Democrats in Pennsylvania and Florida fared well in their races yesterday. In the face-to-face match-ups with Republicans in those states, they went 2-0:
In one of the most closely watched races of the year, Democratic candidate Heather Boyd beat Republican Katie Ford in the special election for a Pennsylvania state House seat outside Philadelphia, allowing them to keep control of the lower chamber.
The race was seen as particularly critical since Democrats feared Republicans would use a potential majority to push through restrictive measures relating to abortion and LGBTQ issues.
Meanwhile, in Jacksonville, Fla., Democrats scored an upset after Donna Deegan (D) won the mayoral race there against Republican Daniel Davis, who was backed by DeSantis. The election offered Democrats some relief given Duval County’s red leanings, suggesting that Democrats can still be competitive in the state even as Florida has trended Republican in recent years. [snip]
Deegan’s win in the Jacksonville mayoral race was perhaps the biggest surprise of the night. Deegan managed to flip the mayor’s office, which has been helmed by Republican Mayor Lenny Curry since 2015.
The race also further dented DeSantis on Tuesday, given that he endorsed Davis in March. [snip]
Davis’s loss is a blow to Republicans in a county that has become friendlier to the GOP in recent years. DeSantis won Duval County, where Jacksonville is situated, by 12 points during the November midterms against Crist. But in 2018, Democrat Andrew Gillum won the county over DeSantis by 4 points...
Voter turnout in the Pennsylvania race was relatively light, but the reproductive rights issue was likely key to getting the Democrat the critical seat. On the other hand, in the Jacksonville mayoral race where crime was the main issue, there was relatively strong turnout, and the Democrat won even in Republican- friendly territory with a (supposedly) Republican- friendly issue dominating the race. In case you didn't know, Jacksonville is Florida's most populous city and the 12th biggest in the U.S.
There was also good news from a mayoral race in a ruby- red part of Colorado:
...[I]n Colorado Springs, independent candidate Yemi Mobolade won the mayoral race against Republican Wayne Williams, a former Colorado secretary of state. The election delivered yet another blow to Republicans given that El Paso County, where Colorado Springs is situated, was a county that former President Trump won by 11 points in 2020...
In Kentucky, Malignant Loser -endorsed MAGAt Daniel Cameron won the Republican/ Christofascist/ Shooters Party nomination over fellow loon (and DeSantis- backed) Kelly Craft and will face popular Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear in November.
🎵 There's something happening here...
BONUS: But, it's not likely to be noticed by the "mainstream media"--
Imagine if a Republican won an upset mayoral election in San Francisco or Boston or Seattle. That'd be a massive story, with political reporters teasing out all kinds of trends from it.
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) May 17, 2023
Well, a Democrat just won an upset in Jacksonville, which is bigger than all those cities.
