It’s no surprise that results in the races for the Senate and House dominated headlines this week.
But as Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said, “states are the laboratories of democracy” — the policies therein being crafted by state legislatures and, of course, governors.
This week, 36 states picked their governors. Those leaders, old and new, will help shape everything from state budgets to abortion access.
Voters across the country also weighed in on 145 proposed laws and constitutional amendments, considering everything from new taxes to transgender sports bans and voter ID mandates. We sit down with a panel of experts to talk about these results.
Guests:
- Reid Wilson, founder and editor, Pluribus News
- Jessica Taylor, Senate and governors editor, The Cook Political Report
- Stephen Fowler, political reporter, NPR
- Lucia Starbuck, journalist, KUNR
Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
This episode originally aired and was published on the1a.org on Nov. 4, 2026. Learn more about 1A on KUNR FM.
