Democrat Jackie Biskuspki, who will be the first openly gay mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah,
campaigns with enthusiastic supporters
You wouldn't know it from reading most traditional media accounts or perusing much of Twitter, but progressives actually scored quite a few victories on Tuesday night. Democrats did lose a marquee race for governor in Kentucky, and make no mistake: That sucked. But the prominence of that one election shouldn't overshadow all of Tuesday's other results—many of which were very heartening for liberals.
This isn't about cherry-picking good news or ignoring bad news. Rather, it's about calling attention to important developments that simply aren't getting as much play as they ought to. So here are some key results you may not have learned about yet:
• Pennsylvania: In what was by far the most important victory of the night, Democrats swept three seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, giving them a five-to-two majority; previously, Republicans had controlled the bench three-to-two, with two vacancies. This victory isn't simply about ensuring a more just court, though undoubtedly the cause of fairness will benefit greatly. It will also have an enormous impact on the next round of legislative redistricting.
That's because the Supreme Court selects the tiebreaking vote for the commission that draws up the maps for Pennsylvania's state House and Senate. In the prior two rounds of redistricting, the Republican-dominated court chose the tiebreaker, but now Democrats will have that power come 2021 (justices are elected to 10-year terms). As a result, Democrats will have the chance to undo the Republican gerrymanders that have given the GOP a lock on both houses of the legislature. It'll give Team Blue an excellent shot at retaking both chambers, which means real progressive change will be able to move forward. And if Democrats can win the legislature, it also means that future congressional redistricting will be in their hands, too—though we'd likely have to wait until 2031 for that!
Head below the fold for more good news from around the country.
• Indianapolis, IN: Democrats won several big mayoral races on Tuesday, and the biggest prize came in Indianapolis, where Democrat Joe Hogsett crushed Republican Chuck Brewer 63-37. For the preceding eight years, though, Republicans had held the mayoralty, making Indy, the 14th-biggest city in the country, one of the few large burgs without a Democrat at the helm. Republicans have used this job as a springboard for higher office in the past (former Sen. Dick Lugar was once mayor), so Team Blue will be glad to have this post in its hands.
• Salt Lake City, UT: Democrat Jackie Biskupski unseated two-term Mayor Rich Becker (a fellow Democrat) by a 52-48 margin, making her the first openly gay mayor in Utah history. SLC is a liberal oasis in an otherwise extremely red state, but this kind of first is always an important one.
• Charlotte, NC: Democrat Jennifer Roberts squeaked out a 52-48 win over Republican Edwin Peacock to win the mayoralty in Charlotte, North Carolina's largest city. Peacock would have been a strong statewide candidate had he won: In fact, Charlotte's last Republican mayor, Pat McCrory, is now governor. Instead, Roberts will have the opportunity to showcase her abilities, and if she governs well, she, rather than Peacock, will have a chance at upward advancement somewhere down the line.
• Mississippi: Mississippi—yes, Mississippi—makes this list, and not once but twice. That's because state Attorney General Jim Hood, the last Democrat holding statewide office in the Deep South, won his toughest election to date to win a fourth term by a 56-44 spread. Hood matters because he's been an aggressive advocate for victims of Hurricane Katrina, who are still battling insurance companies a decade later. Hood has won hundreds of millions on their behalf and continues the fight to this day. No Republican attorney general would have done the same.
And believe it or not, Democrats scored a second win in the Magnolia State, the kind that really flies under the radar: They took two of three seats on Mississippi's Public Service Commission, a little-known but important board that regulates utility companies. It's no small matter, since, among other things, the Mississippi Power Company is trying to pass off massive cost over-runs for a new $6.4 billion power plant to customers. Would you rather have Democrats fighting on behalf of consumers or Republicans? The question answers itself.
• Maine: Voters in Maine approved an expansion of the state's Clean Election Act by a 55-45 margin. The new rules will increase the amount of public funding available to candidates; require greater disclosure of donors; and heighten the penalties for violators.
• Seattle, WA: In a novel move, Seattleites voted by a wide margin to implement a new campaign finance system that would give each voter four $25 "democracy vouchers" every two years that they could then give as donations to candidates for local races like mayor and city council. In turn, candidates who accept these vouchers will have to abide by additional caps on donations and spending, and will also have to participate in at least three debates. It's the first regime of its kind anywhere in the nation, and it could pave the way for interesting reforms along these lines elsewhere.
• Jefferson County, CO: Conservatives on the school board in Jefferson County (located in the Denver suburbs) brought extraordinary shame upon themselves when they tried to rewrite the AP U.S. history curriculum to "present positive aspects of the United States and its heritage" and "promote citizenship, patriotism, essentials and benefits of the free enterprise system." Now they're not on the board anymore: Three ringleaders were recalled by an almost two-to-one margin, despite a big cash infusion from the Koch brothers. An entirely new board will assume office in what is Colorado's second-largest school district. A real win for the good guys.
• New Jersey: Remember when Chris Christie was going to upend Garden State politics on his way to running a powerhouse campaign for president? Well, Democrats picked up at least three seats in the New Jersey Assembly on Tuesday night, giving them their biggest majority in 36 years, and we all know how Christie's White House aspirations are faring. Next!