This is a day I never thought I’d see. The entire Orange County congressional delegation is blue. Mimi Walters has conceded. Young Kim likely will shortly.
Lots of people to credit here. Those leaders of the Democratic Party of Orange County for keeping the cats herded long enough. The DCCC played a role. Indivisible Groups. Local Democratic clubs. Young Democrats. Those who organized, walked neighborhoods, gave money. I’m going to give a hat tip to the frenemies at the OJ Blog and Chris Prevatt and local left wing bloggers who chipped away at the Red County Right wingers over the years.
The key is to stay engaged. The key is to keep building our bench. The key is keep working together. No candidate is perfect, but are they better than any Republican running? Yeop. Get out and vote. Keep the pressure on. Let’s flip OC’s state legislature delegation from mostly red to mostly blue in 2020. Majorities on city councils and school boards.
We can do this again in 2020. We must.
Nick Anas posted this on social media. It’s story from March in Politico that I must share.
When I asked Walters if her race is competitive, her answer was a straightforward “No.” She doesn’t buy that her seat is up for grabs, and she insisted that tax cuts are the reason Republicans are going to win in this hotbed of fiscal conservatism, not to mention keep their majority.
“We’re still very much a Republican county,” Walters said, pointing to the margins in local congressional races over the last few elections. “They”—Democrats—“think just because Hillary Clinton won these districts that they can win, and I don’t subscribe to that same idea. If you look at my race, I got 37,000 more votes than Donald Trump did.”
….
Still, as national Republicans fret, local GOP operatives scoff at the idea that Democrats will manage to pick up any seats here. “They think we’re the new battleground,” laughs Fred Whitaker, the chairman of the Orange County Republican Party. “There are four Republican-held seats here, and there will be four Republican-held seats here after the 2020 election. It’s a Hail Mary play. It’s desperation. Let the Democrats spend tens of millions of dollars here,” he added. “Let them die on the hill in Orange County.”
I have to wonder if Republicans in Orange County will hold Whitaker accountable.
Well said. My sense of Irvine – in part from canvassing a bit this election – is folks are well-educated, very bright. Business smarts are abundant. Folks – Republicans, Democrats – have calculators. If a tax bill hurts their bottom line, they know. Which, I suspect, may have been difficult for Congressmember Walters to overcome.
From the OC Register, November 6, 2018:
“Whitaker pointed to the broad margins of victory Tuesday by congressional candidate Young Kim and incumbent state Sen. Janet Nguyen, both Asian Republicans, as indications that the party has begun adapting.”
Young Kim’s “broad margin of victory” is now a margin of defeat. Nguyen’s margin is down to a mere 1848 margin that will be erased this evening at 5pm when results are updated.
Yet to keep Whitaker in check, OC Dems have to stop the circular firing squad of behavior that has marked this election. That will be the challenge as newly active members, and longtime party activists and stalwarts look to the future and maintaining these leads. There is much bad blood that needs to be cleansed, sandboxes that need to scooped. I am encouraged at the newly mature, sober tone at the Liberal OC as marking the possibility of this actually occurring. Way to much energy has expended on negativity and tearing down fellow Dems.
The direction of the party will be a big issue to address as we look to 2020 and beyond, with arguments and a lot of potential conflicts between the more progressive factions and the conservative factions. This should be pursued with maturity and grace, as the conversations are worth having, and functional compromises necessary to maintain this momentum. If we are unable to do so, we face losing these gains.
By the way, Dan, nice post.
Thanks. The comments can get out of control. The posts are generally just fine
John Thomas, the political strategist predicts some of these seats are already at risk of flipping back in 2020.
It is not a coincidence that EVERY GOP candidate used the same strategist this cycle, that will certainly change as Thomas and other “New Era” advisors sign on with 2020 hopefuls.
As for the infighting, I see this as the result of a couple of petulant characters and a leadership vacuum. Attrition usually takes care of these folks or they self destruct.
I was taking to Maureen and she made a very good point. Trump passed a tax “ cut” which eliminated mortgage write offs for rich states- like California. The OC is many things and taxes on real estate is number one. Trump wanted to hurt California and now the GOP here is reaping the reward.
“I have to wonder if Republicans in Orange County will hold Whitaker accountable.”
Let’s hope not. Things are going great with him at the helm……for Dems.