Why The Democrats’ Biggest Midterm Election Victory Wasn’t In Washington DC US Politics

W.Democrats stave off a red wave in Washington during the midterm elections. An important victory has come Far away from the United States Capitol. They are in state legislatures across the country and have had results that will be felt for years to come.

Over the past decade, Republicans have quietly seized power in the state capitol and invested in state legislative campaigns determined by just a few hundred votes. It’s an investment that has paid off tremendously. Because state legislatures set districts in many places, Republicans used that advantage to establish power and draw district lines that further guaranteed a majority. They have also used these majority to pass measures that make voting harder, strip them of LGBTQ+ protections, ease gun control and limit access to abortion.

However, in the medium term Democratic Party It has overturned at least three state courts and maintained majorities in several endangered states. The victory ended years of Democratic defeat and disappointment, catching even some Democrats off guard. It was the first midterm election since at least 1934 that a president’s party did not lose control of a single legislative house, according to the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), which focuses on state legislative elections.

“We went into this cycle with very clear eyes. President Jessica Post said, “Everything was good for the Republicans. By all accounts, this election should have been a landslide for the Republican Party. Instead, the so-called red wave looked like a puddle.” increase.”

of Michigan, Democrats controlled both houses of Congress for the first time in almost 40 years. Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer was also reelected for a second term, giving his party full control of the government of one of America’s most politically competitive states.

“I was confident that I could get one chamber and that I might get a chamber within two years. It should have been,” said Mallory McMorrow, a Democratic Michigan senator who worked to overthrow the seat in the Michigan legislature.

The Democrats also usurped control of the Minnesota Senate, giving them full control of the state government.of pennsylvaniavotes are still being counted in two very thin state legislative elections that will determine control of the state capitol.

They also prevented Republicans from gaining overwhelming majorities in the Wisconsin and North Carolina legislatures. This is a very important development that prevents Republican-controlled institutions from overriding vetoes from Democratic governors. occupied.

State legislative cartogram by party control

“Those goals certainly felt like a long shot. rice field. spent $60 million for the election of Democrats in state legislative elections. “In every House, we met or exceeded our election goals.”

These victories could play an important role in securing free and fair elections two years from now. In 2020, Donald Trump sought to reverse the outcome by relying on Republican state legislative majorities in key battlefields such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Arizona. It can also be a protective measure. To support A fringe legal theory espoused by Republicans that state legislatures are virtually unchecked for their ability to set rules on federal elections.

Democrats and their supporters pointed to a combination of factors behind the victory.

Michigan and Pennsylvania have a more competitive map for this cycle, replacing the districts drawn by Republicans a decade ago. Concerns about abortion access and a competitive statewide race also pushed voters to vote. Strong candidate recruitment allowed Democrats to connect with voters. And the heavy investment allowed Democratic candidates to launch campaigns early and launch attacks against Republican opponents.

In 2020, the Democrats were unable to reverse any of the Houses they were targeted to try to sit at the table in the redistricting process. In 2010, Democrats lost in a mighty Republican effort Control 20 rooms in one nightThe 2014 midterm elections placed 11 houses under Republican control.

“In fact, Democrats can win at the state legislative level when they invest their dollars properly. “It’s been proven,” said Adam Pritzker, another co-founder of the States Project. “State legislative politics is not a minor league.”

Republicans spent a lot of money in state legislative elections, Dee Duncan, chairman of the Republican National Leadership Committee (RSLC), wrote in a note to donors last week. , spent $125 million on the race, dwarfing the $30 million invested by RSLC. Duncan said groups including DLCC, States Project, and Forward Majority have Minnesota and Pennsylvania – more money than the RSLC spent nationwide.

“This influx of funds has created a huge spending gap in each state that is difficult to overcome,” he wrote. ), and the Republican Party has not won a single statewide election.”

DLCC spokesperson Christina Polizzi disputed that the RSLC was exhausted. “The RSLC is totally unreliable on this. They have a long history of selective memory and lie about how much they spend,” she said in a statement. No, but the reality is they outspent their DLCCs this cycle and are only a fraction of GOP spending statewide. They can’t blame money for their losses – they lost Because the Republicans have bad policies and flawed candidates that the American people didn’t support.”

The Republican Party won several important election victories in the state. In North Carolina, he overthrew partisan control of the state Supreme Court. And in Ohio, he won a seat vacated by a retiring Republican who was swinging. These majorities could allow Republicans in these states to more aggressively pass gerrymandered maps and anti-abortion laws.

Beyond Local Politics

In Michigan, Kristen McDonald Rivet won one of the key state senatorial elections, helping Democrats take control of the House. From the moment she launched her campaign to just days before the election, with pundits saying she couldn’t win a seat bordering Saginaw Bay, Joe Biden could lead the district just three points behind her in 2020. I was. McDonald Rivet won by 6 points behind him.

When she spoke to voters, Macdonald Rivet referred to democracy and voting rights as “all these things Democrats hold dear,” she said in an interview. He also recognized the economic insecurity of the district. Her family worked in factories, provided for her family, and was able to live “the Michigan dream of going to Disney World in the winter.” She and her husband raised her six children in this district and her husband’s family has lived there for her five generations.

“It wasn’t about local politics. It was about people’s daily lives. Local isn’t the right word,” she said. She said, “I start a lot of stump speeches with the words, ‘I know politics don’t have to be like this. It resonated, perhaps because I actually believe it.

Her campaign was also boosted by a strong party infrastructure, millions of dollars spent on the media, and massive grassroots efforts. There was a donation of That includes hundreds of people in her district who set up regular donations, some of which she donated as little as $3.

She was backed by Michigan Democrats like McMorrow. McMorrow gained national attention after a viral speech earlier this year, raising more than $2 million in her Pac to help Democrats run for seats in the state legislature. In 2018, when she first ran for office, McMorrow recalled being swept away by donors who were more interested in statewide and federal elections. , she said, allowing them to start campaigning earlier than Republicans.

“I think people really get it. And in the year that Dobbs’ decision was made, in the year that really emphasized how important the legislature was in a very specific way, we I think we could really advocate for people to say, because this is an issue that comes back to the states,” she said.

Democrat Brian Munro knocked on 10,000 doors on his way to flip state seats in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, a competitive suburb of Philadelphia. “I’ve heard it from a lot of people, not Republicans, Democrats, independents, Trump supporters, Trump supporters,” he said, recalling many conversations about abortion. “Everybody was sick of division. We’re even talking about someone with a Let’s Go Brandon flag up front.”

Munro was initially met with skepticism by his large funders, but he persuaded them by pointing out that the district had been reorganized to include the township in which he had served on the supervisory board.

“Taking risks can pay off. Not taking risks can never pay off,” he added. “If you’re focused on keeping the seats you have and you’re not in the majority, you’re always going to be demoted to the minority. That’s changed this cycle to some extent.”

In Wisconsin, Oshkosh Mayor Lori Palmeri wins a state legislative race, preventing Republicans from gaining a supermajority in Congress and a veto from second-elected Democrat Tony Evers. was able to be disabled. semester.

“One of the most common things I heard on the doorstep was that people were fed up with political polarization,” she said. “They wanted to see legislators show up and do their job … The message is really from the voters. They’re not really going to tolerate one-party rule.”

exciting long shot

Democrats and allies hope the success they’ve seen in 2022 will encourage more Democrats to take state legislative elections seriously.

“I hope our party really begins to understand that everything that affects people’s daily lives, including voting rights and the approval of the U.S. presidential election, takes place in states under the control of the Democratic Party’s three-game winning streak. ,” said the DLCC post.

Within 48 hours of Election Day, more than 500 people expressed interest in running for office, said Amanda Litman, executive director of Run for Something, which focuses on recruiting people for public office.

“When you win an emotional long shot race, you get more people to participate in the long shot race, especially when those candidates are young people, women and people of color. It complicates itself,” she said.