Upcoming state elections are crucial for voting rights — and there are critical ones this November in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi that Dems need our help to win.
As a reminder, there are two reasons why Democrats need to care about “down-ballot” state-level elections – discussed in our prior post (here) in more detail. First, state officials will redraw district lines after the upcoming census, so upcoming races are key to prevent gerrymandering. And second, good things like extended poll hours, advance voting, full enfranchisement, automatic voter registration, etc. depend on state officials – and Republicans are against pretty much all of them.
We’ll have more to say about state races in 2020 – but right now, let’s focus on the 2019 races, which are happening in just a few weeks. Of the 11 states holding elections in November, four are key for Democrats interested in preserving and expanding voters’ rights (again, see our prior post for details). One of those is Virginia, where the legislature is basically 50/50 and every seat is up for grabs this fall. We already wrote an entire separate post on the crucial legislative races in Virginia this fall – please read it if you haven’t already.
Here, we focus on Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi. All three are holding important votes related to voters’ rights and gerrymandering. Below, we’ve provided details on four key races, plus a fifth that we think warrants your support – please click our easy donation link to give to them in these critical final weeks!
* Important note — our donation link runs through ActBlue, but two of the candidates we highlight here use different platforms. Donate to Heather French Henry here, and to Johnny Dupree here.
5 Key state elections in 2019 in KY, LA, and MS
1. Kentucky – Governor (Andy Beshear)
Although the Bluegrass State voted solidly for Trump in 2016, Republican incumbent Matt Bevin is one of the nation’s least popular governors. Having barely survived a primary challenge, he’ll face Attorney General Andy Beshear in November, who has made protecting and expanding voting rights a key part of his campaign. Importantly, Kentucky law allows the Governor to veto proposed district lines, which means a Democratic win could be a major bulwark against partisan gerrymandering.
2. Kentucky – Secretary of State (Heather French Henry)
Kentucky’s current Secretary of State, Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, is unable to run again due to term limits. Democratic candidate Heather French Henry, a former state commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs, supports expanded polling hours and restoring voting rights to previous non-violent offenders – both of which would be welcome protections in Trump country. NOTE: Henry doesn’t use ActBlue; click here to donate directly to her campaign.
3. Louisiana – Governor (John Bel Edwards)
The solidly red Louisiana legislature will draw the redistricting lines after the census, but the Governor has veto power – so both parties have the Bayou State in their crosshairs. Incumbent Democrat John Bel Edwards, who won his first term handily in 2015, will face off against two Republican challengers in an open primary on October 12; if no one gets a majority, the top two candidates will face off in mid-November.
(Full disclosure: Although Edwards’s views on gun control and abortion are problematic to us and many progressives, we still support him for re-election, given the need to restrain gerrymandering in Louisiana.)
4. Mississippi — Secretary of State (Johnny Dupree)
The resignation of the three-term Republican incumbent (to run for Lieutenant Governor) could provide an opening for Johnny Dupree to reclaim this post for the Democrats. Dupree, the long-time former mayor of Hattiesburg, ran for Governor in 2011 as the first black candidate since Reconstruction. He’s promised to push to return to paper ballots and expand voting from one day to two weeks. Ordinarily, this would be a long-shot for Team Blue, but Dupree may benefit from the Democratic action at the top of the ticket (see below). NOTE: Dupree doesn’t use ActBlue; click here to donate directly to his campaign.
5. ** BONUS PICK ** Mississippi — Governor (Jim Hood)
Yes, we know: in the Magnolia State, the governor has absolutely zero impact on redistricting (see here). But this is still an important race for Democrats, so hear us out. The state’s top job is open due to the mandatory retirement of the Republican incumbent, and 4-term Attorney General Jim Hood is the first serious Democratic contender for the post in over a decade. He faces uphill battle due to Mississippi’s arcane gubernatorial election system, but may get a boost from GOP infighting, as the loser in the tight Republican primary is refusing to endorse the victor, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, in the general. And although the Governor can’t impact the state’s district lines, a Democrat at the helm would be a bulwark against future legislation to restrict voters’ rights.
(Full disclosure: As with Edwards in Louisiana, Hood’s views on issues like abortion are problematic to us and many progressives, but we support him nonetheless given the alternative.)
Action – 3 ways to make a difference in these key races
1. Donate to candidates: These are all tight races in Trump Country, and the candidates need all the help they can get from Dems across the country. Please support them in these crucial final weeks before the election!
* Important note — our donation link runs through ActBlue, but two of the candidates we highlight here use different platforms. Donate to Heather French Henry here, and to Johnny Dupree here.
2. Stay informed and spread the word: Now that you know which elections to follow in 2019, staying up-to-date is the first step. Although these races sometimes get covered by the national press, local reporters are the main eyes on state politics – so add papers in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi to your media diet, and share key articles on these races with your friends and family.
3. Support local journalism: Also, why not add the free press to the list of progressive causes you support, in the form of a subscription (typically around $100) to one of these states’ local media outlets? (See links above to get lists of options.) Times are tough in the journalism biz, and every dollar helps keep all of us informed about and engaged in important state elections.
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Header image via 4liberty.eu.