The 2022 vote: Voting blue for state legislature

With Washington pretty much gridlocked and hyperactive state legislatures taking action on guns, election laws, abortion, and many other issues, people need to pay increasing attention to state legislatures.

Unfortunately for the country and democracy, Republicans traditional advantage in state governments became an especially concerning matter in 2010, when Republicans used takeovers in several traditionally Blue states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin to gerrymander essentially permanent control of the state legislatures. As an example, in Pennsylvania, Democrats won 55% of the total votes cast statewide for State House candidates in 2018, but won only 46% of the seats.

Democrats in Pennsylvania have gained ground for a few election cycles, narrowing the GOP edge in the state senate from 16-34 before the 2018 election to 22-28 now (and the House from 82-121 in 2018 to 90-113). Even with the gerrymandered districts, control of the state legislature is within reach for the Democrats.

Pennsylvania has had divided government since 2015; before then, Pennsylvania suffered through GOP trifecta (control of both houses of the legislature and the governor) 12 of the previous 20 years. Ballotpedia also uses the term “triplex” to describe states where one party controls the key statewide offices of governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. As of August 2022, Pennsylvania was one of 18 Democratic triplexes (22 Republican and 10 divided) and one of 13 states where neither party held a trifecta (23 Republican and 14 democratic).

It is vital to maintain that triplex and to get back control of the legislature. We know the playbook when the GOP seizes control: successive rounds of legislation to make gun ownership easier, voting harder, and abortions impossible. Right to work laws. Voter suppression. Gender laws, cutbacks on education, voucher programs, and stricter controls on what teachers can do. And we also know their plan to emasculate Democratic governors: pass constitutional amendments to remove powers. We’ve already seen this in Pennsylvania and more is coming.

Pennsylvania is a closely divided state but it is only one bad election from joining Ohio, Florida, and Texas in the race to the bottom. Get out and volunteer! And vote!

This series is written to promote political discussion and organizing. Permission is given to use this in fact sheets, talking points, letters to the editor, etc. We’d appreciate if you notified Gettysburg DFA (leonsreed@gmail.com) of any uses.

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State legislatures: What they do matters

ElectionsLeon ReedDFA