CHICAGO— The Democratic National Convention just wrapped with undeniable excitement, but the future of our country depends on ensuring that enthusiasm translates down-ballot. The outcome of state legislative races in just nine target states will shape the future for nearly 70 million Americans, and these races are often decided by thousands, hundreds, or even dozens of votes. That’s why earlier this week, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee brought over 50 state legislators together to sound the alarm of the stakes in this election. Trump’s MAGA allies are poised to advance an extreme agenda through the states unless we build Democratic power at the foundations of our democracy – state legislatures.
The entire target budget for the DLCC for the 2023-2024 cycle is $60 million – our most expansive to date – where thousands of legislative races are being run across the country. While hundreds of millions of dollars pour into top-of-the-ticket races, we need to see those investments happening at the state ballot level in order to make the Democratic agenda real for everyday people. The stakes in the states are higher than they’ve ever been with fundamental freedoms being decided at this ballot level.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement:
“As we think about what’s needed in the next 73 days to ensure freedoms and our democracy are protected, state legislative races must be the cornerstone of our strategy. This ballot level is shaping every issue touching voters’ lives the most – abortion, democracy, gun safety, LGBTQ+ rights, and all fundamental rights that we hold dear. We know Trump’s MAGA allies are mobilizing in the states to push the ideology of Project 2025 and their extreme agenda, regardless of who wins the White House – which is why we can’t take our eyes off the states.
“We can fundamentally shift the balance of power in this country by building and expanding Democratic majorities at the state level. The time to mobilize for our futures is now, and state legislative races need investment, attention, and enthusiasm to compete in the coming months. We must elect Democrats up and down the ticket in order to protect our future.”
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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