United States — 2023 Local Election Results Highlights
In the wake of alarming polls indicating Biden losing to Trump in 5 of the 6 key swing states, Democrats experienced a flurry of wins across the country in local elections this Tuesday.
Ohio
In a referendum, Ohioans voted to add the right to an abortion to their state constitution. This makes Ohio the seventh state to do so following the overturning of federal protection of abortion access last year. Following suit behind 23 other states, it also voted to legalize marijuana.
President Biden praised the outcome celebrating that “democracy won”.
Virginia
After a well-funded campaign centered heavily on abortion access, Virginia Democrats maintained their state senate majority (upper chamber) and gained a majority in their state house of representatives (lower chamber). This is seen as not only an electoral win for Democrats but a repudiation of sitting Republican governor: Glenn Youngkin. Youngkin came away from these elections particularly bruised due to his campaigning with and for Republican state senators and state representatives that fared poorly. Additionally, his extreme stance on abortion and calls for a 15-week abortion ban dissuaded voters from voting for members of his party.
Among these incoming freshmen is the first openly transgender Virginia state senator, Danica Roem.
The daughter of late conservative Supreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia lost her school board race in the Albemarle school district. Her campaign was backed by right-wing culture warriors “Moms for Liberty”. Much of her campaign was spent attempting to fearmonger voters over right-wing concerns of “critical race theory” and trans inclusive policies in the public school system.
This legislative victory for Democrats offers a morale boost nationally as well as a firm wall against governor Youngkin from being able to realize his legislative priorities. Part of that wall has leaned a bit further to the left as two progressives challenged and beat out incumbent conservative Democratic senators.
Kentucky
Democrat Andy Beshear retained his position as governor of the reliably conservative state of Kentucky. Beshear has been identified in recent years as one of America’s most popular politicians. He’s a centrist that ran as an ardent backer of organized labor. He said that his win was a “clear message […] that candidates should run for something and not against someone.”
Pennsylvania
Democrat Daniel McCaffery won his bid to become a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice. This win strengthens the Democratic majority from 4–2 to 5–2.
In Pittsburgh, Democratic socialist Sarah Innamorato will be the next county executive of Allegheny County (the county Pittsburgh is situated in). She is the first woman ever to hold the position defeating Republican & banking executive Joe Rocky in what seemed to be a close race, especially after negative attention had been drawn to her former DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) affiliation.
The city of Philadelphia saw a couple of firsts with the city electing its first woman as mayor and first openly LGBTQ city council member.
New Jersey
Democrat Avi Schnall managed to flip a deep red New Jersey seat formerly held by Republican Ned Thomson. New Jersey also managed to elect its first openly LGBTQ woman to their state legislature.
Mississippi
The gubernatorial race in deep red Mississippi came surprisingly close. Democrats usually trail Republicans running in the state by double digits, but Brandon Presley’s campaign put up a powerful fight only losing by 4–5 points in a reliably red state.
Other Notable Outcomes
Rhode Island elected their first person of color to represent the small northeastern state bringing the total Congressional Black Caucus member count up to 60. Former hometown headquarters of the Ku Klux Klan, Evansville Indiana, elected its first black mayor and first woman mayor. Indianapolis elected its youngest city councilor, 23-year-old Democrat Nick Roberts.
Plenty of other races have gone into a runoff including in Houston (the countries fourth largest city) where the mayoral election will be decided by a second round of voting between Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and Democratic State Senator John Whitmire.
Despite the alarm caused by earlier polls indicating Biden’s 2024 demise, some political commentators have cited these wins as a positive sign for 2024. These elections present new information to reinterpret the previous polling data that had Democratic strategists in a frenzy earlier this week. One response has been: Polls aren’t votes, so maybe this is an indication that Democrats shouldn’t worry about polls too much. Another darker theory is that Democrats are popular, but Biden isn’t, in which case a path forward to victory next year is murky. Whether either theory is closer to reality is unclear, but for now Democrats anxieties are assuaged and lessons from victories are being considered as the presidential election is fast approaching.
