How many seats will Democrats pick up in 2020? Republican incumbents will benefit from John Carney’s leadership. Because bi-partisanship is seen as a virtue above all virtues, John Carney will do everything he can to make the remaining Republicans seem like a viable political party and “a trusted partner in governing.” Also, as astonishing as it is to you and me in the age of Trump, there is a lot of collegiality and protecting fellow members of the incumbent club in Leg Hall. We saw that this year as dumb-fuck Democrats rallied around the campaign finance criminal Mike Ramone, and the execrable* Greg Lavelle.
Additionally, the low hanging fruit has been picked. So it will be difficult for Democrats to repeat the success of 2018. Difficult, but not impossible.
While Dems only have one slam-dunk pickup in 2020 (Cloutier SD5), there are factors that point to another potential Blue Wave in Delaware.
John Carney’s weak leadership aside, the Delaware Democratic Party is on the move. Chairman ERS, and Executive Director Jesse Chadderdon are an effective team. They’ve built the Delaware Democratic Party into a modern organization with a clear mission: Elect Democrats. That has always been the mission but past leadership teams took that to mean recruit “Democrats” like John Atkins. These guys see the bigger picture and have a sense of what it means to be a Democrat. I see it in the department chairs they’ve recruited. Cassandra Marshall, and Dave Woodside represent a new bread of Dem county-level leadership that is both progressive and practical.
Progressive organizations outside of the party are also growing stronger with each cycle. Network Delaware, Justice Democrats, Delaware United, Moms Demand Action, and many more are not taking the next election off. These committed membership organizations were instrumental in getting candidates on message, and voters to the polls.
Those are just two advantages Democrats have going into 2020, but there are others.
– Presidential election year turnout always favors Dems in De.
– Progressive candidates & (a few) electeds creating a Dem message that is coherent and meaningful,
– Open seats related to possible GOP retirements,
– the continuing boiling off of the DEGOP into a sticky tar,
– possible #MAGA primary challenges of Republicans of less rabidly crazy candidates,
– Trump himself. Or for that matter,
– possible anti-President Pence sentiment(?)
Dems have the momentum. If they keep their foot on the gas, the Democrats have an opportunity to expand the map, and add to the success of 2018 by winning in places that would have been prohibitive longshots in 2018.
*Greg Lavelle, execrable means horrible. It is related to excrement and denotes shitty.
It isn’t that Jesse is an unattractive dude, but there are not a lot of great pictures of him on the internet. In that respect, and many others, he is the anti-Anthony Delcollo.