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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 12, 2018
CONTACT:
Mara Sloan
DLCC Communications Director
[email protected]
202.449.6740
February 12, 2018
CONTACT:
Mara Sloan
DLCC Communications Director
[email protected]
202.449.6740
Democrat Karla Bigham Claims Victory in Critical Minnesota Special Election
Republicans come up short in another special election, putting Democrats within reach of chamber majority
WASHINGTON — Tonight Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) Executive Director Jessica Post celebrated another special election victory for state Democrats, this time in Minnesota where Senator-elect Karla Bigham scored a critical victory in the special election for Senate District 54.
Bigham, a featured DLCC Spotlight candidate and former Minnesota state Representative, carried the election, winning by four points (51% of the vote) in a district that Trump won in 2016. Tonight’s performance marked a 6 point improvement in this district from the 2016 presidential election, where Secretary Clinton won 45% of the vote.
“Senator-elect Karla Bigham has a long history of public service and is dedicated to making state government work for all Minnesotans,” said Post. “From her time in the state House, the City Council, and the Washington County Board, she has distinguished herself as a trusted leader whom her constituents can count on to work in their best interest. The DLCC has been working hand in glove with the Minnesota Senate DFL (Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party), and we are thrilled to have helped bring this victory home. With Democrats only down one seat in the chamber and a potential second special election on the horizon, the DLCC looks forward to helping the Minnesota DFL win back the majority ahead of 2020.”
The DLCC invested nearly $100,000 in the Minnesota Senate DFL Caucus’s independent expenditure program, which helped bolster paid communications programs and expand staff capacity in the state for efforts like the February special elections. The DLCC deployed staff to the state to help support Get Out The Vote efforts and provided consistent strategic support throughout the race, helping the Minnesota DFL prepare winning campaign strategies and execute a successful field program. The community rallied around Bigham, with volunteers knocking on over 50,000 doors and making over 50,000 phone calls in support of her campaign.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is the only organization exclusively committed to electing Democrats to state legislatures all over the country and winning Democratic control of chambers. For over two decades, the DLCC has been working with state legislative leaders to invest strategically in state programs, which has led to Democrats flipping 35 contested seats since Trump’s inauguration. The DLCC is building on Democrats’ winning momentum and continues to lay the groundwork for substantial gains in 2018 in statehouses nationwide. State Democrats recently scored critical victories in Missouri, Washington, Virginia, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Hampshire, Georgia, and elsewhere, while also leading the resistance against the Trump administration’s extremist policies. You can learn more about critical upcoming elections and follow DLCC’s Spotlight Races at races.dlcc.org.
For more information or to schedule an interview with the DLCC, please contact Mara Sloan at [email protected].
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