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by NW Spotlight
An article [2] in Governing Magazine this month, Democrats’ Future Looks Grim, talks about another facet of the crushing November 2014 Republican victories [3] across the county. It’s a problem that will sound familiar to Oregon Republicans – but this time it’s a problem for Democrats.
“You can’t beat something with nothing. That’s the problem Democrats face in several states. In more than 20 states, there’s not a single Democrat in a top state position — and not just in traditionally red states such as Arizona, North Dakota and Texas, but in more competitive states like Florida, Michigan and Ohio as well. ‘This election wiped out some of the really promising, up-and-coming Democratic officials,’ says Jon Ralston, a prominent commentator on politics in Nevada, where the GOP swept the board in November. ‘They have a serious rebuilding process to undergo right now.’ That process could take years.”
The article also touches on the issue of aging Democratic governors like we have here in Oregon or Jerry Brown down in California, “The remaining Democratic governors themselves are getting old. All but a couple are past the age of 55. By contrast, many Republican statewide officials are barely into their 40s.”
The GOP success is not accidental, “Those in politics have been helped to power by a concerted GOP effort to build up its farm team. Groups like the Republican State Leadership Committee and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have been actively recruiting and funding candidates for downballot offices. There’s been no comparable effort among Democrats.”
It’s a grim picture for Dems in many states, including “In nearly a dozen legislative chambers, the number of Democratic members is down to single digits.”