True love is hard to find. Meeting that special someone who adores you just the way you are, who’s going to stick by you through thick and thin, who doesn’t care how much money you have … well, you don’t need me to to tell you it’s a challenge. Myriad dating algorithms and matchmaking services claim to have figured it out, to have cracked the code of how to pair you perfectly.
In 2011, Republicans cracked the code FOR REALZ. They figured out how to win the unwavering support of a true blue red lover, albeit in a Weird Science sort of way.
Campaign Action
Also, by lover, I mean a majority of voters in a congressional or legislative district.
In the last round of redistricting, Republicans matched themselves to an inflated majority of state legislative and congressional seats specifically designed to never, ever leave them.
- With the magic of technology (specifically, sophisticated map-making software), the GOP created districts programmed to support candidates of their party no matter what (they created districts stacked to unwaveringly support Democrats, too, but far fewer of them).
- They used every trick they could think of—cracking, packing, racial gerrymandering, the works—to create the perfect districts, districts in which Republicans could win against Democrats regardless of how little money they had, how terrible their policies were, or how poorly they treated their voters.
Bad Romance: Republican lawmakers in North Carolina were particularly calculating in designing districts to suit their desires—and especially diabolical at diluting the voices of African-American voters in the state.
- Despite the fact that voters statewide supported Trump last fall by a close 50-46 percent margin, Republicans hold veto-proof majorities in both legislative chambers (44 D/74 R + two vacancies in the House, 15 D/35 R in the Senate).
- Multiple courts have determined that Republicans pulled off this mathematically dubious success via illegal racial gerrymandering, with the Supreme Court issuing the final, ah, divorce decree in June. Twenty-eight of the state’s legislative districts were found to be unconstitutional gerrymanders that undermined the preferences of minority voters.
- But, like a bad ex, North Carolina Republicans dragged their feet when it came to finalizing the breakup. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper tried to call a special session earlier this summer to comply with the court order to redraw the unconstitutional districts; Republican lawmakers shut him down.
- Late last week, a federal court chastised these recalcitrant Republicans for not taking their original order to redraw districts—then 50 weeks old—seriously.
- This week, the court commanded Republicans to have a new maps drawn by Sept. 1. The 2018 state legislative elections will be held in the new districts.
While new districts will likely benefit Democrats to some degree, the original map-drawers have been called in by the GOP to tweak the district lines in such a way that doesn’t offend the courts, so it’s hopelessly unrealistic to think Republicans won’t try every trick available to them to preserve their partisan advantage.
- Prince Charming to the rescue! Gov. Cooper has launched a major fund-raising effort geared toward breaking the GOP supermajorities in the legislature that keep overturning his vetoes.
New maps are good news for North Carolina Democrats and voters. But the most fair and representative districts in history won’t negate the fact that Tar Heel Republicans have gotten away with making laws thanks to their illegal, artificially inflated majorities for the majority of the decade.
- The courts have called them on their malfeasance and are forcing them to correct it, but there’s no compensation for their shocking governing failures during their tenure in the supermajority:
New districts or not, the damage is done.
Speaking of bathroom bills … on August 8, a special election is being held to replace a Democrat in the Iowa House.
- The race was fairly sleepy until last month, when the Republican started airing ads attacking Democrat Phil Miller for his vote as school board president to preserve a policy allowing transgender students to use the bathroom for the gender with which they identify. Miller’s vote to uphold the policy followed a summer of controversy over the issue in his small town and was in compliance with both state and federal law.
- The spot is transphobic and terrible, but that’s not even the worst part:
- The Republican began airing their ads just a month after a local transgender teen committed suicide.
You stay classy, Iowa GOP!
Okay, back to painful romance metaphors.
The Candidette: Washington is home to a key special election this November.
- Two women are vying to capture the
hearts votes of LD 45, and the winner of this Senate seat will determine the balance of power in the chamber—and would give trifecta (state House, Senate, governor) control of state government to Democrats.
- Democrat (and Daily Kos-endorsed candidate) Manka Dhingra has emerged from the Aug. 1 top-two primary with an impressive 51-42 percent lead over her Republican opponent.
Will you accept this rose vote? Both candidates will continue to Election Day on Nov. 7.
- These tallies don’t count toward final results, but they’re a great early indicator of strength in the contest, and this is excellent news for Dhingra in a race that Republicans want to win very, very badly (to the tune of already well over $500,000 as of late last month).
Love Trumps Hate: Democrats are winning state legislative seats in Trump districts! Old news to some of us, but worth repeating anyway, because it’s freaking awesome.
- Democrats have flipped four statehouse seats from red to blue already this cycle, and they’ve held a whole slew more by margins that outstrip Hillary Clinton’s performance in these seats just last fall.
- All four of the seats picked up by Democrats went for Trump, and in all the special elections held for Congress and state legislatures since Election Day 2016, Democrats are performing an average of 12 percent better than Clinton did in these seats.
There’s Something About Data: The Daily Kos Elections crew continues its quest for the hearts of election data lovers everywhere by present our latest state calculations of 2016 presidential election results by legislative district: sunny Florida! Democrats are fighting serious deficits in both legislative chambers here, but the situation is far less dire than current chamber breakdowns might lead you to believe (15 D/25 R in the Senate, 41 D/75 R in the House). But you don’t have to take my word for it: Check out the actual numbers for this and the rest of our 2016 states.
Well, I’m off to, um, wash my hair. Tomorrow night? Oh, I need to iron my dog. Or take my goldfish to the vet. Wow, look at my wrist! Gotta run!