Republicans control Washington. Progressives are trying to reclaim the rest of America.

Last month, Election Day 2017 saw political pundits keep an almost laser-beam like focus on the race for Virginia governor, declaring the Democratic upset a referendum on President Donald Trump. But an equally important referendum was playing out in local and municipal races across the country, as progressive Democratic candidates swept dozens of races, unseating incumbent candidates.

It wasn’t just liberal enclaves on the East and West Coasts that flipped from red to blue. The most obvious example is the special election for US Senate in Alabama, in which Doug Jones became the first Democratic senator Alabama voters elected in 25 years.

Jones’s 2017 race saw the Democratic Party get involved in a deep red state in a way it hadn’t in decades. But there were many more progressive groups, both local and outside, that were also on the ground, helping turn out voters and propel Jones to his historic win.

The age of Trump has energized Democrats across the country, as progressives focus on winning races in parts of the country that had been deemed out of reach electorally. And while Congressional special elections get the most headlines, progressive groups are also turning their focus to state and local elections.

During the 2017 elections, groups like the Working Families Party, Bernie Sanders’s group Our Revolution, Run for Something, Democracy For America, Mobilize America and Sister District all endorsed or assisted local candidates, offering help like field organizing and fundraising assistance. These groups either complemented or filled in for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the Democratic party’s arm focusing on state legislative races.


https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/12/29/16677002/progressives-america-local-elections