Wisconsin state Senator Chris Larson let his followers know yesterday that despite Kamala’s loss in his state, down-ballot Dems “achieved some big goals in November, and we have a chance to achieve even more with growing progressive caucuses. We can fully fund public education. We must do this after decades of bipartisan neglect. It starts with the state giving public schools the same 90% reimbursement for special education they give to private schools (public schools currently get 32%). We can fight climate change and ensure the next generation has clean air and water. We can strengthen families and our workforce by providing paid family leave, affordable childcare, and a sustainable safety net. We can legalize cannabis. We can again have a world-class university system, support our small businesses, and provide targeted tax relief for those who need it most by requiring giant corporations and the obscenely wealthy to pay their fair share once again. These battles are worth fighting…”
Larson is a sensible, unwavering progressive. So is New Jersey state Sen Andrew Zwicker, who we checked in on last Sunday and who will be on Nicole Sandler's show tomorrow. Plenty of Democrats elected to legislatures around the country are far from that. Yesterday, we saw how Tampa Bay conservative Democratic incumbent, Susan Valdés, for example, just reelected as a Democrat immediately turned around and switched to the GOP. Always be prepared for that when you vote for a conservative, corporate Democrat. NYC Mayor, former Republican Eric Adams has been threatening to go back to his old party, a better fit for someone a whose entire political career is based around public corruption. Luckily, though, there are several excellent candidates opposing him already, including state Sen. Jessica Ramos, former Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie and Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani. I was just looking into Mamdani and found this housing crisis video I suggest you take a look at, whether you live in New York or not:
Yesterday the DLCC released its report assessing what happened at the polls, a mixed result in legislatures, claiming to have overcome “the red wave that swept the presidential level. We emerged with hard-won victories in battleground states across the map, protecting majorities, flipping seats, and defending incumbents in a tough electoral environment. As we now prepare for one of the biggest fights of our lifetime under a second Trump presidency, there are lessons Democrats can learn from this ballot level as we chart our path forward.” Also losing seats Democrats shouldn’t have lost— like 3 Assembly seats blue Latino-majority Assembly seats and two state Senate seats (one because conservative Dem Marie Alvarado-Gill switched parties and one because Orange County Republican Steven Choi narrowly beat Democratic incumbent Josh Newman— though Newman outspent him $5,522,822 to $452,491.
According to the report "state legislatures are the only level of the ballot where Democratic power is on the rise. We hold significantly more majorities in our statehouses than the last time Donald Trump took office, and the strength of this firewall in our state legislatures has never been more important. Democrats in state legislatures will remain on the frontlines of deciding and protecting the future of economic opportunity, education, immigration, the climate crisis, fundamental freedoms, and so much more…The DLCC’s data-driven strategy identified 10 battleground states this cycle, and we stayed laser-focused on these opportunities to defend or expand Democratic power."
Making & Defending Majorities:
Virginia (2023): We flipped the Virginia House of Delegates to Democratic control and held our majority in the Virginia Senate.
Pennsylvania: We defended our single-seat majority in the House and prevented any GOP gains in the Senate, even as Republicans swept statewide races and the presidency.
Minnesota: We won a majority-deciding special election in the Senate, and we cut off Republicans’ path to a majority in the House, ensuring a tied chamber.
Building Power:
Wisconsin: We made the biggest gains in the state in over a decade, picking up 10 seats in the Assembly and winning every target Senate district to gain 4 seats. We put majorities for both chambers in play for 2026.
North Carolina: Despite running on some of the most gerrymandered maps in the country, we broke the GOP supermajority to ensure that incoming Democratic Governor Josh Stein will have the veto pen.
Georgia: For the fifth consecutive election cycle, we gained seats in the Georgia House, putting Democrats in their strongest position in this chamber since 2004.
KeepingChambers Competitive for 2026:
Michigan: Republicans flipped the 1-seat Democratic majority in the Michigan House by just a few thousand votes. Our planning and groundwork to win it back in 2026 is already underway and Democrats’ trajectory in Michigan over the decade is clear as we are ready to get back in the fight.
Arizona: We minimized Republican gains, protecting almost every incumbent across both chambers and even flipping a tough district in the House. Arizona’s unique maps and nested districts have proven challenging but we believe the majorities in both chambers will remain competitive in the new cycle.
New Hampshire: We kept our net seat loss to nearly half of what Democrats lost in 2020, despite Republicans gaining ground. This chamber will be ready for gains in a more favorable midterm year and we could even be within striking range of a new majority in 2026.
"…As we compete in upcoming special elections, we’ll also be gearing up for the 2025/2026 cycle, which provides a critical opportunity to strengthen Democratic state power under the Trump administration. Our top targets include states where Democrats have a path to victory if we secure the resources and infrastructure to compete:"
