Yesterday was a good beginning toward building a progressive governing majority in Arizona. Democrats appear to have prevailed in some state house races :
- Jennifer Jermaine in LD 18
- Jennifer Pawlik in LD 17
- Aaron Lieberman in LD 28.
Democrats also prevailed in local contests (notably school board) laying the groundwork and foundation for future progressive advances.
Democrats should also take comfort in recruiting many capable and compelling local and congressional candidates who gave Republicans a run for their money and performed well against the odds. Hopefully, many of these candidates will decide to run again.
- It may take until March but Kate Gallego appears to be the odds-on favorite to be the next Mayor of Phoenix.
- Jennifer Longdon, a role model for people who can overcome great adversity, coasted to victory as a State Representative in LD 24.
- Anne Kirkpatrick came back into the political arena to win in Congressional District Two.
- Former Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, possibly on a career track to run for Governor in 2022, easily won Congressional District Nine.
- Kathy Hoffman, who went from political novice to perhaps becoming the next Superintendent of Public Instruction, may be a rising star.
- The races for Katie Hobbs and Kyrsten Sinema, as of Nov. 7, are still too close to call with up to 500,000 votes in Maricopa County still to be counted.
Youth turnout rose dramatically. Yes, yesterday was a good beginning.