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Blue States Bleeding Red
Townhall.com ^ | April 5, 2015 | Matt Walter

Posted on 04/05/2015 9:13:57 AM PDT by Kaslin

Last week, Republicans expanded their majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives when 26-year-old Martina White won a special election in the 170th district. Expanding a legislative majority in a state that twice voted for Barack Obama is significant on its own, but expanding it because of the support of a unique coalition of Republican and traditionally Democratic-leading voters in a district in Philadelphia, a city where Republicans have not won an open General Assembly seat in 25 years, is extraordinary. The Republican wave did not end in November 2014, and White is just the latest Republican to win in Democratic territory this year.

In late January, a little-known candidate, Andrew Do, won a seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors in Southern California in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans. To do so, he beat a well-known Democrat and former legislator who had previously served in the California Assembly and Senate.

These recent 2015 wins on both coasts continue to build on historic blue state gains made in 2014, when Republicans won control of an all-time Party record of 69 of 99 state legislative chambers. 23 of those chambers, including seven of the nine new majorities won on Election Night 2014, are in blue states that President Obama carried twice.

When it comes to local politics, Republicans continue to show they understand how to win – even in Democratic territory. They do so by staying incredibly mindful of recruiting the right candidates with the right message in every district across the nation.

For better or worse, a campaign lives or dies with the candidate it runs. At the state and local level, Republicans are actively working to identify potential leaders who are ready to run and able to win. At the Republican State Leadership Committee, our Future Majority Project aims to identify, recruit, train and elect strong candidates from all communities who better reflect the full diversity of our nation. Similarly, our Right Women, Right Now initiative aims to recruit and elect more women who better reflect our nation’s electorate where women are 53 percent of the voters.

In 2014, 43 new Future Majority Project candidates and 138 new Right Women, Right Now candidates won their races in states across the country, several cutting into Democratic territory to do so. Many were the deciding factor in winning a Republican majority or ending a Democratic supermajority in their state’s legislative chambers. Janet Nguyen, a former Orange County supervisor whose position now belongs to Andrew Do, won a seat in the California Senate that ended the Democrats’ supermajority. Sarah Maestas Barnes and Conrad James won seats in the New Mexico House of Representatives, leading Republicans to the majority for the first time in 50 years. And Jill Upson won a seat in the West Virginia House of Representatives, which Republicans now control for the first time since 1931.

Each of these candidates won not only because of their personal strengths, but also because they shared the right innovative message. Voters have had six years of top-down, one-size-fits-all governance led by the Obama administration and echoed in Democrat-run states. Republicans understand that the most important government in people’s lives is not the one run out of Washington, but the one closest to home. It’s local and state governments that make the most important decisions for its citizens, from taxes to children’s education and fostering the right environment for businesses to grow.

Our candidates shared an open, pro-growth, bottom-up agenda that will lead businesses to thrive and citizens to succeed. And now in office, they are putting their new message to work. Already with many state legislative sessions still underway, we are seeing Republican-led legislatures prioritizing school choice, lowering taxes and overseeing strong in-state job growth.

As the Republican wave continues its spread into Democratic territory, voters across the nation will have a front row seat to witness the impact that innovative governing has at home. Our state and local candidates will continue to share their message for a better America and build on this progress in blue state territory as we move forward to 2016.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bluestates; california; pennsylvania; republican; women
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1 posted on 04/05/2015 9:13:57 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Yeah. Meanwhile, PA’s new governor is a Dem.


2 posted on 04/05/2015 9:21:01 AM PDT by rbg81
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To: rbg81

We elect boatloads of Republicans and not a damn thing changes.


3 posted on 04/05/2015 9:25:12 AM PDT by Luke21
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To: Kaslin

But George Will tells us that we must nominate a moderate to win a state like Pennsylvania.

Yet in the three conservative landslides of the 80’s. the republicans took the state all three times.

While the moderate republican lost Pennsylvania in ‘76, ‘92, ‘96, ‘00, ‘04, ‘08, and ‘12.


4 posted on 04/05/2015 9:25:20 AM PDT by cotton1706 (ThisRepublic.net)
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To: Kaslin

Congress and legislatures are so passé now.

Democrat governors and presidents will now rule by dictatorial fiat.


5 posted on 04/05/2015 9:26:19 AM PDT by headstamp 2
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To: Kaslin

Has to be GOP women in that picture—no Birkenstocks.


6 posted on 04/05/2015 9:27:08 AM PDT by exit82 ("The Taliban is on the inside of the building" E. Nordstrom 10-10-12)
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To: Kaslin

I hope they wise up.

Article on Martina White: http://www.politicspa.com/hd-170-martina-white-scores-major-labor-endorsements/64091/

A lot of “major labor endorsements”.


7 posted on 04/05/2015 9:27:09 AM PDT by BeadCounter
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To: Kaslin

Those shoes only mean another potential establishment loving hack, and they`re proven back stabbers.


8 posted on 04/05/2015 9:42:13 AM PDT by nomad
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To: rbg81
That Republicans they had was not that great. I hate when Republicans screw up so badly that the voters give a Democrat a try.
9 posted on 04/05/2015 9:43:42 AM PDT by napscoordinator (Walker for President 2016. The only candidate with actual real RESULTS!!!!! The rest...talkers!)
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To: Luke21

Oh things change at the state level. But not at the national level.


10 posted on 04/05/2015 9:44:11 AM PDT by bigdaddy45
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To: Luke21

We elect boatloads of Republicans and not a damn thing changes.

Are you saying in just Pennsylvania because if you are referring to other states that is not true. Many states are becoming pro-life and can hardly get an abortion. Many are trying to keep Obamacare from entering their states and so many other things.


11 posted on 04/05/2015 9:45:09 AM PDT by napscoordinator (Walker for President 2016. The only candidate with actual real RESULTS!!!!! The rest...talkers!)
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To: Kaslin

We elect the Reichstag. That’s good. Unfortunately the Dems elect Hitler and arm him with a torch.


12 posted on 04/05/2015 9:51:34 AM PDT by InterceptPoint (>http://rss.cnn.com/rss/cnn_topstories.rss)
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To: cotton1706

Unfortunately, we are not in the time of Reagan. The country has changed demographically, which was the intent of the RATS all along. Add to that, by completely controlling the education system and mainstream media, the game has been rigged. Oh, yes, add voter fraud to that mix.

Unless something dramatic happens, at this time I do not see how Hillary can be stopped. It is quite frightening.


13 posted on 04/05/2015 10:29:49 AM PDT by doug from upland (Obama and the leftists - destroying our country one day at a time)
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To: Kaslin

Cobbling together special interest groups in the name of “diversity” is a Democrat strategy. It breeds indentured constituencies, each demanding its cut of the pie, contrary toward developing fiscal responsibility.


14 posted on 04/05/2015 10:49:55 AM PDT by Carry_Okie (The tree of liberty needs a rope.)
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To: cotton1706

Yesterday Will had to drag out Barry Goldwater to support his argument that Cruz can’t win. Ridiculous. The country has been dragged so far left since then and the majority don’t like it. We just need to override the media B.S. and get the truth out.


15 posted on 04/05/2015 10:53:37 AM PDT by Aria
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To: Kaslin

At this point, who cares? 90% of Republican office holders are nothing more than spineless, contemptible, traitorous slugs, so who really cares that team R picked up a few more seats. It’s not like they’ll do anything useful with them.


16 posted on 04/05/2015 11:01:28 AM PDT by Yashcheritsiy (It's time to repeal and replace the GOP)
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To: Aria

Will’s piece was thoroughly refuted by Jeffrey Lord’s piece at Conservative Review. Worth reading.


17 posted on 04/05/2015 11:06:13 AM PDT by cotton1706 (ThisRepublic.net)
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To: doug from upland
Unless something dramatic happens, at this time I do not see how Hillary can be stopped. It is quite frightening.

I don't see that happening at all. In fact, I believe it's the left who's leaking all the dirt on Hillary right now. I think her own party is trying to take her out, because she is NOTHING like the husband who's carried her around all these years. She just doesn't have it.
She's a fat old lady that carries a LOT of dirty laundry. The only accomplishment, if that's what you want to call it, is riding around in her husbands briefs.
I just don't see the young people coming out with t-shirts and celebrations to support her either. I just don't see the Reagan democrats racing out the door to be by her side.
The fascist, terrorist left wouldn't support anyone short of Adolph Hitler, and hillary falls just a little tiny bit short of that.

18 posted on 04/05/2015 11:07:43 AM PDT by concerned about politics ("Get thee behind me, Liberal")
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To: Yashcheritsiy
blah, blah blah.

As if your party, whatever third party it is could do better. They can't even get elected

19 posted on 04/05/2015 11:12:27 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Kaslin

Never forget that the MSM changed from the old red-blue system to red for GOP and blue for DEM... because they could NOT allow the Communist Red to be associated with the Communist Dems. It would be too much truth in advertising.


20 posted on 04/05/2015 11:17:19 AM PDT by Teacher317 (We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men)
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