What is the opposite of downballot voting? I propose it happened in VA.

[AkFemDem]

I see a lot of posts that suggest last nights results are a reflection of national politics, and other posts that focus (understandably) on the gubernatorial candidates themselves. All of that certainly plays a role -BUT-

It hits me with the clear light of day that a bigger influence were actually the small local offices. School boards and city counsels have been hotbeds of anger and frustration, over big headline issues like CRT, mask mandates, assaults in schools, reading curriculum, etc.

What the state Republican Party successfully did was tap into that anger and GOTV for local candidates. Republicans showed up and democrats didn’t, and they didn’t do it because they love Youngkin or because of Joe Manchin arguing with other Democrats, they did it because they wanted to lash out at their school board, their city counsel.

All politics really are local, and investing in local democrat candidates builds the ballot from the ground up. It’s not enough to just focus assets and attention on statewide and national races.

[fescuerescue]

1. Somehow that doesn't sound better at all

[AkFemDem]

3. I don't know, it looks like Run For Something...

Had a very successful night doing just that- focusing on small local races. Why not invest more energy and cash at the local level? When people have a direct, personal interest they’re more likely to show up. I think results like last night show that can clearly trump just hoping people do the right thing for the greater good.

[Calista241]

2. This is going to have long lasting effects on policies.

It's looking like Republicans dominated school board elections almost across the board.

[The Magistrate]

4. That Is A Good Point, Ma'am

The sort of faux/deluded outrage shown at local government functions is not so much a direct attempt to influence policy, as it is a mobilization for get out the vote efforts on a word of mouth level. It would be worth attempting a counter-effort on a similar scale.

[Amishman]

5. Democrats did show up, our turnout was solidly up from 2017

The difference between 2020 and 2021 is how independents went.

In 2020, they broke solidly pro-Joe
This year they turned away from Terry

[qazplm135]

6. Solidly up

Is not the same as what they did

The million that he lost from 2020 wasn't all independents.

Youngkin meanwhile came within 300k of Trump. That's a cut above "solidly up."