Ralph Northam, the Democratic candidate in the 2017 gubernatorial race in Virginia, defeated Ed Gillespie on Nov. 7.
The Democratic tsunami that swept across Virginia and elsewhere in off-year elections last week struck well-deserved terror into the hearts of every cowardly Republican candidate failing to distance him or herself from Donald Trump, the unpopular political reprobate they put in the White House. The rout in Virginia especially has lessons for Wisconsin’s midterms next year because of some striking political parallels between those two states.
First, the good news for all Americans: Republican gubernatorial nominee Ed Gillespie’s vile, racist, Trumpian campaign was demolished. Gillespie, once a decent, moderate Republican, ran totally indecent TV ads falsely tying Democratic candidate Ralph Northam, a mild-mannered pediatrician, to the murderous MS-13 Latino street gang (which barely exists in Virginia) and to child sexual predators. If Gillespie’s despicable campaign had worked, Republican candidates all over the country would have copied his Trump mini-me tactics next year.
Although Virginia voted for Hillary Clinton and Northam by substantial margins, and Wisconsin voted for Trump (barely), the two states are remarkably similar politically for exactly the same reason: Both are victims of extremely corrupt Republican gerrymandering, making it difficult for Democrats to win legislative and congressional elections ever since 2010—even when more Democrats than Republicans vote statewide.
Before last week’s election, Republicans controlled Virginia’s House of Delegates by a seemingly overwhelming 66-34 margin, seven of the state’s 11 congressional seats and the Virginia State Senate by two seats—even though Republicans haven’t won a statewide election in Virginia since 2009. That compares with Republicans controlling Wisconsin’s Assembly 63-35, five of the state’s eight congressional seats and the Wisconsin State Senate by seven seats.
Like Virginia, that political imbalance began following the 2010 census as a result of corrupt Republican gerrymandering. The U.S. Supreme Court is now considering whether voter disenfranchisement from Wisconsin’s gerrymandering was so extreme as to be unconstitutional. A similar federal court case from Virginia may soon join Wisconsin’s.
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Take a Stand
But here’s the best news for Wisconsin from Virginia’s election: Strong candidates and energized voters eager to take a stand against Trump’s hateful, embarrassing, un-American presidency can overcome even the most extreme partisan gerrymandering. Not only did Northam lead a Democratic sweep of the statewide offices of governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, but those candidates themselves benefited from unprecedented Democratic victories in legislative districts long held by Republicans. Picking up 15 seats so far, Democrats almost completely wiped out the 32-vote Republican margin in the Virginia House of Delegates. Recounts scheduled in four districts narrowly led by Republicans (one by only 12 votes) ultimately will determine control of the chamber.
There’s little mystery what led to the upsets. The shock of Trump’s election created a surge of strong Democratic candidates challenging Republicans in every legislative district. Republicans who had little opposition for years suddenly faced strong, aggressive campaigns from a highly diverse slate of qualified candidates.
Strong campaigns by strong candidates can literally trump hatred and traditional political biases. Eleven of the successful Democratic challengers were women. Those women included the first transgender candidate elected to any legislature in the U.S., an openly gay woman, an immigrant from Peru and a former refugee from Vietnam.
Many in Wisconsin may be unaware of their state’s direct connection to Danica Roem’s historic election as the nation’s first transgender legislator. Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, a strong supporter of gay rights and board chairman of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, was Roem’s largest single political donor, contributing at least $115,000 to her campaign. Abele made a point of adding $50,000 to his contributions the day he was at the White House with Trump and Gov. Scott Walker for the Foxconn announcement. That morning, Trump tweeted he wanted to ban transgender soldiers from the military.
Danica Roem, a former newspaper reporter with detailed knowledge of local issues, defeated Robert Marshall, a 13-term Republican incumbent who proudly called himself the state’s “chief homophobe” and insultingly used male pronouns to refer to his opponent. Even other Republicans shunned anti-gay legislation Marshall introduced, including a discriminatory “bathroom bill” to restrict transgender use of restrooms.
More than a third of Virginia voters said the primary motivation for their vote was to take a stand against the offensive Trump agenda. Virginia and New Jersey were the only two states with regularly scheduled gubernatorial elections this year, and both went overwhelmingly Democratic.
For Wisconsin and most of the rest of the nation, the first opportunity for voters to take such a stand will be midterm elections next year. The surge of strong candidates and energized voters should be starting in every district right now. The new normal after Trump doesn’t have to be any different from the old American values of equal rights, equal opportunities and equal treatment under the law for everyone. Voters are proving it by standing up to Trump and rising up against Republicans who fail to do the same.
It’s your turn, Wisconsin.
