February saw us lose an important US Senate candidate—and gain one. House retirements are continuing. And there’s some good news for Jessica Cisneros ahead of Texas’s March 1 primary, even as the DCCC plays offense against progressive challengers like her.
In the states, redistricting is getting messier, with eight key states either in litigation over maps or taking their time finalizing them. The US Supreme Court recently voted in favor of Alabama maps that would result in racial gerrymandering, a major blow to voting rights. And in Georgia, Stacey Abrams is facing an attack on her fundraising from the Republican-controlled legislature.
Plus, Biden announces his Supreme Court pick, and we see major movement on federal legislation that would protect women from violence and harassment.
US Senate
The biggest campaign news of the month dropped right as February kicked off: On Feb. 4, Montgomery County commissioner Val Arkoosh suspended her campaign in Pennsylvania. This is a huge blow for women’s representation in the most hotly contested Senate race in the country, but we still have women running in five competitive races: Florida, Iowa, Ohio, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
Plus, we are getting one more: Alaska state Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson became the first Democrat to launch a Senate campaign in Alaska. She’ll face Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Kelly Tshibaka, who’s been endorsed by Trump.
One final note: Sen. Patty Murray’s race in Washington has been re-rated from Safe Democratic to Likely Democratic.
In The News
Arkoosh drops out of Pa. Dem Senate primary
State Sen. Gray-Jackson becomes first Democrat in US Senate race
Washington Senate to Likely Democratic
How 2 Black women conquered Senate primary politics
The filibuster fight is over in the Senate. But not on the Democratic campaign trail
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alex Lasry pours in $1.55 million more into race, while Sarah Godlewski adds $750,000
Black, Latino candidates dominate fourth quarter’s top fundraisers
Leading climate group endorses six Democrats running for Senate (Beasley, Demings, Finkenauer)
US House
We saw more House retirements in February, including NY-4 Rep. Kathleen Rice. Though Democrats have done a bit better than expected in redistricting, continued retirements are a signal politicos are still expecting a tough mid-term for Democrats.
The DCCC is stepping up to protect some incumbents. Team Blue PAC, led by NY-8 Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, will endorse and cut checks to members being challenged by progressives from the left. One check they aren’t cutting is to TX-28 Rep. Henry Cuellar, who’s facing a steep challenge from Jessica Cisneros. Other bad news for Cuellar: Jessica has outraised him by $707,000 so far this year.
And the DCCC is out with a scary new messaging memo, based on polling and focus groups, showing that voters think Democrats are too “focused on culture war issues.” The good news from the memo is that candidates can neutralize these GOP attacks by simply correcting the record.
In The News
Kathleen Rice becomes 30th House Democrat to not seek reelection in 2022
Exclusive: Top House Democrat Unveils Plan to Beat Back Progressive Rebellion
Cisneros significantly outraises Cuellar ahead of March 1 primary
Can Justice Democrats Swing Two Texas Congressional Districts to the Left?
The 6 House Races Where Incumbents Are Likely To Face Another Incumbent
Latino voters could boost Democrats under California’s new House map — if they can reverse GOP gains
GOP culture war attacks ‘alarmingly potent,’ DCCC warns
State & Local
We are keeping our eyes on redistricting with this handy tracker from FiveThirtyEight, which shows the past and current partisan lean and racial makeup of every finished district in the country, including which state maps are in litigation.
One big state we were waiting on—New York—has introduced maps that could net Democrats three House seats, a major offset to Republicans’ gerrymandering in other states. However, seven other big states are either not finished (Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania) or in litigation (Michigan, Texas, Virginia). And the GOP is now suing in New York too.
Other shenanigans are afoot in the states, like Georgia’s attempt to bar challenging candidates from fundraising during the legislative session. And the US Supreme Court has essentially greenlit a racially gerrymandered map in Alabama because of timing concerns.
In the News
What Redistricting Looks Like In Every State (FiveThirtyEight)
G.O.P. Lawsuit Casts N.Y. Congressional Maps as Brazen Gerrymandering
Explainer: New state laws are fueling a U.S. debate over voting access; here’s how
Stacey Abrams raises $9.2M after entering gov race in December
Georgia Senate bill would put limits on fundraising by challengers
What Are Voting Rights Advocates To Make of SCOTUS’ Alabama Redistricting Decision?
‘Blue’ suburban moms are mobilizing to counter conservatives in fights over masks, book bans and diversity education
State election officials battle the spread of disinformation
The GOP is gaining among Texas Hispanics. Women are leading the charge.
National
It’s official: President Biden’s Supreme Court pick is Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. She currently sits on the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, having been confirmed just last year by the same Senate that will review her nomination to the nation’s highest court. Hopefully, this will make her nomination smoother.
The back half of the month so far has been dominated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and what effect that could have on global and domestic politics, with some worried it could further drive inflation in the United States.
In the News
Live Updates: Biden Picks Ketanji Brown Jackson for Supreme Court
How Ketanji Brown Jackson’s pursuit of success as a lawyer and parent got her a potential Supreme Court nod
Harris works her old Senate colleagues in anticipation of SCOTUS fight
Activists who defended VP Harris now mobilizing for Supreme Court pick
Biden’s vow to put a Black woman on the Supreme Court stirs mixed emotions among Black law professionals
High gas costs from Ukraine threat pose Biden political risk
On Ukraine Crisis, Biden Seeks to Show His Mettle
Public’s Top Priority for 2022: Strengthening the Nation’s Economy
Women
Some good things are happening for women in Washington. Congress is about to pass two landmark bills: a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which expired in 2018, and the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, which will do exactly what it says—ensure people aren’t giving up their right to sue in court when they sign contracts for employment or waivers for things like medical services.
Unfortunately, the reauthorized VAWA won’t close the “boyfriend loophole,” which allows abusers to own firearms if they’re not married to, living with, or have children with their victim.
New research published this month also showed we have a long way to go on equalizing the labor force gap and the political ambition gap, as well as rolling back the new wave of restrictive anti-choice laws.
In the News
Deal reached on Violence Against Women Act after controversial provision is scrapped
Bill to end forced arbitration of #MeToo claims poised to become law
Running for office is still for men—some data on the “Ambition Gap”
Women Are More Likely to Get Elected to Local Bodies Than to National Parliaments
Pumping, voting, taking leave: Legislators who are mothers face specific challenges
Abortion procedures in Texas dropped sharply during first month of ban, data shows
27 Times More Men Than Women Joined the Labor Force Last Month. It’s Time for Systemic Change
Happy 50th anniversary, women’s legislative caucuses!