Washington and New York. In the midterm elections two weeks ago, the focus was on which party would control Congress and the future of Donald Trump and his right-wing base, but there’s also another story behind the headlines: a victory for progressive forces who argue that the national The conflict will be crucial in determining the future of the United States on both a regional and regional level.
Democratic Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders, noting the victory of eight progressive, pro-union lawmakers in Congress, said, “Now there will be stronger progressives in the House of Representatives than ever before.”
In addition, nearly a quarter of the 435 members of the lower house define themselves as “progressive”, and more than half of those who identify themselves as “democratic socialist”.
“I think we are growing, and yes, I think the left is growing and maturing,” said Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is a member of the Young Democratic Party, known by its acronym AOC. Samajwadi, who won re-election this year and continues to be leader. For a group of progressive legislators who have gained a national profile. in interview with InterceptThe AOC stated that “For a long time, leftists in the United States, until very recently, have not been accustomed to being in power, being in power, using power,” in reference to their presence in elected office.
But there were also dramatic victories at the local level, where some of the fiercest political battles were fought. The Working Families Party and the Democratic Socialists of America political organization celebrated victories across the country, with their candidates winning state and municipal congresses, and winning prominent positions in public administration, notably those in charge of housing, health, and local prosecutors. .
In the Astoria neighborhood of New York City, voters elected candidates who identified as Democratic Socialists to all but one local office. “This is the first time in American history, or at least in the last 100 years, that city councilors, persons in the state assembly (lower house), state senators and federal legislators are not capitalists,” he insisted. AOC.
But these elections were not only about political positions, but also about changes in policies. Sarah Anderson of the Institute for Policy Studies states, “In these elections, voters in more than 30 states participated in a form of direct democracy, using a referendum mechanism to promote legislation and policy reform on a variety of issues”. He confirmed that with it, voters approved abortion rights protections in states like Michigan, funding for pre-kindergarten education in New Mexico and medical debt reduction in Arizona, among other examples.
right to abortion
In fact, voters in Michigan, California, and Vermont approved measures protecting abortion rights in response to the Supreme Court striking down federal rights to abortion, and even voters in conservative states like Montana and Kentucky. rejected further border and outreach initiatives. pregnancy termination.
Meanwhile, voters in Maryland and Missouri joined 19 other states in approving measures to legalize recreational marijuana.
As a result of another state initiative presented to voters in this election, Arizona became one of 19 states to allow undocumented students living in those states to enroll in public universities at the same cost as resident citizens. Huh.
Arizona also passed a measure that required any donor contributing more than $5,000 to a political candidate to publicly disclose their identity, ending the practice of the wealthy hiding their donations.
In Illinois, unions and other progressives have fought business interests to pass a state constitutional measure that guarantees workers their right to bargain collectively, limiting and repealing labor rights. One has to face the conservative pressure of years. The amendment would make it more difficult for conservative legislators to achieve their goal of Illinois joining the nation’s 27 states that have anti-federal laws.
But perhaps more important was where the Right was defeated. Although some 150 federal legislators who supported Trump and questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election won re-election, nearly all of Trump’s nominees for governors and federal legislatures in key battleground states lost.
Furthermore, attempts to install politicians into positions that administer and control state electoral processes have not worked in many swing states. “Those who rejected the presidential election results lost votes for secretary of state in Arizona, Michigan and Nevada,” and in addition these Trump allies also ran for governor in Pennsylvania and secretary of state in Georgia. Lost, declared the group States United, which spent millions on this effort to protect the integrity of the 2024 presidential election.
These resistance efforts, along with the victories of politicians and initiatives supported by progressive sectors, which also mark this last election cycle, are some indication of the potential of democratic forces in the United States.
