Lou

Democrats won everything everywhere on election night.  We ran diverse candidates who reflected and understood their voters —  from conservative Virginia to recently less blue New Jersey to deep blue New York City. In Virginia, Abigail Spanberger made history, winning the governor’s race by 15 points and becoming the state’s first woman governor.  In New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill won by 13 points — the first time any party has held the governorship for three straight terms since 1961, and this just a few years after Trump only lost the state by six.  In New York City, newcomer Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, received more than 50% of the vote, showed a different vision that attracted young voters. California voted by 30 points to redistrict in a way that could add five Democratic seats — a clear answer to Trump’s Texas partisan redistricting. Democrats didn’t want to go there, because we believe in rules, norms, and fairness, but we had to respond and fight fire with fire to protect our democracy.  In Pennsylvania, Republicans spent millions trying to remove three Supreme Court justices who had ruled for election integrity. Every single one of them easily won their retention vote. Virginia Democrats picked up 13 seats in the House of Delegates. Maine voters rejected a voter ID ballot measure. And in Georgia — yes, Georgia — voters flipped both Public Service Commission seats to Democrats.

It was a huge night for Democrats and for democracy itself.
Trump will only grow more extreme, more reckless, and more unhinged after this. But we’re not backing down.

The work continues.

Longest government shutdown in history continues. The courts had to order Trump not to starve our children while he and his wealthy Republican friends feasted at an opulent Great Gatsby affair even as SNAP benefits expired. Democrats are fighting to stop Trump from cutting ACA subsidies — cuts that would strip millions of working families of their healthcare, putting spouses and children’s lives at risk — while he showers his billionaire allies with tax breaks. The Court had to order Trump not to fire or furlough federal workers without pay while he was literally demolishing the Peoples House to build a tacky gold ballroom.

Across the country 7 million people fed up with the Trump administration gathered to protest this cruel and corrupt regime.

The “No Kings” demonstrations took place in more than 2,700 cities and towns across every state in the union including even the reddest states.. A massive gathering in Boston and rallies all across the North Shore including Danvers that were part rally and part call to action for causes ranging from civil rights to climate change.

The protesters filled Boston Common with an estimated crowd of 125,000 people. Demonstrators filled the Common, standing shoulder to shoulder from Boylston to Beacon streets.

Locally, No Kings protests were also held in Beverly, Danvers, Middleton, Ipswich, Marblehead, Swampscott, and Gloucester. 250 people turned out in Middleton, hardly a Democrat stronghold as it typically votes Republican. Danvers rallied at the Route 114 rail trail bridge had over 400 people. They were packed on the bridge and stretched down each side of 114. Folks held signs, waved flags and were generally joyful but committed. The number of people honking their horns in approval was constant. At times, the sound was large and blaring. Naturally there were some who yelled Trump out their window or gave us the 1 finger salute but these were few. The enthusiasm carried over as our DanversDems LibertyFest event in teh evening was standing room only to listen o our elected officials.

Outside of the U.S., crowds gathered outside U.S. embassies in Berlin, Rome, Paris and Sweden in solidarity with the protesters in the U.S. Photos show them holding signs denouncing fascism and dictatorships.

Mr. Trump’s Republican Party disparaged the demonstrations as “Hate America” rallies, but the events looked more like a music festival. There were American flags, marching bands, huge banners with the U.S. Constitution’s “We The People” preamble that people could sign, and demonstrators wearing inflatable costumes, particularly frogs, which have emerged as a sign of resistance in Portland, Oregon.

Democrat Adelita Grijalva, a former Pima County supervisor and Tucson school board member, captured Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, which includes Tucson, over Republican Daniel Butierez. She will serve out the remaining 15 months of Rep. Raúl Grijalva’s term after he died in March of complications during cancer treatment.

Last fall, Kamala Harris carried this Tucson-area district by 22 points, but based on the latest vote tallies, Grijalva appears to have won this week’s special election by nearly 40 points.

That level of Democratic over-performance, which has been common in elections throughout the country this year, is what should worry Republican officials as much as the defeats.

Democrat James Walkinshaw defeated Republican Stewart Whitson in Virginia special election for 11th Congressional District. The special election was to fill the seat formerly held by the late U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly.

Walkinshaw won by 50 points. This is a safe Democrat district but in the last election Connolly won by 34 points.

Democrats recently achieved a significant victory in Iowa by flipping a Republican seat in a special election, breaking the GOP’s supermajority in the state Senate. Catelin Drey won the election with 55% of the vote, increasing the number of Democratic seats to 17 in the Senate

Iowa Republicans’ supermajority in the state Senate was broken Tuesday as Democrat Catelin Drey won the special election for Iowa Senate District 1.

Drey faced off against Republican Christopher Prosch in the election, which was called to fill the seat after Sen. Rocky De Witt, R-Lawton, passed away due to pancreatic cancer in June. According to preliminary results, Drey, a 37-year-old from Sioux City, won the election by 55% to Prosch’s 44%, according to unofficial results published by the Woodbury County Auditor’s Office.

Iowa Democrats celebrated Drey’s victory, saying the Tuesday results — alongside results from other special elections this year — mark a turning point for the state party following several election cycles of overwhelming GOP victories.

Another Iowa Senate seat was flipped from Republican to Democrat in January, when Sen. Mike Zimmer, D-DeWitt, defeated Republican Katie Whittington in the special election to replace Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer as she joined Gov. Kim Reynolds’ administration in December 2024.