Leading Off ● 2017: Regularly scheduled federal elections only take place in even-numbered years, but roughly three-fourths of American cities elect local offices in odd-numbered years. Daily Kos Elections has compiled a 2017 election calendar with all the key dates for this year's major local contests, and we have a lot to watch. The most prominent races are the gubernatorial contests in New Jersey, where Democrats hope that termed-out incumbent Chris Christie's massive unpopularity will give them a pickup, and in Virginia, where both parties are planning to fight hard to succeed Democratic Gov.