I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the DLCC is kind of a Big Deal.

Jeremy Jacobs makes the point in The Hotline. By winning Democratic majorities in state legislatures, the DLCC arguably laid the groundwork for President Obama’s path to victory in 2008.

Dems have gained majorities in many legislative chambers since 2004 in states that John Kerry lost but that Obama won 4 years later.

These include CO House, CO Senate and NC House in '04. In '06, Dems took control of the IN House, IA House and IA Senate. The following year, they won back the VA Senate. Most recently in '08, Dems took back the NV Senate and OH House.

So of the 9 states that Obama won in '08 that Kerry lost in '04, the Dems had taken back at least one chamber of the state legislature in 7 of them.

You’re welcome.

It’s nice to be recognized for our work in building Democratic infrastructure across the country.

Because that’s what we do. The DLCC builds strategic, accountable legislative programs from the ground up through work with legislative leadership and caucus directors. Among other things, we build the Democratic brand on the local level, run highly targeted field and turnout programs, and groom the “farm team” of tomorrow’s Democratic leaders.

But while the DLCC may be deserving of recognition because of what we’ve done, the real story is what’s at stake for the Obama reelect in state legislative elections this fall.

But for a better indication of how Obama '12 chances, it is worth watching the most competitive state legislature races this fall.

Aided by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, Dems have made significant gains at the state level. They now hold majorities in 28 state Senates and 32 state Houses.

In their efforts to hold onto those majorities, 7 chambers in 6 states compose what Dems view as their "Danger Zone" this year, and those chambers lie squarely in Obama's re-election roadmap. They are:

CO Senate - Dems hold a 7 seat majority
IN House - Dems hold a 4 seat majority
NV Senate - Dems hold a 3 seat majority
OH House - Dems hold a 7 seat majority
PA House - Dems hold a 6 seat majority
WI Assembly - Dems hold a 6 seat majority
WI Senate - Dems hold a 3 seat majority

These are all states that Obama carried in '08 and he will need to win most of them again in '12 to stay in the White House.

So while redistricting is a significant aspect of what’s at stake in this fall’s state legislative elections, it’s not the only reason to care. Democratic prospects in Congress are incredibly important, but so is getting President Obama reelected.

The President’s reform plan hasn’t even passed yet, but right-wing state lawmakers are already trying to strip out key elements of the plan at the state level.

They’ve only managed to pass their bills in a few states like Arizona and Utah, but they’ve filed new legislation to obstruct federal health care reform in 35 states. And if reform supporters win the final showdown in Congress this week, we can expect this trend to continue.

But the stakes are just as high at the state level as they are in Congress. If Democrats fail to protect health care reform from state-level obstruction, millions of Americans who are counting on health care reform to improve -- or potentially save -- their lives will be left out in the cold:

But the $28 billion in Medicaid money is not the whole picture. These reforms will extend Medicaid coverage to nearly 8 million individuals in these states, while millions more will qualify for premium subsidies to help purchase private coverage through health insurance exchanges. This will reduce costs for employers, state governments, and insured individuals, because as these uninsured individuals and families gain coverage, the cost-shift of uncompensated care will diminish. It will also help states out because these new Medicaid eligibility levels will absorb those under 133 percent of the poverty level in state insurance programs, with full federal support for the first several years of the program.

We spend a great deal of time on this blog talking about what states are doing to reform health care. A number of states have made us proud during the last legislative session, and we expect them to continue pushing the envelope for reform, no matter what Congress decides to do.

But if we win the vote this week for health care reform, this won’t be over. The fight will just move to the state legislatures, and we predict it will be every bit as ferocious as the fight to pass the President’s health care plan in Congress.

Here at the DLCC, we’re determined to be ready.

Minnesota Republicans began 2010 on an ugly note when they nominated Mike Parry as their candidate to replace former Republican Sen. Dick Day, who resigned to become a lobbyist. After winning the nomination, Parry immediately scrambled to delete dozens of racist and otherwise bizarre comments from his twitter account, including this gem from our title:

"read the exclusive on Mr O in Newsweek. He is a Power Hungry Arrogant Black Man"

The excellent state-level blog MN Progressive Project took screen-captures of most of the deleted tweets, and the site’s publishers are promising to release more of them as the New Year unfolds. Bluestem Prairie is also covering the story.

The district itself is the conservative, largely rural 26th Senate District in southern Minnesota, which voted narrowly for McCain in 2008 despite the McCain Campaign largely abandoning the state near the end.

Still, Minnesota voters take pride in their open-mindedness and political independence – two ideals they can uphold by rejecting Mike Parry and his racist comments. The Democratic candidate in the race is atomic physicist and university professor Jason Engbrecht.

Colorado State Senate President and DLCC Board member Peter Groff has been appointed to head the Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Center in President Obama’s Department of Education.

Sen. Groff, one of the state’s leading advocates of education reform and innovation, has promised to serve until the end of the legislative session before moving to Washington with his family.

The days following the announcement have been filled with near-universal praise for Sen. Groff’s leadership in the Senate and his long history of consensus-building in state politics.

A glowing Denver Post editorial noted that respect for Sen. Groff extends across the political spectrum in Colorado – including even the Senate’s Republican leadership.

In statements over the weekend, Governor Ritter and legislative Democrats expressed pride in the appointment but also sadness over Sen. Groff’s departure:

"Sen. Groff is a man of faith, and I believe President Obama and Secretary Duncan made a great choice," the governor said in a statement. "While I consider him a great partner in the legislature, I know this is a wonderful opportunity for him and his family, and I wish them the best."
(…)
House Speaker Terrance Carroll, D-Denver, praised the appointment.

"Peter is more than a leader, more than a barrier-breaker, more than a role model: Peter's been a friend and a mentor to me and to so many African-Americans, so many Coloradans," Carroll said in a statement.

"It has been a true privilege and honor to serve with my partner in history, my dear friend and colleague. I will truly miss having his presence in the Capitol and in Colorado."

The Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Center is intended to support “faith-based and community groups, enlisting them in support of the department's mission to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence for all Americans.”

Based on his success in the legislature, we at the DLCC are certain Sen. Groff will be an incredible success as the Center’s director.

We congratulate him and wish him all the best in his new role.

There are 7,382 legislators in the country, and there are 12 of us working at the DLCC to make sure that most of these public servants are Democrats.

Right now, our party controls 3,983 of the nation’s legislative seats and 57 of the 98 partisan legislative chambers. We’ve made net gains in every election since 2003, so yes -- we’re good at what we do.

And what is that exactly? How do we spend our time?

We build relationships with legislative leaders, professional staff, and activists in every part of the country. Through those connections, we organize and maintain winning, state-of-the-art campaign committees; develop state-specific electoral strategies; and offer access to tools like polling, communications, research, and fundraising capabilities.

Why does this all matter?

I don’t think it is a secret for anyone reading this blog that most of the public policy in this country that has a direct impact on our everyday lives gets decided in our nation’s statehouses. When we talk about funding for education, or roads, or jobs, for the most part, we’re talking about the work of state representatives and senators.

But let’s put that fact aside for a second; say you’re just interested in the federal government. Then let me ask you this: who draws the boundaries for the U.S. congressional districts?

That’s right, our local legislators.

There are 36 state legislatures that control Congressional redistricting, and 27 chambers in 21 of these states are within 5 seats of tying or changing hands.

Those 21 states will decide the fate of 260 Congressional districts.

And by the way, quite a few of those seats in Congress will be held by former state legislators. That’s where many of the country’s elected officials get their start.

Need proof? Well, just four years ago, Barack Obama was serving the people of Illinois in the state senate.

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If you’re invested in seeing this country change, then you have to pay attention to our nation’s statehouses, and this website is about to become your new favorite spot on the partisan web. Every day, we will be writing about the latest redistricting news and policy updates; we’ll give you election analysis and profile Democratic leaders across the country; and of course, we’ll point out the worst Republican misdeeds and respond to GOP attacks.

To make this a success, we’re going to depend on feedback from our readers. There are 12 of us and 50 states, and we can’t be on the ground everywhere, all the time. So drop us a line -- we’ll read every comment that you post and every email that you send.