Good morning, it’s Monday, October 27, 2025. In today’s edition, tech regulation hits the campaign trail; DOJ sends election monitors to Calif., N.J.; Republicans hit snags in redistricting plans:
Top Stories
TECHNOLOGY: Tech regulation is coming to the campaign trail. New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill (D) is running on an “online safety agenda,” calling for new protections for children and teenagers and policies to combat online extremism.
Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones (D) has endorsed social media warning labels and Age-Appropriate Design Code laws. Republican candidates in Wisconsin and Minnesota are also promoting online safety measures on the campaign trail. (Pluribus News)
The flip side: Tech companies have been spending big lobbying dollars for two decades. AI companies and the crypto industry are getting involved too, pressuring states to leave them to their own devices. Big Tech is the new Big Oil.
ELECTIONS: The Department of Justice will send federal election observers to California and New Jersey at the request of state Republican parties, the agency said Friday. Monitors will head to polling places in Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Riverside and Fresno counties in California, and Passaic County, N.J. Democrats in both states objected to what they called “election interference.” (Associated Press)
REDISTRICTING: Republicans in Indiana and Kansas say they don’t have the votes to pass new GOP-friendly maps in their states. More than a dozen Indiana Senate Republicans are averse to a redistricting plan, while Kansas Republicans are struggling to compile the two-thirds they need to force a special session. (Associated Press)
Meanwhile, Virginia lawmakers meet today to kick off a long-shot redistricting bid to help Democrats. And U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) will meet Illinois lawmakers today to push them to draw new boundaries. (NBC Chicago)
IMMIGRATION: Ohio Reps. Josh Williams (R) and D.J. Swearingen (R) have introduced legislation barring individuals from hindering the arrest of a suspect in a crime. The measure is meant to deter obstructing ICE agents from making immigration-related arrests. (State Affairs)
ECONOMY: The Pennsylvania Senate has approved legislation to fast-track permit reviews for economic development projects. The measure builds on a similar law approved last year that fast-tracked permits through the Department of Environmental Protection. (State Affairs)
ENVIRONMENT: The Pennsylvania House Energy Committee is hearing testimony on a bill to authorize the Public Utility Commission to develop regulations to protect ratepayers from energy costs tied to data centers. The bill would require security deposits from data center operators and require them to curtail use during emergencies. (State Affairs)
In Politics & Business
CALIFORNIA: A new Emerson College poll finds businessman Steve Hilton (R) and former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter (D) leading the gubernatorial field at 16% and 15%. County Sheriff Chad Bianco (R) clocks in at 11%, while former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) and former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra (D) take 5% apiece. (Emerson)
The same poll shows Prop. 50 passing with 57% of the vote, while 37% oppose the measure.
NEW JERSEY: Early voting has begun in the race for governor. Spending in the race between U.S. Rep. Sherrill and former Assemb. Jack Ciattarelli (R) is expected to top $200 million, making this year’s contest the most expensive in state history. (NJ Advance Media)
Early voting kicked off Saturday in New York City, where about a third of voters cast early ballots ahead of the June primary. (State of Politics) A new Victory Insights poll shows Assemb. Zohran Mamdani (D) leading the filed with 47%, ahead of 29% for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (I) and 16% for activist Curtis Sliwa. (Victory Insights)
2028: Both California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and former Vice President Kamala Harris are hinting at presidential bids. Newsom said on CBS News Sunday Morning he would consider a bid after the midterms. Harris told the BBC she’s not done with public service. (Los Angeles Times)
Also in the news: Sky blue, water wet. More at 11.
CRIME BLOTTER: Former Tennessee Rep. Robin Smith (R) has been sentenced to eight months in federal prison for her role in a corruption conspiracy. Smith pleaded guilty in 2022 to one count of honest services wire fraud. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
By The Numbers
More than 12,000: The number of comments North Carolina voters sent to state lawmakers over a redistricting plan that became law last week. The lion’s share of the comments opposed the remap plan. (Associated Press)
1,625: The number of federal workers applying for unemployment benefits in Washington State since the beginning of the government shutdown. (Washington State Standard)
Off The Wall
Americans are expected to spend a record $13.1 billion on Halloween this year, according to the National Retail Federation. That tops the previous record of $12.2 billion set in 2023. Costume prices have risen 20% to 25% because of tariffs, the group said. (Colorado Public Radio)
Candies made of chocolate account for 44% of Halloween candy sold in the U.S. this year, down from 52% last year. Poor harvests in West Africa have caused chocolate prices to more than quadruple between 2023 and 2025. (Associated Press)
The Montana Department of Transportation has rolled out a $600,000 simulator to prepare plow truck drivers for the winter season. The nine new drivers who will hit the highways this year said they loved the experience. (KPAX)
Quote of the Day
“I haven’t driven in seven years now, which is crazy, so I’ll need a driving course again before they set me free.”
— Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), on her plans to tour national parks in Western states after her term ends. (State Affairs)