Things can be radically different in this cycle. The National Democratic Party and allied groups have finally become fully involved in the fight for state legislatures. Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and the Democratic National Committee at least $2.5 million To nominate parliamentary candidates. Groups like Run for Something He works with down-ballot candidates who can create “reverse primary voting,” when down-ballot races increase turnout and benefit the top of the ticket.

Idea: This is important when state legislators and their campaigns are knocking on doors, especially in districts where Democrats haven’t been heard from in a while. They are at the forefront of efforts to get rid of the vote.

This is also the first presidential cycle since 2008, before post-2010 redistricting; here are fair, competitive, non-nuclear legislative districts in three key battleground states: Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Michigan Democrats take control of the House and Senate in 2022 thanks to competitive districts For the first time in 40 years. In Wisconsin, Republicans who for years were isolated by their safely drawn districts are now They defend their support for their state’s 1849 abortion law.

In Pennsylvania, Democrats currently control the House of Representatives by a 102-101 margin. All 203 seats in the House of Representatives will be voted on next month, with Democrats looking to maintain and expand their majority. In the state Senate, Republicans maintain control of the 50-seat chamber by a 28-22 margin. Half of the Senate seats will be on the ballot this fall in highly competitive races.

Arizona is a state with ups and downs in voting, but especially in the state legislature. Republicans control the House of Representatives by a 31-29 margin and the Senate by a 16-14 margin. Abortion became a front-and-center issue after the state Supreme Court upheld the ban in 1864. Only five GOP state legislators — three representatives and two senators — joined every Democrat in repealing that ban. Candidates are hearing from voters about abortion as well as the GOP-designed school voucher program. It created a huge hole in the state budget.

Democrats in the House and Senate in North Carolina Fighting an extreme gerrymander to overcome the GOP’s supermajority When was this achieved? A renegade Democrat abandoned his supporters and headed for the GOP. Democrats won candidates for nearly every seat this cycle. Abortion And school vouchers These are big problems for voters.

A progressive network in Georgia was named Fight 50 In an effort to increase Democratic turnout, they recruited candidates to run for legislative seats they knew they probably wouldn’t win. As Bob Herndon, who organized this effort, told me, if those 50 candidates each turn in an extra 400 votes, that’s 20,000 votes. President Biden wins the state by 2020 11,779 votes.

“In states like Georgia, which are aggressively suppressed politically, we see legislatures passing draconian abortion bans despite the demands of a majority of voters,” Democrats said. State Representative Michelle Au told me. “Gerrymandering blunts the ability of all voters to have their voices heard and their interests protected.”

Voters in New Hampshire will also have the opportunity to flip both the House and Senate chambers. Republicans currently control the Senate by a 14-10 margin, while they hold a slim margin in the 400-member House of Representatives.

From my weekly conversations with candidates in all of these states, it’s clear that the excitement is off the charts. This is especially true since Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee in August.

One of the best things about talking to these candidates is that they knock on the door. They speak to voters every day without filter. They are knowledgeable about what issues are important in the daily lives of their communities. As in 2022, state legislative candidates across the country say abortion is often one of the first issues they hear from voters at the door.

This is reflected in statewide ballot measures across the country, starting with Kansas, which voters flatly rejected in 2022. constitutional amendment This would reveal that there is no right to abortion. Since then, voters in other red states have also supported abortion rights. especially in Ohio in 2023.

The power of the abortion issue resonates especially in states facing bans or threatened bans, and many of these states, including Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina and Wisconsin, will be key battlegrounds for the presidency this fall. Harris and vice president Tim Walz understand how important it is to talk about this critical issue, even if many experts don’t.

State legislatures are important to residents of the state because they address issues like abortion, education, and gun safety. Republicans have known this for a long time. Democrats are finally catching up. Although attention will focus on the top of the ticket, there’s a strong chance that whoever wins key state legislative battles will have a more direct impact on voters’ lives.

Roe v. The 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning the Wade case and ending national abortion rights was based on: Mississippi law passed by a Republican legislature. There is no doubt that efforts to overturn other rights are underway in state legislatures across the country. So anyone who thinks what’s going on in other state legislatures doesn’t matter to them should think again.

Joe Sudbay is the host of “State of the States” on SiriusXM Progress.