State Politics & News
Coverage of state politics, elections, and conservative policy battles across all 50 states shaping America’s future.
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opinion
About The Media Freakout on Voter ID in Ohio
Polling from both Heritage Action and Honest Election Project Action has shown voter ID to be extremely popular among Ohioans. Yet the Republican effort to enshrine voter ID into the state constitution is being called out by many in local mainstream media. Republicans Push Enshrining Voter ID in State Constitution First, where the effort stands… -
opinion
Democrats’ Maine Senate Gamble Raises Questions About Standards
The Democratic Party’s approach to Maine’s Senate race has sparked a debate that extends well beyond the state’s borders. At the center of the controversy is Democrat Senate candidate Graham Platner, whose campaign has been dogged by a series of damaging allegations and personal scandals. Reports have highlighted Platner’s past online activity, including the presence… -
news
13 States Failed Basic Financial Audits—Here Are the 7 Biggest Red Flags
State auditors across the country were unable to verify billions of dollars in unemployment spending, Medicaid payments, and pension obligations in federally-funded programs, according to a new report by a government watchdog group. The findings in the 2026 Financial Transparency Score report, released by the government watchdog Truth in Accounting, found that 13 states failed… -
opinion
California: The Land of Regulation
California’s punishing cost of living isn’t inevitable—it’s policy-driven. Burdensome regulations have sent housing and energy prices soaring, crushing incomes and deepening poverty. Smarter deregulation could bring back the Golden State’s long-lost affordability and historic role as a “land of opportunity.” In 2024, California had a poverty rate of 17.7%, meaning about 7 million people were… -
opinion
Driving People Out of California
When Ronald Reagan was sworn in as governor of California in 1967, the state had a population of 19,176,000, according to the Census Bureau. Eight years later, when he left that office in 1975, the state’s population had grown to 21,537,849—an increase of 2,361,849. That was not an unusual pattern for governors of the Golden… -
opinion
No Great Expectations for New Jersey’s Businesses
It was the based of times, it was the woke of times, it was the age of candor, it was the age of cant, it was the epoch of sense, it was the epoch of pretense. And it was the season when firms started moving from high-tax, high-cost blue states to freedom-loving red states. ExxonMobil’s… -
opinion
California Scheming? Golden State’s Glacial Vote Count Bolsters Case for SAVE America Act
The polls closed in California on Tuesday at 8 p.m. local time. As of Saturday, nobody knows which two candidates will be competing in November for governor or Los Angeles mayor. Indeed, mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day may stumble in for seven days until June 9—and still be counted. Thus, weeks could pass before… -
exclusive
AFP Action Continues to Fight for Sen. Jon Husted Ahead of Special Election in Ohio
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—With the midterms less than five months away, Americans for Prosperity Action is engaged in another ad campaign in support of Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, ahead of his special election. Husted, who was appointed to office by Gov. Mike DeWine in January 2025 to replace Vice President JD Vance, is facing… -
news
‘We Refuse to Be Silenced’: Turning Point Event Continues After Bomb Threat
SAN ANTONIO—Despite a bomb threat, Turning Point USA is bringing together thousands of conservative women this weekend to hear from the movement’s leading female speakers at its 11th annual Women’s Leadership Summit—and the Daily Signal is on the ground reporting live. Running today through Sunday, the summit aims to equip women to “strengthen their minds,… -
opinion
‘Moderate’ California Governor Candidate Weaponized the Law Against Conservatives on Abortion, Transgender Ideology
To hear the legacy media tell it, the sensible “middle-of-the-road” and “centrist” Xavier Becerra is likely to proceed to the runoff in the California governor race, and while he may have been the establishment pick, he’s far from moderate on abortion or transgender ideology. In fact, Becerra has an ugly record of weaponizing the law… -
news
Hilton Appears Set for Showdown With Becerra, Giving Republicans Hope in California
Trump-endorsed Fox News host Steve Hilton will likely face off against Xavier Becerra this November, leaving California conservatives hopeful that they have a shot at the first Republican governor in over a decade. California’s top-two primary system advances the two highest vote-getters to the November general election regardless of party affiliation. After months of waiting… -
analysis
Is Project 2029 Democrats’ Revenge Tour 2.0?
Nationwide, Americans are struggling with affordability, public safety, and government waste—and Democrats’ big, bold solution is a revenge tour against President Donald Trump. During a Thursday on NewsNation’s “Katie Pavlich Tonight,” Daily Signal Senior Political and Legal Analyst Mehek Cooke argued that the Democratic Party’s new agenda, “Project 2029,” focuses more on opposing Trump than… -
news
Ohio Officials Testify Before Fraud Task Force
The House Oversight Committee task force, led by Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, met on Wednesday to study Medicaid fraud in Ohio. Lawmakers heard from The Daily Wire’s Luke Rosiak, as well as Ohio Auditor Keith Faber and State Rep. Mike Dovilla. The hearing also saw a simple question from Gill nearly bring a Ohio lawmaker… -
news
‘NATIONAL EMBARRASSMENT’: Mehek Cooke Says Ohio Lacked the Political Will to Confront Medicaid Fraud
On Tuesday, Mehek Cooke, Daily Signal’s senior national security & legal analyst, testified at a hearing examining fraud within Ohio’s Medicaid system. This transcript of Cooke’s testimony has been slightly edited for clarity. Opening Statement Thank you very much for the opportunity to testify to strengthen Ohio’s Medicaid funding system so that we could prevent fraud. I… -
exclusive
EXCLUSIVE: Poll Shows Ohio Voters Support Voter ID Amendment
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—With this week’s passage of Senate Joint Resolution 10 in the state Senate, Ohioans are that much closer to voting on a ballot initiative this November that will enshrine photo voter ID into the state constitution. The passage of SJR 10, with the state House also set to vote on such… -
news
‘I Couldn’t Stay Silent’: NYT Reports Explosive Allegations Against Maine Senate Candidate Graham Platner
The hits keep coming against embattled Democrat candidate Graham Platner in the U.S. Senate race for Maine. The New York Times released a report Thursday in which former girlfriends of Platner described a disdain for women, with one alleging physical intimidation and mistreatment. Platner also allegedly made bizarre comments about how he would rape someone… -
news
Will California’s Climate Goals Make Gas More Expensive?
The war between affordability and climate activism continues to rage on in California after a recent decision by the California Air Resources Board to update its cap-and-invest program left both environmental activists and the oil industry upset. The program was first authorized in 2006 as a way to limit greenhouse gas emissions and incentivize “major… -
exclusive
DOJ FRAUD CHIEF: Fraudsters Should Fear a 6 A.M. Knock on the Door
In an exclusive interview, Daily Signal legal analyst Mehek Cooke discussed with Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald why the Justice Department launched its inaugural state partnership roundtable in Ohio, how data sharing could help investigators identify fraudsters who target multiple government programs, and why other states should join the effort. This transcript has been slightly… -
opinion
California’s Slow Roll Vote-Counting Is an Outrage
Americans should expect, at a minimum, to have elections that are free and fair, and results that are delivered promptly. But California is taking its laid-back reputation too far, failing to deliver its election results in a timely manner and creating the perception that they are neither free nor fair. Slothful election results have plagued California for… -
analysis
Panic Meeting Over Platner Reveals Dems’ Need to Change the Narrative
As the news cycle heats up with the U.S. Senate race in Maine and Democrat candidate Graham Platner, the party is searching for the right narrative. Over the weekend, The New York Times published an article detailing sexually explicit messages the candidate reportedly sent to women other than his wife while he was married. Also,…