News about elections

New Zealand's services sector kept expanding in September for a fourth straight month, though growth remained weak amid cost pressures and election uncertainty. The BNZ-BusinessNZ Performance of Services Index edged down to 50.9 from 51 in August, still above the 50-point line separating expansion from contraction. Businesses remain cautious ahead of the Nov. 7 general election, citing fuel prices, interest rates and cost-of-living pressures. New orders and inventories were the strongest sub-indices, while employment and supplier deliveries were weak, highlighting a narrow recovery. BNZ Senior Economist Doug Steel said the expansion was notable after two years of contraction, but it lagged well behind manufacturing.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll of 4,506 U.S. adults found most Americans oppose betting on election results through prediction markets, with 69% of Democrats and 61% of Republicans opposed. Even betting on professional sports drew opposition from 43% of respondents, versus 29% who supported it. The industry, led by Polymarket and Kalshi, is embroiled in lawsuits between states and federal agencies over who regulates these markets, as the Trump administration pursues federal rules through the CFTC while states push back. Many expect the dispute to reach the Supreme Court, and 39 states plus the District of Columbia have filed an amicus brief calling the clash a “national turf war.”

Democratic Governor Tina Kotek of Oregon is fighting for a second term in November, despite being favored to win, as widespread voter discontent weighs on her. Her approval rating is dismal, and voters give her poor marks on promises to build 36,000 new homes and improve education and behavioral health, while homelessness has not abated despite her pledge to make it a top priority. Republican challenger Christine Drazan, who narrowly lost to Kotek in 2022, argues that Oregon's problems are Kotek's responsibility. The article notes that Oregon, a progressive stronghold where Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump by more than 14 percentage points in 2024, is an exception to the broader trend that favors Democrats.

Daniel Fontaine's Progressives party won the New Westminster mayoral race and nearly swept city council and the school board, with Fontaine defeating incumbent mayor Patrick Johnstone by 2,233 votes. Johnstone's Community First party, which had held four of six council seats and six of seven trustee seats, was almost wiped out, while the Progressives now hold the mayor's office, five councillor seats and six trustee seats. Fontaine, a Métis from southern Manitoba, becomes the city's first Indigenous mayor and pledged to build a more economically vibrant city, invest in housing affordability, public safety, parks and infrastructure, and keep tax increases within inflation. Douglas College communications professor Sam Schechter said voters will expect change, and the downtown core, especially Columbia Street, was a key campaign issue.