Because the Michigan Republican Party put up a whole slate of Trump-backed MAGA sociopaths last cycle, the entire party tanked up and down the ticket. In the gubernatorial race, Gretchen Whitmer beat Tudor Dixon 2,430,505 (54.5%) to 1,960,635 (43.9%). Dana Nessel beat extremist nut Matthew DePerno 2,329,195 (53.2%) to 1,952,408 (44.6%) in the race for Attorney General. And the craziest Republican loon of all, Kristina Karamo (since elected chair of the Michigan Republican Party) was slaughtered in the race for Secretary of State, 2,467,859 (55.9%) to 1,852,510 (41.9%). Just as important, the results down-ticket were catastrophic for the GOP. Democrats won every congressional swing district, despite a massive, multi-million dollar investment by national Republicans, including flipping a long time red seat blue.
But what I want to focus on today is what happened in the state legislature. In the first election after a bipartisan independent commission redrew the legislative districts (mandated in a 2018 constitutional amendment), the Democrats unexpectedly flipped both chambers of the state legislature. The Republican 22-16 hold on the state Senate collapsed, as Democrats netted 4 of their seats, giving them a 20-18 majority. It was the first time Democrats won a majority of the Senate seats in 38 years!
The state House also flipped— from a 57-53 Republican majority to a a 56-54 Democratic majority, the first time in over a decade that the Democrats won control of the chamber.
Ok, all well and good, but what does it mean for ordinary people who aren’t bought into either of the two political parties? Can a state legislature even do anything to make someone’s life better? You bet it can. And that’s why Blue America has been trying to help in this year’s legislative elections in Virginia. Sunday, the Associated Press ran a story on what the new Democratic majorities are accomplishing in regard to popular gun control measures in Michigan. Joey Cappelletti wrote that the second recent deadly mass shooting in the state “has pushed Michigan Democrats, who had already planned to prioritize changes to gun laws, into action. Democrats are expected to bring a sweeping 11-bill gun safety package before the Michigan Legislature this week, emboldened by their sweeping victories in statewide elections in November that gave them legislative control. Responding to two mass school shootings in 15 months, the party’s leaders say it is only the beginning of gun reform in the state… The package aims to establish safe storage laws, universal background checks and extreme risk protection orders, also known as red flag laws. Lawmakers will consider the package less than three years after protesters armed with guns entered the statehouse… [N]ow, with Democrats in full control of state government for the first time in decades, the bills quickly came before House and Senate committees earlier this month. Gun violence survivors and the families of victims packed committee meeting rooms and gave tearful testimony to lawmakers.”
Aside from gun legislation, Michigan Democrats in the legislature are working with the governor to reverse the Republicans anti-union “right to work law,” to shore up abortion rights, repeal of the state’s 4.25% tax on retirement income, start free universal preschool, take aggressive climate action, send out $180 “inflation relief checks” to taxpayers (from the state’s $9 billion budget surplus), expand the Earned Income Tax Credit and guarantee LGBTQ equality.
In Virginia, primaries are coming up quickly. It’s important to nominate real Democrats, not Republican-lite corporate shills who vote with the Republicans, like state Senators Chap Peterson, Dave Marsden, Jeremy McPike, Lionel Spruill and Joe Morrissey and Delegate Cliff Hayes. Blue America has been examining the Virginia races and finding the progressive candidates in winnable general election races. Right now we are trying to help 8 candidates win their primaries: Jessica Anderson, Heidi Drauschak (who is taking on Dave Marsden), Elizabeth Guzman (who is in a tough race with Jeremy McPike), Ron Lee, Victoria Luevanos, Branden Riley, Kannan Srinivasan and Terrence Walker. If you click on the thermometer on the right, you can contribute to and of their campaigns-- or all of them. Please do; in these state legislative races, a relatively small amount of money goes a very long way.