The vacancy on the Supreme Court left behind by Antonin Scalia's death has heightened the already extraordinary stakes of this year's elections to a degree that simply cannot be overstated. For the first time since the late 1960s, there's a real possibility that the court could house a clear liberal majority, and with that, profoundly alter the contours of American politics as we know them.
The scope of possible topics the court could rule on in just the next few years is breathtaking. Almost every major issue is on the table: Reproductive rights, climate change, redistricting, affirmative action, voting rights, policing, campaign finance, capital punishment, immigration—there's no end to this list. Five liberal justices could protect the rights of the vulnerable, safeguard the environment, and even strengthen our democracy itself in ways so far-reaching that progressives have scarcely dared to imagine them. That makes this vacancy the campaign issue of 2016.
That's why Daily Kos is going all-in on the Senate this year. Right now, the Republicans who control the chamber have sworn a blood-oath to block anyone President Obama might nominate, no matter how outrageous their obstinacy makes them look. But their majority is precarious: They hold only 54 seats, which means the Democrats can take the Senate back this November if we pick up as few as four seats from the GOP.
Fortunately, the playing field favors us, as Republicans are on defense protecting a number of vulnerable seats, including several held by blue-state freshmen who lucked into office during the 2010 wave. Earlier this cycle, Daily Kos endorsed former Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold, whom polls show is in a strong position to knock off Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, the man who unseated him almost six years ago. Now, with the Supreme Court in play, we're expanding our roster of endorsees to include three more Democrats who are taking on other at-risk GOP senators:
- New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan, who is neck-and-neck with Sen. Kelly Ayotte
- Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, who is aiming to knock off Sen. Roy Blunt; and
- Arizona Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, who definitely is not going to be good news for Sen. John McCain.
None of these contests will be easy—no race against an incumbent ever is. But with our help, all of these Republicans can go down to defeat this November. And this is just a start: Primaries are underway in many states, but as soon as we have nominees in places like Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida, we'll be looking to add even more names to our list. We want to expand the map as much as possible, and we will.
Daily Kos typically asks federal candidates to fill out a questionnaire before issuing endorsements, but the unparalleled importance of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the Supreme Court overshadows any questions we might ask. Right now, the only thing that matters is winning the Senate and White House. Senate Democrats were virtually unanimous in voting for both of President Obama's first two Supreme Court nominations, so there's every reason to believe that this pattern would hold under any Democratic successor. On this issue, "more Democrats" and "better Democrats" are one and the same: Simply put, a Democratic Senate will confirm a liberal nominee (and eliminate the filibuster if needed). A Republican Senate will not, period.
Again, the stakes could not be higher. If, heaven forbid, Democrats lose this year, Republicans would immediately restore their conservative majority on the court, and might even bolster it with future picks. But if we can keep the White House and win back the Senate , then the next president will get to nominate a new justice on his or her own terms—a liberal justice who will be poised to change the court dramatically.
So please donate $3 today to help turn the Senate blue. The future of the Supreme Court depends on it.