Obama assists 150 state candidates, targeting GOP’s grip on legislatures

FARIBAULT, Minn. — For half a dozen years, Republicans have swept into statehouses across the nation, winning more legislative chambers than at any time in history and pushing states to the right on issues such as abortion, voting rights, labor unions and gender identity.

Republicans have been warning that Donald Trump has become such a down-ballot drag that the election could flip control of the Senate to Democrats and shrink the GOP’s majority in the House.

But with Mr. Trump’s stumbles raising alarms for Republicans down the ballot, Democrats also are hoping that a resounding win at the presidential level will translate to significant gains in capitals in Minnesota, Colorado, New Hampshire, Nevada, Missouri — the last two of which also have tight U.S. Senate races — and beyond.

President Barack Obama, who has endured gridlock in Washington as Republicans in the states took direct aim at his vision and legacy, is stepping in to assist more than 150 state legislative candidates, by far his biggest effort to bolster local Democrats since he took office.

“You are going to see a level of engagement down to the state representative level that I don’t think you’ve seen too many presidents engage in,” said David Simas, the White House political director.

Still, Democrats are seen as having a long way to go. Republicans effectively control 68 of the nation’s 99 statehouse chambers, compared with 36 at the start of 2010. For years, Democrats complained that Mr. Obama and his political operation paid too little attention to the health of the party, and during his tenure, more than 800 Democratic state lawmakers have been voted out of office, among the worst losses for the party under any president in more than 100 years.

Republicans control at least 22 capitals entirely, holding governors’ offices as well as legislatures. Seven years ago, they had complete control of nine.

Democrats hope Mr. Obama’s involvement, which began in earnest last week, broadens their chances Nov. 8.

In Minnesota, Mr. Obama is backing Jamie Becker-Finn in her campaign for a different State House seat. José Javier Rodríguez, a state representative in Florida, hopes Mr. Obama can help him move to the state Senate. And in Georgia, Mr. Obama recorded an automated telephone call to support keeping Kimberly Alexander in the State House seat she won in 2012.

“This is Barack Obama, urging you to get to the polls to vote for the candidate who has my back, and yours: Kimberly Alexander,” he says in the call. “Thanks. Go vote!”

Mr. Simas, the White House political director, said Mr. Obama was motivated in part by a deepening frustration with conservative legislation passed in statehouses.

Even after Mr. Obama leaves the White House, officials said, he will lend support to Eric Holder, his former attorney general, who is leading a new group aimed at helping Democrats win redistricting fights in 2020.

In addition to statehouses, a surprisingly large number of governors’ races — as many as seven, including Indiana’s, North Carolina’s and Missouri’s — are seen as up for grabs, including some that could alter control of capitals.

At the same time, Republicans are seeing some signs of hope in the key governor’s races in North Carolina, Vermont and Montana.