Marc Ambinder:
The Democratic National Committee is waging a last minute injection of as much as $20 million into state legislative races in key states, hoping to take advantage of Democratic momentum this cycle.
(snip)
In 2006, a last minute injection of $35 million from the DNC into House, Senate and state legislative races helped the party gain eight state legislative chambers.
Some of this year's cash could be sent to U.S. House races; most would be earmarked for races further down the ballot.
This year, having plucked the low-hanging fruit, Democrats have set their sights on tougher pulls, like New York's state senate. "It's the biggest toss-up on the map," says Matt Compton, a spokesperson for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.
(emphasis mine)
Lets hope the DNC makes good on this possibility. The DNC knows that control of statehouses is important for the congressional redistricting that will happen in 2012. Although I am personally against gerrymandering, if it's going to be partisan, I'd rather it be Democrat-favored.
In related news, stateline.org has rated New York's State Senate as "leaning Democratic," reflecting a growing consensus in the national media that New York is finally going to get the Democratic Senate we all deserve. I highly recommend reading the whole article (and cool maps) about hot statehouse races across the country and the great opportunity grassroots progressives have to make unprecedented gains in our local governments across the country.
On the web:
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee
Democratic National Committee |
