I realize my statement could be read as being facetious. Not so! Sorry if it looked like I was upset. I am wishing him well too, but glad he is getting out now.
2 elections tonight " TONIGHT: Both parties have flip opportunities in state legislative special elections. Democrats are targeting Alabama State House District 63 (Trump +17), which includes the University of Alabama campus. Republicans are aiming to flip Connecticut State House District 139 (Harris +7) in eastern Connecticut. Polls close in both races at 8:00 PM ET." TONIGHT: Both parties have flip opportunities in state legislative special elections.Democrats are targeting Alabama State House District 63 (Trump +17), which includes the University of Alabama campus.Republicans are aiming to flip Connecticut State House District 139…— VoteHub (@VoteHub) January 13, 2026
I guess there were more than 2 races. Dems over perform a good amount in 2.(+19 and +29 Dems) Republicans over perform in 1. (+11 Reps) Another is basically the same as 2024. (+3 Dems) Special legislative election results for tonight (2024-2026 shift)Virginia House of Delegates 11 (Harris +35.4)🟦Dem hold: +2.8 shift 🟦—Virginia House of Delegates 23 (Harris +35.0)🟦Dem hold: +19.8 shift 🟦—Alabama State House 63 (Trump +17.9)🟥GOP hold: +11.1 shift 🟥… https://t.co/RONNjF4hD6— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) January 14, 2026
Virginia Senate has passed a bill to put a constitutional amendment in front of VA voters as soon as April that could gerrymander as many as 4 Republican districts out of existence. If passed, it would mean that since Trump started forcing Republicans to redistrict Dems seats out of existence, states have created 9 new Republican seats and 10 new Democrat seats. Given that Texas legislators are now admitting they messed up their redistricting by using 2024, where Hispanics in TX went hard for Trump, but are now hard against Trump, that likely means Trump's redistricting push was a massive failure. https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/16/politics/virginia-redistricting-democrats-referendum
Elections have consequences...Good move VA! “The Virginia state Senate on Friday approved a constitutional amendment that paves the way for a special election in which voters will decide whether to approve congressional maps favoring Democrats ahead of the midterms,” NOTUS reports. “If voters approve the referendum, Democrats could end up with lines that could net their party up to four seats, though the exact makeup of the final map is still unclear.” NBC News: Virginia lawmakers pass redistricting amendment, sending it to voters for approval.
How do you know Charlie wasn’t working on that post for an hour and half, perfecting it, adding nuance, punching up the verbs.* *When I was at UNC William Luechtenberg (sp) was a legend on the history faculty. He was renowned for his prose. His key piece of advice was to circle+ every verb in what you write and focus on word choice with them. It is brilliant, brilliant advice. Trust me. +Yes, the rare two footnote post. This was in 1987, right at the moment when students transitioned from typing to computers.
The two House members who have been there longer than Hoyer and the two longest tenured senators are all Republicans. In the House, Hal Rogers has the title Dean of the House over Chris Smith because of alphabetical order. Both of them are running. The senators are Chuck Grassley and Mitch McConnell. According to Wikipedia, 227 House incumbents declared they are running so far. 6 of them have at least two primary challengers with Wikipedia pages.
A new Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll finds Democrats start 2026 with their biggest lead yet on the generic congressional ballot, 51% to 43%, while the Republican Party loses ground on immigration, the economy, and public safety.
Well, the Democratic Party may have just forced the bipartisan redistricting commission to redistrict New York. An law firm associated to the Democratic Party filed a lawsuit arguing that the 11th Congressional District illegally disenfranchised Black and Hispanic voters in NYC by including them with Republican whites from Staten Island. Yesterday, a judge agreed with their argument and has ordered the commission to make the 11th CD a minority majority district. This immediately switches the 11th CD from being safe Republican district (R+10), to a safe Democratic district. The media is treating this as a D+1 for NY's redistricting efforts, but I would think that depends on what the commission does to create the minority majority district as it could just make an existing Democratic district a Republican district to account for the white Republicans that are moved out of the 11th CD. https://abcnews.go.com/US/new-yorks-congressional-map-redrawn-state-judge-rules/story?id=129436849
Latinos according to some polling are cooling on Trump. But they are still not happy (relative to the past) with Democrats. "YouGov: Generic Ballot Polling trend among Hispanic Americans (net)" Nov. 2018: D+30 Nov. 2022: D+28 Jan. 2026: D+5 But the second chart below is good for Democrats as they are doing better with 65+ voters. YouGov: Generic Ballot Polling trend among Hispanic Americans (net)🔵 Nov. 2018: D+30🔵 Nov. 2022: D+28🔵 Jan. 2026: D+5 https://t.co/eEoC9TwKVI pic.twitter.com/hEpHRIjRiK— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) January 23, 2026
This polling among independents is good for Democrats. Nov. 2018: R+1 Nov. 2022: R+5 Jan. 2026: D+15 YouGov: Generic Ballot Polling trend among Independent voters (net)🔴 Nov. 2018: R+1🔴 Nov. 2022: R+5🔵 Jan. 2026: D+15In the 2022 midterm elections, independent voters accounted for 31% of all votes cast. https://t.co/eEoC9TwKVI pic.twitter.com/T89D4aSsDR— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) January 23, 2026
Millennials are becoming more liberal as they get older "People always drift right as they get older"... Nah mate, Millennials put a stop to that shit pic.twitter.com/JfA5hvDqFj— Jack D 🏳️🌈 (@JackDunc1) January 22, 2026
Speaking as one who was 13 years old when W Bush was elected: Two wars, GFC (Being in college and graduating during that time was not fun), being wrong on just about everything ranging from gay rights to taxes, well, and then having Trump in our peak years, let's just say a lot of us Millennials aren't exactly convinced by Republicans. Will also add that we've had two Republican Presidents to compare to the likes of Clinton, Obama, and Biden. Yeah, that's no contest. And not to mention (To wade into the generational smack talk), the generations preceding (Gen X) and succeeding us (Gen Z) are of course, big on being nihilists and making it a part of their personality.
The nearest districts to the 11th are very Democratic, so I do not see how another district in New York City goes Republican. New York City has 11 Congressional districts numbered 5 through 15, and a small part of Districts 3 and 16. Of the 10 Democrats from New York City, 9 of them are from a district that has a Cook Partisan Voting Index (PVI) that is more extreme that District 11 is. If a new map is made, New York will have four consecutive elections with different maps plus a gerrymander that was overturned without being used. According to Wikipedia, 17 of New York's 26 representatives are undeclared, and a new map could make them wait longer. New York's filing deadline is April 6.
Eleanor Holmes Norton, DC's shadow representative, is finally stepping down. She's 88. She served her constituents well, but hey, ho, it's time for her to go. https://wapo.st/4biMBhY
Gen X? Nihilists? Surely you don't include ol' optimistic me in that categorization! I mean, I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and power was on the side of their oppressors, but they had no one to comfort them. So I congratulated the dead who are already dead, more than the living who are still living. But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun. I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is futility and striving after wind. Yeah, ok, maybe just a little bit of nihilism. But you have to admit, it sums up things quite well right now! Stolen from Ecclesiastes 4:1-3 & 1:14
I mean, Krist Novoselic of Nirvana fame is a crank (guy is palling around with Andrew Yang), Kyrsten Sinema need I say more? Even in media there's always been hints that Gen X has been conservative. Look at Family Ties for instance. Not to mention Gen X grew up under Reagan and HW Bush. As I said in my other post, us Millennials had W Bush and Trump for Republican Presidents. Dem Presidents? Clinton, Obama, and Biden. Yeah, we know what's better for us. Not saying all Millennials are liberal (Nor are all Gen Xers conservative) but there's a reason a lot of us are left leaning. Like I've said elsewhere, don't trust anyone who makes nihilism a personality trait. Goes for groups too. Eventually they just turn into the Marilyn Manson Onion article.
Vern Buchanan, R-Fl, is retiring https://www.dailykos.com/stories/20...page&pm_source=more_recent_news&pm_medium=web