Why the 2019 AG Elections Set the Stage for Big Dem Wins in 2020 (and Beyond)

(photo courtesy of Democratic AG Andy Beshear’s twitter, now Governor-Elect)

The 2019 AG races were always expected to be an uphill battle. In these elections, DAGA fought hard in deeply red states — where Trump’s favorability remains high — to elect candidates who would protect health care, tackle the opioid epidemic, and put families and communities first.

The results in the 2019 elections are not a marker of a GOP resurgence at the AG level. They are a trend that has peaked with these final states that are now solidly red. When we look at the 2020 AG map and beyond, we see a sprint back to a Democratic majority that could hold for years to come.

Here are some of the brightest proof points:

In Kentucky, a state Trump won by nearly 30 points in 2016, Democratic AG Andy Beshear won the Governor’s race. Beshear is the 23rd Democratic AG to move on to Governor’s office.

  • This year, there was unprecedented coordination between DAGA, DGA, and Beshear’s campaign to help current Democratic AG Andy Beshear successfully win his race. That coordination will continue to grow.

In the Kentucky AG race, the top target for the GOP, they had to rely on the full GOP apparatus (including President Trump) and resort to fish stories and fearmongering, while spending millions to win.

  • Greg Stumbo’s campaign continued DAGA’s efforts to compete in every state in the nation, outperforming Hillary Clinton’s 2016 results in every county across the Commonwealth.
  • DAGA deployed its first-of-its-kind SMS voter education program in Kentucky, which contributed to Kentucky’s historic turnout, a 50% increase compared to 2015 elections.

In Mississippi, DAGA supported Jennifer Riley Collins, a historic candidate with the skills and passion to protect the people of Mississippi. Riley Collins faced impossible odds: a special interest-funded opponent who had been elected twice statewide already, a Jim-Crow era constitutional requirement meant to keep black candidates from winning statewide office, and late, or even missing, support from key progressive allies. In spite of all that, Jennifer Riley Collins found a way to connect with people and inspire Mississippians to get out the vote and support her campaign.

  • Riley Collins received more votes than any other statewide Democratic candidate on the ballot except Democratic candidate for Governor Jim Hood, who had held statewide office for 16 years.
  • The enthusiasm generated by Jennifer’s campaign, coupled with DAGA’s comprehensive GOTV efforts, saw more than 850,000 voters turnout in this year’s election — 138,298 more than 2015’s statewide election for Attorney General.
  • Lastly, Jennifer Riley Collins outperformed Hillary Clinton’s 2016 results in a majority of counties across the state.

If Democrats can generate these kinds of results in such deeply red states-where Trump won by massive margins just 3 years ago-then nearly every state and AG race on the map in 2020 is viable.

As AG races grab more attention and more money pours into state races, DAGA will continue to fight tooth and nail to elect Democratic AGs, and we will continue to see big wins.

Over the past four years, when DAGA and RAGA have gone head-to-head at the ballot box in battleground states DAGA has won seven (PA, NC, VA, CO, MI, NV, WI).

(screenshot of Governing Magazine article)

In 2020, we have twelve states on the map and a real chance to flip states blue. In fact, all of the Republican incumbents running in 2020 are part of the GOP-led lawsuit wasting taxpayer dollars to gut health care for millions of Americans, including those with pre-existing conditions. They are on the wrong side of the health care debate, and we know from 2018 that voters are eager to hold them accountable. Democrats are energized around the Presidential election, the 2020 AG map has similarities to the 2018 cycle when we flipped four seats blue, and the GOP bench is full of deeply flawed candidates.

Just three years ago, DAGA was a part-time committee based out of Denver, CO and Democratic AGs flew under-the-radar in the broader policy and political conversations happening at the state and national level. Today, DAGA is a record-breaking, full-time committee that supports and elects Democratic AGs — and Democratic AGs are FRONT AND CENTER when it comes to our party and our current political and policy landscape.

Democratic AGs fight every day for our freedoms, and they are the most effective leaders in the country right now. Post-2019, Democratic AGs still represent a majority of the country and states responsible for the majority of GDP, and they are still the most diverse coalition of statewide elected officials in the country.

The 2019 AG races should sound the alarm for Democrats and progressives to pay attention to down ballot races and get involved. The road to the White House runs right through statewide races like those for state Attorney General. In 2020, everyone must work together to move our country forward and elect Democrats up and down the ticket.

We know that DAGA can deliver big wins, and we are already on track to flip states back to blue in 2020.

Democratic Attorneys General Association

Written by

DAGA elects and supports Democratic Attorneys General. We fight for them, so they can fight for you.

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