Well, the midterms are over and I wish I could approach this piece with a little more liberal celebration. Unfortunately that isn’t the case.
The Democrats took the House, which is to be expected – this happens during every presidency. We did not take the Senate, which was to be expected; it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t still sting.
In regards to intersectionality and women, the 6th was a pretty spectacular night. We now have two Native American women, one openly lesbian, in the House; two Muslim women, with Ilhan Omar being a Somalian refugee; a plethora of Latinx ladies; the youngest woman ever, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Boston, our first black female official ever elected, and openly LGBTQ+ men and women.
These women ran differently than ever before. They talked about their own personal struggles with mental health and sexual abuse. They brought their children on the campaign trail and exposed their families. They redrew the boundaries for acceptable behavior for women who want to run for office. College educated white women also supported women more instead of typical Republican candidates. A record number of women now reside in our government, something we desperately needed.
On the same night, ballot initiatives in Alabama and West Virginia were passed to prevent abortion. White supremacist candidates also did fairly well. Steve King, a nativist and proven racist won in Iowa, while Klu Klux Klan supporter Steve Scalise of Louisiana, and Ron DeSantis of Florida, a white supremacist sympathizer, also won. Many more white supremacists ran and thankfully lost, but the thought of even having three in our government and other closeted members makes me sick. The goal to wipe out the history of a black president may actually be achieved now.
Voter suppression in Georgia was revolting. Citizens waited hours to submit their ballots into faulty machines while perfectly working ones sat quietly in warehouses. This was especially prevalent in key democratic districts. Brian Kemp, former Secretary of State, and now Governor, was in charge of these voting machines; this is obvious voter manipulation and discrimination. I thought we lived in a democracy? Maybe I was wrong.
Well 2018 elections are over. Welcome to 2020!