* On the heels of Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco seizing election materials in pursuit of unfounded conspiracy theories, the California Supreme Court this week ordered Bianco to pause his ostensible probe into election fraud allegations.

* In Maine’s closely watched Senate race, incumbent Democratic Gov. Janet Mills no longer has campaign advertisements booked, but her team has insisted she’s remaining in the race, and the governor confirmed plans to participate in some upcoming debates and forums.

* In California’s highly competitive gubernatorial primary, billionaire Tom Steyer launched new attack ads this week targeting Rep. Eric Swalwell. It’s the first instance in this race in which one Democrat has gone negative against an intraparty rival, and it suggests that Steyer’s polling shows Swalwell as a top contender.

* On Tuesday afternoon, roughly four hours before his own self-imposed deadline to inflict mass destruction on Iran, Donald Trump took the opportunity to publish nearly two dozen endorsements in state legislative elections in Indiana. It was part of the president’s revenge campaign against GOP legislators who balked at his proposed gerrymandering scheme.

* To flip control of the Texas state House, Democrats would need a net gain of 14 seats in the fall. Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick thinks that might very well happen, telling attendees of the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s annual conference that his party is “going to have a tough time” holding onto its majority in the chamber.

* As several universities look for ways to boost student voting, they’re running into a problem: As a result of an investigation from the Trump administration’s Education Department, necessary data is no longer available.

* And in North Dakota, Democrats are facing long odds in this year’s elections, given Republican advantages in the state. But for the first time in six years, they’ll have candidates in every statewide race.

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