A special election will soon be underway to succeed Republican Elise Stefanik after she’s confirmed as ambassador to the United Nations, but New York Democrats are considering delaying it from April to June—or possibly even later. On this week’s episode of The Downballot podcast, David Beard and guest host Joe Sudbay break down the implications of Empire State Democrats finding a backbone. We also discuss big decisions by potential candidates in Michigan and Ohio, which will have both Senate and governor races next year.

We’re also talking to Campaign Legal Center Executive Director Adav Noti for an update on the state of campaign finance in 2024—and it’s not great! We discuss how Citizens United and the appointment of an anti-enforcement Democratic commissioner on the FEC led to the Wild West of campaign finance we know today. However, we also look at some positive laws and changes at the state level and discuss how reform could move forward at the federal level in the future.

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