ANS -- Loss and Victory in Connecticut

This was so sweet I just had to pass it on.  Yes, it's political.  It's short.  Read it.  

Find it here:    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/03/01/1638922/-Loss-and-Victory-in-Connecticut?detail=email&link_id=1&can_id=8a46e582bde26a58e9e95c85d0e999a9&source=email-the-surprising-victory-in-a-loss-in-connecticut-last-night-will-make-your-day&email_referrer=the-surprising-victory-in-a-loss-in-connecticut-last-night-will-make-your-day&email_subject=the-surprising-victory-in-a-loss-in-connecticut-last-night-will-make-your-day    

--Kim

Loss and Victory in Connecticut

By Doug M  

Tuesday Feb 28, 2017 · 11:53 PM PST

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First time diarist here.

So yesterday there was a special election for the Connecticut State Senate.  It was for the 32nd Senate District.  If you don't know Connecticut, the 32nd is the reddest district in an otherwise purply-blue state.  The 32nd is rural and exurban, and demographically it's oldish and very white.  This area hasn't sent a Democrat to the Connecticut State House since — wait for it — 1891.

I phone banked this weekend for the Democratic candidate, Greg Cava.  I don't live in Connecticut any more, but I still know that area well.  And ever since January 20, I've been feeling the need to do something.

And when Tuesday night rolled around…

...we lost.

But.

The Democrat, Greg Cava?  This was his second time running.  He had run for this same seat once before, in the November election.  And he got his clock cleaned.  In November's election, the 32nd District went 66-34 for the Republican State Senate candidate.  

Yesterday, it went for the Republican again… 55-45.  That's an eleven point swing.  Eleven points.

Remember that special election for the Delaware State Senate last week?  That won saw a swing from November too.  In that case, the swing was about seven points; since it was a purple district to begin with, the Democrat won comfortably.

The Delaware election got a modest amount of attention.  Connecticut's 32nd District has attracted almost none, as far as I can tell.  But if we can do that again… man.  That would change everything.

Special elections happen all the time, and usually nobody pays much attention.  But over the next few months, they're going to be a lot more important.  If you live in Pennsylvania or Louisiana, you have special elections coming up in March.  If you live in Alabama, Kansas or Georgia, you get your chance in April.  The Kansas and Georgia elections are for the US House of Representatives, so they'll get extra attention.  

So, many thanks to all my peeps who knocked on doors and phone-banked for Greg.  And everyone else: let's go.  The comeback starts with little special elections that nobody pays attention to.  The comeback starts in school boards and municipal races.  The comeback starts with phone calls and yard signs and a few bucks thrown at a local candidate.

The comeback starts with us.