Staff Reports
In red states, the races for attorney general are heating up, and Democrats are feeling confident. They have chosen Mississippi, Kentucky, and Louisiana as the three states where they think they have the best chance of beating the Republican candidates. The Democrats see these races as a chance to send a message to the GOP before the 2024 election, and they hope that the problem of abortion will help them win these attorney general slots. It's a big plan, especially since these are solidly red states that went for Trump by a wide margin in the last election.
Dems Are Hoping to Score Upset Wins in These Races…and Send a Message https://t.co/HxpNMHPulW
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 2, 2023
In a report, the Democratic Attorneys General Association says that these races are not only close, but that Democrats can also win them. It tries to disprove the common belief that Republicans are better at keeping the public safe by saying that GOP candidates and incumbents care more about pushing the extremist agenda of Washington Republicans than about keeping their people safe. After the Supreme Court's decision to throw out Roe v. Wade, the memo also talks about how abortion was a major problem in the midterm elections of 2022.
Pam Stevenson, a state representative and former Air Force colonel, is running for attorney general as a Democrat in the state of Kentucky. The memo says that her experience in the service and as a minister will help her connect with independent voters and voters who lean right. Greta Kemp Martin, who is the head of litigation for Disability Rights Mississippi, is running as a Democrat in Mississippi. The memo talks about how hard it is to get reproductive health care in Mississippi and points to a recent poll that shows some Republican voters want to get rid of the state's strict abortion ban.
The Democrats may have the most trouble in Louisiana, where they haven't put up a candidate for attorney general yet. But the memo seems to suggest that the state's unique jungle primary system gives Democrats a unique chance. If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote in the primary on October 14, the top two candidates will face off in a special election on November 18. Even though it may be harder for Democrats to win this race, they can point to the recent wins of Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards as proof that they can win statewide races in Louisiana.
Even though it's not clear if Democrats can win all three of these races, Republican operatives are worried about the chance. After the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organisation Supreme Court ruling, they haven't come up with a good way to counter the Democrats' focus on abortion and move through the political landscape. Even if the Democrats only win one or two of these races, it will be a big loss for the Republicans and a reason for the media to celebrate. But if Republicans keep their seats, it will show that abortion is not as important an election topic as Democrats think it is, which will make the media less happy.
