Democrats have flipped 26 state legislative seats since Trump’s election, while Republicans have flipped zero
WASHINGTON — Republicans are losing state special elections – including in Trump territory – and it’s setting off alarm bells. New reporting from Axios highlights “GOP angst” as “losses pile up” in state legislative special elections, pointing to “a yawning enthusiasm gap” and a base “refusing to show up to vote even in the most pro-Trump areas.” As state Democrats overperform these specials by double digits and make inroads in deep red territory, it’s clear that state legislative candidates are defying the odds by resonating with voters and staying laser-focused on the issues that matter most.
The bottom line: “National Democrats could use the state legislative elections as a template for how to win in pro-Trump areas.”
The DLCC is taking our winning strategy to special elections across the country as we head into our historic target map this November.
Read more below:
Axios: GOP angst over voter turnout builds as losses pile up
- Republicans are getting crushed in scores of state and local races, raising deep concerns about a deflated base refusing to show up to vote even in the most pro-Trump areas.
- The numbers are startling. In race after race, Democrats are outpacing their 2024 performance by double digits, a clear sign of a yawning enthusiasm gap.
- Democratic candidates outperformed Harris by even more — an average of 13.9 points — in the 67 state House and Senate races last year.
- Since the start of the year, Republicans have suffered double-digit drop-offs from Trump’s 2024 performance in state legislative elections in Northern and Central Virginia, New York City, east-central Minnesota, and southeastern Connecticut.
- “While it is tempting for many in our party to wish away these results,” a GOP operative told Axios, “the pattern is clear that there is at least a current 10-point Democratic over-performance from Trump 2024 — and it’s built on a fired-up Democratic base and a sleepy GOP base.”
- Between the lines: National Democrats could use the state legislative elections as a template for how to win in pro-Trump areas.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is the campaign arm of Democratic state legislatures and leads the national strategy for building power and winning new majorities. Over the last three decades, we have strategized cycle over cycle to win majorities and lead the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level, winning nearly a dozen new chamber majorities over the last decade. Our work has ensured that nearly half of Americans are represented by at least one Democratic majority in their statehouse. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class and advancing opportunity, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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