Thread 1455144

Elections for school boards and public service commissions aren’t as sexy as a governor’s race, but they matter — and Democrats swept them everywhere.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/wildest-democratic-victories-may-not-031729940


WASHINGTON – Everyone knows the headlines from Tuesday night’s Democratic sweep in the 2025 elections — governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia, a big redistricting referendum in California, Zohran Mamdani’s historic win in the New York City mayoral race.

But some of the party’s most astounding wins played out down lower on ballots, and they won’t get as much national attention. These were races for things like school boards, city councils, state legislative seats and an obscure public service commission. They may not sound as sexy as a governor’s race, but these are the elections most connected to local communities and reflective of how regular people are feeling there.

Here’s a look at some of Democrats’ wildest wins at the local level.

>School boards

There were lots of school board elections on Tuesday, in red and blue states like Pennsylvania, Washington, Kansas, Idaho, Colorado and Texas.

School boards are almost always elected in nonpartisan races. But candidates’ endorsements give voters a sense of their policy positions and their alignment with parties, and school boards have been dragged into ugly culture wars in recent years. That’s largely due to the far-right group, Moms for Liberty, aggressively recruiting its members to run for seats on school boards around the country to enact anti-LGBTQ+ policies in schools.

Two of Tuesday’s school board elections were in Bucks County, Pa., which was considered “ground zero” for right-wing groups’ takeover of school boards in 2021. A few years ago, conservatives on these boards in Pennbridge and Central Bucks districts were using their roles to pass policies targeting LGBTQ+ students and banning books.

Democrats flipped control of both boards in 2023, and on Tuesday, they ousted every Republican from both of these boards, except for one. The Pennbridge school board is now 8-1, with Democratic members in control. The Central Bucks school board is 9-0.

In Washington state, all four conservatives on the Douglas County school board were up for reelection, and progressive candidates were leading in all of these races as of early Wednesday. This seven-member board is now poised to flip to Democratic control, a shift from the 4-3 Republican majority it’s had.

In Colorado, all of the union-backed candidates for Denver’s school board are leading as of Wednesday, meaning they will likely retain their majority on the 11-member board.

Even in deep-red Idaho, voters ousted a West Ada school board member in favor of a new candidate who centered her campaign on supporting inclusive classroom signs and opposing school vouchers. This district made national news earlier this year when school administrators ordered a teacher here to remove a poster that featured multiracial hands and read, “Everyone Is Welcome Here.”

In Houston, Texas, three candidates broke the conservative majority on the Cypress-Fairbanks school board, which represents one of the largest school districts in the state. This board has been dominated by the Christian right, and local parents rose up to change it, angry about book bans and vaccine curricula being stripped in schools.

Conservatives held a 6-1 majority on this board before Tuesday. Now they’re outnumbered by liberals, 4-3.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said the message from Tuesday’s school board elections was clear: parents are done with the politics of division.

“Last night, we saw voters support their local public schools in towns, counties and cities across America, including important school board wins in Albuquerque; Wichita; Nashua, N.H.; Douglas County, Colo.; Cy-Fair, Texas; and Bucks County, Penn.,” she told HuffPost in a statement.

Weingarten noted that voters supported public education funding on Tuesday, too, by approving things like a continuing funding referendum in Avon, Indiana over the opposition of the state’s sitting lieutenant governor. In Colorado, voters approved a tax increase on high earners to fund free breakfast and lunch for all public school students.

“They want leaders who believe in safe and welcoming public schools where every child can learn and have a shot at success,” she said. “There’s a deep desire to move beyond discord and invest in the future of our students and communities.”

>State legislative races

Democrats in the Mississippi state Senate appear to have picked up two new seats on Tuesday — and throttled the GOP’s supermajority hold of the Senate for the first time in 13 years.

Votes are still trickling in, but unofficial county election results show Democrats leading in both seats. The apparent Democratic victories come after two Republican-held districts were redrawn after a court ruled they unfairly diluted Black people’s representation.

When a party has a supermajority status, they can easily cut the other party out of having any say in what gets done. That includes things like overriding a governor’s veto and proposing constitutional amendments. Mississippi Democrats can now serve as a check, at least, on some of the more extreme things Republicans may try to do in the state legislature.

These two races may not have been officially called yet, but top Democrats are already hailing them as victories.

“Historic,” Democratic National Committee chairman Ken Martin said on a Wednesday call with reporters. “We broke through the Republican supermajority down there.”

Democrats expanded their majorities in two other state Houses on Tuesday, too.

In New Jersey, Democrats have picked up at least three new seats and may gain more as election officials process late-arriving mail ballots. Those three new seats mean Democrats will control at least 55 of the chamber’s 80 seats, and will have more than a two-thirds supermajority in the House for the first time since 2019.

In Virginia, Democrats boosted their majority in the state House from 51 to 64 seats, with one race still undecided. They pulled this off by flipping key districts in communities near Richmond, Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.

Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said every one of Virginia’s 100 state House districts saw a shift to the left.

“It cannot be understated that we swept nearly every target on our map,” Williams said on the Wednesday call with reporters. “We created a historic majority in Virginia and New Jersey.”

>County seats

Democrats won county seats all over Pennsylvania.

They flipped four seats on the Luzerne County Council and retook the majority.

They swept all five contested county offices in Bucks County, and in the process, flipped seats for county sheriff and for district attorney.

In Erie County, voters elected a Democrat to the County Executive’s Office and pushed out a Republican incumbent.

“Last night in Pennsylvania and across the country, folks came together to reject the chaos, higher prices and attacks on our foundational rights coming from Washington and chose a better path forward,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) said Wednesday on social media.

“Including in counties and communities President Trump won just last year,” he said.

>Georgia’s Public Service Commission

Have you even heard of Georgia’s utility board?

It doesn’t matter ― all you need to know is two Democrats just trounced Republican incumbents in a statewide race in Georgia, marking the first time Democrats have won a statewide constitutional office here since 2006.

Democrats Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard defeated GOP incumbents by more than 20 points for seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission.

Both ran on a campaign of “affordability” — the new mantra of the Democratic Party — and will now sit on the five-member utility board, which sets electricity rates and regulates other utilities.

Longtime Georgia political reporter Greg Bluestein observed on social media that it’s easy to read into a race as obscure as this one, but these Democratic victories “mark a genuine breakthrough for the party.”


>City Councils

City councils, like school boards, shifted left all across red and blue states.

Democrats in South Carolina flipped all three seats on the Georgetown city council. In Orlando, Florida, voters removed the one remaining Republican city council member and voted in a Democrat.

For the first time since 1999, voters in Charlotte, North Carolina elected a Democrat to a city council seat long held by a Republican.

Vice President JD Vance, whose half-brother got trounced Tuesday in his bid for Cincinnati mayor, tried to downplay the significance of Democrats’ wins.

“I think it’s idiotic to overreact to a couple of elections in blue states,” Vance posted on social media on Wednesday.

Martin, the DNC chair, brought up Vance’s comments on Wednesday’s call with reporters.

“That’s bullshit,” he said. “We won in red counties, blue counties, purple counties.”

And all of those victories were “a rejection of Trump.”

Republicans want to look at kids genitalia regardless. Easy win.

>>1455144 (OP)
So, it's already time for everyone to learn their lesson about voting for Democrats again?

>>1455217
Well they voted Republican and look where that got them. Time for Dems to clean up then mess again, then in a few years when they're still dealing with it, Repubs campaign on how they didn't clean up their mess fast enough and that's why they should vote Republicans in again.

>>1455221
Where did it get them?
I'm old enough to remember Bidenflation.

>>1455227
You mean trumpflation, which is back with a vengeance because trump can't run the economy or a business.

>>1455217
That's the permanent fucked state of the US government. There is basically one party that markets itself as Coke and Pepsi to trick Americans into thinking they are making a choice.

>>1455237
At least Mamdani won and broke the uniparty for that.
God forbid America gets politician who's not right wing and remotely to the left.

>>1455217
Why do you love the Uniparty so very much?

>>1455238
Yeah it's definitely a step in the right direction and willbe interesting to see the ways the democrat establishment throws him under the bus.

>>1455238
>At least Mamdani won and broke the uniparty for that.
He's a democrat and he literally cannot do any of the things he promised. That power lays in Albany not in the Mayors office.

>>1455275
The right wing uniparty is already going to stop him?

Democrats breaking the Republican super majority in Mississippi and winning two state races in Georgia should be making Republicans shitting in fear.

>>1455400
It should have the people of those states shitting themselves in fear.
Name one good Democrat policy that improves things.
You literally can't.

>>1455401
Free school lunches

>>1455401
Not gutting medicaid, medicare and social security silly ESL.

>>1455402
Nah, those lunches aren't free.
>>1455404
None of these have happened.

>>1455407
Because democrats stopped it.
Checkmate pedophile evangelical

>>1455408
Nah. Although the pyramid schemes do need to be dismantled.

>>1455412
Ending trickle down economics and taxing millionaires at 90%?
That's a winner

>>1455414
But, leftists learned that taxes are passed to the consumer. At least I thought they did.
Too bad they really never stand behind their objections and only take issue with things to win elections.

>>1455407
>Nah, those lunches aren't free.
They are for the kids, which is what matters. If you need a refresher on how collecting and spending tax money works, that's a you problem.

>>1455419
>But, leftists learned that taxes are passed to the consumer
Which is why necessities should be decomodified. There's a reason the civilized world has universal healthcare.

>>1455438
The reason is to ensure that hospitals and insurance companies make money though.
Compulsory insurance? Forced to buy product?

>>1455442
>universal healthcare
>insurance companies make money
You don't know fuck about shit, huh?
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-payer_healthcare
>"Single-payer" describes the mechanism by which healthcare is paid for by a single public authority, not a private authority, nor a mix of both.

>>1455419
You trump's tariffs are taxes on consumers, his lawyer was forced to admit that in front of the republican supreme court.
Illegal taxes too

>>1455495
>his lawyer was forced to admit that in front of the republican supreme court.
Citation please

>>1455438
>There's a reason the civilized world has universal healthcare.
You're free to move there.

>>1455497
>https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-confronted-tariffs-taxes-quote-194109103.html
>HUFFINGTON POST SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT SV DÁTE: So then do you agree then that Americans are paying those tariffs?
>PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I think, no, I don’t agree. I think that they might be paying something, but when you take the overall impact, the Americans are gaining tremendously. .
>I think they might be paying something

>>1455445
There's only really one single payer country and that's the UK. Others aren't.

>>1455506
>Medicare (French: assurance-maladie) is an unofficial designation used to refer to the publicly funded single-payer healthcare system of Canada. The system consists of ten provincial and three territorial health insurance plans, which provide universal healthcare coverage to Canadian citizens, permanent residents and, depending on the province or territory, certain temporary residents.

>>1455499
I'd rather civilize my home. You're free to die to help the process along.

>>1455401
Can you name a Republican policy that helps peoplein need in any way?

>>1455571
Republican policies help people get off the government teat and make something of themselves instead of being useless drains on society.

>>1455516
So anyone who supports socialized healthcare in any way is evil?

>>1455575
So you can't name a single one

>>1455575
Ahh yes, the old Republican line that any troubles you have with this capitalist shit show is because it's their fault.

The retard left is jerking themselves off after Mamdani won. Saying shit like "this is how Democrats have to do elections across America!!!!" No you fucking retards. He won by a decent, but not overwhelming margin against a corrupt sex offender and a kook in a stupid hat in a Democratic stronghold of a state. There's no fucking way his campaign his campaign would have held up against a competent Democrat. Just look at the freaky skeleton man in Minneapolis.

>>1455599
>There's no fucking way his campaign his campaign would have held up against a competent Democrat.

The reason he won is that enough people are starting to realize that the democrats are just as corrupt as the republicans so they went for someone who is outwardly socialist instead of liberal. At least they didn't elect a convicted felon and convicted sex criminal like the republicans did. There is at least a glimmer that politicians should be decent people.

>>1455599
>>1455603
Why are we acting like he had any competition at all? He was running against three other Democrats. One was forced out of the race by other Democrats, Cuomo is a narcist that already fucked up once and one of the most unlikeable people, and the "Republican" candidate is a Democrat that switched sides just to take votes from Cuomo

You can realistically only vote for whoever is on the ballot. It's like how people talk shit about Trump. Well, it was either him or Kamala, which was a much worse choice for even Democrats

>>1455606
It's because the democrats consistently mash down anyone who speaks for actual progressive policy. The crushed Bernie, they corrupted AOC so the mere fact he was able to run, get that run be as successful as it was is surprising.

>>1455599
>>1455603
>>1455606
So this is the fascist right's cope.
>HE DIDN'T WIN BY A LARGE ENOUGH MARGIN
Pro tip first mayor in 2/3rda century to get over a million votes even with the MIGA right wing uniparty doing everything to stop Mamdani, he still got an outright majority.
At this point the fascist right is going to nuke new york than risk people waking up to realize socialism helps them and they don't need to be slaves to the rich.

>>1455619
>Democrat beats another Democrat in a Democrat run city in a Democrat run state
>Hurrr Republicans btfo
'kay then

>>1455619
What I hope people are starting to wake up to is that the fascist right is not just the Republicans, it's also the Democrats. That can be changed, and this is hopefully the first successful battle, but it's a very long and possibly impossible fight when the US is stuck with a two party system.

Also the other big reasonhe won which the media has been trying their hardest to suppress that he's pro-palestine and against the US sending bombs to Isreal so they can murder more children, and then the doctors who try to save them, and then the journalists who point out that Isreal is committing war crimes daily.

Even the cackling goul Kamala Harris admitted Palestine was a huge part of why she lost. Mostly though because she's probably one of the few people in politics even more embarrassingly annoying than JD Vance.

>>1455628
>>1455630
>Mamdani beat a 'Democrat'
>When the democratic voters picked Mamdani in the primary
>Meanwhile the MIGA right wing uniparty spent 100+ million to stop him.
And got BTFO, Keep coping

>>1455634
>Cuomo is not a Democrat
Keep huffin that hopeium.

>>1455636
>Lost the democratic nomination
>Allied with Republicans
Keep coping, Cuomo is a Republican

>>1455647
>Cuomo is a Republican
bwahahahahahah

>>1455634
Progressives have to start somewhere. It's a two party system, so even though both parties are run by oligarchs the Democrats are an easier place to begin that process. Democratic voters are Democratic voters because they only have two choices so they pick the one they think is less bad, not because they necessarily think the Democrats are great.

>>1455648
Looks like the election tourist is mindbroken from facts and logic.

>>1455649
That's a given, but as said before we have a right wing uniparty so it's still insanely difficult for the left to even get a candidate.

I would not be shocked, if they do everything to destroy New York out of spite rater than allow an actual liberal to increase the quality of life for working class Americans.

>>1455651
Not him,but he's clearly right wing and supported by right wing donors as opposed to Mamdandi who is clearly left wing. Whether he's officially working for Coke rather than Pepsi at the moment is largely irrelevant. He's with the oligarchs, that's the important point. People are hungry and the rich are looking like fat pigs ready for a slaughter.

>>1455654
You are absolutely correct, but the silver lining I see is that at least the world is watching and people in America are starting to see that if they rise up together that they can stand against oligarch tyranny. It's what the country was founded on so I do try to keep the faith.

>>1455655
That's why the right wing uniparty is a thing, they're all beholden to the rich.

>>1455660
Kamala outspent Trump by a billion dollars

>>1455655
>but he's clearly right wing
>Cuomo
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA

>>1455676
>>1455693
More cope from the right wing uniparty

>>1455694
Tell me more about how a Democrat beating a Democrat in a deepblue state is a colossal defeat for the GOP

>>1455695
>GOP pulls out all the stops to stop Mamdani from winning, first in the primary, then in the election
>Fails completely and utterly both times
When you have Republicans, including their fucking president, endorsing a left-leaning independent over their own candidate, and that independent still fucking loses, you know it's bad.

>>1455699
>Democrat runs against a Democrat in a Democrat run state
>REPUBLICANS DID THIS
My sides are in fucking ORBIT

>>1455695
>>1455703
>The republican shill is still coping they lost to Mamdani
LOL

>>1455703
Trump was so mind broken by Mamdani he threatened open retaliation to an entire state for a local election. If Republicans weren't equally mindbroken, he would've been impeached for that.

>>1455703
https://www.alternet.org/trump-wolff-election/
'White House 'not happy' as GOP election massacre threatens to bring 'end of Trump''
>NYC
>New Jersey
>Virginia
>California
That was just the shape of things to come. The Midterm Massacre awaits. Total MAGA Death.

>>1455716
>Mum blue states only
Republicans also lost state wide races in blood red Georgia and lost their super majority in children's blood red Mississippi.
Maine also rejected the republican voter suppression law that was on their ballot too.

>>1455716
...You do realize that VA is really the only state on the list that's even close to a swing state, right?

>>1455722
Just ignore the loses in Georgia and Mississippi too. You do realize that losing pretty much every race in an election night, on every level, bodes ill, right?

>>1455722
*taps the post*
>>1455717

>>1455726
How much crying are you going to do when Trump wins a third term with the popular vote?

>>1455729
How much time do you spend pretending to be american

>>1455726
Georgia's a swing state that swung heavily Republican in 2020.

>>1455732
>Georgia's a swing state
Now THIS is the republican cope /news/ thrives on.

>>1455717
>lost their super majority in children's blood red Mississippi.
Because the courts ordered that special districts be drawn for black voters. Wow. Incredible stuff.

>>1455733
Now THIS is the Canajeet cope /news/ thrives on.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_state
the crucial swing states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

>>1455733
>Now THIS is the republican cope /news/ thrives on.
Georgia is a swing state. That's not "cope" that's looking at how elections go in GA and having a brain.

>>1455738
>Canajeet cope
Explains so much.

>>1455740
And saying that Georgia is back to 2016 levels of Demofaggotry is nothing.

>>1455738
>>1455740
>Conservapdia claims it
LOL, more republican cope. Keep it coming

>>1455750
GA has been swingy since Stacy Abrams arrived on the scene. I thought everyone knew this. I dont understand the purpose of these posts, you're celebrating your own ignorance while also lashing out at ghosts
>I'm not a Republican

>>1455755
>Been swinging
>When Republicans have full control of the state
QUE?
All Abrams did was make it a fools gold state, like Texas. Republican's voter suppression laws made sure it's still a blood red.

>>1455876
The midterms are going to be a tough pill to swallow desu

>>1455912
In other overlooked news, the ultra MAGA who made her town of Aurora Colorado a laughing stock because of her racist fearmongering was voted out by progressives.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NncrP_GOork

>>1455729
>crying at third term
Gunpowder isn't tear gas