Your Hometown Elections

People wait in line to vote in the Georgia's primary election on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.
( Brynn Anderson / AP Images )

Brian: For our last few minutes, today our last 15 minutes or so, we will open up the phones on the question, what elections outside our greater New York area are you following for this election day? 212-433-WNYC. This is for those of you following elections, maybe back in your hometown or just a little outside our core listening area or your home state really far away. 212-433-WNYC, 433-9692. Or it can be, even if you have no personal ties, but you're following a candidate's race or a ballot question somewhere other than here, what election story from where and why that the rest of our listeners might be interested in knowing about?

212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692, call or text. There are various reasons we ask for. One thing, while this isn't a presidential election year or even midterms, 2024 is just around the corner, and this year's elections will tell us a lot about the country's mood heading into the coming year. In fact, I'll take this opportunity again to promote that I will be here tomorrow night, election night at eight o'clock for an election night Politics Junkie Special.

You might look at it as, where we're going to talk about not just the things that are on the ballot in New York and New Jersey, and maybe elsewhere right now for this year, but the implications for Congress and Presidential in 2024 for New York City Mayor and New Jersey gubernatorial for 2025. We are going to learn some things that have implications tomorrow night for how these campaigns should be run, the hot campaign for control of Congress. Certainly, we know that runs through the New York suburbs, just to take one example.

So that's tomorrow night at 8:00, but some very consequential votes are taking place in areas that don't get much local coverage around here from other parts of the country. Help us report this year's election day story as it's your chance to shine a light on a race outside of our usual listening area. 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. One that I'll mention that I know is really important is the abortion rights ballot question in Ohio. Who's following that? Hello, Columbus. Hello, Cleveland. Hello, Cincinnati. You're out there today? 212-433-WNYC, but other ones too.

If you're a transplant to the Tri-State area, what's an election that you're paying attention to in your hometown of origin or home state of origin? Or conversely, maybe you've moved away from New York City and you're living somewhere else in the country now, but you still listen to the show. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Is there a race in your new home that you think is just interesting or has broader implications outside of that local jurisdiction? 212-433-WNYC. In the south, to give you another example or two real quick, there's a number of gubernatorial races that could yield surprising results, democrats in Mississippi.

Mississippi are looking for an upset against the incumbent Republican governor there, Tate Reeves, who's got low approval ratings, Brandon Presley in the deep red state of Mississippi is the challenger. Opposite, Kentucky Republicans are looking to retake the Governor's mansion and a face-off between the incumbent Andy Beshear. Yes, Kentucky has a Democratic governor and the State's Attorney General Daniel Cameron. There are a lot of examples out there.

You tell us, you tell the rest of our listeners, what's an election that we may not be following very much in the greater New York area, but is happening elsewhere in the country that's worth talking about. 212-433-WNYC, call or text 212-433-9692. We'll take your calls right after this.

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Brian: Brian Lehrer on WNYC, now to your calls informing listeners around here about elections that are taking place tomorrow and places not around here. 212-433-WNYC. Gary in Virginia Beach, Virginia, you're on WNYC. Thanks for calling Gary, hi.

Gary: Hey, good morning, Brian. It's great to speak with you. Did you identify myself as from Virginia Beach? I'm from Jersey City and Virginia Beach, where both in New Jersey and Virginia, we have elections for a state senate and state assembly in New Jersey, House of Delegates in Virginia. It is striking in following the coverage in both states, how all the outside money is poured into just a handful of competitive districts. The lion's share of the districts, including the one where I live in Jersey City and the one where my second home is in Virginia Beach, are not at all competitive. It's a foregone conclusion.

Really, election day is framed as decision day for voters, but at least at the state level, so many of the outcomes are predetermined when the electoral maps are drawn.

Brian: Gary, thank you very much. Yes, gerrymandering and the interest of the power of both parties sometimes, or whichever party has the most power in the interest of itself leaving many districts and state legislatures uncompetitive, but I think Beryl on the upper West side is also calling about the Virginia legislature and may have a different take. Beryl, you're on WNYC. Hello.

Beryl: Hi. A very close friend of mine lives in Alexandria, Virginia, and she's been actively campaigning for Democratic candidates for the legislature there. The governor Glenn Youngkin, he's really actively anti-abortion and making all kinds of proposals of a book ban and parental control, all kinds of things that liberal left Democrats are totally opposed to. I think it's seen as if he gets the legislature, a lot of these laws are going to be passed that are going to be pretty horrible.

Brian: Is it your understanding that the legislature in Virginia is currently a democratic majority and the Republicans could take the majority and those things like abortion rights in the state could flip?

Beryl: I think that's kind of my impression. I know she's a Spanberger or-- I mean, there are a few-- and women, a few candidates who's-

Brian: Abigail Span-- yes, she's a member of Congress.

Beryl: -been very successful in the past, and I know, but it seems like it's possible that he'll be able to get enough control and I'm not sure of the details, but she's really actively campaigning.

Brian: Beryl, thank you. Sounds like if Governor Youngkin in Virginia does have a democratic state legislature and that's in the balance tomorrow, that's a big, big deal. Michael in Greenwich, Connecticut calling about a ballot question in Maine, right, Michael?

Michael: Yes.

Brian: Hi.

Michael: Hi, how are you? In Maine, they are voting on whether or not to kick out the two commercial for-profit energy companies. The big one is Central Maine Power and the other one is Versant and whether or not to replace them with a municipally owned and operated electrical utility. That's just a big thing I think that's happening in Maine. I think this is the first one, the first state to do this. I think Nebraska has municipal power. Other than that, there's a few places throughout the country that has it, but [crosstalk] big deal.

Brian: What are the implications of that as you see it?

Michael: I think the big one is that no longer would they be schlepping money out of the State of Maine. Right now, I think Versant is like a-- I want to say a Dutch company or a Belgian company or something. I forget who owns Central Maine Power, but they both are located outside the State of Maine. Basically, all that money goes out of the State of Maine. The big thing is that as far as workers go, the new utility would then hire all of the Central Maine Power and Versant line workers. All the executives would be out of a job, boohoo, and it would be run by a board that would be appointed or you'd vote for them, I believe.

Brian: Right. You think more in the public interest to have that kind of board?

Michael: Absolutely, yes.

Brian: Michael, thank you very much. Sounds like that has implications for other places. Alexis in the East Village, watching Ohio, right, Alexis?

Alexis: Yes. I'm a reproductive biologist and I've just returned from our national meeting. Our national organization had us writing postcards to Ohio voters to vote yes on Proposition 1, which is protecting reproductive rights for people of Ohio and it's a very important proposition on the ballot there.

Brian: Yes. I know there's been some coverage that says, even though reproductive rights, abortion rights, referenda have succeeded, even in some very conservative states since the Dobbs decision that Ohio looks like it's not so automatic. It's really important for people, I guess, on any side of that issue to get out there vote, right?

Alexis: Yes. Also, they wrote the proposal in such a way to make it confusing. It's really important that people understand their rights are on the ballot, right there. Number one.

Brian: Right there.

Alexis: Yes, for Ohio voters.

Brian: Question number one. Alexis, thank you. One more. James in Lindenhurst, Long Island, but calling about something in Pennsylvania. James, you're on WNYC. Hello.

James: Hello, Brian, how are you? Alexa, shut up. I'm concerned about the 24 elect--

Brian: [chuckles] Oh, talk to her more nicely than that. Anyway, go ahead.

James: [chuckles] That's my Irish way. Sorry, Brian. I just wanted to remind your listeners about the state election in Pennsylvania. It's a activate for Supreme Court judge and it's an important in terms of the 24 presidential election.

Brian: Because if, let's say, Trump tries to pull the same shenanigans at the state level, flipping the real election result, it may matter a lot who's on the state Supreme Court, right?

James: Absolutely right. Now, it's democratic, but it can swing around. MUSIC - Marden Hill: Hijack

Brian: James, thank you very much. James gets the last word after telling Alexis, whoever Alexis is to shut up, which we don't tell you. Oh, Alexa. Oh, Alexa. Oh, well, Alex-- Oh, he was talking to-- Oh, my producer, Mary, just said he was talking to Alexa. Oh, you can tell Alexa to shut up. That's The Brian Lehrer Show for today. Produced by Mary Croke, Lisa Allison, Amina Srna, Carl Boisrond, and Esperanza Rosenbaum. We had Milton Ruiz at the audio controls today. I'm Brian Lehrer, stay tuned for Alison.

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