Yesterday, Holly Jones, a candidate for Lieutenant Governor and a client of mine, launched a program called Crowdsourcing candidates. The goal is to encourage Democrats to run for legislative seats against Republicans. As Holly noted, forty-four Republicans won re-election without a Democratic opponent. That’s not how democracy is supposed to work.
Too many Democrats blame Republican gerrymandering for the lack of candidates. Why run, the reasoning goes, if you can’t win? That’s a cop out and that’s defeatist. With that attitude, Democrats may as well resign themselves to living in the minority for decades to come.
In 2010, Republicans were running in districts gerrymandered by Democrats. That didn’t stop them from recruiting candidates and contesting virtually every Democratic seat. When the GOP wave hit in November, they were in the position to win an historic victory.
The GOP success was fueled as much by the Tea Party as by planning by the establishment. Frustrated activists from the right signed up to run based on the anger they were channelling. Democrats should hope the Bernie Sanders movement inspires similar candidates for Democrats. If the forces of change are strong enough to elect an outsider like Bernie Sanders, then certainly they are strong enough to overcome the gerrymandered districts in North Carolina.
While winning should always be the goal in politics, there are more reasons to run. Republicans should have to defend their seats even if they’re running in supposedly safe districts. Competent opponents will make legislators explain their votes and put them on the defensive on things like underfunding our schools, raising taxes on working families, and increasing community college tuition. Opposition will also make them spend their money at home instead of sending it to more competitive districts.
More Democrats on the ballot make the rest of the ticket stronger. Candidates who build organizations and compete with Republicans at the local level help candidates who are running up and down the ballot. Their campaigns can reach and motivate more apathetic voters and convince swing voters who might otherwise vote Republican reflexively. Even if they don’t win themselves, they can help other Democrats be successful.
Filing begins in less than two months. Let’s find the candidates. We can’t win if we don’t compete.
Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more >
The number of uncontested seats was almost the same in 2012 for both parties. If I recall correctly, the difference was 2 seats in the Senate and one in the house. This is not how to win a majority — or even break a veto proof majority. And hopefully with the NCDP under new leadership we won’t see that happening next year.
That’s what I’m hoping for in red Union — moderate Republicans to run against the tea partiers.
Thomas: Great piece! Written for both political parties, it highlights what is really needed in North Carolina politics. As a campaign consultant, like you, I can tell you there is no such thing as a “safe district.” Possible candidates for the legislature should contact: Ms. Ross Harris, Director of the North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership for the training needed to win and serve.
Walt de Vries, Ph.D., Executive Director Emeritus, NC IOPL.
There’s always a consultant ready to help you get elected, whether Democrat or Republican. But there are a number of legislative districts that are locked up for the incumbent party. In these districts, the only way to beat an incumbent is through a primary.
Tim Moffitt lived in one of those locked up districts.
He was obviously a flawed candidate. But I doubt any district that includes parts of Asheville and/or Buncombe County is ever going to be a lock for the GOP. But if you’re right, it should provide a pick up opportunity for the GOP next year.
Hopefully Democrats have learned something from the disaster that was 2010. In politics, as in sports, anything can happen: anyone can lose. You never know when the Republicans are going to have an awful candidate, or a weak candidate, or one whose campaign falls apart due to scandal or mismanagement. If that happens, there has to be someone there to pick up the votes! It is absolutely crazy to allow all those uncontested seats. Democrats need to build the county parties from the ground up. We can’t win if we don’t run!
Okay, Thomas, I’ll keep trying!
In 2010 when the NCGOP took the state senate, they ran candidates for all 50 seats.
And in their historic victory they achieved a veto proof chamber.
The lesson is obvious.
Run a candidate in every district.
Demographic changes and the national political environment are in Democrats’ favor.
In 1994 the Republicans took over the state House. They would have taken over the state Senate but they did not run anyone in several districts where they probably would have won. So the calamity that began in 2010 was forestalled by 16 years thanks to the failure of the GOP to run in every seat.
Tom Fetzer took the 1994 lesson you cite to heart when he made sure there were 50 GOPers on the ballot in 50 Senate districts in 2010.
If only the Democrats — or an organized leader — would learn the same.