Democrat Chasity Verret Martinez secured a decisive victory in a special election for a Louisiana state House seat on Saturday, winning in a district that President Trump had carried by 13 points in 2024, according to CBS News. Martinez garnered 62% of the vote, compared to her Republican opponent Brad Daigle's 38%, based on unofficial results from the Louisiana Secretary of State. This win, while not a seat flip as Democrats already held the seat, was seen as a prime pickup opportunity for Republicans.
The special election was triggered by the appointment of the former Democratic state representative to a commissioner position within the state's Department of Alcohol and Tobacco by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, as reported by CBS News. Martinez's win represented a significant 37-point swing from the 2024 results, according to the same source.
In other political developments, Japan's ruling party, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, was projected to secure a majority in Sunday's snap election, according to BBC World. Exit polls suggested the LDP-led coalition would win as many as 366 seats out of a total of 465. This success comes just four months after Takaichi became the Liberal Democrat Party (LDP) leader. The BBC also reported that Thailand held an early election pitting reformists against conservatives. The election was called after several coalition governments collapsed, leading to three prime ministers in as many years.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department has been struggling to recruit prosecutors, losing approximately 8% of its workforce between November 2024 and November 2025, according to data from the Office of Personnel Management, as reported by the New York Times. A former chief of staff to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chad Mizelle, posted an online "help wanted" sign last weekend, possibly explaining why so many valuable Justice Department staff members have left, and why few candidates want in, according to the NY Times.
In other news, a former Planned Parenthood clinic director announced plans to release a documentary exposing what she describes as the abortion industry's "dirtiest secrets," according to Fox News. Abby Johnson, author of "Unplanned" and founder and CEO of And Then There Were None and ProLove Ministries, told Fox News Digital that the film, "Unthinkable," would be "the biggest ever exposé of the abortion industry." She added that she hoped it would "shake the foundation of the pro-abortion movement, and honestly, the pro-life movement, as well."
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