Over the next few days, I’m going to work to highlight a handful of under the radar Senate races in this series. I’m calling it The Gavel because a big part of our focus has to be on gaining control of the Senate and its committees.
There are actually two Senate seats up for election in Mississippi this year. The special election to fill Thad Cochran’s seat has received more attention. There, Mike Espy, former US Secretary for Agriculture is challenging Cindy Hyde-Smith, and is about even in the polls. Cindy Hyde-Smith used to be a Democrat and was the woman seated at the right of Susan Collins as she delivered her speech supporting Kavanaugh. Whoever wins there will serve till 2020.
Let’s set that race aside and talk about the regular Senate election for a six year term. There, David Baria is challenging the incumbent Roger Wicker. If you were confused as to why Trump was in Mississippi last week, it was to campaign for the two senate candidates. That is where he made mocked Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.
Could Mississippi elect a Democratic senator? Or even two? It sounds crazy, but it is possible. I’ll let the LA Times explain:
As with many things in the South, the vote traditionally splits along racial lines, so the Democratic voter base in Mississippi (38% African American) is actually larger than in Alabama (26% African American), where Democrat Doug Jones won the special election to fill Jeff Sessions’ Senate seat last December.
An NBC poll shows the overall party gap closing in Mississippi, too. Only 51% indicated they would vote Republican in this midterm, after more than 58% voted for Trump in 2016. Add in Trump’s performance Tuesday, which will resonate with his most committed base, but likely put off some white female voters. If Democrats make inroads with white women, they’re within spitting distance of a double win.
— www.latimes.com/...
David Baria is a great candidate for Mississippi:
- He serves as the minority leader in the Mississippi state house.
- He’s won state legislative seats consistently in Republican areas.
- After Charlottesville, he said he was in favor of removing the Confederate battle flag from all official Mississippi symbols.
- He has presented equal pay bills in the Mississippi state legislature.
- He has a tragic yet inspiring personal story. In 2005, his son Darden got rabies, fell into a coma and died. Three years later, he and his wife Marcie he adopted a child. Their son Max is black and 10 years old.
The latest poll in Mississippi shows his opponent, the incumbent Wicker with 43% support. Baria has only 29%, but his name recognition is lower.
This is a very long shot, but it’s a race worth paying attention to, and it is winnable. In 2014, Thad Cochran, a six-term incumbent was elected with 378k votes. The Democrat, Travis Childers got 239k. But in 2016, Hillary Clinton got 485k votes in Mississippi. If we can get Democrats to turn out, we can win this seat.
Wicker has refused to debate Baria. In response, Baria has been holding town halls across the state.
You can donate to Baria’s campaign, or volunteer if you’re local. Indivisible MS has endorsed him and is organizing locally.
— @subirgrewal
Here are the 14 Senate races I consider interesting, either because they’re close or because the seats are currently held by Republicans.
Toss-ups: Bill Nelson (FL), Joe Donnelly (IN), Claire McCaskill (MO), Heidi Heitkamp (ND), Kyrsten Sinema (AZ), Jacky Rosen (NV), Phil Bredesen (TN), Beto O’Rourke (TX), Jon Tester (MT).
Likely or Solid R: Speculative, but still worth paying attention to: Jane Raybould (NE), Mike Espy (MS), David Baria (MS), Jenny Wilson (UT), Gary Trauner (WY).
Here’s a link to donate to all 14 of these Senate candidates. They are all worthy of attention because we need a 50 state strategy to show people who’re victims of country club Republicans that we will fight for them.