special election
The first congressional election since Trump's inauguration is happening Tuesday in Kansas
The 4th District in south-central Kansas is solidly red, but Democrats, energized by the fact they turned 12 seats in the state legislature blue in 2016, are hopeful that their candidate in Tuesday's special election will come out on top.
The election will replace Mike Pompeo, who became director of the CIA after President Trump's inauguration; in the last three congressional elections, Pompeo's Democratic challengers received just 30 percent of the vote, KMUW reports. Facing off are Democrat James Thompson, a civil rights attorney and Army vet who backs unions, has grassroots support, and was inspired to run by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Republican Ron Estes, the state treasurer and former Sedgwick County treasurer who was an early and outspoken Trump supporter and promises to cut regulations.
Trump has recorded a robocall for Estes, and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) held a rally for him on Monday afternoon; an internal GOP poll last week showed Estes ahead by single digits in the district Trump carried by 27 points, The New York Times reports.
This is the first congressional election of the Trump era, but there's another upcoming election that's getting more attention — and more money. The race in Georgia's 6th district, in suburban Atlanta, will replace Tom Price, the new Health and Human Services secretary. There are four Republicans and one Democrat, Jon Ossoff, in the running, and Ossoff has raised more than $8 million. Although this should be a safe Republican seat, Ossoff is performing strongly, and should he win 50 percent of the vote on April 18, there won't even be a runoff election.