Our local village had an election in June for mayor and council. And behold, the decades-long red government (with many contests often having gone uncontested) flipped unanimously to blue (that is, all the Democratic candidates won; not that they had 100% of the vote; I wish!)! They also noted a much higher participation rate amongst young voters. Many of the Democratic candidates were women who had never run for office before. Take that, MAGA!
Abortion is not a local issue, but education is. As are zoning, development, and the environment (we are increasing the presence of both sidewalks and trees for increased walkability; and considering limiting business development, as recent increases have caused traffic congestion). Not to mention for some voters the issue is probably just the desire for any workable government at all: Keep the roads and sidewalks in good repair, pick up the trash, etc. A lot of local government is not sexy, but it either functions and we have a decent quality of life; or the GOP lowers taxes and doesn’t bother with function anymore, and quality of life deteriorates. I also think that outsiders showing up at school board meetings and yelling about books that should be banned has not helped the GOP locally.
You want to be bullies? Welcome to our pushback. You lose.
I don't want us to get complacent; not only do you never know what complications will be thrown into the works last minute, but with a GOP this badly out of control, they need a strong signal that their recent behaviour is universally unacceptable. Let's not plan to win 51-49%, but overwhelmingly. Keep working hard for 2024: Every vote is a bigger hit against fascism.