November is election month. Avoiding elections counts. The 20th Republican retirement from Congress was announced in November.
Actual elections count. Virginia elected a Democratic House of Delegates and Senate, supplementing its Democratic Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and two US Senators. Virginia is blue if we can keep it. Kentucky and Louisiana are not. Both elected Democratic Governors. Sadly, Mississippi did not. No matter how left the west coast may seem, referenda can still be troubling. In state of Washington referenda, affirmative action was defeated 50.4 to 49.6 and vehicle registration fees were capped 53-47.
Alabama is not turning blue any time soon. Republicans have a 67-28 supermajority in the House, preserved by a special election victory in AL HD 74 in Montgomery by a typical 69-31 margin. Louisiana Democrats avoided a supermajority in its House as Mack Cormier flipped HD 105 and Independent Roy Adams was reelected. South Jersey stayed Democratic and the New Jersey Assembly retained its 52-28 Democratic majority. It was close. Democrats Vince Mazzeo and John Armato gained their leads only when absentee ballots were counted.
San Francisco, on the other hand, was more progressive than usual, electing Chesa Boudin DA. He is the son of jailed members of the Weather Underground. He was raised by former members of Weather Underground Bernadine Dohrn and Bill Ayers, the Bill Ayers who Barack Obama was accused of knowing. Boudin is the latest of a group of DA reformers headed by Larry Krasner in Philadelphia and almost achieved in Queens, NY. In New York, the Town of Hempstead (population 770,000 – seven times larger than South Bend Indiana) elected several Republicans including Donald Clavin as Town Supervisor by less than 1,500 votes. In Colorado, Democrat Omar Montgomery lost by 215 to ousted Congressman Mike Coffman for Mayor of Aurora , although Democrats gained control of the City Council.
Democrats get the edge this November. No tsunami. No great wave. Maybe a Democratic tide. If we do as well next November, we will have elected a Democratic President, sustained control of the House, and won the Senate. We will have elected a few more governors and made gains in state legislatures.
Every vote counts. Donate to the Democrats you like. At every level. Volunteer to help them. Write postcards for Tony the Democrat. Invest in an America that reflects your values.