If you have been following the disappointing journey of the For the People Act, the #1 priority of the US Congress, you will know that the American political system is broken. The democratic trifecta was simply unable to pass the priority bill to protect the most fundamental right - the right to vote - for those who put them in power.
We need to get rid of the filibuster and we are now closer than ever, thanks to thousands of organizations and individuals dedicating themselves to protecting democracy in the past year. However, we will need to gain two more seats in the US Senate and protect the US House majority in order to overcome the filibuster. That’s a tall order - albeit not impossible - in a midterm election year when the odds are stacked against the party in power.
So what can we do?
We’ll need to win the majority in as many states as possible and protect the freedom to vote as the first order of business after we win. The filibuster is a unique “feature” of the US Senate that doesn’t apply to state legislatures. With state trifectas (the governorship, the state senate and the state house *), we will not only be able to protect the freedom to vote, but we can also protect women’s reproductive rights, implement common sense gun control measures, protect the climate and the environment, among other things.
The state level is where things happen. It serves as a buffer when we have a regressive federal government and a laboratory of good ideas and policies for a progressive government. State policies have a direct impact on our lives. State government and legislature also provide a training ground for aspiring politicians.
Also, the importance of state power on democracy can't be overstated. State administers all federal, state and local elections. It sets rules for voting. It certifies election results and sends electors to the Electoral College. Winning power in key states will be critical for protecting free and fair elections.
Unfortunately, unlike the Republicans, the Democrats haven’t been paying enough attention to winning state power. Many Democratic donors, activists and organizations are singularly focused on winning federal races. We suffered massive losses in state power to the Republicans before the 2011 and 2021 decennial redistricting processes. The Republican state legislatures have subsequently implemented extremely unfair and uncompetitive congressional and state legislative maps, which made it challenging for Democrats to take power again in states and the House.
The Blue Wave Postcard Movement would like to help change that. We’re going to focus on state legislative races in the upcoming election. We will turn out voters to flip state chambers in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and possibly New Hampshire and North Carolina, and protect those in Nevada and Colorado. There are 6 Governor's as well as Secretary of State races, 6 US Senate races, and many US House races in these states. By turning out voters in key state legislative districts, we will have an impact on these races, as well.
Let’s no longer neglect the state power at our own peril. Please attend our launch event and write postcards with us!
* Nebraska only has a state house.
-Ning, Founder and President [bio]