2022 Is Here

Change It Up!

It’s not too early to be thinking about getting out the vote for mid-term elections, which will be crucial in maintaining some sort of democracy. Are you tired of this elderly white guy directing traffic day in and day out? He’s not up for re-election but he would lose considerable power if we can replace enough seats in 2022.

The Republicans can be beat in 2022 as, according to Gallup, Republican identification is down to 40 percent of adults with Democrats at 49 percent, the largest gap the polling firm has reported in nearly a decade. The only thing that the Republican party is focused on is rigging the election and suppressing the vote by any means going forward. It’s the only way they can win.

Unfortunately, the turnout of key elements of the Democratic coalition—the young, African Americans, Latinos, single women—declines disproportionately in off-year elections. That’s why it will be of utmost importance to get the word out about specific elections that can turn the Senate and hold on to the House, and get every eligible voter to the polls.

Speaking of elderly white guys screwing with progress, Republicans of course, behold Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma who are currently blocking a proposal by New York Democrat Senator Kirsten Gillibrand titled the Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act. This bill would overhaul how the armed services handle accusations of rape, sexual assault and other serious crimes. In addition to beefing up training and prevention, the proposal would shift the decision to prosecute many felonies “from the chain of command to independent, trained, professional military prosecutors.”

The amazing thing is that not only are all or most of the Democrats on board but also Ted Cruz and Mitch McConnell! Jayzuz. It’s geezers like these we’re up against…

Senators James Inhofe, left, and Jack Reed during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last year.Credit...Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Now, back to purging Congress of the old white guard. Here are nine states to keep an eye on in the next year.

1. Arizona
Sen. Mark Kelly’s (D-Ariz.) is up for reelection next year and will be a major target for Republicans to unseat.

Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), who both asked President Donald Trump to preemptively pardon them for their roles in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and who are among the most vocal defenders of the former president’s rigged election claims, have floated potential Senate runs. Besides being associated with the Oath Keepers, the Marjorie Taylor Greene crowd, and QAnon believers, these two voted against gradually raising the National Minimum Wage to $15.00 by 2025, despite the recent success with the Minimum Wage increase in Arizona.

Here’s to the dreamy dream both of them end up slinging sandwiches at Arby’s to Sun City residents for their remainder years, at $7.25/hr of course.

2. Georgia
Most of you know that Georgia, in an unprecedented election runoff, elected Democratic Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock last year, which gave the party “complete control” of Congress. That’s in quotes as Republicans have had enough power to block legislation, especially with the help of two Dems, Sinema and Manchin siding with the no-policy thugs more times than not.

Warnock will appear on the ballot once again in 2022 to seek his first full term in office and will likely face an unsavory smear campaign along the way.

3. Missouri

Thank the Lawd for small favors as Sen. Roy Blunt will be retiring next year. Missouri traditionally votes Republican but maybe, just maybe, we could see a Georgian episode happen in 2022. Possible top contender Democrats that may be in the running are Jay Nixon (pictured), who was elected as Missouri Attorney General four times, and won the first of his two terms as governor in 2008; Scott Sifton, a former state senator from St. Louis County; Lucas Kunce who works at a nonprofit advocating for the reshaping of corporate monopolies; Kansas City’s first-term mayor Quinton Lucas who would be the first African American to hold statewide office in Missouri.

4. Nevada
This election will be difficult and crucial. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, who narrowly won the majority last year, and is the first and only Latina in the Senate, will most definitely be a target for Republicans dragging her by the hair out of Washington. Nevada is notoriously a conservative state–Biden carried the state in November by only about 2 points–so this will be a battle.

Most likely the GOP will be backing Adam Laxalt, the former state attorney general who lost a run for governor in 2018. Josh Holmes, a top adviser to McConnell, said he was “bullish” on Nevada as a pickup opportunity: “I think with the right recruit, and clearly Laxalt is that recruit, it’s competitive on day one,” he said. Oy.

5. New Hampshire
Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan is seeking reelection in 2022 and most likely will square off with Republican Gov. Chris Sununu. As a pro-choice Republican, Sununu would present a unique challenge for Hassan as abortion rights could be a big issue in 2022, following the recent ideological shift on the U.S. Supreme Court.

6. North Carolina
There was a recent poll where people were asked if the 2022 general elections were held today, and you had to make a choice, would you be voting for the Republican or Democratic candidate for State Legislature?  47.6% of voters said GOP candidate while 44.3% said the Democrat candidate. Oy.

The top Democratic contenders include state Sen. Jeff Jackson, former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, and former state Sen. Erica Smith, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Senate nomination in 2020. In the same poll, About 35% of registered Democrats report they have never heard of Beasley, 50% of Democratic voters have never heard of Jackson, and 57% of respondents said they have never heard of Smith. Double Oy. These people need to get serious.

Jeff Jackson, Cheri Beasley, Erica Smith

7. Ohio
Thank the Lawd for the departure of Republican Sen. Rob Portman in Ohio. Various Dems are considering a run but only one, Rep. Tim Ryan, has announced his intention. I don’t know much about this guy but he says he plans to "focus like a laser beam on workers" during his Senate run. He says that includes touting the Covid relief bill and pushing infrastructure reform, two early priorities for President Joe Biden's administration.

8. Pennsylvania
Another praise Jesus for the departure of Republican Sen. Pat Toomey. Can I get an amen?

The Democratic primary field is crowded but the standouts appear to be Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.

Malcolm Kenyatta, John Fetterman

Kenyatta said, “I didn’t get into politics to be labeled anything. I’m a poor, black, gay kid from north Philly, I have enough labels. Being a working person is not about what you wear, it's about what you’ve been through. … I didn’t move somewhere and learn that things were broken. I lived in a community where it was broken, whether it’s the lieutenant governor—or anybody else—there is nobody, nobody, nobody in this race who knows in their bones what’s broken the way I have. And who has worked my ass off my entire life to try to fix it. Fix problems that have gotten here because we've had a bunch of career politicians tell us how much they care.”

Fetterman ran for and lost the Senate race in 2016 but now he’s poised to be the front runner in 2022. His campaign has also explicitly made the case that he’s the best candidate to win back Trump voters in the general election. “That western Pennsylvania registered Democrat, but voted for Trump—Fetterman can get a lot of those voters.” Read more about him in this extensive article in Politico.

9.Wisconsin
Trump ally Sen. Ron Johnson is the man to crush in 2022, although to date he’s “undecided” as to whether he’ll seek a third term. The Democratic field has already drawn several candidates, including state Treasurer Sarah Godliewski, Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry and Outagamie County executive Tom Nelson.

Sarah Godliewski, Alex Lasry, Tom Nelson

Do everyone a favor and help spread awareness of the importance of this election…if you know family or friends in any of these states, how about sharing this post with them? The more we can make folks aware of the names and faces involved in the democratic ticket, the better chance we might have to take the Senate! Thanks!

And now…