Can the Democrats regain political power?
It’s no secret that the Democratic Party has had it rough for the past couple years, in not only Wisconsin, but across the nation. Between losing the presidency, and having Republican majority in both the senate and house of representatives, as well as, in Wisconsin, having had a Republican governor for two terms, those on the left side of the political spectrum has had a fair bit of trouble pushing their ideals forward in the government recently. However, in the 2018 elections, they have their sights set on regaining political power; here’s a look at some of the democratic candidates for political office, for both state and federal government, and their chances of winning:
Democrats Running for Governor
The Democratic primary for Governor of Wisconsin is a bit of a crowded field to say the least. Over a dozen candidates are competing for the nomination in the gubernatorial election, notable examples including state superintendent Tony Evers, state representative Dana Wachs, and Madison mayor Paul Soglin. Such a crowded field shows strong enthusiasm among the party, and a strong collective desire to defeat incumbent Scott Walker; however, such fierce competition in the primary can lead to a nominee who has already spent the bulk of their funding on winning the primary, which can be a killing blow to a political campaign, especially when the incumbent is almost guaranteed to have a financial advantage to start. That being said, the unpredictability of a crowded primary makes it difficult to determine whether Walker stays or leaves in 2018.
Democrats Running for the House of Reps and Senate
Doug Jones’ victory over Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate Election sparked hope in the Democratic Party, and many are seeking to regain dominance for the party in both the house and senate in 2018. The historically low approval rate of President Donald Trump, many believe, may prove to work in the Democrats’ favor, since this has put the Republican Party as a whole in a bad light in many voters’ eyes, including a portion of usually Republican voters. Some states in particular that the Republicans may lose their hold on include Arizona, in which extremely controversial candidate Joe Arpaio may lose the seat for Republicans, Nevada, in which the Republicans are divided between the fairly bipartisan incumbent Dean Heller and the far more conservative Danny Tarkanian, and must face strong Democratic candidate Jacky Rosen, and Tennessee, where former Governor Phil Bredesen seeks to take the seat of retiring Bob Corker. All this being said, however, the Democrats face a downright brutal election map; for the senate elections, there are eight seats up for election currently held by Republican senators, and a whopping 26 currently held by Democrat senators. It is very possible for the Democrats to retake the senate with these numbers, but it also provides the opportunity for overwhelming defeat.
Presidential Candidates
Though it may seem a long way off, some Democrats appear to be gearing up for a run for president in the 2020 elections. At this point, no serious contenders have officially announced candidacy, though Bernie Sanders, who ran in the 2016 election but lost the primary election to Hillary Clinton, has, since the election, been notably attempting to address his weak points during his campaign, such as foreign policy. Other potential candidates who are being considered potential nominee material include former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, among others.