18 Democratic primary features one candidate who says he would not prosecute sex work and marijuana possession cases.

Nearly all of its 71 DA elections feature a candidate running unopposed. Once again, voters won’t have a say over the shape of prosecution and criminal justice.

They can either make necessary voter registration and ballot materials accessible to people in their custody, or make them impossible to obtain.

State Attorney Aramis Ayala has faced reprisal for bold criminal justice reforms. The Aug. 18 election will determine whether her successor builds on her legacy or backtracks.

“Maybe we do teach the liberal bastions how things can be done by these country bumpkins over here,” said one winning candidate.

Governor Kim Reynolds’ executive order restores the voting rights of tens of thousands of people. But it will also leave many Iowans disenfranchised, and little time remains before the November election.

From Aug. 4 to Aug. 8, keep an eye on Arizona, Hawaii, Kansas, Michigan, and Missouri.

In this Arizona county with over one million residents, two career prosecutors are facing off against a former public defender in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary, which will decide the election.

Their move breaches expectations of a monolithic law enforcement perspective, which in the past has helped DA associations push a punitive agenda.

Running in one of Hawaii’s two open elections for prosecutor, a public defender wants the state to take a progressive turn.

Kim Gardner has an Aug. 4 rematch against a former prosecutor whom she defeated four years ago, but the terrain has shifted significantly since 2016.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has taken a hardline approach toward people sentenced to life without parole as minors. Her challenger says no children should be sentenced to life.

Fresh off of his likely victory, Jamaal Bowman talks about defunding the NYPD and cutting down the criminal legal system.

A referendum to expand Medicaid may be a turning point for a state with some of the worst health outcomes related to substance use.

The Travis County DA lost resoundingly to a progressive advocate who ran on shrinking the mission of criminal justice and not prosecuting low-level drug cases.

Voters in Fort Worth will decide on Tuesday whether to renew a sales tax that funds the police, and local advocates want people to “reimagine” which public services boost safety.

All three candidates said they would commit to reducing the Arizona prison population if elected, though their visions of the role of the county attorney’s office diverge.