The 2022 midterm elections saw the Democrats break records on the federal and state levels.
For the first time since 1934, the party in control of the White House didn’t lose its control of a single state legislative chamber.
And for the first time in a little more than a decade, Democratic state lawmakers represent more people in this country than their Republican counterparts.
Daniel Squadron is the founder of The States Project, a political fundraising and advocacy organization focused ongetting Democrats elected in state government.
“Every place where there was any chance of shifting governing power, we did it,” he told 1A. “In addition to defending places like Maine and Nevada that were under threat, we believed that even though the odds were low, it was absolutely critical to build governing power in Minnesota, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Frankly, folks laughed at us and said it was impossible.”
Despite Democrats’ significant gains, Republicans still control more legislative seats and more state houses across the country. Both parties will be facing busy legislative sessions this year, with access to abortion, spiking gas prices, an opioid epidemic, and parental choice all expected to be on the docket.
We assemble a panel of reporters from Washington, Texas, and California to better understand the key issues in state government this year and how they could influence national politics.
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