Details Matter (11/14/21)
We are almost two weeks out from the results of the November 2nd elections and while there have been many headlines declaring that Youngkin’s win in Virginia spells disaster for Democrats in 2022, we have had a few days to see that it isn’t that simple. While some believe that Terry McAuliffe wasn’t necessarily the best candidate for the race and that he ran a sloppy campaign, we can’t forget that historically Virginia’s governor race always goes to whichever party is not in the White House. More importantly, Governor Murphy won a close race to earn a second term as governor of New Jersey. He is the first Democrat to do that in 44 years. NYC elected Eric Adams as their second black mayor and in Boston, Michelle Wu became their first woman and their first person of color mayor in 199 years. What doesn’t get talked about at all in the news is that in Georgia, Democrats flipped 41 seats in two dozen counties in municipal elections.
Even in the down-ballot losses in Virginia, the details are worth celebrating. We worked hard by writing postcards and raising over $60,000 to help candidates in the Virginia House of Delegates try to hold onto their slim majority. While we were disappointed that they couldn’t hold on, what no one is talking about is that they lost control of the house by fewer than 400 votes across three districts. Many of the candidates we supported outperformed the top of the ticket which is extremely hard to do. Imagine what might have happened if more people engaged in the work we were doing.
The above is all to say, yes it was a disappointing day of results, but instead of wallowing in defeat, let’s use the details as a rallying cry. Let’s learn from grassroots organizations in Georgia that started working ten years ago and have not taken a break since the 2020 election, and the work of which continues to pay off. Our giving circle along with all The States Project’s work helped keep the Virginia candidates within 400 votes of maintaining control of the Virginia House when the top of the ticket lost by a lot. Thank you to all members of the Markers for Democracy Giving Circle for helping in the important work in Virginia. We hope you will join us in 2022 as we continue to fight to elect state legislators who will improve the lives of their constituents and support voting rights, reproductive rights, environmental protection, common-sense gun reform, as well as other core democratic values.
It hurts to lose when you truly believe you are on the right side of history and want to make people’s lives better, but Democrats can make progress when we don’t take our foot off the pedal. The Republicans are extremely well funded and never take a break. We are less than a year away from the midterms and now is the time to wake up those friends and family who stepped away and bring them back into the fold. Complacency is a losing recipe. Raising early money, registering voters, turning out the vote in special elections will make a difference in the Democrats' chances in 2022. Our democracy is on the line, and we must tend to it.