WASHINGTON — DLCC President Heather Williams spoke to ELLE about how this year is the most important year in state legislative campaign history. With state legislatures deciding the future of reproductive freedoms, LGBTQ+ rights, book bans, and gun safety, this ballot level is shaping the landscape of fundamental rights and fueling energy for Democrats up and down the ticket. State Democrats have one of the best winning streaks in politics, and momentum at this ballot level could help combat election fatigue and safeguard freedoms for millions of Americans.
From ELLE: Are State-Level Races the Antidote to Election Fatigue?
- “Heather Williams, president of the DLCC, offers state-level elections as a kind of antidote: a means of directly affecting your community and building political power from the ground up. ‘We’re going to see some benefit, of course, from the top of the ticket that’s going to affect our races, but we’re also going to see our candidates and our efforts support up-ticket, because we’re holding space for people at a time when things feel really hard,’ Williams tells ELLE.com.
- “The fall of Dobbs put so much more attention on the states. Since then, Democrats have won elections, which is obviously very meaningful to us, but there has also been more of a spotlight on the kinds of nefarious things Republicans are doing in state Houses.”
- “Our races are still won [by having] real conversations with voters. Our candidates and elected officials still live in their communities. So there is something very tangible about our campaign work, and about making Democrats three-dimensional and providing a visual counter to the chaos in Congress.”
- “Without question, I would love national protections for the LGBTQ+ community, but while we work towards that, these rights are either being created, preserved, protected, or taken away in real time in the states. And we’re trying to tell that story that it’s got to be an ‘and.’ It can’t be an ‘or.’ I think we’re better positioned than ever before; I think the importance of the states, and the way in which our agenda as Democrats and the president’s agenda is being moved in the states, is clearer.”
- “We’re really trying to tell the story of how much participation still really matters at this ballot level and creating almost a contrast to that apathy. We’ve had dozens of special elections across all the states, and those Democratic candidates have overperformed by an average of six points. What that is telling us—and what gives us hope in this environment—is that people are voting, right? …The issues people care about are also decided in the states, and the impact that one can have by paying attention and voting and participating at this ballot level is enormous.”
To chat with DLCC President Heather Williams about why 2024 is the “year of the states” or about the DLCC’s target map at large, please contact the DLCC communications team at [email protected].
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is the official Democratic Party committee dedicated to winning America’s state legislatures and building state infrastructure. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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