ICYMI: Black Voters In WI and LA Deliver Decisive Defeats To Republicans
Black voters in Louisiana and Wisconsin recently gave Republicans two defeats showing the importance of state-based organizing. While some refer to odd number years as the “off cycle,” organizing efforts in both states led to major victories for pro-democracy advocates. Last weekend, a coalition powered in part by increased turnout among Black voters rejected four constitutional amendments championed by the state’s Republican governor.
Ashley Shelton, president and CEO of the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, called the wins a “movement” of people reclaiming their power.
“These amendments weren’t designed to serve the people; they were crafted in back rooms where only the well-connected have a seat at the table,” Shelton said. “For weeks, the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice traveled across the state, engaging in real conversations about what these amendments meant for our families, our communities, and our future. And when the truth was put in the hands of the people, they acted.”
Constitutional amendments and other ballot initiatives are notoriously difficult to understand and often written in confusing language. But groups like Shelton’s ramped up outreach and provided guidance on what the amendments would mean for communities across the state.
Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, Black voters weren’t tempted by Elon Musk’s million-dollar bribe in an effort to sway the outcome of the state’s supreme court race. According to news reports, Musk traveled to Wisconsin ahead of the election to pay two voters each a million dollars for allegedly voting for his favored candidate.
The race was the most expensive court race in Wisconsin’s history and offers a glimmer into the possibility of investing in state organizing. Trump and the new wave of segregationists have advocated for sending things back to the states, a euphemism often meant to disenfranchise and disempower Black people.
And, as we’ve seen in states like North Carolina, the balance of power in the state’s judiciary can impact outcomes in state elections. In North Carolina, Republican judges at the appellate level just voted 2-1 to side with the sore loser in the still undecided 2024 supreme court race. Over 60,000 voters had their ballots challenged in the lawsuit and will have 15 business days to cure any issues after the Friday decision. This includes a few thousand voters who live overseas and voted absentee.
Organizing ambassadors with the Milwaukee-based Black Leaders Organizing Black Communities (BLOC) could be seen on social media celebrating Musk’s defeat. The caption reads in part “Wisconsin can’t be bought. Congrats everyone.”
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