2018, what is to be done?
Well it’s 2018, if you’re an American you’ve lived a year with Trump as President. Sick of it? me too. Good news though! it’s 2018! which means…. ELECTIONS! Democrats ended 2017 winning two governor’s races, a Senate seat in Alabama(!) and many state level special elections. In 2018 all 435 US House seats are up, as are 36 governorships, State governments etc.
But lets focus for a moment on the 34 US Senate Seats up this year!
there are 33 regular elections and one special election. As you can see there are 24 Democrats and 2 Independents who sit with the Democrats up for re-election, and just 8 Republican seats up.
Most seats are safe and unlikely to flip so lets get them out of the way. California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Minnesota (special), New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin seem very likely to stay Blue, while Mississippi, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming seem likely to stay Republican. SO NOW to the states in play!
Facing a tough primary Republican Senator Jeff Flake declared on October 24, 2017 he wouldn’t run for re-election. This leaves far right Kelli Ward as basically the only person running for the Republican nomination. Ward is a wing nut who’s all in on Trump’s wall and deporting everyone who tans. Ward is also famous for believing in the chemtrail conspiracy theory. One the Democratic side, Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema is running. Sinema is 41 years old, the first openly bisexual person elected to Congress, if elected to the Senate she’d be the first bi Senator and the second LGBT senator. Sinema has been a big supporter of the DREAM act
Her Website give her some money, or volunteer if you live in Arizona
Florida is represented by Democratic Senator Bill Nelson. Nelson is the only former astronaut in Congress, and the only member who’s been in space. Nelson has been a strong supporter of NASA and other government science programs. In the aftermath of the Orlando nightclub shooting Nelson was a leaning voice supporting a new gun control bill. Sadly Nelson is running in a state that Trump won, a state who’s other Senator is a Republican who won re-election overwhelmingly last year. While he’s not yet officially running Republican Governor Rick Scott is the most likely Republican to run against Nelson and is polling strongly. Scott has blocked Florida’s Medicaid expansion 3 times leaving thousands without health care, Scott doesn’t believe in climate change, his reaction to the Pulse Nightclub shooting was “thoughts and prayers” and he signed an expanded version of Florida’s stand-your-ground law in 2017 this was the same law that got Trayvon Martin killed. So lets not elect him and re-election the astronaut?
His Website give him some money, or volunteer if you live in Florida
Indiana is represented by Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly. Donnelly voted for Obamacare way back when he was in the House in 2010 and has supported it over and over again ever since. Donnelly was a key part of expanding CHIP in 2010 to cover 4 million more children. While a supporter of the Second Amendment Donnelly took part in Chris Murphy gun control filibuster in 2017. Indiana however is a deep red state, Trump won there by 18 points, former US Senator Evan Bayh lost his run for senate in 2016 by 10 points, Indiana is the home of Mike Pence. Tons of Republicans are planning on running against Donnelly so far two of the State’s Republican Congressmen are already running, with two more thinking about it, the Speaker of the State House and the State’s Attorney General are also thinking about it.
His Website give him some money, or volunteer if you live in Indiana
Missouri is represented by Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill. McCaskill has long been one of the leading protectors of the Planned Parenthood in the Senate. McCaskill has worked hard to reform how sexual assault/harassment is dealt with in the US Military. She’s been one of the leading woman Senators speaking out in the #MeToo movement. McCaskill also was one of the co-sponsors for a bump stock ban bill. Missouri is a deep red state, Trump won the state by 19 points, Democrat Jason Kander lost his bid to become a senator in 2016. The most likely Republican to face her is Missouri’s Attorney General Josh Hawley. Hawley is best known as one of the lawyer in the Hobby Lobby case in fact arguing that businesses should be able to discriminate is basically the center of Hawley’s legal career. So let’s re-elect the feminist grandma not the guy who says craft stores should be allowed to not hire the gays
Her Website give her some money, or volunteer if you live in Missouri
Montana is represented by Democratic Senator Jon Tester. Tester is a populist Senator well known for criticizing money in politics and the power of K Street lobbyists. Tester became a leading voice against the Republican Tax bill. Sadly Montana is a deep red state, Trump won it by 21 points, Greg Gianforte won his special election to be Montana’s sole Congressman even though he bodyslamed a reporter. A number of Republicans are either running against Tester already, or are being talked about. Including Trump’s Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. It’s not clear right now who will be the candidate against Tester but if you want someone who will fight to keep money out of politics and Wall Street in line, lets re-elect Tester.
His Website give him some money, or volunteer if you live in Montana
Nevada is represented by Republican Senator Dean Heller. Heller was a key vote for the GOP Tax plan, unlike other Republican “swing votes” Heller didn’t ask for any chances and just voted for it. Heller also voted repeatedly to kill Obamacare even after the Republican governor of his state begged him not to because of how many Nevadans it would hurt. Heller is likely one of the most unpopular Senator up for re-election. He’s running in a state Hillary Clinton won while he’s tied himself closely to Trump. Heller is also unpopular with his own party and is being primaried by a far right candidate endorsed by Sarah Palin and Steve Bannon, This candidate Danny Tarkanian has run for 6 offices in Nevada since 2004 and is 0-6 heading into his 7th run but looks likely to unseat Heller in the Primary. Now the Democrat who will face Heller or Tarkanian in November is Congresswoman Jacky Rosen. Rosen won a Republican leaning district in 2016 and is a newcomer to politics. Rosen has been a strong support for the DREAM act and fought against the Republican Tax Cut bill. In a twist if Tarkanian is the Republican nominee it’ll be the second time Rosen and Tarkanian will run against each other, Rosen beat him in 2016 for her Congressional seat. So let’s boot out Dirty Dean Heller and beat Tarkanian (again) and elect Rosen (which would mean Nevada would have two Democratic women Senators)
Her Website give her some money, or volunteer if you live in Nevada
North Dakota is Represented by Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp. Heitkamp is personally popular in her state representing the great plains populism. Heitkamp has vocally supported the Buffett Rule sponsoring a bill to ensure that people making more than a million dollars a year pay at least 30% in taxes. North Dakota is a deep red state, Trump won by 36 points and maybe one of the few states were he’s still has a net positive approval rating. in 2016 North Dakota’s other Senator a Republican sailed to re-election with 78% of the vote. So Heitkamp is a Democrat running in one of the reddest states in America. Right now no major Republican is running against her but that could change soon and against any Republican she’ll be running into the headwinds. So lets re-elect her
Her Website give her some money, or volunteer if you live in North Dakota
Ohio is represented by Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown. Brown is one of the most progressive and left wing members of the Senate. Honestly only Bernie Sanders and MAYBE Elizabeth Warren are to his left. Not only is Brown signed onto the Medicare for All bill he has introduced a single payer health care bill every year since he was first elected to Congress in 1993. He’s also supports the return of the Glass-Steagall Act. Sadly for Brown (and really all of us) had drifted to the right in the years since his first election. Trump won the state by 8 points, Republican Senator Rob Portman walked to re-election in 2016 with a 21 point victory. The Republican most likely to face off with Brown is Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel. Mandel is for the full repeal of Obamacare and doesn’t believe Climate Change is real. Lucky for us Sherrod Brown beat Josh Mandel like a drum in 2012 and lets help him do it a second time.
His Website give him some money, or volunteer if you live in Ohio
Tennessee’s incumbent Republican Senator Bob Corker announced in September 2017 he wasn’t running for re-election. Tennessee is not the kind of state that Democrats are suppose to have a shot, but 2018 is gonna special. The last Democrat to win statewide office, former Governor (2003-2011) Phil Bredesen is coming out of retirement to run for the seat. A former Mayor (Nashville 1991-1999) as well as former Governor Bredesen aggressively addressed the meth crisis in his state and balanced Tennessee’s budget after years of Republican mismanagement. The most likely Republican candidate is Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn. Blackburn is maybe Trump’s favorite Congressperson. She supported his Muslim ban, sponsored a bill to ban abortion after 22 weeks, claimed Obamacare had death panels, is against net neutrality (also municipal broadband even though Chattanooga has it). So lets elect the common sense Democrat not the wing nut Trump Congresswoman.
His Website give him some money, or volunteer if you live in Tennessee
Texas is represented by Republican Senator Ted Cruz. Cruz is… wildly unpopular both inside his own party and state. For Democrats he’s fighting for the title of second most hated Republican behind Trump. Of course Cruz is also one of the most right wing members of the Senate, someone who supports a full repeal of Obamacare with no replacement at all, some one who voted against disaster relief for Hurricane Sandy, called net neutrality the “Obamacare for the internet”, we can go on for days Cruz sucks. Normally we’d just have to write off a state like Texas, it’s so Republican right? well maybe not, Hillary Clinton did better there than Obama did in 2012. The factors that turned Alabama blue, large numbers of minority voters and college educated white suburban voters are in Texas in a big way. The Democrat most likely to be facing Cruz is Congressman Beto O'Rourke (the man with the best name in politics) O'Rourke supports legalizing cannabis, he’s been on the front lines in the fight against Trump immigration policy, he was part of 2016 sit-in for gun control on the floor of the US House. Cruz is a literal human monster, Beto O'Rourke is a cool dude, lets make him a senator and Cruz not. Oh also in the first and only poll of the race O'Rourke was tied with Cruz.
His Website give him some money, or volunteer if you live in Texas
West Virginia is represented by Democratic Senator Joe Manchin. This is maybe one of the oddest races of 2018. If West Virginia isn’t the most Republican states in America it’s close, Trump won the state by an earth shaking 42 points in 2016, it’s governor, other senator, and all 3 of it’s congresspeople are Republicans, every state wide office is Republican, Republicans hold large majorities in both State Houses. However former Governor and now Senator Joe Manchin is a Democrat and maybe the most popular person running for re-election in 2018. However Manchin is a Democrat offering key votes on health care and tax reform and standing against Betsy DeVos’ nomination. A lot of Republicans have jumped in to try and unseat Manchin, like a coal billionaire who was convicted of safety violations that got people killed, the Republican Attorney General, and one of the State’s Congressmen.
His Website give him some money, or volunteer if you live in West Virginia
right now these Republican held seats look super safe but if you’d told me a year ago that a Democrat was about to be sworn in as Senator for Alabama I’d have laughed in your face. First up is Utah Republican Orin Hatch has been Senator for Utah since 1976 and Utah is an ultra-red state so he’s fine right? Not so much, a poll found 75% of Utahans don’t want Hatch to run again. Indeed Hatch as been promising not to run for re-election every 6 years since the early 1990s, he’s been string people along with “will he won’t he” re-election stories for most 2017 but it seems pretty locked in that he’s running. Hatch almost has closely tied himself to Trump who isn’t popular in the state, he famously said we just don’t have the money for CHIP after voting to give big business and rich people a tax cut. The likely Democrat in the race Salt Lake County Councilwoman Jenny Wilson is raising tons of money and even beat Hatch in an early poll (when people weren’t told she was a Democrat) it’s a long shot but check out her website if you’re in Utah. Next is Mississippi this should be a lock down for Republicans, an incumbent Republican up in Mississippi should walk away with it. And maybe Senator Roger Wicker will. However there’s a lot of buzz that far-right radical, State Senator Chris McDaniel will get into the race with Steve Bannon’s backing. in 2014 McDaniel came with-in less than one point of unseating Mississippi’s other Senator, Thad Cochran, in a primary. Cochran only beat McDaniel thanks to the support of black voters scared of an even more racist Republican. If McDaniel runs and unseats Wicker we could end up in a place like we were in Alabama. Mississippi and Alabama are twins in many was only there are even more black voters in Mississippi. There isn’t a strong Democrat in the race yet but there’s buzz around Brandon Presley. If you recognize the name, yes he is related to Elvis, they’re cousins. Brandon Presley is a popular elected official representing northern Mississippi, normally the most Republican part of the state. Maybe stop by his Facebook or Twitter and tell him to run. Next is Nebraska again not a state we should even be looking at. Republican Senator Deb Fischer won election with nearly 60% of the vote she’s running in a deep red state, should be a shoe in. However the first and only poll of the race showed her 42% to 31% against her main Democratic rival Lincoln City Councilwoman Jane Raybould. That’s not great numbers for an early re-election poll for a sitting Senator running in a state that should be easy for her. Maybe it’s nothing, but check out Raybould’s website. Next up is Wyoming which being totally real here I see no path to a Democrat winning there. Steve Bannon is hoping to push out Republican Senator John Barrasso in favor of the founder of Blackwater (and Besty DeVos’ brother) Erik Prince. Even if Prince runs and beats Barrasso there’s not much in the way of Democrats to stop him in the general election.
Well that’s it, that’s what 2018 looks like in the US Senate, if you got even an extra 5 bucks (and you’re an American, sorry guys) pick a candidate you like, one who speaks to you and hand them your 5 dollars. Don’t have money volunteer, and if you don’t live in or near a state where you can volunteer, well just reblog this and help it find someone who can help.
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