Another statehouse Democrat has claimed victory in a special election. 

Today’s win comes in Maine House District 121, a special election called to replace the Democratic winner of Maine’s last special in May. Democratic candidate Kim Monaghan-Derrig defeated the GOP’s Nancy Thompson. 

Representative-elect Monaghan-Derrig made it clear in her campaign she wasn’t running against another candidate; rather, she was taking a stand against the GOP’s extreme agenda and the Republican leadership pushing those right-wing policies. 

[Monaghan-Derrig] said she is opposed to the agenda of Gov. Paul LePage and questions its transparency when education funding was pushed through the Legislature at a late hour. 

"When you have (Essentials Programs and Services) funding being driven through at a late hour which results in the loss of $200,000 from the southern part of Maine to the northern part of Maine, why couldn't they have just done that during normal legislative hours?," she said. … 

As a member of the School Board, Monaghan-Derrig said she does not support the charter school legislation signed into law by LePage. She said she favors magnet schools over charter schools and would rather see an increase in professional development for teachers. … 

Monaghan-Derrig said she strongly opposes the repeal of same-day voter registration. She said it disenfranchises the elderly, the young, the disabled and young families. 

The newest member of Maine’s Democratic House Caucus made it clear she will be a progressive voice in legislature.

Monaghan-Derrig said she will work to encourage economic development through jobs, education, the environment and equal rights for all, including marriage equality, women's right to choose and voter rights.

"These are issues that are very sensitive to people and they feel very strongly about their rights," she said. …

"I think that I have a working knowledge of the state of Maine, it's geography, it's people, it's counties, and I'll be able to bring that understanding to Augusta," she said.

Other elections today may have higher billing, but this win is another in a growing series of critical events backing states away from the extreme right-wing, anti-middle class abyss.