Democrats Make Big Gains Nationwide

Election night 2016 was a difficult time for many Democrats. This year, however, the opposite turned out to be the case. With large gains at local and state levels of government, Democrats were able to chip away at Republican control and enjoy a much-needed morale boost. Here, we look at some of the most significant Democratic victories on Election night 2017.

New Jersey

There were two gubernatorial races on the ballot in 2017, and Democrats won both of them.

In New Jersey, Republican Governor Chris Christie has held the governor’s seat for the past eight years before terming out. Last week, Democrat Phil Murphy beat out Republican Lieutenant Governor (and former sheriff) Kim Guadagno to take over Christie’s seat and become the state’s next governor. Chris Christie is one of the least popular governors in U.S. history, and so Murphy built his campaign around linking Guadagno to Christie. Murphy has pledged to put together a diverse administration which will more accurately reflect the state’s population.

Virginia

In Virginia, Democrat Ralph Northam soundly won the governor’s race, beating out Republican Ed Gillespie by a significant margin. Northam is a pediatric neurologist who is pro-immigration and pro-diversity. Gillespie, on the other hand, campaigned on a very pro-Trump platform. He accused Gillespie of being too “soft” on immigration, criticized NFL players for kneeling during the National Anthem, and pledged to preserve Virginia’s Confederate monuments. Trump even recorded a robo-call for Gillespie, but it did little to rally Gillespie’s Republican base. In the end, although rural voters supported Gillespie, he wound up losing heavily in the suburbs.

Maybe even more significantly, a Virginia district that went solidly to Trump last year has now elected a new representative named Danica Roem who is not only a Democrat, but also the first openly transgender person ever to serve as a state legislator. She beat out Bob Marshall, who has bragged about his homophobia and was a proponent of the unpopular “bathroom bill” that would bar transgender persons from using the restroom of their choice. Roem campaigned on a platform of improving roads and worked hard to meet personally with as many voters as she could. In the end, her diligence paid off with an unexpected and groundbreaking victory.

Other Democratic Victories

The Democrats also won important mayoral races in Charlotte, North Carolina, and St. Petersburg, Florida. And in Maine, a ballot measure passed which will expand access to Medicaid. Hundreds of local races across the country went to Democrats as well.

Such significant gains could motivate Democratic voters, helping with volunteer recruitment and fundraising efforts for the 2018 ballot. And we may see more Republican legislators stepping down as the demoralized Republican party struggles to regain its footing. In fact, one Republican representative already retired on Election Day.

Dig Deeper If necessary, use internet resources to answer the following questions: What were the important races and/or ballot issues in your city, town, or township this past Election Day? What were the outcomes? Based on what you’ve read, did your area seem to follow the nationwide pro-Democratic trend? Explain.