California State Senate
In 2012, California Democrats finally and unexpectedly won their long-awaited legislative supermajorities. Democrats secured two-thirds majorities in both the state Senate and state Assembly, allowing them to raise taxes without Republican votes. It was a huge setback for the state GOP and threatened to doom them to irrelevance.
While the Democrats are assured to keep control of both chambers, each supermajority is in danger. If Republicans can net only a few seats this year, not only will they have the power to obstruct the Democrats agenda, they’ll be able to convince donors and potential candidates that they can still win competitive races. Both parties are working hard to win a small number of Senate and Assembly seats, and no one’s sure what will happen. While Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown’s easy re-election victory should help his party, Democrats have tended to disproportionately stay home in midterm years and poor turnout could hurt them in critical contests.
Voting by mail is convenient, easy, and defeats the best of the GOP’s voter suppression efforts. Sign up here to check eligibility and vote by mail, then get your friends, family, and coworkers to sign up as well.
Follow me below the fold for a look at the races that will likely determine if Democrats keep their supermajorities.
