Pennsylvania: In what was by far the most important victory of the night, Democrats
swept three seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, giving them a five-to-two majority; previously, Republicans had controlled the bench three-to-two, with two vacancies. This victory isn't simply about ensuring a more just court, though undoubtedly the cause of fairness will benefit greatly. It will also have
an enormous impact on the next round of legislative redistricting.
Indianapolis, IN: Democrats won several big mayoral races on Tuesday, and
the biggest prize came in Indianapolis, where Democrat Joe Hogsett crushed Republican Chuck Brewer 63-37. For the preceding eight years, though, Republicans had held the mayoralty, making Indy, the 14th-biggest city in the country, one of the few large burgs without a Democrat at the helm. Republicans have used this job as a springboard for higher office in the past (former Sen. Dick Lugar was once mayor), so Team Blue will be glad to have this post in its hands.
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Salt Lake City, UT: Democrat Jackie Biskupski unseated two-term Mayor Rich Becker (a fellow Democrat)
by a 52-48 margin, making her the first openly gay mayor in Utah history. SLC is a liberal oasis in an otherwise extremely red state, but this kind of first is always an important one.
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Charlotte, NC: Democrat Jennifer Roberts squeaked out
a 52-48 win over Republican Edwin Peacock to win the mayoralty in Charlotte, North Carolina's largest city. Peacock would have been a strong statewide candidate had he won: In fact, Charlotte's last Republican mayor, Pat McCrory, is now governor. Instead, Roberts will have the opportunity to showcase her abilities, and if she governs well, she, rather than Peacock, will have a chance at upward advancement somewhere down the line.
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Mississippi: Mississippi—yes, Mississippi—makes this list, and not once but twice. That's because state Attorney General Jim Hood, the last Democrat holding statewide office in the Deep South, won his toughest election to date
to win a fourth term by a 56-44 spread. Hood matters because he's been an aggressive advocate for victims of Hurricane Katrina, who are still battling insurance companies a decade later. Hood has
won hundreds of millions on their behalf and
continues the fight to this day. No Republican attorney general would have done the same.
And believe it or not, Democrats scored a second win in the Magnolia State, the kind that really flies under the radar: They took two of three seats on Mississippi's Public Service Commission, a little-known but important board that regulates utility companies. It's no small matter, since, among other things, the Mississippi Power Company is trying to pass off massive cost over-runs
for a new $6.4 billion power plant to customers. Would you rather have Democrats fighting on behalf of consumers or Republicans? The question answers itself.
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Maine: Voters in Maine approved an expansion of the state's Clean Election Act by a 55-45 margin.
The new rules will increase the amount of public funding available to candidates; require greater disclosure of donors; and heighten the penalties for violators.
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Seattle, WA: In a novel move, Seattleites voted by a wide margin to
implement a new campaign finance system that would give each voter four $25 "democracy vouchers" every two years that they could then give as donations to candidates for local races like mayor and city council. In turn, candidates who accept these vouchers will have to abide by additional caps on donations and spending, and will also have to participate in at least three debates. It's the first regime of its kind anywhere in the nation, and it could pave the way for interesting reforms along these lines elsewhere.
