Welcome to Your State Page Playbooks

Thomas is tracking issues in each of our 50 great states, and you can view them here - all of the latest insight and analysis from your hometown area. We will keep these state pages updated by noting when and where that happens. Some features are exclusive to our Premium Subscribers, but many of these articles here are available to you at no additional cost. You are welcome to subscribe if you would like - we would, too.

To view your home state page, click on the state name below.

Here’s to your America, America!

California

California is America’s dream and its warning, an engine of innovation, culture, and climate ambition, but also a flashpoint for homelessness, affordability crises, and political gridlock. With the 2026 governor’s race looming, the stakes are high for a state that often sets the national agenda. From Silicon Valley to Hollywood, from drought-stricken farms to wildfire-prone forests, California embodies both opportunity and vulnerability. Readers should expect a state where bold ideas collide with complex realities, where independents are rising as a political force, and where the choices ahead will determine whether the Golden State continues to shine or begins to tarnish.

Florida

Florida is more than beaches and theme parks. It’s a proving ground for America’s political, cultural, and economic battles. From the upcoming 2026 governor’s race to the relentless debates over property taxes, insurance reform, and education, Florida often tests policies and ideas before they spread nationally. The Sunshine State is experiencing a surge in population and tourism, yet struggles with housing affordability, healthcare access, climate resilience, and gridlocked transportation. Readers should expect Florida to remain a state of contrasts, where opportunity and crisis collide, where independents play an outsized role in shaping elections, and where the choices made today could redefine America’s tomorrow.

Maryland

Maryland is a state of promise and paradox. Anchored by the power corridors of Washington, D.C., and the cultural heart of Baltimore, it boasts wealth, world-class universities, and some of the nation’s strongest healthcare institutions. Yet it also struggles with deep inequities, from failing schools and urban crime to rural hospital closures and housing pressures in its booming suburbs. With Governor Wes Moore pledging bold reform and the Chesapeake Bay under constant environmental strain, Maryland stands at a crossroads. Readers should expect a state where prosperity and poverty coexist, where independent voters can shape outcomes, and where the choices ahead will determine whether the “Free State” can free itself from old divides and lead with innovation.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire fiercely guards its “First in the Nation” identity, but the state’s future rests on more than political tradition. With no sales or income tax, residents rely on high property taxes that strain communities, while housing costs and opioid addiction test local resilience. The departure of Governor Chris Sununu opens a new political chapter, and independents, who make up the largest share of voters, will once again decide the state’s direction. Readers should expect New Hampshire to remain a model of civic independence and pragmatism, even as it faces demographic shifts, energy costs, and national battles that reach deep into local politics.

New York

New York is the state that never sleeps, and it never stops testing the limits of American politics and policy. With the 2026 governor’s race and the high-stakes New York City mayoral contest on the horizon, leadership choices will shape not just the state but the nation. The Empire State is a study in extremes: Wall Street wealth versus working-class struggle, cultural leadership versus fiscal instability, urban revival versus population decline. Readers should expect New York to remain a stage where local issues, such as crime, housing, taxes, and migration, take on national significance, and where the balance between tradition and transformation will determine whether the Empire State rises or recedes.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is the hinge of American democracy, a battleground that decides national elections and a state where economic revival and political polarization collide. With Governor Josh Shapiro raising his national profile and the 2026 contests ahead, Pennsylvania faces defining challenges: aging infrastructure, school funding inequities, the opioid crisis, and the tension between energy production and climate commitments. The Keystone State mirrors the nation’s divides - urban versus rural, east versus west, red versus blue - yet it also holds the potential to bridge them. Readers should expect Pennsylvania to remain the ultimate swing state, where independent voters often determine outcomes and where the choices made locally echo across the country.

Texas

Texas is big in size, ambition, and influence, and its choices ripple far beyond its borders. With the 2026 governor’s race already shaping up, the state is confronting defining tests: a fragile electric grid, record-breaking migration at the border, rising property taxes, and sharp divides over education, guns, and healthcare. At the same time, Texas is a magnet for businesses, families, and innovation, with energy and technology driving explosive growth. Readers should expect Texas to remain both a model and a warning: a state where prosperity collides with polarization, and where independents may one day determine whether the Lone Star shines brighter or flickers under strain.

Vermont

Vermont is proud of its independence, small-town values, and natural beauty, but beneath the postcard image, the state faces mounting pressures. With one of the oldest populations in the country, workforce shortages, a worsening housing crisis, and climate shocks like the 2023 floods, Vermont must adapt quickly to preserve its way of life. Agriculture and dairy traditions are struggling, while healthcare and education costs climb, straining families and rural communities. Readers should expect Vermont to remain a state where civic independence defines politics, but where the choices made in Montpelier will determine whether the Green Mountain State thrives on resilience or slips further into demographic and economic decline.

Virginia

Virginia is where America’s past collides with its future. From Jamestown to Jefferson, it is steeped in history, yet today it stands at the center of modern political and cultural divides. With the 2026 governor’s race on the horizon, the state’s balance between progressive suburbs in Northern Virginia, conservative rural communities, and shifting urban centers will define its direction. Transportation gridlock, rising housing costs, and education battles reflect the tensions of a rapidly changing state. Readers should expect Virginia to remain a national bellwether, where independent voters often hold the deciding power and where choices made in Richmond can shape both regional and national outcomes.

Washington

Washington is often seen as America’s progressive laboratory, home to booming tech giants, green energy ambition, and a culture of innovation. Yet beneath its reputation for prosperity and progress lies a harsher reality: a housing affordability crisis, rising homelessness, crime concerns in Seattle and beyond, and deep divides between its urban hubs and rural communities. With the 2026 governor’s race approaching and voters growing restless, Washington must prove whether it can deliver on its ideals while managing rapid change. Readers should expect a state where big ideas collide with stubborn challenges, and where independents may help chart a more pragmatic path forward.