Democrats Trumpet
Successes
Democrats trumpeted their wins
in the
Nov.
7, 2017 off-year elections, pointing to successes up and down the
ballot and across various demographic groups. Recalling analogous
elections in 2009-10 following the election of President Obama in 2008,
Democrats are predicting further successes in 2018. The Republican response was decidedly
muted. Analysts debated the Trump effect
on these state and local races; the fact that President Trump's job
approval ratings are hovering in the mid-30s certainly did not help
Republican candidates.
Nine press releases on the elections received from the DNC on Nov. 8
(plus a conf. call) and several more on Nov. 9:
Nov. 9
1:03 p.m. - Resounding Defeats Lead To More GOP Chaos
12:49 p.m. - DNC on Virginia Military Veterans Elected to Office
9:28 a.m. - DNC on LGBTQ Election Wins
Nov. 8
5:47 p.m. - DNC on Democratic Women Elected Across the Country
3:41 p.m.
- DNC Statement on
AAPI Candidate Victories Across The Country
3:35 p.m. - DNC on Historic Latino Victories
2:04 p.m. - Updated Memo: Democrats Are Back In A Big Way
1:56 p.m. - Trump Went All In On Virginia And
Lost, Bigly
1:15 p.m. - Memo from Jess O'Connell
,
DNC CEO Rebuild
+
Organize + Modernize = Wins
12:37 p.m. - DNC: Investments in African-American Community Key to
Historic
Election Night
11:57 a.m. - DNC on Millennial Wins in Virginia and New Jersey
11:00 a.m. - Press Call w/ DNC Chair Tom
Perez, DGA Chair Dannel Malloy and WA State Senator Elect Manka Dhingra
10:42 a.m. - Voters Believe Health Care Is A Right
Democratic National Committee
Nov. 9, 2017 1:03 p.m.
Resounding Defeats Lead To More GOP Chaos
Tuesday
night’s resounding election defeats revealed the deep divides within
the Republican Party. After a year of constant chaos and their failure
to get anything done, things are only going to get worse for
Republicans.
Steven Bannon called on Mitch
McConnell to resign.
The
Hill:
“Former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon on Wednesday said
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) should
immediately resign
from his leadership position and make the move effective after Congress
completes its push for tax reform.”
The Republican Party can’t stop
fighting with itself.
NBC
News: “Bad Night for
Trump Sets the Stage for More GOP Infighting”
Washington
Post: “A wave of Democratic victories ignited a ferocious debate
across the Republican Party
on Wednesday over whether President Trump’s unorthodox
behavior and polarizing agenda are jeopardizing the GOP’s firm grip on
power in Congress, governors’ mansions and state legislatures.”
McClatchy:
“No
Obamacare
repeal,
no
meaningful
tax
reform,
a
Republican
president
who
can’t
stop
attacking
his
own
party
and
a
party
that
can’t
stop
fighting
itself.”
The Republican Party is filled with constant chaos.
Daily
Beast:
“One Year in, Trump-World Is Drowning in Regret and Chaos With Little
to Show for It”
CNBC:
“Yet,
Republican
unity
has
grown
more
difficult
to
sustain
all
year
amid
the
chaos
of
the
Trump
White
House,
the
rising
danger
from
special
counsel
Robert
Mueller's
Russia
investigation
and
the
erratic
nature
of
the
president's
personal
behavior.”
And now, as voter frustrations boil
over, Republicans are beginning to panic.
ABC
News: “A person familiar
with Trump’s political operation said that ‘inaction in Washington is
to blame’ for wins by Democrats. ‘These
voters are frustrated by the lack of action
from Congress,’ the person said. Many Republicans on Capitol Hill
agreed with the assessment.”
CNN:
“Ed
Gillespie's
resounding
loss
in
Tuesday's
Virginia
governor's
race
--
coupled
with
a
series
of
other
losses
in
lower-profile
races
around
the
country
--
will
likely
take
what
was
bubbling
concern
among
Republicans
about
their
prospects
in
the 2018 midterms and transform
it into a frothing cauldron of panic.”
Politico:
“Virginia’s
elections
set
off
a
wave
of
panic
inside
the
House
GOP
on
Tuesday
night,
increasing
worries
that
the
party's
majority
is
in
jeopardy
in
2018
and
that
more
incumbents
may
decide
to
retire
rather
than
run for reelection next year.”
Democratic National Committee
Nov. 9, 2017 12:49 p.m.
DNC on Virginia Military Veterans Elected to Office
In
celebration of several military veterans, including Governor-elect
Ralph Northam, winning elections in Virginia on Tuesday, former U.S.
Marine and DNC Deputy Press Secretary
Brian Gabriel released the following statement:
"In
addition to the historic Democratic victories on Tuesday, the DNC
celebrates the several veterans who continued their service to country
and were elected to public office
in Virginia. We're encouraged to see Governor-elect Ralph Northam,
Delegate-elect Lee Carter, and Delegate-elect David Reid continue to
use the invaluable leadership experience gained during their military
careers for the greater good. As former servicemembers
themselves, these newly-elected leaders will no doubt have their fellow
brothers- and sisters-in-arms in mind when crafting policy and making
decisions that affect the Virginia veterans community.
"These
men and women know that values like honor, courage, and commitment are
not just words, but an ethos to be lived out every day. They know the
necessity of putting duty
ahead of ego and accomplishing the mission regardless of
self-sacrifice. And they know what it means to put everything on
the
line for both the person right next to you and the American people.
“Virginians should know that their commonwealth has a bright future
with these leaders at the helm."
Democratic National Committee
Nov. 9, 2017 9:28 a.m.
DNC on LGBTQ Election Wins
In
celebration of a number of impressive wins by LGBTQ candidates in
Tuesday’s elections, DNC CEO Jess O’Connell and DNC LGBT Caucus Chair
Earl Fowlkes released this statement:
“Tuesday
night was a landmark moment in LGBTQ history. Democrats from our
community, including Jenny Durkan, who made history as the first openly
lesbian mayor of Seattle, claimed
decisive wins all over the country.
“What
made the night truly exceptional, however, was the triumph of a number
of openly transgender candidates for office. In Virginia,
first-time
candidate Danica Roem dominated
in a race against her proudly transphobic opponent, who even authored
an anti-trans “bathroom bill” in the Virginia House of Delegates. In
Minneapolis, Andrea Jenkins became the first openly trans person to be
elected to the city council of a major U.S. city.
“For
far too long, transgender Americans have been shoved to the sidelines,
in government and even in the LGBTQ rights movement. That’s beginning
to change, and Tuesday’s results
were a giant step forward. But this is only the beginning. LGBTQ
Democrats will be front and center in the elections going forward,
especially in the most vital races of 2018. We look forward to a bright
and inclusive future.”
Democratic National Committee
Nov. 8, 2017 5:47 p.m.
DNC on Democratic Women Elected Across the Country
DNC CEO Jess O’Connell issued the following statement on the Democratic
women elected last night:
“Congratulations to the Democratic women leaders who won their
hard-fought races in Virginia, New Jersey, and all across the country.
Each of these newly-elected women – many of whom flipped critical seats
from red to blue – is proof that Americans want progressive leaders who
will work to build a brighter future for working families, stand up for
the most vulnerable among us, and expand economic opportunities for
future generations.
“Women are leading the resistance against President Trump, Vice
President Pence, and Republican lawmakers across the country who are
attacking women’s rights and working families like never before. But
last night, voters rejected the Trump-Pence agenda and voted for
Democratic values and leaders who understand that women need to have a
seat at the table when crafting the policies that affect their lives.
“We made history – from Sheila Oliver, New Jersey’s first
African-American lieutenant governor, to the diverse women who won
mayor’s races in Charlotte, Manchester, and Topeka. Manka Dhingra
turned the Washington state Senate from red to blue. And the
overwhelming majority of the staggering number of flipped Virginia
House of Delegates seats are newly-elected Democratic women.
Progressive women are winning everywhere, and we’re just getting
started.
“Women are the core of our Democratic Party, and the DNC is proud of
the targeted investments we made in races across the country to help
lift up women who will be strong progressive advocates for working
families in their communities. This is just the beginning. Last night’s
victories showed us that Democrats can win on our issues when we
organize and invest in diverse communities, engage with coalitions, and
lead with our values.”
###
Democratic National Committee
Nov. 8, 2017 3:41 p.m.
DNC Statement on AAPI Candidate Victories Across The Country
Democratic National Committee Vice Chair Grace Meng and Democratic
National Committee AAPI Caucus Chair Bel Leong Hong released the
following statement on the many victories for Asian American and
Pacific Islander Candidates across the country:
“Last night we saw the victorious election of Asian American and
Pacific Islander candidates – many of them running for the first time –
in Virginia, New Jersey, Washington, and across America. The DNC knows
that AAPIs are one of the fastest-growing communities in the country
and last night their vote made all the difference. Investing in AAPI
communities was crucial to November 7th’s tide-turning victories.”
“In Virginia, 100 percent of our investments went into doubling the
number of organizers, putting boots in the ground, and upping our game
in data and technology. Since last summer, we’ve been committed
to spending on a mail program that targets AAPI communities. AAPIs
showed up – in Virginia, New Jersey, Washington and elsewhere and voted
for leaders who will create new jobs, grow the economy, improve our
schools, and ensure health care is a right for all Americans. They
elected leaders like Virginia Delegate-Elect Kathy Tran, New Jersey
State Senator-Elect Vin Gopal, and Washington State Senator-Elect Manka
Dhingra, whose victory flipped control of the Washington state Senate
to Democratic control, giving Democrats control of both legislative
chambers and the governorship. Far and wide, the American people
rejected a Trump-Pence agenda that would have only fueled division and
bigotry.”
“Yesterday’s success is just the beginning. In 2018, and beyond the
AAPI community is going to be crucial to victories in swing states and
key races. The new DNC believes that every zip code counts, and we will
organize 365 days a year around candidates who are reflective of our
diverse nation and share our values of inclusion, justice, and
opportunity. That’s how we will keep winning elections from the school
board to the Oval Office.”
###
Nov. 8, 2017
3:35 p.m.
DNC on Historic Latino Victories
DNC Chair Tom Perez released
the following statement on Democrats’ historic election of Latinos
across the country:
“As the first Latino Chair of the DNC and the proud son of immigrants,
I couldn’t be prouder of what we accomplished last night. These
victories represent a triumph for American values, for the Latino
community, and for the enduring promise of the American Dream. And they
send a loud and clear message to Donald Trump: We will not live in
fear. We will fight back. And we will win.
“In Virginia, we are proud to have helped Elizabeth Guzman and Hala
Ayala make history by flipping red seats and becoming the first two
Latinas elected to the House of Delegates.
“Latinos were also elected in Georgia, where Deborah Gonzalez flipped a
red seat in the state House, and in Massachusetts where Andy Vargas is
becoming one of the youngest state representatives in the state’s
history.
“I also want to congratulate Cathy Murillo and Michelle De La Isla,
first Latina mayors of Santa Barbara, California and Topeka, Kansas
respectively, and all the new Democratic Latino city council members in
Aurora, Colorado; Seattle, Washington; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and
Boise, Idaho.”
###
TO:
Interested
Parties
FROM:
Jess
O’Connell,
DNC
CEO
DATE:
November
8,
2017
RE:
Democrats
Are
Back
In
A
Big
Way
We won. Over the last nine
months, the DNC remained focused on one mission: winning elections up
and down the ballot. What was the result? Democrats are back in a big
way. Let’s take a look:
• The DNC invested $1.5 million in
Virginia to secure wins for Governor-elect Ralph Northam, the first
African American Lt. Governor-elect Justin Fairfax, and Attorney
General Mark Herring.
• The DNC spent more than $500,000 in New
Jersey to flip the seat from red to blue by electing Phil Murphy as
governor, as well as making history by electing Sheila Oliver, the
first African American woman to serve as New Jersey’s Lt. Governor.
• The Democratic Party and countless
grassroots organizations worked together to elect voters up and down
the ticket.
• We made history with the VA House of
Delegates races. No party had picked up more than seven seats in a
single House of Delegates election since 2001 and we have at least
doubled that with a current count of 16 flipped delegate seats,
including HD-13, where Danica Roem became the first transgender state
legislator in Virginia.
• Washington State officially flipped the
state Senate from red to blue by electing Manka Dhingra.
• We invested in mayoral and legislative
races across the country, flipping five seats from red to blue, and
securing wins in Charlotte and St. Petersburg.
• Women led us to victory in Virginia and
all across the country.
• Voters showed us that they believe
health care is a right and not a privilege for a few. We saw that in
Virginia, where voters cited health care as the most important issue by
a wide margin, and in Maine, where they overwhelmingly voted for
Medicaid expansion.
HOW DID WE DO IT?
We organized. 100% of the money
the DNC invested was used toward organizing and mobilizing voters with
boots on the ground and data and technology; none was used on TV. The
DNC put 40 diverse organizers (25 on or near college campuses) across
Virginia and we organized our base, including millennials and the
African American, Latino, and AAPI communities. We showed up for
countless candidates up and down the ballot — making sure that their
place on the ballot didn’t determine their level of support. We built a
massive program to engage voters outside of Virginia — through the
DNC’s Out-of-the-Commonwealth (OOCW) program, which was run by DNC
staffer Ramsey Reid. Along with our coordinated partners, the work of a
small, DNC-led team accounted for over 3,500,000 text messages to
voters and volunteers, including over 1,500,000 in the month of
November alone. This was in addition to the more than 262,050 door
knocks delivered by the DNC-run OOCW program.
Over 100 of our DNC staff were deployed over the last several days and
we knocked doors across the state. In total, through the collective
effort of the DNC, the campaign, the amazing work and leadership of the
Democratic Party of Virginia, and countless progressive partners and
allies, we talked to record numbers of voters on the doors and phones —
knocking on twice as many doors as in 2013. These efforts delivered
wins, not just for Ralph Northam, Justin Fairfax, and Mark Herring, but
for Democrats in the House of Delegates:
HD2: Jennifer Carroll Foy
HD67: Karrie Delaney
HD31: Elizabeth Guzman
HD12: Chris Hurst
HD13: Danica Roem
HD42: Kathy Tran
HD72: Schuyler VanValkenburg
HD51: Hala Ayala
HD21: Kelly Fowler
HD81: Kimberly Anne Tucker
HD10: Wendy Gooditis
HD32: David Reid
HD40: Donte Tanner
HD50: Lee Carter
HD62: Dawn Adams
HD85: Cheryl Turp
But we weren’t just in Virginia. The DNC made significant organizing
investments in New Jersey, Washington State, New York, Florida, New
Mexico, North Carolina, New Hampshire, and other places across the
country. This wasn’t just one good night — Democrats have already
started winning. The wins from last night were on top of the eight
state legislative seats across the country that Democrats had already
flipped this year — seven of which were in districts Donald Trump won
in 2016. No longer will the DNC just organize one race every four
years. We are removing “off year” from our lexicon, building lasting
infrastructure, and demonstrating 365 days-a-year that Every ZIP Code
Counts.
We modernized. For the first
time in a VERY long time, the DNC used new tools and data to organize
and get our voters to the polls. I’ll be honest, a lot of the credit
goes to our CTO Raffi Krikorian. He’s never worked in politics, and
that’s a good thing. We needed some fresh eyes and perspective to
update our data, technology, and tools to become the party of the
future. Raffi and our Chief Mobilization Officer, Caitlin Mitchell,
tested new and innovative tools. Here is just a small sampling:
VIRGINIA:
• Ginny/Grove AI is a Facebook chat bot hosted by the Democratic
Party Facebook page. The bot was built by Grove AI + Vishal Disawar.
Our Ginny bot drove thousands of conversations with volunteers
interested in getting involved our Virginia digital and ground OOCW
organizing program. When prompted, Ginny began a conversation on
Facebook messages, asking prospective volunteers to make calls using a
virtual dialer, send texts, or donate.
• GroundGame is an opinionated technology platform
for campaigns to organize their voters, volunteers, and donors.
GroundGame was used in partnership with the Virginia Coordinated
Campaign to drive millions of voter and volunteer contacts via 1-to-1
SMS in Virginia.
• Qriously is a polling tool that we deployed in
Virginia. It leverages the existing ad tech infrastructure that
connects advertisers and smartphone apps to buy and sell ad banners in
real time. By integrating with these exchanges, Qriously has access to
1.2B+ devices across 100+ countries in 50,000+ apps. These apps include
game apps such as Solitaire, as well as fitness, weather, news, music,
and many other types of apps, ensuring we can reach a wide
cross-section of society.
•Voter Circle is a peer-to-peer messaging platform that we deployed
through our OOCW program in Virginia. Users were prompted to upload
their email address books and Voter Circle, then matched against the
voter file that the DNC provided to ensure that users only contacted
their Democratic connections. The volunteer could slightly customize
the message and hit send.
NEW JERSEY:
•Resistbot is an SMS bot the Phil Murphy campaign distributed through
their Facebook and Twitter accounts. When users opted-in, it prompted
them to outline their plan to vote, including their polling location.
After prompting the user to input their address, the program
automatically integrated their polling location into the SMS
conversation so users did not have to click a link to search where they
needed to vote.
We were united. If there’s one
thing to take away from Election Day, it’s that almost all of the
progressive ecosystem was united around our values and worked in
partnership to elect Ralph Northam, Phil Murphy, Manka Dhingra, and
Democrats up and down the ballot in races all across the country. This
ranges from groups like Planned Parenthood to newer organizations like
Indivisible, and there was an unprecedented partnership between the DNC
and our sister committees of the DGA, DAGA, and DLCC. To put a finer
point on it, there were well over 30 progressive groups working in
Virginia to get Democrats elected. Some of these partners include:
BlackPAC, PFAW, Everytown, CASA, Sierra
Club, Giffords PAC, For Our Future, Military Families Mobilize, LiUNA,
LCV, Flippable, Mobilize America, VEA, Let America Vote, IAFF, NARAL,
NEA, Swing Left, New Virginia Majority, IBEW, NextGen, AFT, Planned
Parenthood, Carpenters, Run For Something, SEIU, CWA, VA AFL-CIO,
Painters, Working America, UA, Working Families, UAW, UFCW, AFSCME and
Progress VA.
Now, that is what unity looks like. So while Steve Bannon tries to
primary Republicans in 2018, the Democratic National Committee will be
Winning with Partners in 2018 — working with state parties and
progressive allies — to elect Democrats across America and ensuring
Every ZIP Code Counts. Working together we accomplish great things, and
both our party and country are better because of the work we do
together.
That’s how we won yesterday. That’s how we will win in 2018.
Democratic National Committee
Nov. 8, 2017 1:56 p.m.
Trump Went All In On Virginia And
Lost, Bigly
Trump “eagerly” supported Gillespie’s candidacy, and the RNC was “all
in” on the race from the beginning.
Trump endorsed Ed Gillespie and
repeatedly emphasized his support.
Politico: “Trump has eagerly endorsed
Gillespie’s candidacy, posting multiple times to Twitter in support of
the GOP candidate.”
Trump tweeted his support for
Gillespie and attacked Ralph Northam numerous times.
Trump: “Ralph Northam, who is running
for governor of Virginia, is fighting for the violent MS-13 killer
gangs & sanctuary cities. Vote Ed Gillespie!”
Trump: “The Democrats in the Southwest part of Virginia have been
abandoned by their party. Republican Ed Gillespie will never let you
down!”
Trump: “Ed Gillespie will be a great governor of Virginia. His opponent
doesn’t even show up to meetings/work, and will be VERY weak on crime!”
Trump: “Ed Gillespie will turn the really bad Virginia economy #’s
around, and fast. Strong on crime, he might even save our great
statues/heritage!”
Trump: “.@EdWGillespie will totally turn around the high crime and poor
economic performance of VA. MS-13 and crime will be gone. Vote today,
ASAP!”
Trump: “The state of Virginia economy, under Democrat rule, has been
terrible. IF you vote Ed Gillespie tomorrow, it will come roaring back!”
Trump recorded a robo-call for
Gillespie.
Politico: “President Donald Trump has
released a late robo-call expressing his support for Virginia
gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie, according to a Republican
familiar with the move. In the call, Trump praises Gillespie and
trashes Democratic candidate Ralph Northam.”
Trump’s campaign sent multiple emails
for Gillespie on election day.
11/7/17: “Missed this earlier, but
Trump signed a fundraising email for Gillespie today. Subject: ‘We need
Ed.’”
11/7/17: “Did you see this message from Newt Gingrich? The race in
Virginia is down to the wire and we’re relying on the citizens of
America to push Ed Gillespie over the finish line. The Democrats
have really shown their true colors during this campaign, and with
terrorism on the rise, taxes higher than ever, and our immigration
system in free-fall, it’s CRITICAL that we take back the great state of
Virginia. We’ve established the Emergency Grassroots Victory Program to
ENSURE Republican victory TODAY, but we need you to join this fight!”
[Trump Campaign Email, 11/7/17]
Mike and Karen Pence campaigned and
fundraised for Gillespie.
Politico: “Vice President Mike Pence appeared at a rally and fundraiser
for Gillespie, but administration officials said the candidate never
made a hard ask for Trump.”
Richmond Times-Dispatch: “Vice President Mike Pence attended a private
fundraiser for GOP gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie in Northern
Virginia on Wednesday. The event was closed to the press, and the
Gillespie campaign did not release details.”
Washington Post: “Pence and his wife, Karen, have been friends for
years with Gillespie and his wife, Cathy. Karen Pence appeared at a
‘Women for Ed’ fundraiser for Gillespie in Fairfax in September.”
Trump’s RNC was “all in” on Virginia’s
gubernatorial race.
McDaniel: “The RNC is heavily invested
in Virginia, maybe unlike last time. We’re all in this time, I talked
to Ed, regularly. We have 80 staff on the ground, we’ve knocked 1.5
million doors, it’s going to be a turnout game.” [Brian Kilmeade Show,
Fox News Radio, 10/24/17]
Virginia GOP Chairman John Whitbeck: “‘The RNC has been all-in from the
beginning,’ said John Whitbeck, chairman of the Virginia Republican
Party. The assistance may have helped Mr. Gillespie narrow the polls
with Democratic nominee Ralph Northam, who’s getting massive assistance
from liberal advocacy groups but not as much from national Democratic
committees, which are struggling financially. Flush with cash, the RNC
has invested nearly $5 million in the race, and the RGA has ponied up
$10 million.”
The RNC invested more than $5 million
in Virginia, and took charge of Virginia field operations immediately
after the primary.
Washington Times: “Flush with cash, the
RNC has invested nearly $5 million in the race, and the RGA has ponied
up $10 million.”
Washington Post: “The RNC has long played a part in field operations
for various campaigns but is taking a more forceful role than usual in
Virginia, calling shots more than collaborating, according to two
people with direct knowledge of the arrangement. Garren Shipley,
Virginia spokesman for the RNC, called the ground game ‘a collaborative
effort’ among the RNC, the Republican Governors Association, the state
party and the campaign. ‘Everyone quite literally has a seat at the
table,’ he said.”
Democratic National Committee
Nov. 8, 2017 1:15 p.m.
TO:
Interested
Parties
FROM:
Jess
O’Connell,
DNC
CEO
DATE:
November
7,
2017
RE:
Rebuild
+
Organize
+
Modernize
=
Wins
We won. It took consistency, perseverance, discipline, and
a strategy that corrects the mistakes of the past, but that’s what we
did over the last nine months. What was the result? We made history.
Let’s take a look:
● The DNC invested $1.5
million in Virginia to secure wins for Governor-elect Ralph Northam,
the first African American Lt. Governor-elect Justin Fairfax, and
Attorney General Mark Herring.
● The DNC spent more than
$500,000 in New Jersey to flip the seat from red to blue by electing
Phil Murphy as governor, as well as making history by electing Sheila
Oliver, the first African-American woman to serve as New Jersey’s Lt.
Governor.
● We made history with the VA
House of Delegates races. No party had picked up more than 7 seats in a
single House of Delegates election since 2001 and we have at least
doubled that with a current count of 15 flipped delegate seats,
including HD-13, where Danica Roem became the first transgender state
legislator in Virginia.
● Washington state officially
flipped the state legislature from red to blue by electing Manka
Dhingra to the state senate.
● We invested in mayoral and
legislative races across the country, flipping five seats from red to
blue, and securing wins in Charlotte and St. Petersburg.
● And our new
boots-on-the-ground strategy, investing in every zip code and in
organizers, will help secure victories in 2018 and beyond.
How did we do it?
We organized. 100% of the
money the DNC invested was used toward organizing and mobilizing
voters, and data and technology; none was used on TV. The DNC put
40 diverse organizers on the ground in Virginia and we organized our
base, including millennials and the African-American, Latino, and AAPI
communities. We showed up for countless candidates up and down the
ballot - making sure that their place on the ballot didn’t determine
their level of support. We built a massive program to engage voters
outside of Virginia – through the DNC’s Out of Commonwealth (OOCW)
program, which was run by DNC staffer Ramsey Reid. The work of a small
team accounted for over 2,000,000 text messages and over 262,050 door
knocks.
A majority of our DNC staff were deployed over the last several days
and we knocked doors across the state. In total, through the collective
effort of the DNC, the campaign, the amazing work and leadership of the
Democratic Party of Virginia, and countless progressive partners and
allies, we talked to record numbers of voters on the doors and phones –
knocking on twice as many doors as in 2013. These efforts delivered
wins, not just for Ralph Northam, Justin Fairfax, and Mark Herring, but
for Democrats in the House of Delegates:
● HD2: Jennifer Carroll Foy
● HD10: Wendy Gooditis
● HD12: Chris Hurst
● HD13: Danica Roem
● HD21: Kelly Fowler
● HD31: Elizabeth Guzman
● HD32: David Reid
● HD40: Dante Tanner
● HD42: Kathy Tran
● HD50: Lee Carter
● HD51: Hala Ayala
● HD67: Karrie Delaney
● HD68: Dawn Adams
● HD72: Schuyler VanValkenburg
● HD73: Debra Rodman
But we weren’t just in Virginia. The DNC made significant organizing
investments in New Jersey, Washington state, New York, Florida, New
Mexico, North Carolina, New Hampshire, and other places across the
country.
No longer will the DNC just organize one race every four years.
We are removing “off year” from our lexicon, building lasting
infrastructure and demonstrating 365 days-a-year that Every Zip Code
Counts.
We modernized. For the first
time in a VERY long time, the DNC used new tools and data to organize
and get our voters to the polls. I’ll be honest, a lot of the credit
goes to our CTO Raffi Krikorian. He’s never worked in politics, and
that’s a good thing. We needed some fresh eyes and perspective to
update our data, technology, and tools to become the party of the
future. Raffi and his team tested new and innovative tools including:
Virginia:
● Voter Circle is a peer-to-peer
messaging platform that we deployed through our OOCW program in
Virginia. Users were prompted to upload their email address books and
Voter Circle then matched against the voter file that the DNC provided
to ensure that users only contacted their Democrat connections. The
volunteer can slightly customize the message and hit send.
●
Qriously is a polling tool that we deployed in Virginia. It
leverages the existing ad tech infrastructure that connects advertisers
and smartphone apps to buy and sell ad banners in real time. By
integrating with these exchanges, Qriously has access to 1.2B+ devices
across 100+ countries in 50,000+ apps. These apps include game apps
such as Solitaire, as well as fitness, weather, news, music and many
other types of apps, ensuring we can reach a wide cross-section of
society.
● Ginny is a Facebook chat bot that
was distributed via the DNC’s email list. When prompted, Ginny began a
conversation asking the prospective voter or volunteer to make calls,
send texts, or donate.
New Jersey:
● Resistbot is an SMS bot the Murphy
campaign distributed through their Facebook and Twitter accounts. When
users opted-in, it prompted them to outline their plan to vote,
including their polling location. After prompting the user to input
their address, the program automatically integrated their polling
location into the SMS conversation so users did not have to click a
link to search where they needed to vote.
These are the innovative tools we used to help Democrats, and there is
much more happening in this space thanks to Raffi’s leadership.
We were united. If there’s one
thing to take away from Election Day, it’s that the progressive
ecosystem was united around our values and worked in partnership to
elect Ralph Northam, Phil Murphy, Manka Dhingra, and Democrats up and
down the ballot in races all across the country. This ranges from
groups like Planned Parenthood to newer organizations like Indivisible.
And there was an unprecedented partnership between the DNC and our
sister committees of the DGA, DAGA and DLCC. To put a finer point on
it, there were 33 progressive groups working in Virginia to get
Democrats elected. These partners include:
BlackPAC, PFAW, Everytown, CASA, Sierra Club, Giffords PAC, For Our
Future, Military Families Mobilize, LiUNA, LCV, Mobilize America, VEA,
Let America Vote, IAFF, NARAL, NEA, New Virginia Majority, IBEW,
NextGen, AFT, Planned Parenthood, Carpenters, SEIU, CWA, VA AFL-CIO,
Painters, Working America, UA, Working Families, UAW, UFCW, AFSCME and
Progress VA
Now, that is what unity looks like. So while Steve Bannon tries to
primary Republicans in 2018, the Democratic National Committee will be
Winning with Partners in 2018 – working with state parties and
progressive allies – to elect Democrats across America and ensuring
Every Zip Code Counts. Working together we accomplish great things, and
both our party and country are better because of the work we do
together.
That’s how we won today. That’s how we
will win in 2018.
###
Democratic National Committee
Nov. 8, 2017 12:37 p.m.
DNC: Investments in African-American Community Key to Historic
Election Night
In response to momentous black support and
historic victories of African-American candidates up and down the
ballot, DNC Political and Organizing Director Amanda Brown
Lierman released the following statement:
“The DNC knows that the victories we celebrate this morning would be
impossible without the massive support from the African-American men
and women who made up about a fifth of the commonwealth’s
electorate. Undoubtedly a cornerstone of our party, black voters
continued to surge to the polls in a tremendous way, set the tone for
future elections, and paved the way for government that truly
represents them. That’s exactly why we will continue to engage black
communities across the nation and fight to ensure every single eligible
voter has the power to exercise their franchise.
“Without a shadow of a doubt, investing in communities of color was
central to November 7th’s tide-turning victories. In Virginia, 100
percent of our investments went into doubling the number of organizers
and putting boots in the ground. Since last summer, we’ve been
committed to spending on a mail program that targets and reaches out to
black communities. We know that when we invest in the core of our
party, we win. That’s why we invested in a black women’s mobilization
program, InCharge. Yesterday in Virginia, over 90% of black women cast
ballots for Governor Ralph Northam. These women are the reason we won
last night’s elections, and they’re the reason we’ll win in 2018.
“Because of all this, we saw black voters turn a purple commonwealth to
blue. We saw Virginia Lt. Governor-elect Justin Fairfax become only the
second African American elected to statewide office. New Jersey voters
elected their first female African-American lieutenant governor in
Sheila Oliver. And now Charlotte has elected its first-ever
African-American mayor in Vi Lyles.
“With their ballots, African-American communities across the nation
sent a loud, resounding message to Republicans who stand with Donald
Trump and try to use his hateful rhetoric as a vehicle for political
success—you do not represent us.”
Black Democratic Victories
· Justin Fairfax,
Virginia lieutenant governor-elect
o Second-ever African American elected to statewide office
in Virginia
· Sheila Oliver, New
Jersey lieutenant governor-elect
o First-ever female African-American lieutenant governor of
New Jersey
· Andrea Jenkins,
Minneapolis City Council
o First-ever openly transgender African-American woman
elected to U.S. public office
· Vi Lyles, Charlotte,
North Carolina mayor-elect
o First-ever female African-American mayor of Charlotte
· Yvonne Spicer,
Framingham, Massachusetts mayor-elect
o First-ever mayor of the new city of Framingham
· Wilmot Collins,
Helena, Montana mayor-elect
o First-ever African-American mayor in Montana
· Melvin Carter, St.
Paul, Minnesota mayor-elect
o First-ever African-American mayor of St. Paul
· Jonathan McCollar,
Statesboro, Georgia mayor-elect
o First-ever African-American mayor of Statesboro
· Brendon Barber,
Georgetown, South Carolina mayor-elect
o First-ever African-American mayor of Georgetown
· Mary Parham Copelan,
Milledgeville, Georgia mayor-elect
o First-ever female African-American mayor of Milledgeville
· Booker Gainor, Cairo,
Georgia mayor-elect
o First-ever African-American mayor of Cairo
Black Turnout in Virginia
Washington
Post:
Exit
poll
results:
How
different
groups
of
Virginians
voted
Democratic National Committee
Nov. 8, 2017 11:57 a.m.
DNC on Millennial Wins in Virginia and New Jersey
DNC Vice Chair and New York
Assemblymember Michael Blake and DNC Secretary Jason Rae issued the
following statement on the Democratic millennials elected last night:
“We want to congratulate the Democratic millennial leaders who were
elected to state legislature seats in Virginia and New Jersey last
night, many of whom flipped critical seats from red to blue. Each of
these progressive leaders is proof positive that when we stand up to
Donald Trump’s divisive, hate-fueled politics and lead with our values
and a vision focused on jobs, healthcare, and opportunity for all, we
can accomplish anything. From Vin Gopal in New Jersey, who flipped New
Jersey’s long-time Republican 11th district, to Danica Roem in
Virginia, the transgender candidate who defeated a pioneer of the
anti-transgender bathroom bill and flipped Virginia’s 13th district,
millennials delivered blow after blow to the Trump agenda and win after
win for progressive values. As millennial DNC officers, we understand
firsthand that it is not easy to step up to run, but, when we win, we
inspire others into public service to help people. The new DNC
understands that millennials deserve a real voice in the DNC, on
everything from training to organizing, not just a symbolic seat at the
table. We can't wait to see what these new leaders accomplish. We are
the ones we've been waiting for, and we are ready to lead.”
Millennial Leaders Elected on November
7, 2017:
Vin Gopal, New Jersey State Senate 11th District
Jennifer Carol Foy, Virginia House of Delegates 2nd District
Chris Hurst, Virginia House of Delegates 12th District
Danica Roem, Virginia House of Delegates 13th District
Schuyler Van Vulkenburg, Virginia House of Delegates 72nd District
Jerrauld Jones, Virginia House of Delegates 89th District
###
Democratic
National
Committee
Nov. 8, 2017 10:42 a.m.
Voters Believe Health Care Is A Right
Across the country, Americans are making their voices heard: They
believe health care is a right and that it’s time for Trump and
Republicans to end their sabotage.
Virginia voters identified health care
as their top issue, helping to boost Democrats to a sweep of statewide
races and a wave of pickups in the House of Delegates.
NBC News: “Health care is a priority
for Virginia voters, according to early results from the NBC News exit
poll, with 37 percent citing it as the most important issue to their
vote.”
ABC News: “Relatedly, a surge in turnout by politically liberal voters
boosted Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, as did a broad advantage on
health care, which voters by a wide margin identified as the top issue
in the vote.”
In Maine, voters resoundingly opposed
Republican efforts to cut Medicaid and voted to become the first state
to expand Medicaid by ballot initiative.
Washington Post: “Maine became the
first state to expand Medicaid with a ballot initiative, voting to
grant health care to some 70,000 low-income residents by a nearly
20-percentage point margin by the time the measure was called by
election watchers. In other words, a sizable number of voters in Maine
just voted to do the exact opposite of what the state's Republican
governor and Republicans in Washington have been trying to do.”
Despite Trump’s health care enrollment
sabotage, Obamacare open enrollment is off to a “booming start.”
Politico: “Obamacare’s open-enrollment
season is off to a booming start despite widespread fears the Trump
administration is seeking to sabotage the sign-up period. The number of
individuals signing up for coverage through HealthCare.gov during the
first week of open enrollment is ‘roughly double’ the pace of the
previous year, according to an HHS source familiar with the enrollment
data.”
Democratic National Committee
Nov. 7, 2017
A summary of Democratic wins across the country
Democrats won not just in New Jersey and Virginia but up and down the
ticket across the country. Voters handily rejected the Trump-Pence
agenda by electing Democrats in states and even districts that Donald
Trump won last year. Democrats are moving forward, we (and voters) have
put 2016 behind us. See the proof:
Virginia
Ralph Northam is the governor-elect, Justin Fairfax is lieutenant
governor-elect, and Mark Herring was re-elected attorney general.
Democrats flipped at least 14 House of Delegate seats including:
· Jennifer Carroll Foy
(HD-02)
· Wendy Goodits (HD-10)
· Chris Hurst (HD-12)
· Danica Roem (HD-13)
· Kelly Fowler (HD-21)
· Elizabeth Guzman
(HD-31)
· David Reid (HD-32)
· Kathy Tran (HD-42)
· Lee Carter (HD-50)
· Hala Ayala (HD-51)
· Karrie Delaney (HD-67)
· Dawn Adams (HD-68)
· Schuyler
VanValkenberg (HD-72)
· Deborah Rodman (HD-73)
New Jersey
Democrats flipped the governor’s seat from red to blue by electing Phil
Murphy and Sheila Oliver.
Vin Gopal flipped New Jersey’s 11th Senate District from red to blue.
North Carolina
Democrats flipped 2 mayoral seats by electing Vi Lyles in Charlotte and
Mitch Colvin in Fayetteville.
New Hampshire
Democrats flipped the Manchester mayoral seat by electing Joyce Craig.
Democrats flipped one seat in the New Hampshire House of
Representatives by electing Erika Connors to the Hillsborough County
District 15 and held the Sullivan County District 1 by electing Brian
Sullivan.
Florida
Democrats re-elected Mayor Rick Kriseman to be the mayor of St.
Petersburg.
Massachusetts
Democrats re-elected Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.
New York
Democrats re-elected New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Georgia
Democrats flipped two House districts by electing Deborah Gonzalez
(HD-117) and Jonathan Wallace (HD-119).
Michigan
Democrats held Michigan’s 109th House District by electing Sara
Cambensy.
Sabrina Singh
Deputy Communications Director
Democratic Legislative Campaign
Committee
In Democratic Wave, DLCC Celebrates Victories From Coast to
Coast
Democrats pick up
16 seats in Virginia House, flip Washington State Senate, and break
supermajority in the GA Senate
WASHINGTON -- Tonight DLCC
Executive Director Jessica Post announced widespread Democratic
victories in statehouses across the country:
"Voters turned out in droves in a direct rebuke of state Republicans
and the Trump administration,” said Post. “Americans from coast to
coast sent a clear message that when faced with adversity, we will step
up and defend our values, safeguard the progress we have made, and push
onward. As the major player in the state legislative space, the DLCC is
thrilled by these results and looks forward to continuing to strengthen
and rebuild the Democratic party from the ground up ahead of 2018
midterms and crucial 2020 redistricting."
The biggest race of the night was in Washington State where Democrat
Manka Dhingra claimed victory in the special election for LD45,
flipping the entire state Senate to Democratic control. The DLCC’s
substantial contributions in this race on both the coordinated side and
independent expenditure side -- including financial support totaling
over $745,000, data access, paid communications, recruiting volunteers,
and more -- were crucial in raising national awareness of this race and
making sure Manka’s campaign had everything it needed to win.
State Democrats beat Republicans on their own maps in Virginia, tilting
chamber control to 50 Democratic seats to Republicans’ 49 seats.
Democrats had the most pickups in the House of Delegates since 1899.
The DLCC’s early investments in Virginia ensured Democrats had the
infrastructure and field programs in place to harness the influx of
grassroots enthusiasm that made it possible for Virginians to set a new
record by knocking on over one million doors and led to Democrats
flipping 16 seats from red to blue.
While in New Jersey, Democrats expanded their already record high
majorities in the Legislature, adding one new Democratic Senators and
two new Democratic Assemblymembers.
In ruby-red Georgia, we saw three Republican-held seats flip to
Democratic control. One of the seats, Senate district 6, will go to a
runoff race in December between two Democrats and effectively break the
supermajority in the state Senate. With HD-117 and HD-119 in the hands
of Democrats, Georgia Democrats are one step closer to their goal of
retaking the state’s lower chamber ahead of 2020 redistricting.
"Over the course of the 2017 cycle, the DLCC raised over $10 million to
help strengthen Democratic control in statehouses nationwide," said
Post. "The DLCC is proud of the successful programs, critical
investments, and strategic actions it took during this cycle, and looks
forward to supporting our legislators and candidates in upcoming
special elections and throughout the 2018 midterm elections as
Democrats prepare for 2020 redistricting."
VA Flips (16):
Jennifer Carroll Foy, HD-2
Wendy Gooditis, HD-10
Chris Hurst, HD-12,
Danica Roem, HD-13
Kelly Convirs-Fowler, HD-21
David Reid, HD-32
Elizabeth Guzman, HD-31
Donte Tanner, HD-40
Kathy Tran, HD-42
Lee Carter, HD-50
Hala Ayala, HD-51
Karrie Delaney, HD-67
Dawn Adams, HD-68
Schuyler VanValkenburg, HD-72
Debra Rodman, HD-73
Other VA wins:
Kathleen Murphy, HD-34
Jennifer Boysko, HD-86
John Bell, HD-87
Jay Jones, HD-89
Mike Mullin, HD-93
GA Flips:
Deborah Gonzalez, HD-117
Jonathan Wallace, HD-119
SD6 will see a runoff in December between two democrats - Jaha Howard
and Jen Jordan, and will effectively break the Republican super
Majority in the Senate.
NJ Flips:
Troy Singleton, LD-7
Vin Gopal, LD-11
NH Flip:
Erika Connors, NH HD Hillsborough-15
WA Flip:
Manka Dhingra, LD-45
Other wins:
John Armato, NJ AD-2
Roy Freiman, NJ AD-16
Sara Cambensy, MI HD-109
Marvin Pendarvis, SC HD-113
Brian Kavanagh, NY S-26
Daniel Rosenthal, NY AD-27
Alfred Taylor, AD-71
Brian Sullivan, NH Sullivan-1
John Barrett, MA – HD 1 Berkshire
For more information on this race or any of tonight's elections or to
schedule an interview with the DLCC, please contact Mara Sloan at
mara@dlcc.org. The DLCC will continue to send critical updates.
# # #
Democratic
Governors
Association
Nov. 8, 2017
DGA Statement on Ralph Northam’s Victory in VA
DGA Chair Governor Dan Malloy (D-CT)
issued the following statement on Ralph Northam’s victory in Virginia’s
gubernatorial race:
“Congratulations to Governor-elect Ralph Northam on his victory tonight
in Virginia,” said Gov. Malloy. “Ralph ran a strong campaign and will
continue the economic progress the Commonwealth has made over the last
four years under Governor Terry McAuliffe. This was the top race of the
year for the DGA and we are excited that Virginia will remain blue for
four more years.
“This election sends a clear message to every Republican running in
2018 that the Trump playbook of race-baiting does not work. Ralph
Northam had a message of bringing economic opportunity to all
Virginians, while Ed Gillespie tried to divide Virginia communities. If
Republicans choose to run on the divisive Trump playbook in 2018, they
will be rejected by voters.”
“This is a major victory for the Democratic Governors Association. The
DGA invested $7 million into this campaign and worked hand-in-hand with
the Northam campaign on a record-setting GOTV effort. Tonight’s
gubernatorial sweep of Virginia and New Jersey shows Democrats will be
on offense heading into the 2018 races. President Trump’s deeply
unpopular agenda combined with Republican candidates who refuse stand
up to him, have Democrats poised for big gains next year.”
###
Democratic
Governors
Association
Nov. 8, 2017
DGA Statement on Phil Murphy’s Victory in New Jersey
DGA Chair Governor Dan Malloy (D-CT) issued the following statement on
Phil Murphy’s victory in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race:
“Congratulations to Governor-Elect Phil Murphy. Phil ran an incredible
campaign focused on his vision for an economy that works for all Garden
State families, and I look forward to working with him.
“The DGA was proud to invest nearly $4 million and play a key role in
picking up this critical seat. New Jersey voters made clear that they
are ready to turn the page from 8 years of failed policies and failed
leadership in New Jersey. This result points to larger problems for
Republicans as they play defense in many open-seat races coming up next
year.
“Today’s election was not just a victory for Governor-Elect Murphy. It
was a victory for the nearly 9 million New Jersey residents who will
now have a Governor looking out for them: for their education, for
their health care, and for their jobs.”
Republicans raised and spent significant money in New Jersey despite
Phil Murphy’s strong performance and polling throughout the
campaign. In November 2016, RGA Chairman Scott Walker laid a
marker that Republicans expected to compete and win in New Jersey,
saying “We think we can do well in both Virginia – where we have a
chance for a pickup – and New Jersey in 2017.” This September, RGA
Chairman Scott Walker and Governor Christie teamed up to host a
fundraiser for Kim Guadagno that netted $2.1 million. On top of that,
they’ve spent over $2 million on Guadagno’s behalf.
###
Democratic Governors Association
November 9, 2017
MEMORANDUM: Virginia and New Jersey Wins Show Democrats Poised for
2018 Victories
Tuesday’s victories for Governors-Elect Ralph Northam and Phil Murphy
were a shot in the arm for the Democratic Party – the first major wins
of the Trump era.
It’s no coincidence that those victories came in governors’ races. In
2009, Republicans set off a string of electoral victories with
gubernatorial wins in New Jersey and Virginia. In 2017, the Democratic
comeback began with wins in those same races.
The DGA was proud to invest majorly in the campaigns of Ralph Northam
and Phil Murphy to the tune of $7 million in Virginia and $4 million in
New Jersey. The DGA was the largest investor in the Virginia governor’s
race – and accounted for more than 20% of the overall Democratic
spending.
By investing big and early, the DGA was able to help Northam and Murphy
build their campaign infrastructures and run an aggressive field
operation to get out the vote.
Ralph Northam and Phil Murphy were exceptional candidates who
communicated a positive message and connected with the people of
Virginia and New Jersey. With more strong candidates, Democrats are
poised to expand the map and notch many more wins in 2018.
This week’s sweeping victories can be traced to 3 main factors:
Democratic enthusiasm, a divided Republican party, and independents
moving towards Democrats.
These same factors, combined with a map that puts Democrats on the
offensive, point to major pickup opportunities for Democratic governors
in the critical 2018 cycle.
Tuesday’s elections put all Republican gubernatorial candidates on
notice: If you have an R next to your name, you are in trouble in 2018.
Democratic Enthusiasm
Democrats saw a massive surge of enthusiasm in the first statewide
electoral tests of the Trump era—Democrats showed up to volunteer, and
they showed up at the polls.
Virginia Democrats knocked on more than 1 million doors during GOTV,
far surpassing the previous record of 630,000. And those efforts drove
the largest turnout for a gubernatorial election in Virginia history.
Ralph Northam won the most votes in Virginia history and won with the
largest margin for a Democrat since 1985.
[graphic]
While Northam did well in many regions, the turnout in traditionally
Democratic regions, including college towns and suburbs, set records.
Turnout in some Democratic strongholds surged significantly above 2013
marks: a 10 percent increase in Arlington, a 9 percent increase in
Alexandria, and a 13 percent increase in Charlottesville.
[graphic]
In short, Democrats came out in record numbers for a gubernatorial year
– a strong sign for Democratic turnout in the 2018 midterm.
Divided Republican Party
President Donald Trump became the first president since Richard Nixon
in 1973 not to campaign with candidates in Virginia or New Jersey,
highlighting the division within the party and its toxic brand in swing
states.
Trump’s diehard supporters weren’t sold on Ed Gillespie, telling the
media he’s a “wishy-washy” “typical politician.” And Corey Stewart,
Gillespie’s primary opponent, said on the eve of the election,
“[Gillespie’s] put the president at a distance, and he has offended a
lot of the president’s supporters. And it could cost him the election.”
In fact, Gillespie underperformed Trump in 32 counties that Stewart had
won in the primary.
The RNC, meanwhile, indicated this summer that it would not back
Guadagno in New Jersey because she “hasn’t been loyal to the
president.” And Guadagno ended up underperforming Trump in 8 counties
while overall turnout fell from previous gubernatorial elections in the
most Republican counties in the state.
Republicans in 2018 will be faced with a choice: Become Donald Trump to
please the restive base, or try to save face with swing voters. As Ed
Gillespie and Kim Guadagno showed, they can’t do both.
Independents Moving Towards
Democrats
Both Gillespie and Guadagno ran Trumpish campaigns centered on
fear-mongering—this strategy failed.
[graphic]
We see this clearly in internal polling: while Ralph Northam maintained
high favorability throughout the campaign, Ed Gillespie’s favorability
cratered after launching his fear-mongering MS-13 ads.
[graphic]
Two-thirds of Gillespie’s ads over the course of the campaign were
negative, while the vast majority of Northam’s were positive. So,
voters still felt very positively about Ralph Northam at the end of the
campaign – while Gillespie tanked his own favorability with his
over-the-top negativity.
Northam’s positive campaign is one reason that – counter to the
prevailing media narrative – voters turned to Northam in the closing
weeks. Virginia exit polling showed that of voters who decided their
vote in the last week of the campaign, 61% went for Ralph Northam.
Meanwhile, the President himself is also dramatically unpopular and
drove independent voters even further towards the Democrats.
This is reflected in the election data as both Murphy and Northam
outperformed Clinton in key regions as suburban and exurban areas broke
hard for Democrats.
[graphic]
Northam ran up huge victories in swing counties. Gillespie won swing
Loudoun County in his 2014 Senate race; in 2017, he lost by 20%. In
2014, Gillespie narrowly lost Prince William County by 3%; in 2017,
Gillespie lost it by 23%. And Northam flipped Trump counties in Hampton
Roads, winning both Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.
These swing counties swung hard towards the Democrats – an ominous sign
for Republicans on the ballot in 2018.
Looking Towards 2018
Next year’s gubernatorial races are incredibly important to the future
of the Democratic party—and yesterday’s results were a highly positive
indicator.
Exit polling shows Democrats in an even stronger position for future
wins than Republicans were following their gubernatorial victories in
2009:
[graphic]
Republicans have to defend 26 gubernatorial seats next year, 13 in
states that President Obama won. Tuesday indicated that they will have
a hard time in these blue and purple states. The Democratic turnout
surge and the cratering of swing voters also signal trouble for
Republicans, even in traditionally red states.
With redistricting around the corner in 2021, the 2018 gubernatorial
elections will shape the future of the Democratic Party and of the
nation. Virginia and New Jersey’s results portend a strong Democratic
year to come.
[graphic]
The implications of these elections stretch for generations as we
prepare for the next census and round of redistricting. Many states’
governors have veto power in redistricting, so big wins here can secure
more fair maps and put more Congressional and state legislature seats
in Democratic hands.
The Democratic Governors Association is confident and feeling buoyed by
momentum, quality candidates, and grassroots support heading into next
year’s races.
Democratic Congressional Campaignn Committee
TO: Interested Parties
FR: Jacob Peters, Press Secretary
DT: November 9, 2017
RE: Impact of Virginia Statewide & Local Elections on 2018
Tuesday’s statewide and local results in Virginia made it clear that the enthusiasm behind Virginia Democrats is
off the charts, while the establishment Republican brand is producing a
powerful backlash at the polls across the Commonwealth.
Virginia is a true battlefield – a purple landscape with metropolitan
areas, numerous suburbs and exurbs, and expansive rural areas. On
Tuesday night, Governor-elect Ralph Northam and down-ballot candidates
in every corner of the Commonwealth rode an overwhelming surge of
Democratic grassroots energy to victory.
That’s because Virginia Democrats did
not shy away from expanding the map and recruiting strong candidates,
even where it was not obvious that they could win. From Loudon
County, to the Tidewater, to Henrico County, Democrats stepped up to
run, embraced the energy emanating from the grassroots, and won.
This is a key parallel to the DCCC strategy across the country and in
the Commonwealth, where the decision to aggressively target and recruit
in Virginia leaves candidates well prepared to ride this momentum into
2018.
And there is a lot of momentum to ride. Democratic turnout and support
spiked, and in the right places. Ralph
Northam
outperformed
the
2016
Democratic
Presidential
ticket
in
every
single
Congressional
district,
including
DCCC-targeted
districts.
Thirteen
of
the
fifteen
delegate
seats
that
Virginia
Democrats
flipped
are in
DCCC-targeted Congressional Districts, with two more too close to call.
In Virginia’s Tenth Congressional District, they flipped seven, with
the recount for one still underway.
The results should make Reps. Barbara Comstock, Scott Taylor, Thomas
Garrett, and Dave Brat very nervous about their chances in 2018. The
news is worst for Comstock, who woke up to headlines like this after
Election Day: After Virginia blowout, Comstock’s road to reelection
grows steeper.
Bottom line: The House is in play,
Virginia is essential in House Democrats’ pursuit of the majority, and
that path is even clearer after Virginia’s elections.
In an effort to quantify how Tuesday’s results translate from statewide
and down ballot races to the 2018 congressional battlefield, we looked
at voter turnout surges overall and in key areas. We then compared this
to top of the ticket performances overall and in key areas, analyzed
how Democratic pickups in House of Delegates races overlapped with
targeted districts for 2018, and highlighted how Democrats are
going to win on the issues that voters are most concerned about.
THE GRASSROOTS ENERGY BEHIND VIRGINIA
DEMOCRATS IS REAL, AND IT TRANSLATED AT THE POLLS
Statewide turnout took a huge jump from comparable elections:
[graphic]
[Virginia Department of Elections, Unofficial Results, accessed 11/9/17]
Enthusiasm is highest in areas that delivered for Northam, and will
deliver DCCC-targeted districts in 2018:
[graphic]
[Washington Post, 11/8/17]
Governor-elect Ralph Northam outperformed Hillary Clinton in EVERY
Congressional district:
[graphic]
*DCCC targeted district
[Virginia Department of Elections, Unofficial Results, accessed 11/9/17]
THE SHIFT IN THE SUBURBS IS A TREND,
NOT A BLIP
In suburban counties that are key to three DCCC-targeted Congressional
races, the surge in Democratic turnout in 2016 did not go away, it
accelerated. This is bad news for Reps. Scott Taylor and Dave Brat,
whose suburban counties delivered with greater margins for Northam than
they did for Clinton. And as always, the news is worst for Rep. Barbara
Comstock’s district, where Loudon County looks more like a Democratic
stronghold than a purple bellwether, and Fairfax County is now deep
blue.
[graphic]
*CD= Congressional District
[Virginia Department of Elections, Unofficial Results, accessed 11/9/17]
HOUSE OF DELEGATES UPSETS ARE A ROADMAP TO FLIPPING CONGRESSIONAL SEATS
Democrats flipped thirteen House of Delegates districts within
DCCC-targeted Congressional Districts, with two more too close to call.
Of these fifteen possible pickups, twelve of them were delegate
districts that Clinton carried in 2016, while three voted for President
Trump.
In VA-02, the Democrats
flipped two delegate seats, one that Clinton carried in 2016 and one
that Trump carried.
In VA-05, HD 31 swung almost
16 percentage points from 2015 to deliver this Clinton-district for the
Democrat.
In VA-07, Democrats flipped
three Clinton delegate districts, and have one Trump seat too close to
call.
And in Rep. Barbara Comstock’s VA-10, a whopping six Clinton delegate seats flipped
to Democrats, with another too close to call. Democrats also
flipped a delegate seat that Trump carried in 2016, for a total of
seven delegate seats that went from Republican to Democratic hands.
The surge in Democratic support in these House of Delegates races is
encouraging. It also mirrors the analysis of the suburban counties –
areas that delivered for Democrats in 2016 are still delivering now,
and in many cases even more so. If Democratic Congressional candidates
can harness this energy and passion in the same way, they have a
roadmap for flipping these DCCC-targeted House races in 2016.
[graphic]
*Too close to call ^Trump District
[Virginia Department of Elections, Unofficial Results, accessed 11/9/17]
VOTERS HAVE SEEN THE REPUBLICAN
AGENDA IN ACTION AND THEY ARE REJECTING IT OUTRIGHT.
The surge in turnout wasn’t random. A year into unified Republican
control of D.C., the establishment Republican brand is toxic. Voters
don’t trust them on the issues that matter most, and Republican
attempts to use dog whistle politics backfired.
When voters were asked which policy issue mattered most in their vote
for Governor, a massive 39% indicated that healthcare was a deciding
factor in their vote, and an overwhelming 77% of those who voted on
healthcare supported Northam. And we expect the environment to continue
changing in our favor, especially if Washington Republicans follow
through on their plan to hike middle class taxes in order to pay for
cuts for millionaires and big corporations.
Republican Responses
Republican National
Committee
Nov. 8, 2017 10:45 a.m.
ICYMI: RNC Chairwoman
McDaniel: RNC In Strong
Position Headed Into 2018 Midterms
Chairwoman McDaniel: We're
getting ready for 2018
CHAIRWOMAN MCDANIEL: Listen Bill, we're back to status quo. Republicans
won five special elections including Utah last night that they should
have won and Democrats won two governorships that they should have won,
so nothing really changed. They're going to try and create
this big narrative. They should have won Virginia and New
Jersey but what we're seeing is voters across this country want to see
things get done in Washington and at the RNC we're seeing record
fundraising in support of President Trump and his agenda, so as
Republicans we need to keep working on behalf of the American people
and accomplish the things we ran on and at the RNC we're
already in these battleground states getting ready for 2018 and I
think we're in a better position than we've ever been in the
midterms.
###
Ed Gillespie worked hard but did not
embrace me or what I
stand for. Don’t forget, Republicans won 4 out of 4 House seats, and
with the economy doing record numbers, we will continue to win, even
bigger than before!
Republican State Leadership Committee
November 8, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
David James
Enhanced Liberal Operations Result in Blue States Voting More Blue
RSLC Continues to Push Focus on State
Races
WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 8, 2017) – Going into Election night,
the Republican State Leadership Committee had helped to build ten
Republican majorities across seven traditionally blue states including
the Washington Senate and Virginia House. Democrats and their
liberal billionaire allies outspent Republicans by millions to achieve
operational victories in already blue states. For example, going
into election night, Republicans held a 66-34 majority in Virginia’s
House of Delegates, including 17 districts that Hillary Clinton won in
2016. Democrats knew they had to spend heavily this cycle to compete in
districts that they won at the federal level in multiple cycles.
With most of the returns now reported, RSLC President Matt Walter
released the following statement regarding Tuesday night’s election
returns and what they mean for 2018:
“The numbers show Democrats spent millions more to fight in state and
local races. Their money was invested in a network of over a dozen new
and enhanced liberal, special interest groups, modeled after the RSLC’s
successful 2010 REDMAP program. Virginia, Washington and New Jersey
have been blue states, despite what some in the national media may try
to suggest, and Republicans moved deep into their turf over the past
eight years. Opposition to freedom, security and economic opportunity,
led by Barack Obama and Eric Holder, is real and well-funded.
Blue state majorities in Washington, Virginia and other states will
remain targets in the coming years, but the results from last night
indicate an elevated threat level to more of the 2010 REDMAP
successes. We must be prepared for the Democrats’ enhanced
organization and spending abilities.”
Initial data from Tuesday
night tells us:
Virginia – What we know so
far, as final results are still to be certified, as the HOD is still in
play at this hour:
- 96 of 100 state House Districts voted for the same Party as the
2016 presidential election results.
- Of the 15 seats that appear to have flipped to Democrats, 14 of
the 15 voted for Clinton in 2016.
- Republicans still hold three Clinton districts (HD40, 94 and
100), while Democrats will hold only 1 Trump district (HD85).
Washington
- In the special election for State Senate District 45, an area
that stands in the shadow of the statue of Lenin in the Seattle area,
initial returns show Republican Jinyoung Englund at 44.58%—nearly 18
points higher than previous federal Republican candidates.
New Jersey
- In State Senate District 2, Republican Chris Brown defeated
Democrat incumbent Colin Bell, 54% (24,170 votes) to 46% (20,528
votes), respectively. This district had been carried by both
Obama and Clinton by double digits.
About the RLCC
The Republican Legislative Campaign Committee (RLCC) is the only
national organization dedicated exclusively to electing more
Republicans to state legislatures. The RLCC’s primary mission is
gaining Republican control of more state legislative chambers by
targeting national resources to support winnable local races. Since its
formation in 2003, the RLCC has assisted in bringing successes to
numerous legislative chambers, and winning historic majorities in
states nationwide. In the 2015-2016 cycle, Republicans retained an
all-time high of 69 of 99 Republican-held chambers by defending 56
majorities and flipping an additional three chambers in Kentucky, Iowa
and Minnesota, as well as bringing the Connecticut state Senate to a
tie.
ABOUT THE RSLC
The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) is the largest caucus
of Republican state leaders in the country and the only national
organization whose mission is to elect Republicans to multiple
down-ballot, state-level offices. Since 2002, the RSLC has been working
to elect candidates to the offices of lieutenant governor, secretary of
state, state legislator, the judiciary and other down-ticket races. In
2016, state-level Republicans maintained a record 69 of 99 legislative
chamber majorities in red, purple and blue states, held 31 lieutenant
governor seats, and grew to 31 secretaries of state. To learn more
about the RSLC, please visit www.rslc.gop or follow @RSLC on Twitter.
###
From
Before Nov. 7
Republican State Leadership Committee
Nov. 3, 2017
TO:
Interested
Parties
FROM:
Justin
Richards,
RSLC
Vice
President,
Political
Affairs
and
Communications
DATE:
Friday,
November
3,
2017
RE:
Previewing
Election
Night
in
the
States
Republican ranks in the states have never been stronger. Republicans
control 69 of 99 legislative chambers plus split control in the
Connecticut Senate. Combined with record number of Republican
Governors, the number of state governments under Republican trifecta
control stands at 26. Additionally, in North Carolina, Republican
legislative supermajorities can override the Democrat governor’s veto.
This unprecedented success means that Republicans have complete control
over the legislature in nearly three times as many states as Democrats.
1) With
record levels of success, the political battleground has moved
primarily to Democrat-leaning districts in traditionally Democrat
states.
Virginia
- Republicans hold a 66-34 majority in the House of Delegates,
including 17 districts that Hillary Clinton won in 2016. The races
Democrats have heavily invested in this cycle are almost entirely on
turf they won at the federal level in 2016.
- The National Democratic Redistricting Committee, led by former
Attorney General Eric Holder, has invested at least $1 million across
Virginia state races, a state President Obama carried twice. Democrats,
including Ralph Northam, designed and adopted the state Senate map to
their advantage, yet they do not hold either majority.
- Virginia Republicans have a track record of withstanding previous
presidential electoral trends going back to 2013, when every GOP House
incumbent outran the 2012 presidential numbers in their respective
district the following fall.
- Virginia Democratic House candidates have been on par with
Republicans when it comes to fundraising, something we have not seen in
previous cycles, with Democrat candidates outraising Republican
candidates in 10 of the 20 most competitive Republican held seats.
- State Senator Jill Vogel is positioned to be the first woman
elected Lt. Governor in Virginia history as part of the Republican
ticket aiming for its first statewide victories since 2009. The Lt.
Governor breaks tie votes in the state Senate, where Republicans have a
21-19 majority.
- Nationally, five Republican Lt. Governors have stepped into the
Governor’s office in 2017 with a sixth pending the confirmation of
Kansas Governor Sam Brownback to an appointment in the Trump
Administration. Virginia Governors are limited to one term in office.
New Jersey
- There are two battleground districts to watch on Election Night,
Senate districts 2 and 11, in which $4 million has been spent by
candidates and outside groups for both races.
- SD-2 is currently held by Democrat Colin Bell. State Assemblyman
Chris Brown is challenging him for this seat, which Clinton won by 12%
in 2016 and President Obama carried by 20% in 2012. If Brown is
successful it would represent the second state legislative seat to flip
from Democrat to Republican control in 2017.
- SD-11 is held by Republican Jennifer Beck, in a district
specifically designed by Democrats on New Jersey’s redistricting
commission to their advantage, yet Beck successfully won re-election in
2011 and 2013. President Obama and Hillary Clinton both carried this
district the last two presidential elections.
- Democrat campaigns and outside groups have outspent the
Republican slate on television by at least a 4:1 margin.
Washington
State
- Highlighted by the RSLC’s Future Majority Project and Right
Women, Right Now initiatives, Republicans have recruited an incredible
candidate in Jinyoung Lee Englund, a third generation Washingtonian, an
entrepreneur, and a Marine wife, who is running in the mold of the late
Senator Andy Hill.
- Englund has been endorsed by The Seattle Times who argued she
would “preserve a balance of power between Democratic and Republican
control in state government.”
- Total spending on independent expenditures has nearly doubled
when compared against a similar Washington Senate special in 2013,
which had set the previous record.
- Big liberal donors like Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg invested
early in the race, cutting six-figure personal checks as early as
August and September, respectively.
- The Republican-held Senate has been the last break on Governor
Jay Inslee’s progressive policy wish list including a capital gains
tax, cap-and-trade, and other spending projects. Democrats in both
chambers will have to answer for votes on these issues in 2018
elections.
2)
Recruitment Matters
- In the 2015 House of Delegate races, Democrats did not even file
candidates in 4 Republican-held districts that Hillary Clinton ended up
carrying in 2016.
- This is not isolated to Virginia as Democrats failed to file
candidates in five state House districts in Connecticut, a 2018 RSLC
target to flip to Republican majority; and five state House districts
in Georgia, a state where Democrats and former Attorney General Eric
Holder now blame their lack of success on supposed “gerrymandering.”
- Republicans have had success down ballot even in districts that
Democrats win at the top of the ticket on the Presidential level. In
2012, Republican state legislators won 410 seats in districts that
then-President Obama carried at the top of the ticket. In 2016,
Republican legislators won 394 state legislative seats that Democratic
nominee Hillary Clinton also won.
3) The
Left is Reorganizing and Investing Heavily at the State Level Ahead of
2020 Redistricting Process
- After years of ignoring state legislative races, Democrats are
now realizing their importance in the redistricting process and are
refocusing their efforts on state legislatures ahead of 2020, beginning
with Virginia.
- Forward Majority, formed by Obama campaign alumni, aims to raise
$100 million over the next four years to targeted Republican-held
legislative chambers in 12 states.
- The Virginia League of Conservation voters allocated $100,000
towards VA House of Delegate races which they described as a “record
investment down ticket.”
- The National Democratic Redistricting Committee raised $10.8
million in its first six months. This group has in turn invested over a
million dollars into races in Virginia this cycle.
- Tom Steyer’s political committee, NextGen America, committed $2
million to turn out millennial voters on 25 college campuses throughout
Virginia.
- A cohort of liberal groups including NextGen America, Planned
Parenthood, and Priorities USA Action joined together for a $2 million
digital ad buy, which ran from September through Election Day to
turnout progressive-leaning voters.
Conclusion
What Republicans have learned, and continue to implement, is that
voters will support candidates they like, candidates they know, and
candidates they believe in. These three pillars have been the guiding
playbook to political success for Republicans to reach historic highs
and key elements no matter how challenging the national political
environment over the rest of the 2017-2018 cycle.
More
Libertarian
National
Committee
Nov. 9, 2017
Contact: Elizabeth
Brierly
Libertarian
Party wins 12 races, will challenge Judge Roy Moore
On Nov. 7, the Libertarian Party won 12 races for public office,
continuing an upward trend in the number of voters who support the
party. Last year, the Libertarian Party set its all-time record in
presidential elections when the ticket of Gov. Gary Johnson and Gov.
Bill Weld won nearly 4.5 million votes from all 50 states. Under the
leadership of Wes Benedict, executive director of the Libertarian
National Committee, the LP is succeeding in maintaining that forward
momentum in the 2017 off-year elections through a focus on building the
party by winning local races.
This year’s elections are not quite over. On Dec. 17, a special
election will be held in Alabama to fill the seat vacated by Republican
Jeff Sessions when he was appointed attorney general. In the GOP
primary, the notorious Judge Roy Moore defeated the appointed
incumbent. Moore has twice been removed from his former position on the
Alabama Supreme Court, once for defying a federal court order to remove
a monument of the Ten Commandments from the Alabama Judicial Building
and a second time for directing probate court judges to enforce the
state’s unconstitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
The Democrats nominated Doug Jones, who is best known for, in 1998,
successfully prosecuting two Ku Klux Klan members for their roles in
the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. Although this is normally
a safe GOP state, Moore and Jones are surprisingly close in the
polling. The Democratic Party has even dispatched former Joe Biden, the
former U.S. vice president, to campaign for Jones in Alabama.
Enter Libertarian Party candidate Ron Bishop, who is running a solid
campaign focused on libertarian principles and positioning himself as
the sane choice between an extreme social conservative and a Democrat
who is much too progressive for Alabamians to vote for under most
circumstances. Bishop’s website, RonBishopForUSSenate.com, provides a
clear overview of his positions on a wide range of political issues.
Bishop faces the challenge of running as a write-in candidate
because Alabama election law requires a 20 percent share of the
statewide vote in order to retain ballot status. This creates an
effective Democratic/Republican political duopoly.
Bishop hopes to raise enough money to hire a skywriter to sky write
“Who is Ron Bishop?” above the Auburn vs. Alabama football game a
couple of weeks before the election. The campaign would provide
attendees with the answer to that question by distributing 100,000 Ron
Bishop campaign flyers throughout the stadium.
The 12 Libertarian candidates who won office on Nov. 7 are:
- Jim Turney —
Altamonte Springs City Commission (Florida)
- Greg Perry — Rome
Township Auditor (Pennsylvania)
- Jennifer Moore —
Auditor of Upper Providence in Montgomery County (Pennsylvania)
- James Fryman —
Victory Township Supervisor in Venango County (Pennsylvania)
- Demo Agoris —
Houston Borough Council in Washington County (Pennsylvania)
- Jeffy Geleff —
Exeter Township School Director in Berks County (Pennsylvania)
- Jason Aucker —
Spring Township Auditor in Snyder County (Pennsylvania)
- Zachary Elliott —
Coconut Grove Village Council (Florida)
- Kevine Cline — Long
Beach City Council (Washington)
- Christopher Nance —
Carthage Town Commission (North Carolina)
- Eleanor Russell —
Houston Borough Judge of Elections (Pennsylvania)
- Jake Towne — Lower Nazareth Auditor and
Judge of Elections (Pennsylvania)
Many more Libertarian candidates made respectable showings on
Election Day. View
more
election
results.
###
Green Party of the United States
Green Party victories and highlights from the Nov. 7 election
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Green Party racked up several victories in
local races in the Nov. 7 general election.
At least 127 Green candidates were on the ballot on Nov. 7, of whom at
least 22 were elected. 13 ran for state or federal office, so the
municipal victory count is 22 out 114 races. In all 2017 elections (not
just Nov. 7), Greens won 44 out of 164 races.
Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
@GreenPartyUS
For Immediate Release:
Friday, November 10, 2017
Contact:
Scott McLarty, Media Director, 202-904-7614, scott@gp.org
Green incumbents reelected; big gains for Greens in Connecticut
More Green election results and stories
The Green Party of the United States congratulates the winners and
thanks all Greens who ran for public office in 2017 and all those who
worked on Green campaigns.
Some highlights:
California: All four Green
candidates were elected. All are in Humboldt County and all were
incumbents: Angelia Hillman, Board of Trustees, Area 5, Klamath Trinity
Joint Unified School District; Jeffrey Dean Schwartz, Governing
Boardmember, Arcata School District; Rama Zarcufsky, Governing
Boardmember, Maple Creek School District; Scott Kender, Board of
Directors, Redway Community Services District.
Colorado: Merrily Mazza was
reelected to the Lafayette City Council. Bryan Williams was elected to
the Ouray School Board.
Connecticut: Eight out of 29
Green candidates were elected, including Jean de Smet for Mayor of
Windham; Mirna Martinez (incumbent) for New London Board of Education;
Dagmar Noll for Town Council in Willimantic.
In Waterford, Connecticut, Green candidates won five races for
municipal seats: Darcy Van Ness (Zoning Board Alternate), Andrew
Frascarelli (Representative Town Meeting District 1), Joshua Steele
Kelly (RTM D3), Carl D'Amato (RTM D4), Baird Welch-Collins (RTM D2).
Green-endorsed candidates now hold ten appointed and elected seats in
the town government. The results in Waterford set a record for the
largest contingency of Greens to serve on a legislative assembly in New
England. More: http://www.gp.org/waterford_greens_win_big
Massachusetts: Laurance
Kimbrough was elected to the Cambridge School Committee.
Minnesota: Cam Gordon was
reelected to a fourth term on the Minneapolis City Council. LaTrisha
Vetaw won her race for At-Large member of the Minneapolis Park Board,
replacing Annie Young, the Green Party's longest serving elected
official in U.S.
New Jersey: In a close race,
Jessica Clayton has been elected to the Brick Board of Education. Erika
Jacho won a seat on the Belleville Board of Education in Essex County.
Pennsylvania: Two victories
for three Green campaigns in Bucks County, with Dave Ochmanowicz and
Stuart Chen-Hayes winning their elections to School Board and Judge of
Elections respectively. Bradley Granlun was elected to Borough Council
in Philipsburg; Cem Zeytinoglu won his race for Stroudsburg School
Board. Tim Runkle was elected Judge of Elections in Elizabethtown.
More: http://www.greenwaveofpa.com/home
Greens to watch: These
candidates weren't elected, but received impressive percentages.
Colorado: Julie Bañuelos
received 23% in a race for Denver School Board.
New York: Jabari Brisport drew
29% in his race for New York City Council (District 35 in Brooklyn). In
Glens Falls, Robin Barkenhagen received 35% for Councilor-At-Large.
More: http://www.gp.org/thoughts_on_the_day_after
Ohio: Devin Branch drew 33.5%
in his race for Mayor of East Cleveland.
See also:
Green Party Wrap-Up Statements for 2017
Green Party news and newsmakers in the 2017 election
Press release: Green Party of the United States, October 31, 2017
Green Party candidates to watch in 2017 local elections
Press release: Green Party of the United States, September 26, 2017
MORE INFORMATION
Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191
@GreenPartyUS
A month and a half
later control of the Virginia House remained tbd; not until January was
the outcome settled...by a drawing
Democratic National Committee
December 19, 2017
DNC Congratulates VA Delegate-Elect Shelly Simonds, Shifting
Balance of Power
DNC Chair Tom Perez issued the following statement congratulating
Delegate-elect Shelly Simonds on her one-vote victory in today’s
Virginia HD-94 recount, securing a 50th seat in the Virginia House
of Delegates and shared power for Democrats, if certified:
“The power of every vote has never been clearer. Just one vote secured
Shelly Simonds’ victory and shifted the balance of power in the
Virginia House of Delegates, ending a 17-year Republican majority. Just
one vote has cleared the way for Democrats in the commonwealth to
advance a progressive agenda that puts Virginia families first. This is
the 16th seat flipped from red to blue in the Virginia House this
year, and now, 400,000 more Virginians could gain access to healthcare
through Medicaid expansion. That’s what happens when Democrats stand up
to Republicans, organize around our shared values, and fight for
hardworking families. I want to congratulate Shelly on her historic
win, and every volunteer, organizer, and Democratic voter who made this
possible. Simply put, every vote counts.”
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee
Mara Sloan
DLCC Communications Director
Virginia Recount Results In Democratic Victory, Ending GOP Control
Of Chamber
Democratic
Del.-elect Shelly Simonds’ victory in HD-94 ends nearly two decades of
Republican control in the chamber
WASHINGTON -- Tonight Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC)
Executive Director Jessica Post announced the dissolution of
Republicans’ almost twenty-year control of the Virginia House of
Delegates and congratulated Delegate-elect Shelly Simonds on the
outcome of the recount in House District 94, solidifying her win and
giving Virginia Democrats 50 seats in the state’s lower legislative
chamber.
Pending a recount and possible legal challenges in HD-28, Virginia
Democrats have now flipped at least 16 seats from red to blue.
Nationwide, the number of contested legislative seats flipped by the
DLCC and state Democrats totals 34.
“Delegate-elect Shelly Simonds’s victory tonight is proof that every
single vote matters,” said Post. “With this critical win, Virginia
Democrats will add another brick in our expanding blue wall as the DLCC
and state Democrats fight back against detrimental policies peddled by
the Trump administration and state Republicans. The DLCC is committed
to keeping our organizers and legal team on the ground in Virginia
until every ballot is counted fairly.”
Below is a list of the 16 Virginia House districts that have flipped to
Democratic control in 2017:
Jennifer Carroll Foy, HD-02
Wendy Gooditis, HD-10
Chris Hurst, HD-12
Danica Roem, HD-13
Kelly Fowler, HD-21
David Reid, HD-32
Elizabeth Guzman, HD-31
Kathy Tran, HD-42
Lee Carter, HD-50
Hala Ayala, HD-51
Karrie Delaney, HD-67
Dawn Adams, HD-68
Schuyler VanValkenburg, HD-72
Debra Rodman, HD-73
Cheryl Turpin, HD-85
Shelly Simonds, HD-94
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is the only organization
exclusively committed to electing Democrats to state legislatures all
over the country and winning Democratic control of chambers. For over
two decades, the DLCC has been working with state legislative leaders
to invest strategically in state programs, which has led to Democrats
flipping 34 contested seats in 2017 alone. The DLCC is building on
Democrats’ winning momentum and continues to lay the groundwork for
substantial gains in 2018 in statehouses nationwide. State Democrats
recently scored critical victories in Washington, Virginia, Oklahoma,
Iowa, Pennsylvania, Florida, New York, New Hampshire, Georgia, and
elsewhere. You can learn more about critical upcoming elections and
follow DLCC’s Spotlight Races at races.dlcc.org.
For more information or to schedule an interview with the DLCC, please
contact Mara Sloan at mara@dlcc.org.
# # #
Virginia
House
Democratic
Caucus
December 20, 2017
House Dems’ Statement on Erroneous Court Ruling in HD-94
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Virginia House
Democratic Caucus today issued the following statement from our
attorney Marc Elias in response to today’s
erroneous ruling by the Newport News Circuit Court:
“Today’s decision by the court was wrong, and Delegate-elect Shelly
Simonds should have been certified the winner. We
are currently assessing all legal options before us as we fight for a
just result.
“The Republicans themselves had affirmed that this result was
accurate yesterday before changing their minds today. After conceding
this seat and their majority, they are now desperately trying to claw
both back ‘like a snarling dog that won’t let go of a bone.’”
###
______________
December 21, 2017
RECOUNT IN “IRREPARABLY TAINTED” HOUSE RACE NARROWS MARGIN WITH
LAWSUIT PENDING
STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. – The
Virginia House Democratic Caucus today issued the following statements
following a recount in HD-28 that resulted in a net gain of nine votes
for Democratic nominee Rev. Joshua Cole:
“Today’s recount cut the margin to only 73 votes, approximately half of
the
147
misassigned
ballots
cast
in
this
race,” said Cole, an area pastor.
“We know that there were 61 ballots included in this total from voters
living in the 88th District. We also know there were 86 voters whose
ballots should have been counted today but they were instead given
ballots for two other House Districts. The Washington Post Editorial
Board
has
rightfully
called
these
results
‘irreparably
tainted’ and we
agree. This fight is not over until every vote is cast and counted
in the proper district. The only way that can happen is with a new
election. We look forward to the court’s decision Jan. 5. ”
“We will continue to fight both for Joshua and for
Delegate-elect Shelly
Simonds,
the
rightful
winner
in
HD-94,” said House Democratic Leader David
J. Toscano and Caucus Chair Charniele Herring. “The majority
remains in play, and we hope to achieve just results for the voters in
both these districts.”
###
______________
December 22, 2017
BY BREAKING RECOUNT RULES, DAVID YANCEY IS LIKE THE GRINCH WHO
STOLE THE ELECTION
RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia
House Democratic Caucus issued the following statement from
communications director Katie Baker calling out Delegate
David Yancey for breaking recount rules in a desperate effort to steal
the election after Delegate-elect Shelly Simonds was declared
the rightful winner by both Democrats and Republicans in HD-94:
“David Yancey is like the Grinch who stole the election, desperately
struggling not to be pulled under by the blue wave of citizens
demanding change across Virginia.
“The recount process worked the way it was supposed to work, with both
a Democrat and a Republican appointed by each campaign working together
to review every ballot that the machine could not read. Every Democrat
and every Republican signed a statement affirming that the final result
was accurate, and since there were no ballots on which the parties
disagreed, the meeting of the Circuit Court was supposed to
be a formality. House Republicans even issued a press release conceding
both the seat and their majority.
“But the next day, the Yancey team decided to suddenly spring a
surprise ballot in court, changing the rules midstream after a
Republican observer claimed he had doubts after the fact about a
decision he had made. In any race in which a candidate loses by one
vote, it should be no surprise that there are regrets and
second-guesses on the losing side.
“As long as Republicans are changing the rules, there were other
ambiguous ballots that could have been re-litigated. However, our
motion to be afforded the same opportunity was denied. This is a
subversion of the process by a losing candidate who won’t let go of his
power ‘
like
a
snarling
dog
that
won't
let
go
of a
bone.’* We
believe
that
when
the
judges
have
a
chance
to
consider
this
again,
they
will
make
the
right
choice
to ensure the integrity of the recount
process, which would otherwise be broken for all elections to come.”
*Please see the
Richmond
Times-Dispatch
editorial from which we are quoting.
###
Meeting:
State Board of Elections -
December 27, 2017
| Meeting Details |
| Date / Time |
12/27/2017 11:00 am |
| Location |
Patrick Henry Building
West Reading Room
1111 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219 |
| Board Website |
http://elections.virginia.gov
|
| Agenda document |
not available |
| Disability Friendly? Yes
Deaf interpreter available upon
request? No |
| Purpose of the meeting
Meeting is scheduled for the State Board of Elections to publicly
determine by lot the candidate in the 94th House of Delegates district
that will be declared elected. |
| Meeting Scope |
X
General
business
Discuss
particular regulations / chapters
Public
hearing to discuss a proposed change
|
Virginia State Board of Elections
For Immediate Release
December 26, 2017
For More Information:
Dena Potter
News Advisory
STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS MEETING POSTPONED
RICHMOND, VA – Virginia State Board of Elections Chairman James
Alcorn released the
following statement:
“After receiving notice of the pending litigation concerning the
HD94 election, we have decided to postpone tomorrow’s planned drawing.
While our planned drawing for tomorrow was in full
compliance with the Code of Virginia, neutral election administrators
should not be choosing election winners - or influencing the next
Speaker of the House. Drawing names is an action of last resort. Any
substantive concerns regarding the election or recount should be
resolved before a random drawing is conducted. This will best serve the
voters of HD94 and the rest of the Commonwealth.”
###
Virginia
House
Republican
Caucus
December 29, 2017
House Republican Leaders announce response to court filing in HD
94; plans to organize House on Jan. 10
Virginia House of
Delegates
Speaker-designee Kirk Cox and House Republican Leadership on Friday
announced a court filing in Newport News Circuit Court opposing the
motion by Shelly Simonds asking the Court to reconsider the
certification of the results in House District 94. Attorneys
representing Delegate David Yancey and the House Republican Caucus also
sent a letter to the State Board of Elections urging a clear and
expeditious resolution in House District 94.
In the court
filing, attorney’s for
Delegate Yancey say, “The Petitioner has raised no new evidence or law
to this Recount Court for consideration to suspend or set aside its
decision of December 20, 2017. The Motion to Suspend the Recount
Court’s Order of December 20, 2017 certifying the election results for
the Virginia House of Delegates 94th District as a tie between
candidates, Shelly A. Simonds and David E. Yancey, is effectively a
restatement of Petitioner’s Motion for Reconsideration on an Expedited
Basis. Parties have one, but only one, full and fair opportunity to
argue a question of law. The Petitioner had her opportunity and
vigorously argued her position. After arguments, the Recount Court
deliberated and returned with its decision and certified a recount of
11,608 votes for each candidate, resulting in a tie.”
Attorneys
representing Delegate
Yancey and the House Republican Caucus also sent a letter to the State
Board of Elections in which they say, “According to the Va. Code
§24.2-674, however, “drawing names” is the only resort. The State
Board of Elections is obligated to act, and the delay sought by counsel
for Ms. Simonds only circumvents the laws of this Commonwealth and,
ultimately, deprives the people of House District 94 their rightful
representative in the House of Delegates. The people of Virginia
deserve a quick resolution of this proceeding in accordance with the
process laid out in the Code of Virginia.”
“The work of the
General Assembly
begins on January 10, regardless of the outcome in House District 94.
We have a budget to balance, schools to improve, and an opioid crisis
to fight,” said Speaker-designee Kirk Cox. “Democrats have sought to
delay and obstruct at every turn. Virginia law lays out a clear process
to resolve issues; they’ve ignored that process and sought to litigate
their way to victory. Ultimately, their efforts could deny the people
of the 94th District their rightful representation in the House. This
is a deliberate strategy to make it more difficult for the House to
organize smoothly and to improve their negotiating position.”
You can read the full letter
sent to the State Board of
Elections by clicking here, the Memorandum in
Support of Objections by clicking here, the Objection to
Motion to Reconsider by clicking here, the Objection to
Motion to Suspend Order by clicking here.
Medium
Post
by
House Democratic Leader David J. Toscano
January 1, 2018
GOVERNANCE BY TAINTED ELECTIONS AND COIN FLIPS? VIRGINIA VOTERS
DESERVE BETTER
The 2017 Virginia House of Delegates
elections were truly historic. In picking up 15 seats, Democrats made
gains not seen since the 1880s. Now, House Democrats are knocking on
the door of the majority, but two things are holding us back. An
“irreparably tainted” election in one House district and an insidious
effort to reverse a Democratic victory in another. Virginia voters
deserve better.
Virginians
believe strongly in their fundamental right to vote for their preferred
candidates when electing their representatives. Every vote should be
counted and every vote should count. Yet in House District 28, 147
voters were given the wrong ballot and were therefore disenfranchised
from casting a vote in the district in which they live. After a
recount, Democrat Joshua Cole is only 73 votes behind his Republican
opponent, less than one-half the number of the votes not counted in the
proper district. We hear over and over from Republicans about alleged
voter fraud, but here is a case in which our Department of Elections
has concluded that real, identifiable voters were actually
disenfranchised. The only real solution to this problem is to hold a
new election in which all voters in HD-28 can receive correct ballots
and vote for the candidate of their choice. The Republican response to
this call has been outright resistance. Respect for the Constitution
and the rule of law both suggest that Republicans should join Democrats
in a call for a new election. Virginians deserve better.
In Newport News,
the situation is even more bizarre. Democrat Shelly Simonds won here in
a recount by one vote, with both Republicans and Democrats signing off
on the result. The next day, the Republicans decided to violate the
rules and throw a Hail Mary pass designed to convince local judges to
count an additional ballot in their favor, with no legal justification
and no advance notice to opposing counsel. A similar request by the
Democrats was then rejected, the recount total was redone, and the race
is suddenly tied. Under Virginia law, the way to resolve a tied
election is “by lot,” and the State Board of Elections is set to do so
on Jan. 4. Drawing a name from a hat may determine the balance of power
in the House of Delegates?! Virginians deserve better.
Democrats will
keep fighting for the majority because it will bring us what Virginians
want — Medicaid expansion, investments in all levels of education, and
a new Virginia economy that creates more jobs that pay a living wage.
We will also lay down a marker to do politics in new and creative ways,
including real power sharing in Richmond — on committees, in the
appointment of judges, in redistricting reform. Our historic gains in
the House of Delegates were a resounding rejection of the toxic,
Trumpian rhetoric and policies that defined the Republican strategy
both up and down the ballot this year. Virginians in this election
spoke loudly and clearly that they wanted new leadership and new ways
of thinking about politics, and Democrats won because we are committed
to giving this to them. Their voices should not be silenced by tainted
elections or games of chance.
###
Virginia House Republican Caucus
January 4, 2018
Republican Delegate David Yancey certified as winner in HD 94
Delegate
David Yancey won the draw Thursday to determine the winner of the
election in House District 94, and was immediately certified by the
State Board of Elections. Yancey’s certification comes just six days
before the start of the 2018 General Assembly session
“The past few weeks have been unprecedented to say the least, but the
process laid out in state law worked,” said Speaker-designee Kirk
Cox (R-Colonial Heights). “Now, it’s time to get to work. We are
six short days from the start of the General Assembly session and the
people of the 94th House District deserve representation on opening
day. Delegate David Yancey has and will continue to serve the people of
the 94th District with distinction.”
“This race could not have been any closer and when I return to the
House of Delegates I want all residents of Newport News to know I am
ready to serve as their Delegate and look forward to hearing how I can
improve the lives of all,” said Delegate David Yancey (R- Newport
News). “Shelly Simonds ran a great campaign and I thank her for
her service on the Newport News School Board. I look forward to her
continued involvement in issues that matter to the people of the 94th.
The election is behind us, the outcome is clear, and my responsibility
now is to begin the work I was re-elected to do.”
“In a letter written Wednesday, Shelly Simonds indicated she
would not pursue an additional recount or further legal action in
this race, and we sincerely hope she sticks to her word,” said
House Majority Leader Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah). “An additional
recount, while clearly allowed by law, would deny the people of the
94th District representation and make it more difficult for the House
to organize smoothly. This was a historic election, but now it’s time
to begin the work of governing.”
“Delegate David Yancey has served the people of Newport News well, and
he will continue to over the next two years,” said Caucus Chairman
Tim Hugo (R-Fairfax).“He has fought to improve workforce training, fund
local schools, and reduce congestion for busy commuters on the
peninsula. We are excited he will get to continue that work in
Richmond.”
“It’s been an honor to serve with Delegate Yancey and I’m glad I’ll
continue to have that privilege,” said House Majority Whip Nick
Rush (R-Christiansburg). “It’s time to put this election behind us
and get to work on improving our Commonwealth.”
Virginia House Democratic Caucus
January 4, 2018
STATEMENT
FROM
SHELLY
SIMONDS
ON TODAY’S DRAWING
RICHMOND,
Va.
– Shelly
Simonds today issued the following
statement on today’s drawing in Richmond:
“When people asked
me today if I felt
lucky, the answer was and always will be ‘yes.’ I have a wonderful
life, family, career and community. I have health care. I had access to
a quality education. I can see a doctor when I’m sick. Not everyone in
this world, this country, and the 94th District is as lucky. There are
nearly 400,000 Virginians who have been denied access to affordable
health care through Medicaid expansion. I hope our lawmakers in the
House of Delegates do not leave their fate to a game of chance.
“I am tremendously grateful to my supporters. They will be the first to
know of any next steps.”
###
Virginia House Republican Caucus
January 5, 2018
Court dismisses House Democrats Lawsuit in HD 28, clearing way for
Bob Thomas to be sworn in next week
Late Friday evening, a federal judge denied a request from House
Democrats seeking to prevent Delegate-elect Bob Thomas from being
seated and ordering a new election in House District 28. Judge Ellis
ruled from the bench that the plaintiffs could not show likelihood of
success on any of their claims and urged the parties to promptly enter
motions for a full dismissal. This marks more than a half-dozen court
motions filed by House Democrats that have all been thrown out in state
or federal court.
“Since election day, Delegate-elect Bob Thomas has become a great
colleague and friend to many in the House of Delegates,” said
Speaker-Designee Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights). “He is a hard worker
who has not allowed the numerous frivolous court filings to distract
him from preparing for the 2018 General Assembly Session. Today’s
ruling from a federal judge says what we have been saying for nearly
two months now, Thomas was the rightful winner in this election and we
are thrilled to welcome him to Richmond.”
Delegate-Elect Bob Thomas (R-Fredericksburg) will be sworn on January
10th, the first day of the 2018 General Assembly Session. Thomas was
not able to attend the court proceeding, due to attending New Member
Orientation to prepare for the legislative session.
“Once again, I cannot thank the people of House District 28 enough for
placing their trust in me to serve as their delegate,” said
Delegate-elect Thomas. “I also want to thank Joshua Cole for the
ideas he contributed to the election season discussion. I look forward
to his continued involvement in the 28th district. Campaigning is
behind us and it’s time to get to work. I want the people of Stafford
and Fredericksburg to know whether you voted for me or not, I will
represent you with honor in Richmond and champion issues important to
the 28th district.”
Dec. 12,
2017 AL U.S. Senate Special Election
The Dec. 12, 2017 special election in Alabama proved to be a big
headache for Republicans. In the Sept. 26 primary former Alabama
Chief Justice Roy Moore (backed by Steve Bannon) defeated appointed
Sen. Luther Strange (R) (backed by President Trump). Then in
November allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced, but Moore refused
to withdraw. Republican leaders posited all manner of scenarios,
including running a write in candidate, possibly Strange or Attorney
General Jeff Sessions; having Strange resign and hold a special
election; and voting to expel Moore from the Senate if he were in fact
elected. The Democratic nominee, former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones,
faced long odds in this very red state; the last Democrat to represent
Alabama in the Senate was Sen. Howell Heflin, who retired in
1996. On Nov. 27 retired Marine Col. Lee Busby launched a write
in campaign which attracted a fair bit of attention. As Election
Day drew close Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell changed his tune,
stating on Dec. 3 that, "I'm going to let the people of Alabama make
the call." On Dec. 4, President Trump endorsed Moore; in one
tweet he stated, "Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive
Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama. We need
his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military,
Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more. No to Jones, a
Pelosi/Schumer Puppet!" Following Trump's move, the RNC quickly
restored its support for Moore. McConnell did say that if Moore
were elected his case would be put to the Senate ethics
committee. Meanwhile Democrats started using the RNC's support of
Moore to attack Republican candidates (
+).
On
Election
Day,
propelled
by
high
turnout
among
black
voters,
Jones
achieved
the upset, defeating Moore by 1.5 percentage points (
+); he is
expected to take office in January and will not be up for re-election
until 2020.
