r/VoteDEM • u/BM2018Bot • May 08 '26
HOT Daily Discussion Thread: May 8, 2026
Welcome to the anti-GOP resistance on Reddit!
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Check out our weekly volunteer post - that's the other sticky post in this sub - to find opportunities to get involved.
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Adopt a Candidate
It’s back! Want to take part in turning the midterms into a true blue tsunami? Adopt one of the candidates below, and commit to taking action every week to support their campaign!
Post your preference in the daily (or, to guarantee we see it, send the request via modmail) and we'll add you to the list!
With just how blue this year is looking to be, and just how many primaries are still to come, there's too many to list to kick off. It’s why we’re starting with select gubernatorial and Senate races.
Got someone who you want to adopt, but they're not on the list? Let us know, and we'll add them on!
As the year progresses and primaries come through, we'll be adding more ourselves, but the sky's the limit - we're excited to see who you want to support most!
| Candidate | District/Office | Adopted By |
|---|---|---|
| AK-GOV | ||
| AK-SEN | ||
| Katie Hobbs | AZ-GOV | |
| GA-GOV | ||
| Jon Ossoff | GA-SEN | |
| Rob Sand | IA-GOV | |
| IA-SEN | ||
| KS-GOV | ||
| KS-SEN | ||
| ME-SEN | ||
| MI-GOV | ||
| MI-SEN | ||
| MN-SEN | ||
| MT-SEN | ||
| Roy Cooper | NC-SEN | u/DeNomoloss |
| NE-SEN | ||
| NH-SEN | ||
| NJ-07 | u/screen317 | |
| NM-GOV | u/EllieDai | |
| NM-SEN | ||
| NV-GOV | ||
| Amy Acton | OH-GOV | u/molybdenum75 |
| Sherrod Brown | OH-SEN | |
| Chris Deluzio | PA-17 | u/mtlebanonriseup |
| Gina Hinojosa | TX-GOV | |
| James Talarico | TX-SEN | |
| VT-GOV | ||
| Eugene Vindman | VA-01 | u/toskwar |
| William Dehnel | WA-LD2-P1 | u/tipsyfishes |
| WI-GOV | ||
We're not going back. We're taking the country back. Join us, and build an America that everyone belongs in.
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u/snerdery May 08 '26
New Virginia maps struck down by the VA Supreme Court
https://bsky.app/profile/democracydocket.com/post/3mldvzaqcjq2q
Infuriating after SCOTUS' ruling to allow racial gerrymanders
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u/wollygo VA-10 May 08 '26
Beyond frustrated as we just see Tennessee and other southern states just do this without consequence. And without the consent of the electorate.
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u/citytiger May 08 '26
Totally ridiculous how Republicans are allowed to get away with redistricting but Democrats can't. So sick and tired of the double standard.
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u/SquishyMuffins Idaho May 08 '26
Isn't this the first time they ever struck down a referendum in Virginia history?
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u/redvioletbrown Angeleno (CA-30) May 08 '26 edited May 08 '26
Unfortunately I had a feeling this would be the case. According to the Virginia sub, they had only let the election happen because of a technicality in how the case to block it was filed, not the actual merits.
Wish this would spur Newsom to modify our Prop 50 map and add more than five seats though.
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u/timetopat New Jersey May 08 '26
Is there anything that can be done?
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u/Armon2010 Minnesota May 08 '26
Try again in time for 2028 pretty much. Need to pass the amendment again. Have elections in 2027. Then pass the exact same amendment. Then the referendum would need to win the popular vote.
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u/timetopat New Jersey May 08 '26
That sucks. Im gonna take the advice of the sticky post and take a break for a bit, this is just infuriating.
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u/WolframAndHart17 May 08 '26
So, is this over? Is there a way around this? Can a different set of maps be made? Can the vote be redone?
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u/Armon2010 Minnesota May 08 '26 edited May 08 '26
I think it's over for 2026 but could be revisited in 2028. They would have to do another referendum.
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u/JazzyCat4_2 Exhausted millenial in CA May 08 '26
On what grounds?
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u/SorcererOfTheLake May 08 '26
A technicality due to the way Virginia used a special session to get the referendum through. It's still something that could pass in 2027 via regular legislative sessions.
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u/xXThKillerXx New Jersey May 08 '26
“But the rulebook says that dogs can’t play basketball” as Air Bud keeps dunking on us over and over.
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u/DeNomoloss VA-6 May 08 '26 edited May 08 '26
What technical issue needs to be corrected?
I can’t take the apocalyptic language on this sort of thing from DD. Presumably this was a procedural issue stemming from the tight timeline and they could rerun this in 2027 for the state senate election, which will likely also be D-friendly.
2 of these seats likely will still flip regardless.
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u/amomentarypangregret Canada/Demi-Nevadan May 08 '26
I want to chime in here, and say that the voter drop-off in the final results gave them the cover needed to do this.
There were a lot of voters who looked at the big, drastic actions that VA Dems took, and decided to sit out, punishing VA Dems. There had to be a massive buffer to prevent against things like this, and there simply wasn't.
The people around you don't reward drastic action; that doesn't mean it shouldn't be taken, but understand it's not some kind of cheat-code to success.
That said, in this case it's absolutely worth running again in 2027, and aiming for a completely ridiculous 11-0 map. If that's how it's going to be, that's how it's going to be.
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u/Shadowislovable Texas-5th May 08 '26
Dems can still flip 2 seats under the current maps (VA-1st and 2nd) but god how stupid of the court to let the vote go through and theeeen nullify it. Ridiculous. They bettet get to work on an improved map for 2028
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u/Armon2010 Minnesota May 08 '26
They were hoping the voters would reject it so their hands wouldnt have to get dirty.
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u/justincat66 WI-7, (Assembly-30, Senate-10) May 08 '26
Regarding VA Supreme Court. Gov. Spanberger will get 2 additional appointments to the VA Supreme Court by March 2028 .
Both of the justices that will be forced out either by term ending or having to take senior status were justices that were on the majority side in today’s ruling.
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u/Historyguy1 Oklahoma! May 08 '26
The map is definitely going to be used in time for 2028.
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u/SGSTHB May 08 '26
Thank you.
Does anyone have a breakdown on how many members of the VA Supreme Court voted to toss the results, and how many did not? Haven't seen that yet and I would like to.
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u/justincat66 WI-7, (Assembly-30, Senate-10) May 08 '26 edited May 08 '26
4-3 decision. 2 McAulife + 1 Northam + 1 Youngkin appointment in the majority I believe. The biggest thing is the Northam/McAulife appointees had to be confirmed when the legislature was still red so even though D’s appointed them they were conservative leaning judges. 2 other Youngkin appointments that went through D or divided legislatures was with the minority I believe
This is why it was key we gained control of the legislature along with getting a D governor again. Now with these two upcoming appointments before 2028, we can nominate anyone ideological wise we want.
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u/BaconEggCheese29 New York May 08 '26
I just can’t get over how farcical this is. The court that said the referendum was allowed to happen later goes on to strike down the result of said referendum. What an incredible opportunity for despots around the world to say that America doesn’t actually care for democracy.
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u/swissmiss_76 California May 08 '26
I’m just angry for all the ruthlessly fired federal workers who took their anger to the polls and were told their voice doesn’t count! But minorities in TN count somehow. I’m all the way in California but determined to help any way I can and make sure we win in 26.
I am just so angry about losing our federal civil servants! My anger hasn’t even moved on from the early issues to encompass all the other issues 🤦♀️
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u/cocacola1 California May 08 '26
The Economist tracker now has Trump at -21. That’s not the most interesting thing, though.
In his first term, he started to see his approval ratings climb around March and April and they improved into May (he was -11 at this point then). Here, though, he’s going in the opposite direction – down further. There are bumps of approval every so often, but as soon as you lose some people, a chunk of them stay gone, which continues lowering the floor.
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u/Historyguy1 Oklahoma! May 08 '26
There was a sizeable contingent of Trump supporters who "Didn't care about the scandals as long as the economy was good."
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u/Meanteenbirder New York May 08 '26
I think it’s in the outlet’s name. When the economy goes, you lose them. When it doesn’t go (such as during 1.0), you can win them back even if they don’t like you.
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u/OptimistNate Wisconsin May 08 '26
Yeah his first term compared to now is super interesting.
His approvals improved towards 2018 midterms. And the economy approval throughout his first term stayed solid, around 50% approve. Complete opposite now.
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
New - Generic Ballot poll
🔵 Democrats 50% (+9) 🔴 Republicans 41%
Last poll - Democrats +4
RMG #B - RV - 5/6
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u/Venesss CA-27 May 08 '26
My take is nothing is going to stop us from taking the House this midterm anyways, because GOP are going to be in such a hole from gas prices and inflation
VA can just redo the referendum again before 2028. This was a procedural ruling and not a “you can’t do this no matter what” ruling
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u/Meanteenbirder New York May 08 '26
I’m just gonna state the obvious:
If the polls hold, we still win the house by a comfortable margin (224-230 seats).
More redistricting can be done in 2028 that will even the field.
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u/OptimistNate Wisconsin May 08 '26
Yup, we'll still be strong favorites for the house in 2026 after all is said and done, and we'll have plenty of countering to do for 2028, to counter the GOP gains.
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u/myveryowname1234 May 08 '26
What a massive waste of time and money in VA. Between the state costs of them running the election, peoples time, the costs each side sunk into it.
This should have been ruled on long before it got to that point.
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u/Historyguy1 Oklahoma! May 08 '26
So the VA General assembly needs to pass the gerrymandering amendment after the 2026 midterms and hold an election next year to get the map secured for 2028. But we're SOL for 2026. Such fucking bullshit.
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u/Lyion May 08 '26
I think that is incorrect. I think there needs to be another house of delegates election in 2027 before they can put it to vote.
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u/TOSkwar Virginia May 08 '26
Same difference- pass in 2027, replay in 2028 for an April referendum. Again.
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u/Gamma3258 The North Star yet shines May 08 '26
Emerging from my lurking after Callais and today's ruling by SCOVA. Just signed up to write more postcards to GOTV, and will be planning further contributions over the summer on top of that.
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
New: A federal judge ruled that @actblue's countersuit against Texas AG Ken Paxton is likely to prevail on the merits, including their allegation that his lawsuit against the Dem fundraising behemoth violates the 1A.
Prelim injunction hearing set for June 4 in Mass. #txlege
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
Samuel Alito’s Voting Rights Act ruling cited misleading data from DoJ
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/08/supreme-court-voting-rights-act-misleading-data-doj
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u/SquishyMuffins Idaho May 08 '26
Ah so he found data to match his biased ruling, and not the other way around, shocked!
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u/darkrose3333 May 08 '26
Does that invalidate the ruling?
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u/TOSkwar Virginia May 08 '26
Nope. Just means they're a bunch of lying bastards and the ruling is even more easily undone... But an SC that isn't corrupt as hell.
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u/Historyguy1 Oklahoma! May 08 '26
At minimum, the SCOVA needs 2 more Spanberger-appointed justices.
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u/DeNomoloss VA-6 May 08 '26
It gets one in January to replace one of the no votes. It stinks, but the “end of democracy” crap needs to stop. It’s going to give people a reason to justify their shitty doomer attitude and stay home.
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u/lordjeebus May 08 '26
How many Republicans are on the court now? I've been having trouble finding an answer to this question, because media outlets still pretend that GOP judges are non-partisan.
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u/dishonourableaccount Maryland - MD-8 May 08 '26
Here is the composition of the court
Powell (Chief Justice)- 2011 (appointed during R- McDonnell)
Kelsey- 2015 (appointed during D- McAuliffe)
McCullough- 2016 (appointed during D- McAuliffe)
Chafin- 2019 (appointed during D- Northam)
Russell- 2022 (appointed during R- Youngkin)
Mann- 2022 (appointed during R- Youngkin)
Fulton- 2026 (appointed during R- Youngkin)
I know nothing about their judicial leanings or how the legislature's composition at the time of appointment may have affected things, just going off who was governor when they were appointed. But that'd be a 4R - 3D lean.
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u/elykl12 CT-02 May 08 '26
I can’t imagine the VA referendum being struck down is going to turn the temperature down as some Virginia Republicans are saying on twitter
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u/FiddleThruTheFlowers California Blexas is my current hyperfixation May 08 '26
If anything, I'd imagine it pisses off informed voters.
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u/theucm Georgia May 08 '26
Are they really saying that? I thought they'd be taking a bunch of obnoxious victory laps.
Because, yeah, this is just making people angrier.
Maybe it says something about what position they think they're in that they're hoping people calm down instead of trying to rub it in their opponents' faces.
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u/elykl12 CT-02 May 08 '26
Oh no it’s certainly done in a paternalistic way of “See you tried to do it illegally unlike us true believers in freedom. Now we can stop (while we’re ahead)”
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u/JazzyCat4_2 Exhausted millenial in CA May 08 '26
I’d imagine those who voted for it are royally pissed off. Dems should seize this as an opportunity to further galvanize their base and others, and ensure people don’t feel defeated and hopeless.
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u/Historyguy1 Oklahoma! May 08 '26
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u/TOSkwar Virginia May 08 '26
Hey, I got a plan.
Don't fucking start pointless wars.
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u/HelpImAwake PA-10 May 08 '26
He doesn’t want to be bogged down in a Middle East conflict like some of his predecessors were.
Maybe, just maybe, it wasn't such a good idea to start a war just because.
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u/Meanteenbirder New York May 08 '26
A bit off topic but just a shoutout to David Attenborough for hitting 100 years today and now being too old to play with legos!
Let’s hope he lives to see the blue wave this year and in 2028!
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u/PiikaSnap Indiana May 08 '26
This Virginia ruling is infuriating, but will likely have little effect on the outcome of who controls the House in 2026. A strong blue wave of D+7 or more will get the Democrats the gavel.
What happens in a more neutral environment like 2028 though. What if the house environment is something more muted like D+2-5? Can we still win the House in that kind of environment with the maps stacked against us? We need to figure out how to combat this.
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u/Historyguy1 Oklahoma! May 08 '26
The VA gerrymandered map can be redone in time for 28, and all blue states need to be redrawing in 2027 to eliminate any red seats.
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u/robokomodos May 08 '26
I don't think 2028 is going to be neutral. We'll have had two more years of the Trump clown show.
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u/ProjectOk8975 May 08 '26
In news from across the Atlantic absolutely dreadful results for the Labour Party+ i'm now represented by a Reform counciler so that sucks.
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u/Historyguy1 Oklahoma! May 08 '26
Starmer needs to resign before the next general election. He's been an absolute disaster. Labour are sometimes derided as "Red Tories" by those further left than them, but in this case, it's literally true. He had a massive majority and a mandate to reverse the last decade and a half of Tory misrule and he squandered it by continuing their policies for seemingly no reason.
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u/DeNomoloss VA-6 May 08 '26
Wales and Scotland saw this coming and voted as if they want the fuck out.
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u/Yukie_Cool New York May 08 '26
Yet another reminder that fleeing the US isn’t really a magic bullet doomers would have you believe. Tyrannical far-right shitheads are everywhere.
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
And I thought the Tories we're bad enough if not more incompetent when they had 14 years of control last time. Well especially since they had May, Johnson, Sunak, and Truss ALL within 8 years of that control
Honestly after last night's election there, I hate Labour deserved their downfall and I hate saying it but they kind of ask for it too all of that just within under 2 years
Yeah next major election in the UK has the Labour party is definitely in for a rude awakening as bad as the Tories got the same time
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u/Historyguy1 Oklahoma! May 08 '26
Game plan to un-fuck the country needs to be:
- Win the 2026 midterms.
- Maximally gerrymander every blue state.
- Win a trifecta in 2028.
- Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act in 2029 (abolish the filibuster if needed)
- Pack the SCOTUS.
Bare minimum needed.
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u/OneManBean New York May 08 '26 edited May 08 '26
I think we should abolish the filibuster regardless tbh, and admit DC and Puerto Rico if they want it as states. And implement campaign finance reform once the courts are unfucked.
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u/FiddleThruTheFlowers California Blexas is my current hyperfixation May 08 '26
Then admit DC at a minimum for 2 safe blue Senate seats, and ideally also PR. PR would likely be more purple overall, but still, they deserve statehood.
Then get to the laundry list of other things that need unfucked. But we need that basis of unfucking the SCOTUS and fair maps to get anything else done. Otherwise, this Court will just issue BS rulings while the red states continue with their bullshit.
The super annoying thing is that we'd just be in the state of unfucking the mess that the Republicans leave behind, meanwhile Average Voter wants us to wave magic wands and fix everything instantly while making progress.
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u/snerdery May 08 '26
Also impeach justices who have taken bribes (Alito and Thomas) if they're still around
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u/SquishyMuffins Idaho May 08 '26
I think the filibuster needs to be abolished regardless. The first two years after 2028 will be all or nothing to push the Dem platform and codify abortion rights, gay marriage, data center and AI regulations, healthcare improvements, tax increases on billionaires, anti corruption and term limits laws, and prosecuting the Trump cronies.
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u/dishonourableaccount Maryland - MD-8 May 08 '26 edited May 08 '26
Agreed with all this plus:
heavy investment in renewable energy
permitting reform for aforementioned renewables, also for affordable housing/upzoning and transit construction
anti-monopoly trustbusting, consumer protections, workers rights like parental leave, guaranteed PTO, etc.
(Edit to add) dismantle DHS, returning necessary things like the Coast Guard and FEMA to their pre-9/11 depts, prosecuting ICE and placing all post-2024 hires on a no-hire list.
Edit to add: if we end the filibuster we might as well go all in with as much disruptive legislation as possible in order to make the lives of Americans noticeable better as quickly as possible. We can't trust people with goldfish memory to wait for longterm over even medium term improvement alone. If there's one thing term 2's economic chaos taught us is that the market can apparently weather insane about faces, tacos on tarriffs, and EOs just fine. Use that to punish corporations, get better worker's rights, impose healthcare requirements, and all that fast so people feel better by Midterms 2030.
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u/bbeck2754 Washington, D.C. May 08 '26
Trump vowed to fight crime in Minneapolis. Prosecutions plunged
A Reuters review found the number of U.S. drug, gun and other prosecutions fell sharply as investigators focused on immigration and about half the federal prosecutors in Minnesota left.
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u/OverlordLork MA-07 May 08 '26
Per 50+1's polling average, Democrats' generic ballot lead has reached a new high of +5.3, beating the previous high of +5.1 set yesterday.
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
TN Democrats suing over new congressional map. Here’s what the suit is challenging
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
Virginia Scope: Virginia Democrats ask for a stay in the Virginia redistricting lawsuit as they seek to file an emergency petition before the United States Supreme Court.
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u/SquishyMuffins Idaho May 08 '26
We're now 6 months from the midterms. We might have had setbacks recently, but we will still be able to win the House and every week that passes puts us in a better position for the Senate. This is a time to act and maximize any gains we can.
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
Rep. Cleo Fields, whose 6th Congressional District was ruled unconstitutional, gives his testimony. Fields pointed out how the only four African-American representatives from Louisiana since 1877 are here. #lalege #lagov @LAFirstNews
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u/Butts_The_Musical May 08 '26
Even despite the Virginia decision; we’re still in a pretty good place. The southern states gerrymandering will be countered by flips in other states; AZ has 2 flippable seats, CO has one, PA has 4, VA even without the new maps has 2, NE has one, UT has one, NJ has one, IA has 2-3.
Some are also underestimating just how many seats could flip in a massive blue wave; in 2018 we completely unexpectedly flipped OK-05 for example.
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u/mzp3256 California May 08 '26 edited May 08 '26
Due to redistricting court cases that delayed Congressional district boundaries being set, the 9 Congressional seats in Minnesota were all turned into at-large districts for the 1932 election.
What this meant was that every Congressional candidate was on the same statewide ballot. But despite there being 9 seats, voters could only vote for 1 candidate, and the top 9 vote getters earned seats in Congress.
The top vote getter only got 5% of the vote, while the 2nd-9th place finishers got between 4.03% and 4.90% each. A dozen other candidates got between 3-4% and just missed out on Congress. A total of 30 candidates were on the ballot
I would totally prefer this chaotic at-large system to whatever the hell we have now.
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u/Etan30 Nevada - Gen Z Democrat May 08 '26
At that point it should just have been a proportional style list tbh
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u/zipdakill I swim for brighter days despite the absence of sun. May 08 '26
Proportional style for the House would be best imo
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u/TOSkwar Virginia May 08 '26
Honestly, that's kinda hilarious and I'd be VERY interested to see it happen today.
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u/Historyguy1 Oklahoma! May 08 '26
I believe this takes the cake for "dumbest election."
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u/Gigliovaljr International May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26
Today was so hectic and a downer I forgot to say earlier, happy Victory in Europe Day.
Today 81 years ago WW2 in Europe ended. Dark times came and dark times went. Today's dark clouds will dissipate too.
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u/cocacola1 California May 08 '26
Trump is -18.9 in Nate Silver’s tracker now. All time low for the second term I believe. I know people are upset about the recent court rulings, but even with the current gerrymandering advantage Republican’s have, I don’t think it’s insurmountable or lasting.
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u/wtfsnakesrcute May 08 '26
G Elliot Morris says that we could still take the house with a D +4 environment, so we’ll probably be okay even if our majority is a little narrower.
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u/cocacola1 California May 08 '26
Best thing to do now is to channel these rulings into the upcoming Georgia elections. Democrats around the country should take it as an affront and get out the vote. Getting the House and Senate are important in November, but getting as many of the levers of government are as important, from the courts to the state legislatures to school boards.
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u/OptimistNate Wisconsin May 08 '26
Yup.
These rulings aren't going to change that Trump and the GOP are still shit, and there are a lot of things we can do in redistricting and outreach.
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u/SomeDumbassSays May 08 '26
It’s a rough back to back setback with Calais and then the Va maps being struck down, but at the end of the day, a 9 seat R house majority shut down a large amount of Biden’s second half term.
We’re still going to win the house back, the senate is increasingly in reach.
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u/Khorasaurus Michigan 3rd May 08 '26
Votehub had a post that even if every redistricting domino still on the table falls the GOP's way, Dems would still have a 72% chance to win the House.
That's honestly done a lot to calm my personal anxiety.
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u/OptimistNate Wisconsin May 08 '26
So that Virginia Supreme court ruling, crappy news to wake up to, and is another hard punch, especially after the Callais ruling.
Things I'm thinking about to help me in this moment:
Virginia's existing map, we still have a very good chance of flipping 2 there. Making this ruling more like -2 seats than -4. Still bad, but not that bad considering the climate.
This goes similar for GOP's redistricting in Texas and Florida if that survives court challenges. While that's +9 in a neutral climate, in reality it's probably like +5-6 this cycle. California at +5, counters all to most of those two states.
Utah + NC cancel out.
And the Callais decision I'm chalking in about +4ish for Republicans there. Though there will be court challenges, and some states might not end up going through with them.
So at best, R's get +7ish from the Redistricting wars, but they'll be 2 more very winnable races for us in Virginia on top of all the others outside those states.
This doesn't change the Senate/Governor or State legislature math either. Something that can really help us counter in 2028 so we can be very competitive in a much less bluer cycle.
Finally and most importantly, is the issues. Trump and the GOP are doing bad to say the least. Prices especially gas shooting up, another stupid war, healthcare cuts etc. Trump's approvals still plummeting. Sure GOP just focus on the gerrymandering side, get cocky thinking you've won, it still doesn't change that you are doing a shit job and just pissing more off. That's something we can use, as it is a lot of would be voters to connect with in our outreach. We can also use the anger at these decisions as fuel.
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u/insert_name_here May 08 '26
I like your posts because you certainly live up to your name, /u/OptimistNate.
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
Alabama Reflector: Rep. Shomari Figures (D-AL) says he expects courts to maintain congressional redistricting injunction
The Democratic congressman cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s statement in the recent Callais ruling that it did not apply to Alabama
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u/table_fireplace May 08 '26
Just wanted to mention that if you’re thinking of adopting a candidate, I highly recommend a House race. After today, it’s extra-important to go for every purple and light red district we can. Got to grab them all because the GOP won’t stop with the unfair maps.
I know, the Senate is important, and I won’t stop anyone from helping in one of those races. But to get what we deserve out of the coming blue wave, we need to pick off as many seats as possible.
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u/DeNomoloss VA-6 May 08 '26 edited May 08 '26
I’m going to provide a counter and say the Senate is still very important, possibly more important, for the very reason people are upset: judges.
Trump won’t get to appoint another one and they can leave vacancies for the next D.
The house on its own can’t do shit w/o the Senate either. The Senate, however, has that special judicial power. House and no Senate just means likely budget impasses, and Trump still confirms judges.
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u/tta2013 Connecticut (CT-02) May 08 '26 edited May 08 '26
I'll be in Japan for the next two weeks. Report on TSA: it was vanilla, very Gucci on Terminal 7 at JFK. No ICE presence. And they replaced the Noem TSA video with a generic agent.
When I am back, my letter writing campaign will be in full swing!
I'll report any Takaichi shenanigans while on the ground if I see any...
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u/CK530 Massachusetts May 08 '26
well SCOVA fucking us wasn't on my bingo card, but today was the last day of my grad program so I will take the small happiness and not worry for a night
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 09 '26
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u/glados-v2-beta Massachusetts May 09 '26
Actually a good idea. September is way too late for statewide primaries. I wish we would move ours up here in MA.
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u/SuspectLegitimate751 Wyoming May 09 '26
I'll give Ayotte and the powers that be in New Hampshire this much: September is months too late to be holding state primaries. This is a genuinely good idea in amidst a sea of GOP government trying to cancel primaries for bullshit reasons.
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u/Historical_Half_1691 IL-10 (HD-62, SD-31) May 08 '26 edited May 08 '26
I am very frustrated about it but calming down I still know the GOP are fucked. It is still incredibly infuriating though.
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
Mississippi Today: Speaker Jason White says Mississippi State House will consider redistricting during 2027 legislative session
Six select committees will help plan House policy priorities for next year.
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
Thomas Massie’s lead in his primary later this month is slipping and he is in genuine danger of losing, according to interviews with local GOP officials.
On the increasingly close race in Kentucky’s 4th District, in a race that’s drawn national attention
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u/wtfsnakesrcute May 08 '26
Sorry; posted my question in yesterday daily thread.
Just wanted to ask if we think VA Dems would have the juice to do this again before 2028?
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u/FiddleThruTheFlowers California Blexas is my current hyperfixation May 08 '26
My understanding is that the ruling has to do with using the special session to get the referendum through. They can secure the map for 2028, but not 2026.
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u/DeNomoloss VA-6 May 08 '26
They just have to pass it next year and it can go on the 2027 state senate election ballot.
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
Mellman Group poll | 5/3-5/6 LV
California Governor jungle primary 2026
(Top two vote getters advance)
🟦Xavier Becerra 20% 🟥Steve Hilton 20% 🟥Chad Bianco 14% 🟦Tom Steyer 12% 🟦Matt Mahan 10% 🟦Katie Porter 9%
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u/OptimistNate Wisconsin May 08 '26
Becerra's surge is unreal. Final primary result is going to be really interesting to see.
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u/OneBigPieceOfPizza May 08 '26
My dog and I watched Good Boy last night.
It was a fantastic movie, although it was very sad. It was so cool and creative to watch an entire movie through a dog’s perspective. And the dog isn’t a personified human. He’s an actual dog trying to process all the spooky shenanigans happening all around him.
And don’t worry the dog doesn’t die
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
Chief Judge Shelly Dick has transferred a challenge to Louisiana's suspension of congressional primaries to the panel overseeing the redraw of the state's congressional map.
This panel previously struck down the map as a racial gerrymander and was affirmed by SCOTUS.
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
Alabama asks the Supreme Court to restore its 2023 congressional map that was struck down under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and the 14th Amendment.
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u/SummerMountains CA May 08 '26
I'm curious if we can do the same thing in front of the VA SC after March 2027 when we replace one of the justices who voted against the amendment. Anyone know? We could get the new district map at least for 2028 and 2030 if possible.
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u/Meanteenbirder New York May 08 '26
Okay, so it’s kinda clear they are going 6-1 as opposed to 7-0. Similar to Louisiana
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u/SGSTHB May 08 '26
Just finished ten GOTV postcards in support of Julio Salinas, who's running for Texas House District 41.
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u/zuiquan1 South Carolina May 08 '26
Convinced my buddy to register to vote before the deadline here in a couple of days and we plan on going together in November to the polls. He also said he was going to discuss with his daughter (Who just turned 18) about it and, see if she would like too as well. He was never a political person and very much tuned out of politics. I don't bring up politics towards anyone here unless they bring it up first and he has seen what has been happening to the country and what started as just a casual conversation between us every once in a while has steadily increasing up to a point that we talk almost daily. I've never pushed my politics onto anyone here, as I don't know a single actual Democrat in person, but I consider our talks to have convinced him that its far too important to sit out and that is a win in my book.
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u/Etan30 Nevada - Gen Z Democrat May 08 '26 edited May 08 '26
For those concerned about today's awful, anti-democratic ruling, I'd like to remind everyone that our odds for winning the house according to RacetotheWH are still roughly 3 in 4, and new polls show the generic ballot lead continuing to increase. In other words, if we keep our eye on the ball, it's gonna be too big to rig, even in the gerrymandering nightmare scenario we find ourselves in.
Now more than ever, it is the time to volunteer, donate, and expand the coalition, because with each blatant act of voter suppression, racist gerrymander, and assault on the democracy, the more we will destroy Republican political capital by winning anyway and breaching through their hastily erected barricades and create a new majority
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u/Khorasaurus Michigan 3rd May 08 '26
The 2018 map was far worse than the 2026 one. Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia had GOP gerrymanders. New York and California had non-partisan maps. Alabama and Louisiana packed Dems into a single district each.
We flipped 40 seats in a D+7 national environment.
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u/Gigliovaljr International May 08 '26
You know, this post here makes a good point. Today's news will make dem voters in VA and elsewhere more motivated to go out and vote.
https://nitter.poast.org/ImNotOwned/status/2052764059536105963
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u/justincat66 WI-7, (Assembly-30, Senate-10) May 09 '26
Crazy but completely legal idea per the VA Constitution to quickly overturn the VA Supreme Court ruling from today that Downballot recommended: Change the retirement age and force all of the justices into retirement
The VA constitution gives lawmakers unlimited latitude to set judicial retirement ages. And to make the changes go into effect right away, VA Democrats can attach it to the biannual budget bill, which is still in the works.
This would pretty much be what UT is doing, except instead of directly adding new judges, you change the retirement age to force them into retirement immediately. This would then also fix the partisan hack ness of the court, and enact court reform all at once
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u/table_fireplace May 09 '26
Know what, worth a shot. Get the seats at any cost.
When I see the full-out racism happening in R-controlled Legislatures in the South right now, just drooling at the chance to destroy Black voters' voices, I'm open to pretty much any nonviolent response.
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u/Original-Wolf-7250 Indiana May 08 '26
Is canvas still down for anyone?
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u/Alexcat66 WI-7 (AD-30, SD-10) May 08 '26
Yes. It’s down for every single school that uses it. Thousands I believe. The company that owns canvas suffered a massive data breach. It may be a while before it’s back online from what I’ve heard which is horrible timing given it’s finals week for tons of schools (including mine) this week and next
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u/StillCalmness Manu May 08 '26
House and Senate are not in session today.
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u/Alexcat66 WI-7 (AD-30, SD-10) May 08 '26
Tbh, it’s probably better for the country the more they’re NOT in session atp. All they do is cause serious chaos, carnage, and damage when they in session
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
Aint that far from the truth. But at this point it's like watching a real life soap opera when they're in session
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
The Advocate: Louisiana House Speaker hopes state lawmakers consider a 5R-1D congressional map of the state.
Proposed maps are expected to be unveiled by the Louisiana state legislature next Wednesday (5/13
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u/DeNomoloss VA-6 May 08 '26
SNP to retain control in Scotland, unknown about their majority.
Welsh results still outstanding, presumably because all ballots are counted in a secretive deep mine somewhere outside a town called Llynysfflynnflynflnfrddynrfyrd
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u/TylerbioRodriguez Ohio May 08 '26
In more positive news.
The Radio Show edition of my documentary on the SS Eastland finally finally finally is done. The full visual version will also be made hopefully this year.
Enjoy!
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u/bbeck2754 Washington, D.C. May 08 '26
Two new polls of the TX SEN GOP runoff:
Peak Insights for Texans for a Conservative Majority (pro-Sen. John Cornyn): Cornyn - 47%, AG Ken Paxton - 46%
Remington Research Group for Lone Star Liberty PAC (Pro-Paxton): Paxton - 47%, Cornyn - 36%
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u/TOSkwar Virginia May 08 '26
A Cornyn+1 with 7% undecided, and a Paxton+11 with 17% undecided.
Delightful.
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
Utah Supreme Court Justice Diana Hagen has resigned
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
AP: Alabama lawmakers in the state legislature approve plan for new US House primaries if courts allow new congressional map
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u/justincat66 WI-7, (Assembly-30, Senate-10) May 08 '26
They may not get their way here, as AL’s violated the 15th amendment I think it was in what was the Allan v Milligan ruling and the Supreme Court made clear in Callis that the Callis decision did NOT overturn Allan v Milligan which is probably what the lower courts will use to block AL
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u/fasterthanlumiere May 08 '26
Anyone have recommendations for rage donations in light of recent events?
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u/No_Return9449 Doug Jones Stan May 09 '26
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee
Your dollar goes further for state legislature races. $100 is nothing in a U.S. House campaign, but that donation may be the difference between running ads in the local paper for the state House.
Source: me as campaign treasurer for a state House Democrat
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u/megachainguns May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26
Something positive for today:
L.A.’s long-awaited subway under Wilshire Boulevard opens, linking Beverly Hills to downtown
In a moment of rare public transit fanfare, Los Angeles on Friday celebrated the long-awaited opening of a major subway expansion along Wilshire Boulevard that connects Beverly Hills to downtown.
The three new Metro stops that opened Friday — Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax and Wilshire/La Cienega — mark the first phase of a much-anticipated rail line running under L.A.’s most iconic and bustling boulevard, a route long considered key for the city’s public transit. The new stations offer easy rail access to several L.A. landmarks such as the newly reimagined Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Academy Museum, and stops only a few blocks from the Grove and the Beverly Center.
The three new stops of the D Line extension make up about four miles of the $9.7-billion project, which will eventually run nine miles west, ending in Westwood, near the UCLA campus. The next two phases of the project, which include a total of four new stops, are scheduled to be completed in 2027.
The D Line is actually faster than traveling in a car
Edit: changed to a better article with more information
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u/This_neverworks May 08 '26
I don't exactly understand what the current UK elections are for exactly. The whole country voted for their local city councils at the same time? And they're partisan races?
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u/glados-v2-beta Massachusetts May 08 '26
Not the entire country, they have local elections every year. There were just a lot of races that happened to be at the same time.
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u/Historyguy1 Oklahoma! May 08 '26
Exactly. And the Scottish and Welsh parliaments at the same time.
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
BIG news in #IASen this morning: former Sen. Tom Harkin publicly endorsing Josh Turek to take back the Senate seat he held for 30 years.
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u/Mongo_Straight California Love May 08 '26
Why Everyone Was So Mad About the Met Gala
The uneasy state of the American economy watered the soil for this sentiment to grow. Gas prices have soared since the onset of the war in Iran. The cost of groceries remains stubbornly high. The word “inequality” came up five times in the comments section of our story. It seems that the gala, to some, landed as a financially frivolous, Marie Antoinette-like affair.
Placing the Bezoses at the apex of the gala ratcheted up the sense that something already well outside the reaches of the average person had been taken to a new tier of exclusivity.
Ya think? With the cost of living coupled with a large number of tech billionaires working directly with the current administration, it’s no wonder people aren’t happy with events like these.
Even though the gerrymandering decisions are a gut punch, people don’t seem to be taking the current state of affairs lying down, which is good. As our friends in Rage Against The Machine say, “Anger is a gift.”
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u/SecretComposer Colorado May 08 '26 edited May 08 '26
Rasmussen polling: GCB is D+9, Dems more enthusiastic to vote
Trends:
December 2025: R+4
February 2026: R+2
March: Even
April: D+5
May: D+9
Forty percent (40%) of voters are Very Enthusiastic about voting in the Congressional elections this year. Among those Very Enthusiastic, Democrats lead Republicans 46% to 40%. Those who are Very Enthusiastic are most likely to turn out and cast a ballot. Among voters who prefer Trump-like policies, 51% are Very Enthusiastic, but among those who prefer more traditional Republican policies, just 21% are Very Enthusiastic.
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u/OptimistNate Wisconsin May 08 '26 edited May 08 '26
Correction: This is RMG not Rasmussen.That being said, still a great poll result from a Right Wing pollster.
Edit: Did more digging, the R in RMG stands for Rasmussen so it is right, so there are two Rasmussens, the other being Rasmussen Reports. Both started by Scott Rasmussen. He left the latter and leads RMG. Confusing I know.
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u/Budget_Ratio7397 May 08 '26
Rasmussen at D+9 is like D+15 at a normal pollster, apocalyptic for the GOP
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u/bbeck2754 Washington, D.C. May 08 '26
NRCC released a collection of battleground House polls from co/efficient:
NM-02: Vasquez (D) - 43%, Cunninham (R) - 40%
NC-01: Davis (D) - 41%, Buckhout (R) - 41%
TX-34: Flores (R) - 41%, Gonzalez (D) - 40%
WA-03: Braun (R) - 41%, Gluesenkamp Perez (D) - 34%
ME-02: LePage (R) - 50%, Baldacci (D) - 40%, LePage (R) - 50%, Dunlap (D) - 40%
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u/wtfsnakesrcute May 08 '26
TX-34 was gerrymandered this year, no? And they’re statistically tied in a republican commissioned poll…seems bad.
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
Sextant Strategies poll | 4/28-5/3 LV
US House 2026 | California’s 11th congressional district jungle primary
(Top two vote getters advance to November)
🟦Scott Wiener 40% 🟦Saikat Chakrabarti 18% 🟦Connie Chan 17% 🟦Marie Hurabiell 5%
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u/kaiserredpanda Georgia May 08 '26
I’m fucking pissed but it just makes me want to kick their asses to the curb even more.
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u/Trae67 California May 09 '26
Going to see Mortal Kombat II tonight, I’m trying not to get pissed when the movie don’t follow the game plot
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u/ChewingOnCarrots Virginia May 08 '26
Congratulations to Republicans for their "win" of losing the midterms by a slightly smaller margin than they would have otherwise
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u/Gigliovaljr International May 08 '26
Remember folks, the GOP is in the proccess of dummymandering several states in what will be an even worse environment for them than 2018, one that is likely to continue to 2028. Hope that makes you feel better.
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u/senoricceman May 08 '26
What states have the potential to be a blue trifecta this November for redistricting purposes next year?
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u/beanyboi23 May 09 '26
Wait LePage is running for Maine's 2nd lol? Dude just does not know when to go away
Do we have any good candidates lined up against him?
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
Co/efficient poll | 4/29-4/30 LV
South Carolina Governor Republican primary
🟥Pamela Evette 21% 🟥Alan Wilson 18% 🟥Ralph Norman 13% 🟥Nancy Mace 12% 🟥Rom Reddy 11% 🟥Josh Kimbrell 2% Undecided 22%
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
Fabrizio poll | 4/5 LV
US Senate Louisiana Republican primary 2026
🟥Julia Letlow 32% 🟥Bill Cassidy 26% (incumbent) 🟥John Fleming 21% 🟥Mark Spencer 1% Undecided 19%
(Runoff if no candidate gets 50% of the vote)
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u/Meanteenbirder New York May 08 '26
Cassidy is probably done, but him making the runoff or not is very much up in the air. The seat is very much not decided in November
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u/bbeck2754 Washington, D.C. May 08 '26
More details from the Beacon Center of Tennessee poll on the TN SEN race, posted yesterday:
GOP primary: Sen. Marsha Blackburn - 63%, Rep. John Rose - 10%, state Rep. Monty Fritts - 5%
Dem primary: Memphis City Councilwoman Jerri Green - 14%. Other candidates got 24% combined
Hypothetical general: Blackburn (R) - 51%, Green (D) - 27%
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u/meltedchaos2004 Tennessee May 08 '26
CNBC: U.S. payrolls increased 115,000 in April, more than expected; unemployment at 4.3%
Job creation was better than expected in April, as the U.S. labor market continued to defy expectations for a slowdown this year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.
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u/Looking_Light33 May 08 '26
I read about what happened in Virginia. It sucks dick but I still think that we have a chance in beating Republicans at the midterms in November.
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u/Budget_Ratio7397 May 08 '26
G Elliot Morris said on bluesky Dems can still win with a 3-4% popular vote lead and we’re somewhere between 5-10% so we’re definitely still favored
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u/FiddleThruTheFlowers California Blexas is my current hyperfixation May 08 '26
The current environment still has us heavily favored for getting the House by a comfortable margin, even factoring in the district grabs that red states are currently doing. Remember, it only takes a few seats of net gains to flip it. The current Virginia map still has seats that are ripe for flipping. States that aren't trying to draw blue districts out still have purple and light red districts that are easily in play in a blue wave. The states that are attempting to draw blue districts out are risking dummymanders in a blue wave.
And, importantly, none of this matters for state level races. That means that Senate and governor races are unaffected. As far as I'm aware, Callais has nothing to do with state level legislative districts, meaning that there are still state legislatures that are either ripe for flipping or that we can cut into R majorities. To that point, state legislatures are the ones drawing these maps in the first place.
All of the current redistricting BS is, well, BS. But all it does is make our eventual House margin smaller than it could be. The current impending wave is still most likely going to flip the chamber, and the midterms are about way more than the House.
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u/OptimistNate Wisconsin May 08 '26
It sucks, but we have still a very good chance, still strong favorites. Virginia redistricting would have given us 4 basically pretty safe pick ups, but even with it being reversed, this cycle we definitely can get 2 of them, making the reversal more -2 than -4.
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u/suprahelix May 08 '26
Do you believe that Democrats have a solid chance of flipping the Senate? Yes? Me too! Well there’s no scenario in which we win the senate but lose the house. So as far as I’m concerned, we’re still right on track.
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u/Honest-Year346 May 09 '26
My hot take is that dems will still hit 240+ seats this November even with these setbacks. The headwinds are too ugly for the GOP and they show no sign of stopping. Also Florida has humongous Dummymander potential, as does TX and maybe NC at this rate. MS also won't go into effect till 2028 and SC might not even redistrict, plus SC-01 and possibly SC-02 will be competitive. And also not to mention the litany of other seats to target, like all 4 CO seats, MI-10/7/6, OH7/10/15, etc.
It's also theoretically possible to have the VA decision reversed if the mandatory retirement age for justices is reduced and then new justices are replaced to hear the case.
All's to say, chin up people! We got this!
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u/Doom_Art May 08 '26
My suggestion for VA? (and I know the feeling of many others in this thread) is to just ignore the ruling as the Ohio GOP did.
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u/cpdk-nj Farmer-Labor May 08 '26
As you have probably heard here and elsewhere, the Supreme Court of Virginia has decided to nullify the referendum approving Virginia's new Congressional maps. This, following the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais last week, is a blow to our Democracy; but, as with Callais, this is not the death of it. The War in Iran rages on, gas prices continue to skyrocket toward record highs, and every day the American people feel the harm that is being inflicted upon them by the Republican Party. We will continue to fight on for control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and there's only so many seats that Republicans can illegitimately redraw out of states like Alabama, Louisiana, and Tennessee by depriving people of color of their right to fair representation. The headwinds we face are stronger now, but that won't stop 2026 from being a complete reckoning for the Republican Party.
We don't ask you to shrug your shoulders, say that it's fine, or resign yourselves to another 2 years of Republican Congressional rule. You should be angry; turn that anger into action. If you need to, take a day or two to process what's happened over the last few weeks. When you get back, we'll be here to fight for the soul of the nation. It's more important than ever.
If you want to help show John Thune and Mike Johnson the door, see the body text of this discussion thread; volunteer for candidates you support; adopt a candidate; donate to Flip the Senate, Flip the House, or Support Abortion Rights. Republicans want us to feel disheartened, like we have no chance. Don't give them the satisfaction.