Around one-in-five candidates for Congress or governor this year are veterans
21% of the roughly 1,000 candidates for U.S. Senate, House or state governor on the fall ballot claim some degree of military experience.
Nearly half of states now recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday
At the state level, governments vary considerably in how they commemorate Juneteenth, which celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S.
Americans’ Views of Government: Decades of Distrust, Enduring Support for Its Role
65% say most political candidates run for office “to serve their own personal interests.”
In some states, students account for a large and growing share of statehouse reporters
In Nebraska, 58% of all reporters covering the state capitol this year – 40 of 69 – are student reporters.
How do states fill vacancies in the U.S. Senate? It depends on the state
In the event that a Senate seat becomes vacant, governors in 46 states have the power to appoint a temporary replacement.
Nonprofit news outlets are playing a growing role in statehouse coverage
Nonprofit news reporters now account for 20% of the nation’s total statehouse press corps, up from 6% eight years ago.
Total Number of U.S. Statehouse Reporters Rises, but Fewer Are on the Beat Full Time
The total number of journalists assigned to state capitol buildings is up 11% since 2014, though figures vary widely by state. And as newspapers employ fewer statehouse reporters, nonprofits are filling much of the void.
The number of full-time statehouse reporters at U.S. newspapers has declined 34% since 2014
There are 245 newspaper reporters who cover the statehouse full time in 2022 in the United States, down from 374 in 2014.
Increasing Public Criticism, Confusion Over COVID-19 Response in U.S.
Americans are increasingly critical of the response to COVID-19 from elected officeholders and public health officials. Positive ratings of public health officials, such as those at the CDC, have fallen 10 points since August. And 60% of U.S. adults say they’ve felt confused as a result of changes to recommendations on how to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Americans Are Less Likely Than Before COVID-19 To Want To Live in Cities, More Likely To Prefer Suburbs
Nearly half of U.S. adults say the pandemic has driven people in their community apart. Many see a long road to recovery: About one-in-five say life in their community will never get back to the way it was before COVID-19.
