After a disappointing showing for women in last week’s Super Tuesday primaries, we turn to the next big state to vote in federal and state elections: Ohio, where we’re watching two Democratic incumbents in competitive general election races and down ballot primaries that could increase the number of women in Ohio’s state legislature. Plus, the State of the Union is: Energized!
US Senate: An Earthquake for Gender Parity
There’s no way to sugarcoat it—last week’s California primaries did not bode well for women’s representation in Congress. The biggest heartbreak came at the top of the ticket: Neither Rep. Katie Porter (15.09 percent) nor Rep. Barbara Lee (8.98 percent) made it into the general election, setting up a November contest between Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey. That means California—the first state to send two women to the Senate at the same time—will have no women representing it in the Senate for the first time in a generation.
With Sen. Kirsten Sinema also officially announcing her retirement, we’re already down by two for the election cycle in terms of women serving in the Senate—meaning we’ll have to win two open seats currently held by men to even maintain parity.
Headlines
California won’t have a woman in the Senate for the first time in more than 30 years [The 19th]
Trump and Schiff Are the Biggest Winners of Super Tuesday [Cook Political Report]
7 things Super Tuesday just taught us about the November election [Politico]
Baldwin unveils first ad in Wisconsin Senate battle [The Hill]
Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen, at union hall rally, makes reelection bid official [ABC News]
Trump endorses former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan’s U.S. Senate race [CBS News]
How Kyrsten Sinema can spend millions in leftover campaign cash [Axios]
US House: More Down-Ballot Woes for Women
California’s crackup on gender parity is also bad for Democrats’ chances at retaking the House. A Senate contest featuring a Republican celebrity (Steve Garvey is a former pro-baseball player) could have coattail effects for Republican House candidates in battleground districts where, unfortunately, most of the Democratic nominees will be men too. So far, just one woman will compete—Jessica Morse in CA-3—in a flippable district. Ballots are still being counted in CA-45, where Kim Nguyen-Penaloza is battling Derek Tran for the nomination to take on vulnerable GOP Rep. Michelle Steel.
Along with New York—which finalized Dem-favorable Congressional maps at the beginning of the month—California is key to flipping the House, and any loss of opportunity to increase Democratic turnout is a missed opportunity.
And in ratings changes: We now have two women in tossup races in Ohio: Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-9 — downgraded from ‘Lean D’) and Rep. Emilia Sykes (OH-13).
🔖 Bookmark: California Primary Results [New York Times]
Headlines
Democrats Go Mild, Not Wild, With New York Map Makeover [Cook Political Report]
Ohio House Primary Preview: Kaptur’s Toledo Seat Moves to Toss Up [Cook Political Report]
State & Local: Shifting Focus to Ohio
Two more big states head to the polls to choose federal and state nominees this upcoming Tuesday, March 19: Illinois and Ohio—and for women, we’re watching the Buckeye State.
Besides two tossup US House races featuring Democratic women, there’s an opportunity to advance six Democratic women in state house primaries—four in safe D districts and two in tossups—which would cut the legislature’s gender imbalance by a quarter if all win in the general election. Ohio’s districts have been redrawn three times since 2020 (most recently last September) meaning Democrats have the best chance in decades to chip away at Ohio Republicans’ House supermajority.
🔖 Bookmark: Forget the presidential race. Statehouses are where it’s at.
Headlines
Three Democrats vie for open Ohio House District 5 seat [Columbus Dispatch]
Lounsbury, Horn seek Dem nod for competitive Ohio House District 36 [Dayton Daily News]
Foward, Tims vie for statehouse seat representing much of Dayton [Dayton Daily News]
Democrats target statehouse races in first big campaign spend of 2024 [The Guardian]
Spotlight: Michigan House Candidates For Majority-Defending Special Elections [DLCC]
National & Women: Biden Bounces Back
Democrats have found ourselves newly fired up after President Biden’s fiery state of the union address, during which he sparred with Republicans over their cynical border policy, lack of support for reproductive freedom, and a host of other issues. People (read: Sean Hannity) who were calling him too old to do the job are now calling him “jacked up.” The good coverage has not translated into a bump in the polls … yet, but hopefully this is the beginning of a turnaround.
🔖Bookmark: Transcript of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address [AP]
Headlines
A very political State of the Union [ABC News]
Biden’s Energetic State of the Union Brings Him Best Fundraising Hours of Campaign [People]
Biden keeps energy of SOTU address in campaign stop near Philly [PA Capital-Star]
Biden’s Polling Is Even Worse Than It Looks [Cook Political Report]
Scoop: Biden campaign’s plan of attack [Axios]
Kamala Watch
Kamala Harris Will Visit Abortion Clinic, in Historic First [NY Times]
Harris’s dogged fight for abortion rights should scare Republicans [NY Times]
VP Harris announces executive order on union apprenticeships [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
Harris is reaching Democrats where Biden isn’t – on abortion and Gaza [The Guardian]
Some Democrats Say Biden’s Age Not an Issue if Kamala Harris Ready to Step In [WSJ]
🫤Cringe Alert: “Mike Johnson says he made small talk with Kamala Harris by asking her if her parents are alive”
Member Spotlight: Abbie Knopper
We are excited to announce that our very own Electing Women Bay Area member Abbie Knopper will serve as the National Volunteer Coordinator for Elissa Slotkin’s campaign for US Senate in Michigan.
Please reach out to her at abbie.knopper@elissaslotkin.org if you would like to get involved. And a reminder that we will likely be planning an EWA canvassing weekend in Michigan as the election gets closer.