Great article on another Democratic group that is dedicated to taking back state legislatures. (Note: although the acronym is similar, this group has nothing to do with the Democratic Leadership Council)
Donald Trump has certainly helped. But Democrats’ massive success in flipping statehouse seats in special elections this past year isn’t happening by accident.
The party’s dominance — it’s flipped 35 seats, and is hoping to make it 36 next week in a Florida House race — is also the result of old-fashioned political organizing. Nuts and bolts steps like funding year-round staff on the ground in the states, designing digital fundraising platforms, training volunteers, screening résumés for campaigns around the country and, of course, collecting huge checks.
At the center of those efforts is the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, mostly forgotten in the 25 years since it was founded as the D.C. hub for state legislative campaigns, but now working to coordinate efforts and partners, and along the way double its spending for the cycle to $35 million in strategic investments.
They’re partnering with local campaigns, not just blowing money on ads. And having lots of success so far.
I think that the state races between now and 2020 are just as important, maybe more important, than the national races, because district lines are redrawn after the census, lines are redrawn.
You know what to do, dawg.
Kristine
I set up a monthly contribution after the 2016 election. Glad I did.
Doug!
@Kristine:
I think you get the most bang for your buck with these state elections.
Suffragette City
More info has been added to the list
Raven
I just came from a meet and greet for a woman running against Jody Hice, the jerk who followed Paul Braun. How do I get her one of these posts?
randy khan
I’m really torn. The House and Senate races are really, really important in the short term, but the state-level races are really, really important in the long term. Flipping the Senate, in particular, would stop a lot of really bad judges and appointments, but redistricting is critical, too. It was a lot easier last year, when the answer was obvious – give to my state races.
Yutsano
@randy khan: You could let those of us with secure blue statehouses pick up the slack for the House and Senate. If you have even one red house in your state, dedicate yourself to flipping it. Also keep in mind the national party organisations have been fundraising like mad and will make up for some of this as well. But in this cycle we need to get as many state houses back as possible.
gene108
Andy Kim is running to unseat Tom MacArthur (R NJ-3), whose claim to fame is the “MacArthur Amendment”, which bridged the differences in the House GOP and enabled the repeal of Obamacare to pass that chamber. He is also the only person in the NJ delegation to vote for the tax scam bill.
Kim has been a foreign policy adviser to Patreaus in Afghanistan and worked on anti-ISIS stuff for Obama in the White House. He is eschewing corporate donations. He could use some money.
JPL
@Raven: Do you think she is viable? I am amazed that my district my flip before yours.
North Fulton news. There are a lot of local repubs who don’t like the State Senator Albers and in that race there is a viable democratic candidate. Betty Price is going to have a tough time just winning the republican primary, so that will be interesting.
I am hoping that a democrat can win the governorship, because the republicans running are bat shit crazy.
There is still a strong flip the 6th movement, and there are two good democratic candidates. It appears that Ossoff is not running again. Bobby Kaple was a local newscaster so has name recognition, and Kevin Abel started his own company. Abel lives across the street from my son, and I hope that I have the chance to learn more about him.
Villago Delenda Est
Quick, someone find out who all these smart people are, and coopt them into being parasitic “consultants” like Donna Brazile.
MomSense
@randy khan: @Yutsano:
An exciting candidate has long coattails. If you have a good House or Senate candidate they can help the down ballot races a great deal. I think you have to decide on a case by case basis.
raven
@JPL: I don’t know, she’s ready for a fight and when Hice voted to take her daughters health care away the day her husband lost his job she got pretty committed. Contest everything, right?
raven
@JPL: Chalis Montgomery.
Yutsano
@MomSense: This makes me think specifically of North Dakota. It’s supposedly this Republican stronghold yet they can’t find a decent recruit to unseat Heitkamp. She’s also insanely popular and is going to be governor there probably after her Senate career. What if she found a decent Democrat for their one seat?
MomSense
@Yutsano:
Absolutely.
JPL
@raven: The non-partisan race that I helped with was out spent ten to one, and leg work made the difference. She needs to have lots of meets and greets, if only ten show up. Those ten might agree to hold one. You should have your own. I hope she owns the pro life term because he is anything but.
Bobby Kaple is running on a similar platform for the 6th. His twins were born premature and although he had insurance, he saw other parents with children in nicu suffering.
raven
@JPL: It was two houses down so I don’t know that I’ll be doing one, depends on the boss lady. I went because she is at a “Year of the Dawg” Chinese dragon making workshop!
Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.)
Gimme some money!
JPL
@raven: That’s a little close. lol
MikeifromArlington
This imho is terribly important if Dems stand a chance in retaking and holding congress. Sure demographics are going our way big lines being drawn to corral us into districts is killing us.
Also, too, 2018 might not be the year for the Senate, but in 2020 and 2022 Republicans will be defending a buttload of seats.
randy khan
@Yutsano:
Virginia had its elections in 2017 (and I devoted a *lot* of my resources to the House of Delegates race), so that’s not something I need to worry about this year.
rikyrah
Will you do a fundraiser for the candidate running against Tulsi Gabbard ?
It is Hawaii and we can do better than Gabbard
AxelFoley
@rikyrah:
This.
hitchhiker
Don’t forget the governors. Somebody has to sign those newly un-gerrymandered districts into law. We seem to be in a good place with the governors’ races, mostly because a bunch of R govs are term limited.
Ugh, I still can’t believe Paul LePage, Scott Walker, and Rick Scott won statewide elections TWICE. Ugh! At least they’ll be gone.
Doug!
@rikyrah:
That’s an interesting idea
Mayur
I love these posts but at some point maybe another song? The Floyd classic? The O’Jays?