Don’t just follow state legislature races, vote in them! And local level elections as well. Vote in every election at every level. The reason the Republicans have the power that they do right now is because they have focused on taking over state legislatures for the last 20+ years with the intent of gaining control of the redistricting process in every state they can. They have been horrifyingly successful.
In 2009, Republicans controlled both chambers in just 14 state legislatures. Six years later, they had total control in more than double that number. And that’s not even the full, bad story for Democrats. Look at their numbers. In 2009, Democrats had full control in 27 state legislatures; by 2015 that number was down to 11, the lowest ebb for total Democratic control since, at least, 1978.
With control of those maps, the Republicans have all but election proofed their control in many states. In Ohio, for example, Trump won with 54% of the vote but the Republicans won 79% of the Senate seats in 2022. In Wisconsin, a Democrat won the Governor’s mansion with 51.2% of the vote but Republicans still took 65% of the state senate legislature.
In Arizona, the Republican legislature is trying to make themselves the sole authority in appointing presidential electors. This could allow them to claim fraud in the next election and tie the results up in court with the same lies they used in 2020. Then, when the deadline for for certification comes up, they could declare their own slate of electors to send to DC rather than the slate that the voters chose.
For the last couple cycles, the Republicans, particularly the more extreme branches, have been focused on local level races trying to take over school boards, city councils, and elected law enforcement positions. We as a society cannot let that happen. These people only seek to line their own pockets and accumulate power for themselves and their allies.
Vote in every election as if your life, or at least your livelihood, depends on it. Because someday it just may.
Don’t just follow state legislature races, vote in them! And local level elections as well. Vote in every election at every level. The reason the Republicans have the power that they do right now is because they have focused on taking over state legislatures for the last 20+ years with the intent of gaining control of the redistricting process in every state they can. They have been horrifyingly successful.
With control of those maps, the Republicans have all but election proofed their control in many states. In Ohio, for example, Trump won with 54% of the vote but the Republicans won 79% of the Senate seats in 2022. In Wisconsin, a Democrat won the Governor’s mansion with 51.2% of the vote but Republicans still took 65% of the state senate legislature.
In Arizona, the Republican legislature is trying to make themselves the sole authority in appointing presidential electors. This could allow them to claim fraud in the next election and tie the results up in court with the same lies they used in 2020. Then, when the deadline for for certification comes up, they could declare their own slate of electors to send to DC rather than the slate that the voters chose.
For the last couple cycles, the Republicans, particularly the more extreme branches, have been focused on local level races trying to take over school boards, city councils, and elected law enforcement positions. We as a society cannot let that happen. These people only seek to line their own pockets and accumulate power for themselves and their allies.
Vote in every election as if your life, or at least your livelihood, depends on it. Because someday it just may.