FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:February 20, 2018CONTACT:Mara SloanDLCC Communications Director[email protected]
202.449.6740
DLCC Flips 37th Seat From Red to Blue
State Democrats flip seat in Kentucky that Trump won by 49 points in 2016
WASHINGTON — Tonight Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) Executive Director Jessica Post celebrated yet another special election win, this time in Kentucky in a district where Trump got 72 percent of the vote in 2016, making this the biggest red to blue flip so far. Representative-elect Linda Belcher claimed victory in the closely watched special election for House District 49, defeating her Republican opponent with over 68% of the vote.
“The DLCC is extremely proud to have flipped another red seat to blue by helping Representative-elect Belcher return to the Kentucky House,” said Post. “Her lifelong commitment to bettering her community and her door-to-door campaign showcased her dedication to standing up for Kentuckians. She will work hard on behalf of working families, students, and the people of Bullitt County. Flipping a seat that Trump won by such a considerable margin in 2016 shows the sea change happening across America in 2018. Voters are speaking up about what they want to see in their elected leaders and volunteering their time and money to change the electoral maps. The DLCC looks forward to electing more Democrats and flipping more legislative chambers in the November midterms.”
Belcher will return to the Kentucky House after previously representing this Bullitt County district for three terms. Prior to running for office, Belcher worked as a teacher and school administrator in the Bullitt County school system. Rejoining the legislature, she will continue her legacy of fighting for bipartisan solutions when it comes to public education, equal pay, and securing critical investments to improve the district’s roads and her constituents’ quality of life. The DLCC contributed the maximum amount of $2,000 to the Belcher campaign, and featured Belcher on its
Spotlight Races page. DLCC staff provided consistent strategic support throughout the race, helping the campaign prepare winning campaign strategies and execute a successful field program.
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 37 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
Florida,
Minnesota,
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].
