I know 2018 has been the longest decade ever, but it was only last November that we learned how much power a single vote can hold. You see, leading up to the statewide elections in Virginia in 2017, the polls did not look amazing for Democrats. (thread)
For example, the Virginia gubernatorial race had polling going back and forth in the final week between Democrat Ralph Northam and Republican Ed Gillespie. Northam led in some polls but was behind in others. Although this should have been more of a "too close to call" thing..
...the media narrative was that Democrats were on their way to a heartbreaking loss. I distinctly remember the sense of dread for Virginia Democrats that all their hard work hadn't been enough. Basically the same feeling myself and other Democrats have now before Midterms.
But what did folks do? They kept working. They kept knocking on doors and calling friends and family. They kept getting out the vote.
And on Election Night, the country watched as Virginia Democrats flooded their polling stations and handed a resounding loss to the GOP.
And on Election Night, the country watched as Virginia Democrats flooded their polling stations and handed a resounding loss to the GOP.
Northam beat Gillespie by a stunning 9 point margin. Justin Fairfax was elected Lt. Gov. by 5 points, becoming the second Black American to be elected to statewide office in Virginia's history. And yet, somehow, those weren't even the biggest surprises of the night...
Democrats took a whopping 15 seats from the GOP in the Virginia House of Delegates. In one night, the Virginia GOP went from a 66-34 majority in the House of Delegates to a razor-thin 51-49 majority.
Danica Roem, on a brilliant platform of nuts-and-bolts local transportation advocacy, became the first openly transgender person elected to a state legislature in American history. She defeated Bob Marshall, arguably the most rabidly anti-LGBTQ state legislator in the country.
Hala Ayala and Elizabeth Guzman became the first Latinas elected to the House of Delegates and Kelly Fowler and Kathy Trans became the first AAPI women elected to the House of Delegates.
Dawn Adams became the first openly-lesbian delegate elected, and Lee Carter, a Marine veteran, won his election to the House as a proud democratic socialist, defeating the GOP House Majority Whip.
Powerfully and poignantly, Chris Hurst won his race to the House of Delegates on a platform of gun reform after reporter Alison Parker (and Hurst's girlfriend) was murdered in 2015 on live television with a firearm.
It was a massive success for Democrats, and what makes this story heartbreaking was how close Democrats came to winning control of the House of Delegates by a single voter. Just one vote.
In the race for Virginia House District 94, Republican David Yancey was ahead by 13 votes on election night. After provisional ballots, it went down to 10 votes. And after a recount, Democrat Shelley Simonds led by one vote out of 23,215 ballots cast. And yet...
...a three-judge panel appointed by the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that a ballot that had been identified as an "overvote" and removed should now count for Yancey, making the race a certified tie. The race was eventually decided by drawing lots out of a bowl...
Yancey won the drawing. The GOP retained their control of the House of Delegates and thus, the speakership. By a single vote.
This is all to say that your vote always matters. Always. And moreover, the votes of your friends and family count.
This is all to say that your vote always matters. Always. And moreover, the votes of your friends and family count.
How many Democrats in this district do you think wondered to themselves either: 1) Damn it, what if I had voted instead of staying home? or 2) What if I had a grabbed a friend or family member and got them out to the polls?
I don't know if Stacey Abrams in Georgia or Beto O'Rourke in Texas or Andrew Gillum in Florida or any other Democrat in the country will win or lose by a single vote, but what I know for damn sure is that I don't want to wake up Weds. morning asking if I had done enough.
Everything is on the line on Tues. Every issue you care about is on the line. And if it turns out we lost the Senate by a handful of votes in race in Texas or the governor's races in Georgia or Florida by four or five votes, that's gonna be a terrible feeling.
Every vote matters. Every person you call and text and email to get out the vote matters. Don't leave anything to chance. If you're going to have a headache and sense of remorse Weds morning, let it be having downed too many celebratory shots after Democrats perform well. /thread
