Thread by @Taniel

2020 (even 2020) brought transformative local elections & big progressive wins.

Here's a year-end thread of some of the most 🔥 results that have stayed with me! #overlookedelectionstakes

Before I start, you can relive hundreds of 2020 local races (and why they mattered) at my what's on the ballot:

hundreds of primaries: whatsontheballot.com/2020-primaries/

hundreds of general elections: whatsontheballot.com/2020-general-e…

and for criminal justice-related races: theappeal.org/political-repo…

1️⃣ Voters in Missouri & Oklahoma voted in summer referendums to expand Medicaid: This'll grant public insurance to ≈500K people, a huge deal.

(This leaves a dozen states that have not expanded Medicaid, so keep your eyes on more battles going forward.)

2️⃣ California voters opted in a November referendum to restore the voting rights of anyone who is not presently incarcerated, enfranchising tens of thousands & building on a growing movement. (Note: D.C. enfranchised people in prison too this year.) theappeal.org/politicalrepor…

3️⃣ A big picture change in legislative races: Left challengers made striking gains in Dem primaries (see below)

In some cases, it's that incumbents were notoriously conservative (/GOP-allying); in others, it's that challengers came out of left organizing.

https://twitter.com/Taniel/status/1306603660177272837

4️⃣ In Rhode Island, roughly 8 Dem lawmakers lost to left challengers in the primaries.

Most striking: Harold Metts, a 30-year senator who was a very fervent opponent of abortion rights, lost to a 26-year old reproductive rights advocate.

Context thread:

https://twitter.com/Taniel/status/1304166081091842048

5️⃣ In Delaware: state Rep. Earl Jaques lost to progressive Eric Morrison in the Dem primary.

Jaques had opposed gay marriage. Morrison is gay, long performed as a drag queen, & was attacked by Jaques for hosting a drag show during the campaign.

Context:

https://twitter.com/Taniel/status/1306074611956748298

6️⃣ Tavis County (Austin) elected José Garza as its new DA (after Garza scored a huge win over the incumbent).

Garza is arguably the prosecutorial candidate who's gone furthest so far in running against the war on drugs. Here's why: theappeal.org/politicalrepor…

7️⃣ In November, Oregon became the first state in the nation to decriminalize low-level drug possession.

And it passed bigly. Still a way to go to reduce law enforcement. But a really dramatic paradigm-change. theappeal.org/politicalrepor…

ICE suffered blows in local elections

8️⃣-1️⃣0️⃣ In 3 of the most populous counties that have joined its prized 287(g) program, voters elected new sheriffs who ran on ending ICE cooperation.

Cobb & Gwinnett in GA. Charleston in SC. theappeal.org/politicalrepor…

(ICE, continued)

1️⃣1️⃣-1️⃣2️⃣ Sheriffs who were cooperated with ICE in other ways were ousted too in races where their cooperation became an issue -- including in Athens, GA, and Cincinnati, OH (theappeal.org/politicalrepor…).

[Big storyline to follow in 2021/2022 as well.]

1️⃣3️⃣ Arizona didn't just flip for Dems in the presidential election.

It also voted to legalize marijuana (by 20%), and to raise the income tax on high earners to fund public education.

(Oh, and Dems now will hold both U.S. Senate seats for the first time since the 1950s.)

[and now, a little intermission: I will finish this thread later.]

1️⃣4️⃣ Voters in Los Angeles (nation's biggest DA's office) ousted their DA to elect a candidate who ran on bringing reform & decarceration. Big organizing goal (theappeal.org/politicalrepor…).

And the victor laid out big reforms within hours of taking office:

https://twitter.com/Taniel/status/1336105627089821696

1️⃣5️⃣-1️⃣6️⃣ Las Vegas & New Orleans saw big upheaval in judicial races, which have been a punitive stronghold: public defenders ran on "flipping the bench" & advancing reform on issues like bail.

7 won in Vegas... (theappeal.org/politicalrepor…)
... & 2 in NoLa (theappeal.org/politicalrepor…)

1️⃣7️⃣ Wisconsin's Supreme Court election in April with liberal challenger ousting a conservative incumbent who used tough-on-crime playbook. theappeal.org/politicalrepor…

This month, court rejected a Trump lawsuit in 4-3 ruling that likely would have gone other way had incumbent won.

1️⃣8️⃣ In 2002, Nevadans voted to ban same-sex marriages in their state by a wide margin.

This November, they repealed that ban & enshrined same-sex marriage in their constitution, 62% to 38%.

1️⃣9️⃣ For the past decade, New Orleans had one of the nation's most proudly carceral & punitive prosecutors. The DA race in 2020 brought huge change to the city, amid heavy organizing.

My thread from Election Night lays it out:

https://twitter.com/Taniel/status/1335440154568384514

2️⃣0️⃣ Blue New Jersey & purple Arizona voted to legalize pot this year. But voters in conservative states also approved major changes (Montana & South Dakota to legalize marijuana, Mississippi to legalize medical marijuana), showing depth of political agreement on issue.

2️⃣1️⃣ A big *local* flip came in Miami-Dade (perhaps surprisingly given narrative around WH race): Daniella Levine Cava (D) won the mayor's office, replacing a Republican.

And this comes with implications on matters like ICE & transit. Quick context:

https://twitter.com/Taniel/status/1324068551649595400

2️⃣2️⃣-2️⃣4️⃣ Voters:

in Oakland, CA, voted to lower voting age to 16 for school board elections,

in San Francisco, to allow non-citizens to sit on a city board or commission.

in Winooski, VT, to enable non-citizens to vote in local elections (but state must approve).

2️⃣5️⃣-2️⃣6️⃣ August 4th saw some transformative DA elections: theappeal.org/politicalrepor…

A civil rights attorney who ran against cash bail won Ann Arbor's race.

A public defender who got started in activism in an anti-death penalty group won Tuscon's race.

2️⃣7️⃣ Colorado voters approved the National Popular Vote Compact in a November referendum.

States that add up to 196 electoral votes are now part of the Compact.

ALSO: Coloradoans approved paid medical & family sick leave. And rejected an anti-abortion measure.

2️⃣8️⃣ The death penalty took blows this year from a once-unthinkable location: DA elections.

At least 7 new DA won after pledging to never seek death sentences (some in historically pro-death penalty places), incl. some I listed above & some others. theappeal.org/politicalrepor…

2️⃣9️⃣ Alaskans approved an initiative that'll overhaul the electoral system: a "Top 4" system with final-round ranked-choice.

3️⃣0️⃣ Multnomah County, OR, voted for preschool for all.

3️⃣1️⃣ Left candidates got big wins for city council in each of Oakland, Sacramento, & Los Angeles

3️⃣2️⃣ Left candidates had big wins in New York's legislative primaries. Winners include housing activists, community organizers, & others who ran with endorsements of WFP &/or DSA.

A thread I did on July as results were finalized on 5 of the winners:

https://twitter.com/Taniel/status/1285814198556069888

3️⃣3️⃣ CO's San Luis Valley elected the Bernie-endorsed Alonzo Payne as its new DA. (DA race in CO's JeffCo also saw a progressive win.)

In July, I talked to him about why he thinks Medicare for All & similar policies are needed to end mass incarceration. theappeal.org/politicalrepor…

3️⃣4️⃣ Cities & counties like Austin voted this year to increase their own taxes to pay for expanded public transit -- a commitment that feels particularly important in the pandemic context. urban.org/urban-wire/whe…

3️⃣5️⃣ Only one Supreme Court flipped this year: Michigan's! Democrats gained a (4-3) majority on that court — & 2020 sure showed us how state Supreme Court are crucial on matters from voting rights to public health.

3️⃣6️⃣ In Vermont, a few criminal justice reformers ran on reinventing what "high bailiffs" should be doing.

This was fun to write because of how it ties to broader efforts to make use of all the powers & visibility of local offices. theappeal.org/politicalrepor…

3️⃣7️⃣ In wake of summer protests, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Columbus, Portland, Philly all voted in public initiatives to create or strengthen police oversight boards in November. Some other cities took interesting policing votes too.

Details in this thread:

https://twitter.com/Taniel/status/1325848012057436161

3️⃣8️⃣ Los Angeles went at it twice!

In March, voters approved Measure R, an initative meant to reduce the jail population & steer more money to community programs like mental health.

In November, they approved Measure J, to devote more of the city budget to community services.

3️⃣9️⃣ The fight to get police out of schools spilled into school boards all year.

In Prince George's, MD, for instance, candidates who ran on removing police from school swept the contested board elections.

Context: theappeal.org/politicalrepor…

I could go on for a while (e.g. legislative primaries in PA & NM).

But bottom line is: This is a big part of how power built for progressive/left views this year.

Tons of activism, grassroots hours & attn to local politics went into all this. In 2021, watch & engage on these!