Editorial roundup

June 21

Richmond Times-Dispatch

Special election victories

President Donald Trump’s much-prophesied destruction of the Republican Party has yet to come to pass and, for now at least, appears to be mainly wishful thinking on the part of progressives and their many pals in the national media. Karen Handel’s 4-point victory in Tuesday’s special election for a House seat in Georgia makes clear that the Democrats’ philosophy — the usual blend of high taxes, big government and identity politics — has not won over moderate voters.

The Democrats expended vast amounts of money, celebrity, and political capital in support of Jon Ossoff, an attractive young candidate running in a district filled with high-income, highly educated voters. And yet they came up short, as they have in every special election this year involving a Republican congressional seat. The resistance, so far, has not been televised. This should be seen as good news for the Republican ticket in Virginia. Ed Gillespie, Jill Vogel, and John Adams face a tough race, but if they continue to run superior campaigns, they’ll have a real chance to win in November. Voters in Virginia may be ready for a little hope and change.

It’s not all good news for Republicans, though. They’ve faced competitive challenges in four Republican-leaning congressional districts in 2017, including a surprisingly close race in South Carolina Tuesday. So the voters are restless. The sooner the GOP can confirm conservative judges, pass tax relief and reform, replace Obamacare, and pass a budget that shores up the military while meaningfully restraining federal domestic spending, the better the chances they’ll extend their winning streak into 2018.