As we say goodbye to 2021 our feelings are, well, complicated. 2016-2019 were, like, really bad. But 2020 and 2021 also sucked. The difference, however, is that we actually had Democratic leadership in the White House. But we still have a Republican Party that is very much interested in throwing Democracy into a dumpster and installing Donald Trump as President for Life. Meanwhile, the death toll for COVID-19 in this country has well surpassed 750,000 and the world as a whole has lost over 4,000,000, which is SO MANY PEOPLE. Climate change disaster is here and now, not in some distant future that we can all avoid if we just recycle enough and turn the tap off when brushing our teeth. Abortion rights are on the chopping block with a hard-right Supreme Court. Racism has a firm grip on our legal system. Things seem, dare I say, awful.
COVID Chaos and Term Limits and Redistricting...Oh My!
What happens when regular people—not politicians—redraw district maps for the first time in decades? If recent analyses are correct, it’s about to get weird: most of the proposed maps pit incumbents of both parties against one another in the same district, and one analysis suggests nearly half of all incumbents may be out due to a combination of term limits and redistricting. Is this good news, bad news, or just bizarre? All of the above!
You Get What You Pay For
There are two things we all know for sure: Love don’t come easy, and campaigns ain’t cheap. Whether you’re running for a statewide office or a school board seat, you have to run an excellent campaign. And an excellent campaign doesn’t come for free.