As Democratic enthusiasm drives record fundraising and support for the top of the ticket, state legislatures must not be overlooked as important battlegrounds this November.
WASHINGTON — Earlier this week, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee announced our latest investment of $2.2 million in battleground states to shore up Democratic majorities in state legislatures, which will be essential for defending fundamental freedoms and our democracy from MAGA Republicans intent on pushing their Project 2025 agenda through the states.
These latest investments will be delivered to key battleground states – including Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Carolina – through the DLCC’s Summer of the States campaign, which launched last month to raise the alarm and call attention to the dangers of a MAGA takeover of this ballot level.
As the top of the ticket resets and drives a new wave of energy for Democrats, the DLCC is laser-focused on supporting Democrats’ efforts in the states, which are the top line of defense for our fundamental freedoms and democracy. Republicans’ playbook is to move their MAGA agenda through the states, and so investing in Democrats’ efforts to build power in state legislatures is a critical way to defend our future. 160 million Americans currently have their rights protected by Democratic majorities in state legislatures – building Democratic power in the states is the best way to prevent an erosion of our democracy, as well as our fundamental freedoms and rights.
Check out coverage of our investments in top target states:
Daily Beast: Kamalamania Boosts Dems Fighting MAGA in Battleground Statehouses
Democrats in charge of battling a MAGA agenda in state legislatures notched their two best online fundraising days ever amid Kamala Harris’ historic ascendancy, The Daily Beast has learned.
The group warns, however, that Democrats can’t expect to keep riding the vice president’s coattails beyond the early frenzy of her transition to presidential nominee to replace President Joe Biden, who announced on Sunday he would end his campaign for a second term.
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“Even if Trump is defeated at the top of the ticket, we know that Republicans are galvanizing to push Project 2025 through the states, so the threat of that doesn’t disappear if Trump is defeated,” DLCC Interim Communications Director Sam Paisley told the Daily Beast.
For the DLCC, the latest round of investments come at a critical time, especially as the party has overwhelmingly coalesced around Harris after President Joe Biden’s decision to forgo his reelection bid.
As the organization eyes the 2024 landscape, they see the Trump-led GOP as one that will seek to implement their agenda in as many states as possible. And they want to make sure that voters understand the stakes of legislative races further down the ballot.
Anastasia Apa, the vice president of development at the DLCC, told Business Insider that the creation of a “firewall” at the state level will be key for the party in November.
“Investing in Democratic efforts to build power in state legislatures is a critical way to defend our future,” she said.
The Hill: Democratic state campaign arm deploys $2.2M investment
“We’re making the first of our investments right now,” said Anastasia Apa, vice president of development at the DLCC, on Wednesday. “As we continue through the cycle and are able to collect more data about where we can make the most strategic and impactful investment, we will continue this spend.”
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“Back in 2020 Biden won and at this level of the ballot we lost ground,” Apa said. “Democrats cannot afford a repeat of 2020. We cannot afford to ignore the funding and resourcing at this level of the ballot.”
Bridge Michigan: With Kamala Harris, Michigan Dems seek new momentum in fight for state House
And on Wednesday, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee announced plans to spend another $1.14 million in Michigan, which committee President Heather Williams called an essential part of the “state legislative firewall” against former President Donald Trump and his allies.
Pennsylvania Capital Star: DLCC to invest $500k in Pa. House
The arm of the Democratic Party tasked with working on state legislative races announced Wednesday it will invest $500,000 in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
The funds are the first part of a $2.2 million investment in battleground states, which is itself part of a larger $10 million investment the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) announced last month. The earlier-than-usual campaign will help support its spotlight candidates, as the party keeps close focus on down-ballot races in a turbulent election cycle.
New Hampshire Bulletin: National Democratic committee plans $356,000 investment in state races
“The New Hampshire GOP majorities have enacted a dangerous agenda far out of step with Granite State communities – from pushing extreme abortion bans to attacks on LGBTQ+ communities – and they will readily continue undermining freedoms if given more power in this year’s elections,” [DLCC President Heather] Williams said in a statement.
Williams, like several state Democratic leaders, also warned of future bills aimed at enacting policies inspired by Project 2025, a conservative roadmap that calls for stringent abortion bans; the use of the military to assist with arrests; and rejection of gender equality, reproductive rights, and environmental “extremism.” “A second Trump term combined with unchecked MAGA-controlled state legislatures across the country would be catastrophic for our democracy, as well as our fundamental freedoms and rights,” Williams said. “A second Trump term combined with unchecked MAGA-controlled state legislatures across the country would be catastrophic for our democracy, as well as our fundamental freedoms and rights,” Williams said.
