Winds Of Change Blow Through South As Democrats Are Winning Special Elections On GOP Turf

[MerryBlooms]

For the second time in less than a month, a Democrat has pulled off a stunning victory over a Republican candidate, by flipping a State House race in an almost hopelessly red legislative district. On Tuesday night, Democrat Cyndi Munson scored an improbable 54-46 victory in Oklahoma’s House District 85, a suburban district Northwest of Oklahoma City. Since 1965, when the district was first created, it had never been won by a Democrat. That changed on Tuesday night.

The 85th District went 61-39 for Mitt Romney in the 2012 election. Yet, on Tuesday night, in a traditionally low turnout special election, the district turned a surprisingly solid shade of blue. Speaking to supporters after she’d won, Munson acknowledged the magnitude of her achievement, proclaiming:

Munson lost her race for the same seat in 2014 by 13 points, but she battled back and emerged on Tuesday night a winner. She ran on a platform supporting education and women’s health, while opposing income tax cuts for top earners. In a deep red district her message resonated with voters, weary of the GOP’s extremist stranglehold on Oklahoma politics.

As astonishing as Munson’s victory was, it was not the first Democratic upset of its kind this summer. In August, Democrat Taylor Bennett pulled off a similar surprise in Georgia’s 80th House District. Despite being outspent 2 to 1 in a district Mitt Romney carried by a 56-43 margin over Barack Obama in 2012, Bennett coasted to a 55-45 surprise victory over his Republican opponent, Max Davis.

http://www.politicususa.com/2015/09/10/winds-change-blow-south-democrats-winning-special-elections-gop-turf.html

A step in the right direction!!

[madokie]

1. I remember when Ok

was a solid democratic state. In other words I'm getting pretty long of tooth, OLD.

Still most all our local office holders are democratic, many times the election will be decided at the primary level as there won't even be a 'CON running.
Then we get to the state and federal level and boy do we fuck up. I'm suspicious of our electronic vote counting machines, Yes those

[yellerpup]

5. I remember when it flipped to Red.

It started when LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act. At least it did at my house when I was a teen.

[duhneece]

6. In NM, I fell asleep knowing that Kerry was ahead of Bush

...woke up to Bush winning NM. At that time, NM relied on the electronic vote counting, with no voter verified ballot, no auditable trail. I fought, along with other NM"s, for those. NM now has a voter verified ballot that allows ballots to be audited. Worth the fight.

[Demeter]

8. Thank you for your service for democracy

It's something we all must do daily. Constant Vigilance!

[MerryBlooms]

13. Way to go! Definitely worth the fight!

[MerryBlooms]

14. I'm still in shock Illinois went for Rauner.

A lot of those people who were fooled are crying in their beer now... a lot of good that does us. (I'm just a little bitter)

[True Blue American]

17. Electronic Machines

I worked on the Dybold machines at the Polls. A locker key can unlock them. I vote Absentee. Paper ballot.

[TexasProgresive]

2. Gladdens the heart

My dearest hope is that people will come to their senses and reject the increasingly wacko far right. My worst fear is they won't. Your news today give a boast to hope.

[MerryBlooms]

15. Yeah, just when you think they can't get further off the deep end, they set a whole new low bar.

I have the same fear.

[TexasProgresive]

22. If they lower that bar much lower

it will be in Hell. And if they have their way it will be Hell for us.

[MerryBlooms]

26. You said it.

[DirkGently]

3. Interesting! n/t

[wyldwolf]

4. RE: Taylor Bennett. Imagine if all our candidates down south were former college football stars

Republicans would have their loyalties divided.

[Hortensis]

11. Ah to dream. Our local high school is where football is taught.

[MerryBlooms]

16. That would be something to watch.

[Dustlawyer]

7. Wouldn't that be something!

I think the time is right to run as someone fed up with the corruption. Many don't care about Party as much if the candidate appears incorruptible and spouts a populist theme.

[MerryBlooms]

18. Yep, I think you are spot on.

[monalea]

9. And yesterday, in the red state of Tennessee

Nashville voters elected their first woman mayor yesterday in a special election--Megan Barry--a progressive Democrat! Hope these political wins are a good omen for 2016!

[MerryBlooms]

19. Wonderful!

[True Blue American]

21. In Frist Territory?

The name is plastered all over Nashville.

How sweet it is.

[redstateblues]

28. It's fantastic but Nashville has been solidly blue

As long as I've lived there. 25+years

[asjr]

29. That really made my day!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

10. GOP Fatigue?

We can only hope?

[MerryBlooms]

20. I'm hoping that's the case.

[marble falls]

12. Just a bellweather of things to come. We really need to give the new President a Democratic Congress

[MerryBlooms]

23. Yes, we need a lot of flipping around the country- state/fed/local!!

[valerief]

24. Dare I believe hell is freezing over? nt

[MerryBlooms]

25. Gosh I hope so!

[WDIM]

27. 2016 could be a big year for Democrats

The pendulum is swinging back left. Democrats need to take advantage.

[jeff47]

30. Wait....you mean Republican-lite is not the only way to win?!?!