HAPPENING AT 1 P.M. ET TODAY: Join NCSL chief executive Tim Storey for a deep dive into this year’s Legislative Summit in Chicago. Register for free right here.
Good morning, it’s Wednesday, July 22, 2026. In today’s edition, we’re rating governor’s races; midterms represent test of deepfake election laws; Biggs wins GOP primary in Arizona:
Top Stories
GOVERNORS: In our second round of gubernatorial ratings, we take a look at the nine contests that are likely — but not certain — to stick with the incumbent party. And that includes two states in which the governor’s party will get a boost when the incumbent retires (Minnesota) or loses his own primary (Rhode Island). Check out our next nine races right here.
Coming tomorrow: The nine hottest governor’s races of the year.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: This year’s midterm elections represent the first major test of new state laws meant to police the use of AI in campaign materials. Election deepfake laws are on the books in 31 states as of this month. Most require the disclosure of AI’s use in ads, and many give candidates targeted by non-compliant ads recourse in the courts. Some candidates are testing laws that include exemptions for satire or parody. (Pluribus News)
ELECTIONS: A software error at the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission led to about 6,600 non-citizens being added to the voter rolls between June 2023 and June 2024, Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) said in a statement. Fewer than 400 of those individuals ultimately cast a ballot. Sherrill said she ordered the removal of non-citizen voters from the rolls. (New Jersey Globe)
MEDICAID: The Trump administration said Tuesday it would withhold an additional $1 billion in Medicaid funds to California and Minnesota over suspected fraud. The administration said the money would remain on hold until the states can provide proof that certain claims were legitimate. A federal judge declined to intervene in an earlier administration decision to withhold funding. (New York Times)
ENERGY: The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has dropped proposed plans to allow data centers to discharge wastewater into public waters after significant public backlash. Most data centers send wastewater to municipal treatment systems and don’t require direct discharge permits. (State Affairs)
MARIJUANA: A measure to repeal Massachusetts’ adult-use recreational marijuana laws will appear on November’s ballot after the State Ballot Law Commission overruled an objection to nominating signatures. The objection, brought by supporters of legal marijuana, argued that hundreds of signatures were invalid because of stray marks or potential fraud. (State Affairs)
In Politics & Business
ARIZONA: U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs (R) scored 73% of the vote to win the Republican gubernatorial nomination Tuesday, setting up a showdown with Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) in November. State Rep. Alexander Kolodin (R) took 60% to win the Republican nomination for Secretary of State. And former Treasurer Kimberly Yee (R) leads Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne (R) in the race for Horne’s job by a 53% to 47% margin, though the race has yet to be called. (State Affairs)
MAINE: A new University of New Hampshire survey finds former House Speaker Hannah Pingree (D) leading former Trump administration official Bobby Charles (R) by a 49% to 35% margin, while state Sen. Rick Bennett (I) takes 6%. All three candidates have net-negative favorable ratings. (UNH)
MINNESOTA: MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell leads a new SurveyUSA poll of Republican primary voters with 35%, ahead of House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R) at 26% and businessman Kendall Qualls (R) at 11%. Lindell jumped eight points from last month’s survey after winning President Trump’s endorsement. (KSTP)
KENTUCKY: Former House Minority Leader Rocky Adkins, a top advisor to Gov. Andy Beshear (D), will run for governor in 2027. He will face Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman (D), who entered the race in April. (Kentucky Lantern)
CRIME BLOTTER: A Helena jury has found former Senate President Jason Ellsworth (R) guilty of a misdemeanor charge of official misconduct for awarding $170,000 in no-bid contracts to a company represented by a long-time business associate. Ellsworth faces a potential six-month jail sentence. (Montana Free Press)
By The Numbers
7,133: The number of new first-time jobless claims filed in Florida last week, a more than 50% jump from the year before. Nationally, jobless claims jumped by 8.3% week-over-week. (Florida Politics)
2,295: The number of measles cases in the United States this year, surpassing the total number of cases reported in all of 2025. The number of measles cases is already at a 35-year high. South Carolina, Utah, Texas, Florida and Arizona have reported the most measles cases this year. (Axios)
Off The Wall
Teremana Tequila, a New York-based spirits company, unveiled the world’s longest foosball table at an event in Brooklyn last week. The 525-foot long table, the size of 112 standard-size foosball tables, won recognition from a Guinness World Records adjudicator on hand to measure it. (UPI)
An expedition has found the wreckage of a Pan Am flight that crashed into the waters off Puerto Rico 74 years ago. The “Clipper Endeavor,” which crashed in 1952, was discovered using high-resolution sonar to locate the wreckage 2,000 feet under water. (CNN)
Quote of the Day
“Hindsight is always 20/20. But this is the position that we’re in.”
— Michigan Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D), after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) vetoed nine bills passed 18 months ago when Democrats controlled both chambers of the legislature. Whitmer blamed House Republicans for refusing to transmit the bills to her desk for a year and a half. (State Affairs)