Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

David Nir

@davidnir.com

10K followers 21 following 1.4K posts

Publisher, @the-downballot.com. davidnir (at) the-downballot (dot) com Our site: https://the-downballot.com

the-downballot.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

David Nir @davidnir.com · Aug 13

Something I love about running a tiny independent media outlet that's beholden only to our readers: We get to do awesome public service journalism like this.

Don't get me wrong—this redistricting war is terrible. But we don't have to worry about clicks or shareholders. We just do work that matters.

The Downballot @the-downballot.com · Aug 13

The new redistricting wars triggered by Trump & the GOP have unleashed a torrent of news. To help keep track of it all, we've published a guide to the latest developments in every state—28 in all—and we'll update it every time there’s something new to report.

You'll want to bookmark this one —>

The Downballot’s live guide to redistricting in every state

As states move forward with mid-decade redraws, we're continually updating this tracker

www.the-downballot.com

1 16 43

David Nir @davidnir.com · 8m

Good on the federal court hearing the challenge to Alabama's Senate map for making it easy for non-parties to submit proposed remedial plans. It can often be difficult for non-litigants to access dockets or even attorneys. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

6. To ensure a central record as to the Special Master process, all parties and
other interested persons shall file their proposals on the miscellaneous docket sheet
for In Re Redistricting 2025, 2:25-mc-1682-AMM (N.D. Ala.), which is listed
second in the header of this order. The filings will include only the miscellaneous
header and shall not be docketed on the docket sheet for the underlying case
(Alabama State Conference of the NAACP). If an interested non-party desires to
submit a proposal but is unable to access the docket sheet, that person may contact
the Court at manasco_chambers@alnd.uscourts.gov. The Court will forward
submissions it receives to the Special Master and his team.

1 2

Reposted by David Nir

David Nir @davidnir.com · 15h

Me 'n' @atrupar.com tried to tell the people last week!

12 110 560

David Nir @davidnir.com · 2h

Sweet lord. First off, Aaron was making a joke. Second, he wasn't questioning *who won* in the Nov. 2020 election. He was joking about the GOP pretending as though Biden was *president* in the year 2020. Trump was still in the WH, but the GOP likes to blame Biden for stuff that happened that year.

1 13

Reposted by David Nir

The Downballot @the-downballot.com · 3h

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul's decision to seek reelection means Democrats won't need to defend an open seat—and it could encourage more to enter the race for governor.

Morning Digest: Wisconsin's top lawyer passes on governor's race to seek reelection

Josh Kaul's decision could encourage other Democrats to run instead

www.the-downballot.com

5 13

David Nir @davidnir.com · 2h

Another day, another poll showing more Americans blame the GOP for the shutdown than Democrats. This latest is from @navigatorsurvey.bsky.social. navigatorresearch.org/government-s...

2 10

David Nir @davidnir.com · 13h

2 2 19

Reposted by David Nir

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 14h

Boston Globe. “Longstanding policy” is federal law passed in 2019. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/07/n...

27 170 690

Reposted by David Nir

The Downballot @the-downballot.com · 14h

An interesting observation from @donnermaps.bsky.social: Compared to the 2024 primaries in #TN07 (which were both uncontested), Dem turnout increased 38% while GOP turnout increased by a smaller 15%.

Overall, GOP turnout was 36,854, Dem turnout was 31,002.

1 14 62

David Nir @davidnir.com · 15h

Me 'n' @atrupar.com tried to tell the people last week!

12 110 560

David Nir @davidnir.com · 16h

Jeez, wtf. And, that reporter is ... not bright.

"What do you say to the 40% of California voters who you'll need in order to win who voted for Trump?"

It feels like she thinks all votes are not created equal & that a Porter win would only be legitimate if she wins Trump voters, too.

2 9

David Nir @davidnir.com · 16h

Scatman Crothers (b. 1910) was the voice of Jazz on Transformers.

2 1 18

Reposted by David Nir

The Downballot @the-downballot.com · 21h

Folks in the media world: Do you have any experience with this site, which says it charges $26 a month for access to LexisNexis news sources? www.expertaccess.org

Home - ExpertAccess

www.expertaccess.org

5 5

David Nir @davidnir.com · 23h

This is funny

Reposted by David Nir

The Downballot @the-downballot.com · 1d

We've had several updates this month—including a couple of new ones today—for our live redistricting tracker, which will keep you up to date on what's going on in *every* state.

Bookmark it here --> www.the-downballot.com/p/the-downba...

Latest Updates

Nebraska: Republican Gov. Jim Pillen expresses openness to redraw, but GOP would face serious obstacles. (Oct. 7)

Utah: Republicans pass new map, but it must win court approval first. (Oct. 7)

Kansas: Republicans start circulating petition to convene a special session of the legislature. (Oct. 1)

1 9 18

Reposted by David Nir

Lisa Needham @snipy.bsky.social · 1d

holy shit this is so good and so spot-on

This is the glass cliff to end all glass cliffs. You're Marissa Mayer at Yahoo without the Googler street cred. You're Nancy Dubuc at Vice without the string of hit TV shows. You're Linda Yaccarino at Twitter without the advertiser relationships. You have been hired as a sop to a Trump administration that is actively hostile to the actual free press, and you will be made to oversee wave after wave of layoffs until you quit or get fired and the entire news division is shut down in a final spasm of cost-cutting after the next inescapable media merger.

3 30 98

Reposted by David Nir

The Downballot @the-downballot.com · 1d

GOP leaders told Rep. Wesley Hunt's donors to tell him to "stop wasting donor resources on Senate posturing." One of Hunt's own colleagues called him "the least liked out of everybody" in the Texas delegation. Hunt has reportedly "pissed off the White House." He's running for Senate anyway.

Morning Digest: A third congressman the GOP wanted to stay put is now running statewide

Democrats would be delighted if Wesley Hunt's entry proves a boon for Ken Paxton

www.the-downballot.com

3 3 20

David Nir @davidnir.com · 1d

You don't wanna be the last Dem governor to board this train

Heather Cherone @heathercherone.bsky.social · 1d

Pritzker is also furious: “Should National Governors Association leadership choose to remain silent, Illinois will have no choice but to withdraw from the organization.”

Gov. JB Pritzker’s letter to the National Governors Association

4 31 140

David Nir @davidnir.com · 1d

So much for that bsky.app/profile/sena...

Senate Press Gallery @senatepress.bsky.social · 1d

By a vote of 52-42, the #Senate did not invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R.5371, Continuing Appropriations. (House)

Dem/Independent senators voting in favor: Cortez Masto, Fetterman, and King. GOP Senator Paul voted against .

1 1 17

Reposted by David Nir

James Hell Brooks @kleinman.bsky.social · 1d

The need for fearless. independent journalism has never been greater. Which is why I'm excited to announce that I have accepted a job to become the Head of Research at @heartlandsignal.bsky.social. We have big things in store so check us out.

40 58 800

Reposted by David Nir

The Downballot @the-downballot.com · 2d

Updating this chart because the prior version is out of date. With Mike Johnson refusing to convene the House, the soonest Democrat Adelita Grijalva can get sworn in—and provide the 218th signature to force a vote on the Epstein files—is now three weeks after winning the #AZ07 special election.

7 79 200

Reposted by David Nir

The Downballot @the-downballot.com · 2d

"I think his strongest supporter is the person who he looks at in the mirror," a GOP strategist said of Lewandowski back in 2019 during one of his past flirtations with running for office. A former GOP senator was more laconic: "He’s a thug."

The Downballot @the-downballot.com · 2d

New Hampshire Republicans have long worried that Trump apparatchik Corey Lewandowski will curse their ballots. He's now threatening to challenge Gov. Kelly Ayotte in next year's GOP primary.

Morning Digest: Trumpworld wants to primary a governor. They might get saddled with Corey Lewandowski

New Hampshire Republicans have long worried that the MAGA veteran could hurt them at the ballot box.

www.the-downballot.com

1 10 18

David Nir @davidnir.com · 2d

I never considered that the Dolchstosslegende animated a species of sports fans, but there it is.

1 5

Reposted by David Nir

Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 3d

So much Democrat and pundit handwringing about the shutdown as if they're in charge of the government.

They're not. The only possibilities are Trump makes things worse with Democratic approval or Trump makes things worse despite Democratic resistance. Don't bail him out.

My latest (on @msnbc.com):

Opinion | Democrats shouldn’t bail out Trump as the shutdown drags on

The best time for the opposition to take a stand, rather than settle for untrustworthy promises, is right now.

www.msnbc.com

30 370 1.2K

David Nir @davidnir.com · 4d

Please don’t make me read it Josh

1 17

Reposted by David Nir

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 4d

"If more and more polls continue to look like the Washington Post poll, then that really does create pressure on Republicans. And I was heartened by Jeffries expanding the message."

My full discussion w/ @davidnir.com about how Democrats are winning the shutdown: www.publicnotice.co/p/democrats-...

33 230 1.1K