Breaking the GOP supermajority and defending a Democratic governor’s veto is a top priority for the DLCC
WASHINGTON — The New York Times is out with new reporting this week focused on the stakes of breaking the razor-thin Republican supermajority in the North Carolina legislature, a top priority for the DLCC this year. North Carolina Republicans have wielded their one-seat supermajorities to pass toxic legislation, ranging from an abortion ban to attacks on voting rights and LGBTQ+ freedoms. The New York Times profiled two top DLCC Spotlight candidates, Lorenza Wilkins and Beth Helfrich, in their pursuit of breaking Republicans’ stronghold in the legislature and restoring the Democratic governor’s veto power.
North Carolina illustrates how just one seat can change the balance of power and impact the rights of millions of people, which is why the Tar Heel State is a top priority for the DLCC this cycle.
The New York Times: In North Carolina, the Math for a Supermajority May Come Down to One
- “Last year, after State Representative Tricia Cotham unexpectedly switched her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, Republican leaders were able to enact a 12-week limit on most abortions, overriding Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat.”
- “Republicans with their supermajority in North Carolina have been able to loosen campaign finance rules, strip the governor’s power to appoint members to state boards and block efforts to update energy efficiency rules for new homes, all over Mr. Cooper’s objections.”
- “The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is highlighting 14 North Carolina House and Senate races as part of a $10 million push to convince voters of the importance of controlling state legislatures, said Jeremy Jansen, the group’s political director. ‘We have an opportunity here in North Carolina to be able to give power back, or at least give some semblance of a balance of power back, by giving the veto pen to the governor,’ he said.”
- “Remember, one legislator delivered the supermajority,” Beth Helfrich, a Democrat running for the state House of Representatives, said during a recent town hall in Davidson, N.C. “My math says one can break it.”
The DLCC is the official arm of the Democratic Party with the sole mission of building Democratic power in the states and setting the national agenda at the state level. 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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