I wrote the thread below on Monday to preview #overlookedelectionstakes: stuff that's way-under-the-radar but so crucial. Now that you've digested the big-picture stuff, time to delve back into all that. In this new thread, I'll review the results of those stakes—& add new ones.
North Carolina: GOP's rumored hope to pack state Supreme Court was thwarted as civil rights attorney Anita Earls ousted Justice Jackson & expanded Dems' majority from 4-3 to 5-2. (Court can only have 2 more seats.) Matters for voting rights litigation. #overlookedelectionstakes
New Hampshire: Safiya Wazir, a one-time refugee, ousted state Rep. Dick Patten in a Dem primary. But Patten attacked Wazir for being an immigrant & a mother, & he endorsed Wazir's GOP opponent. Yesterday, Wazir won. She's heading to the state House. #overlookedelectionstakes
Louisiana: Voters banned non-unanimous jury verdicts. Practice was placed in 1898 constitution as a way of marginalizing African Americans; it produces higher incarceration for black Louisianans. Only state to allow this now? OR. theappeal.org/after-victory-… #overlookedelectionstakes
NC: Wake County, NC (Raleigh) ousted longtime GOP sheriff Donnie Harrison, one of single most ICE-friendly sheriffs. Harrison is in a 287(g) deal with ICE, & challenger Gerald Baker has said he'd withdraw from it. See my thread. #overlookedelectionstakes
Ohio: Remember last spring's SCOTUS decision enabling OH's aggressive voter purge methods? The secretary of state election was going to determine their fate. But last night, the Republican who backs them beat the Democrat who was running against them. #overlookedelectionstakes
TX: In Bexar (≈San Antonio), you must pay $250 to access diversion program that steers you to less punitive outcomes for pot arrests; strengthens 2-tier system. Dem running for DA called it "pay-to-play," pledged reform. He won. appealpolitics.org/2018/bexar-co-… #overlookedelectionstakes
Florida: So, you know many reason why #FLGov was important. Another was that the next governor would get to appoint 3 Supreme Court Justices immediately. Ron DeSantis getting to do that will considerably shift the politics of the state judiciary. #overlookedelectionstakes
Colorado: George Brauchler (GOP prosecutor) was running for Attorney General. He is a death penalty enthusiast. "CO's death row is occupied exclusively by black men from Brauchler’s district," said the ACLU. Yesterday, Brauchler lost to Dem Phil Weiser. #overlookedelectionstakes
MA & OR: 2 blue states were voting on whether to *restrict* trans rights & *toughen* law enforcement toward immigrants. Voters defeated both initiatives via referendums. This could be a turnaround given some recent defeats on the former (e.g. Houston). #overlookedelectionstakes
Tennessee: Two black men have been shot and killed by police officers in Nashville since 2017. Yesterday, Nashville voted to create an independent police oversight board; community organizers explain this was a longtime goal. appealpolitics.org/2018/referendu… #overlookedelectionstakes
NC: The state GOP's continued attempt to amass more power led it to change the rules in the Supreme Court election (that backfired big) & put 2 constitutional amendments on ballot that would have shifted more authority to legislature. Both failed. #overlookedelectionstakes
N.Y.: Ulster Co. Sheriff Van Blarcum was checking anyone trying to access public services for an arrest warrant. The A.G. made him stop. He also helped ICE. He was defeated yesterday by a Dem who assailed his "hard-line policy of reporting immigrants." #overlookedelectionstakes
Colorado: The state had a clause authorizing slavery in its constitution, the backdrop being exploitative unpaid labor in prisons. Voters agreed to remove it in a referendum yesterday. (Context: appealpolitics.org/2018/amendment…) #overlookedelectionstakes
New Mexico: Dems didn't just gain a new trifecta by flipping the governorship, defending the legislature, & sweeping statewide elections. They also expanded their majority on the state Supreme Court (to 4-1) by ousting GOP Justice Gary Clingman. #overlookedelectionstakes
FL: Rick Scott appointed Chronister sheriff of Hillsborough in 2017. Chronister made brand new deal with ICE. He was challenged by a Dem who promised to leave deal. But local Dem officials endorsed Chronister, who won by 10%. See: #overlookedelectionstakes
Utah: In San Juan Co., recent litigation opened the door to the majority Navajo population finally having a Navajo-majority board. Then things got (very) ugly, as you might expect: buzzfeednews.com/article/annehe…
Results came yesterday: #overlookedelectionstakes
Results came yesterday: #overlookedelectionstakes
Michigan: Voters have legalized marijuana (for recreational use!). They also elected Dems for Gov. & for AG, facilitating implementation. (After voters approved medical pot earlier, AG Bill Schuette created obstacles; Schuette just lost Gov race.) #overlookedelectionstakes
Yesterday's results could mean big things for marijuana legalization. Besides MI, which just pulled it off, Dems were just elected governor on legalization platforms in IL, NM, probably CT, and MN. The first 3 have Dem trifectas. #overlookedelectionstakes
Kentucky: Kim Davis (who became a favorite of social conservatives nationally when she refused to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples), lost her re-election bid for county clerk in Rowan County. (This was her first time running as a Republican.) #overlookedelectionstakes
Arizona: Steve Gaynor was elected Secretary of State, a crucial position from which he'll have power to assail voting rights. And as you can see in this profile, he could easily be the next state-level Kris Kobach. #overlookedelectionstakes
Massachusetts: This was a transformative win. Andrea Harrington ran on a platform of strong reform to a system whose structural racism she highlighted. She defeated the DA in the primary, but he kept running. She won again. More: #overlookedelectionstakes
Texas: In Harris Co. (Houston), Dems emphasized need for bail reform in challenging 15 GOP county judges, @theappeal had reported. Official: “The judicial elections are critical to bail reform." Result? Dems swept all 15 positions #overlookedelectionstakes theappeal.org/harris-county-…
Massachusetts: "We need to end mass incarceration & restore justice in our communities," said Boston's new DA during campaign. Rollins won a hotly contested primary, & yesterday beat an independent. My thread about her platform: #overlookedelectionstakes
Colorado & Oregon: Golden, CO held a local referendum to lower voting age to 16 in local elections, but voters rejected proposal. Meanwhile, voters overwhelmingly introduced limits to political contributions in Portland, OR. #overlookedelectionstakes
California & Colorado: two measures to ban fracking failed on Tuesday (one statewide in Colorado, the other in San Luis Obispo County, CA) amidst BIG spending by oil companies. $8 million in San Luis Obispo County alone.
psmag.com/news/big-oil-h… #overlookedelectionstakes
psmag.com/news/big-oil-h… #overlookedelectionstakes
Michigan & Nevada: In 2015, there was just 1 state with automatic voter registration. Fast-forward: 14 states have now adopted AVR via legislation or referendum! Michigan & Nevada were latest on Tuesday, in decisive ballot wins. #overlookedelectionstakes
New Mexico & New York: AVR stalled in both states last year. A NM Dem who blocked it lost her primary; now Dems won trifecta. NY progressives gained in primary; now Dems wontrifecta. Expect AVR to be on the table in both, tho it could still take a push. #overlookedelectionstakes
New York: Remember the IDC? 6 of these 8 senators lost primaries in Sept. At least one (Avella) kept campaigning on a 3rd party line. He lost big Tuesday.
And Dems flipped the Senate by enough that the 2 remaining IDCers can't threaten their majority. #overlookedelectionstakes
And Dems flipped the Senate by enough that the 2 remaining IDCers can't threaten their majority. #overlookedelectionstakes
NY's Senate, again: Dems gained *8* seats in the (until now) GOP-controlled Senate. And in so doing, they defeated GOP Sen. Marty Golden, who, spent the final weeks assailing the caravan and making comments of the sort. #overlookedelectionstakes
Alabama: 2 counties voted via referendums to bar their sheriffs from personally pocketing money meant for jail food. That's still partly allowed in AL. (One sheriff recently took $600K & bought a beach house.) Context: appealpolitics.org/2018/morgan-co… #overlookedelectionstakes
Alabama: Tom Parker, an ally of Roy Moore, won position of Chief Justice of the AL Supreme Court in a competitive election. (He defeated the incumbent Chief in the primary.) Read this @propublica story on Parker & abortion rights. #overlookedelectionstakes
New Hampshire: Legislature voted to abolish death penalty. Senate then fell 2 votes short of overriding Sununu's veto. On Tuesday, Dems ousted 2 GOP senators who backed the DP. Unsure if that's enough (2 Dems did vote no on override), but I'll follow up. #overlookedelectionstakes
New Hampshire: GOP state Sen. Andy Sanborn has been a champion of the voting restrictions his party passed in NH since 2016 (see below). On Tuesday, Sanborn lost his promotion bid for Congress.
And Dems picked-up his Senate seat. #overlookedelectionstakes
And Dems picked-up his Senate seat. #overlookedelectionstakes
NH, again: 2 prior tweets were about how close NH is to death penalty repeal, & how Ds gained seat of voting rights-opponent Sanborn (R). More research: Sanborn opposed repeal. Dem who gained his seat? She called DP "feudal." Why local elections matter. #overlookedelectionstakes
Iowa: IA privatized Medicaid, & it's been big problems ever since. Democrat Paul Sand ran for Auditor on investigating these problems, as this article describes: bleedingheartland.com/2018/09/30/rob…
Sand won on Tuesday, ousting the incumbent GOP auditor. #overlookedelectionstakes
Sand won on Tuesday, ousting the incumbent GOP auditor. #overlookedelectionstakes
Ohio: Republican Keith Faber won the Auditor seat by 4% here. A specific reason why this matters is that the Auditor has a role in the redistricting process. OH reformed its process, but the GOP is in a strong map-drawing position. #overlookedelectionstakes
Missouri: In tough night for Dem candidates, Auditor Nicole Galloway *D) won competitive reelection race by 6%. With McCaskill's loss, she's state's only statewide Dem.
But also: MO overwhelmingly voted for medical marijuana & to increase minimum wage. #overlookedelectionstakes
But also: MO overwhelmingly voted for medical marijuana & to increase minimum wage. #overlookedelectionstakes
Illinois: Dems gained a new legislative supermajority on Tuesday, on top of flipping the governorship. Why would that matter? It's a big one: Pritzker wants to move from a flat to a progressive income one, & such a move wld require a supermajority vote. #overlookedelectionstakes
Indiana & Kansas: 2 members of Kobach's "fraud" commission were directly on ballot. Kobach, who lost #KSGov (!). And IN's SoS Connie Lawson, who's regularly accused of violating voting rights. She defeated a Dem who ran on improving access to voting. #overlookedelectionstakes
New York: Two (former/current) prosecutors who drew fire for their handling of police shootings lost reelection. #NY11 Rep. Donovan (who oversaw the investigation into Eric Garner's death) & DA Abelove (who even faced charges): appealpolitics.org/2018/accountab… #overlookedelectionstakes
Vermont: Democrats & Progressives now enjoy a veto-proof supermajority in the state legislature. (The GOP lost 1 seat in the Senate and 10 seats in the House.) GOP Gov. Scott won reelection, but will face a different landscape. #overlookedelectionstakes
Alabama: The next DA of Birmingham will be Danny Carr, a Dem who unseat the incumbent DA. As I wrote in my preview, Carr ran on less agressive prosecution & incarceration for low-level offenses at least:
appealpolitics.org/2018/jefferson…
#overlookedelectionstakes
appealpolitics.org/2018/jefferson…
#overlookedelectionstakes
Texas: Stanart, the GOP official who runs elections in Harris Co. (Houston), fear-mongered about registration being too easy & featured pictures of George Soros on his website. He lost on Tuesday, amidst TX Dems' surge. #overlookedelectionstakes
Texas: Dallas ousted its GOP DA, electing John Creuzot (D). Why does this matters? Creuzot is rare DA candidate I wrote about who set a target goal of how much he wants to reduce incarceration by: -15/20% in 4 years. More on how: appealpolitics.org/2018/dallas-co… #overlookedelectionstakes
Ohio: In an overall strong night for crim justice reform, one big disappointment was loss of Ohio's Issue 1, which would have overhauled drug sentencing & contributed to significant decarceration. Context: appealpolitics.org/2018/issue-1-o… #overlookedelectionstakes
ID, NE, UT: 3 states expanded Medicaid. The grassroots organizers who made this happen against low odds are unsung heroes.
This was FIRST popular initiative to make ballot in Idaho since GOP restricted rules in 2012! Incredible work by @reclaimID. #overlookedelectionstakes
This was FIRST popular initiative to make ballot in Idaho since GOP restricted rules in 2012! Incredible work by @reclaimID. #overlookedelectionstakes
Maryland: in Anne Arundel Co. (Annapolis), GOP county executive Schuh joined 2 new deals with ICE since 2016, incl. 287(g). His Dem challenger Pittman said he'd leave both if elected. So Schuh ran mailers mixing immigration/crime. On Tuesday Pittman won. #overlookedelectionstakes
California: San Diego is biggest city with a GOP major. On Tuesday, Dems gained veto-proof majority on city council (Campbell ousted a GOP incumbent with past anti-gay comments), bringing government here more in line with that of other city governments. #overlookedelectionstakes
