Wins around U.S. boost Democrats
NEW YORK — Democrats woke up to a big dose of good news Wednesday as they dissected election results from around the U.S. One year after the election of Republican President Donald Trump, there were plenty of encouraging signs for Democrats. Some key election takeaways: • TRUMP RESISTANCE IS REAL
After a series of losses in redstate special elections, Democrats finally had the night they needed to prove the much-discussed “Trump resistance” movement can be an electoral force. They notched a showy win in the Virginia governor’s race, where Ralph Northam won by nearly nine points. The New Jersey governor’s race was a Democratic blowout. Maine voters approved a Medicaid expansion that was seen as a referendum on former president Barack Obama’s health care law. And Manchester, New Hampshire, elected its first Democratic mayor in a decade. • LOOK OUT DOWN BALLOT
Democratic gains in statehouses could lead to lasting political consequences in Washington. That’s because state governments control redistricting, the onceevery-decade process of redrawing congressional districts. The Republicans controlled the vast majority of state houses in 2010 and used that edge to create advantageous political maps in many cases. If Tuesday’s results are a harbinger of what’s to come, Democrats might be poised to flip the script. In Virginia, Democrats picked up at least 14 House seats, and the state House majority remained in reach with a handful of races still too close to call. Most of the Democrats who knocked off Republican incumbents are women. Ten of the 14 pickups came from female challengers. Among those women is the first openly transgender delegate, Danica Roem, whose victory came against an outspoken social conservative, incumbent Robert Marshall. • TAX REFORM GOT HARDER
It was never going to be easy for Trump and his allies in Congress to overhaul U.S. tax laws. Facing a wall of Democratic opposition, GOP leaders have to persuade virtually every Republican member to support their tax plan. Some members serving in swing districts already were nervous. After Tuesday, it’s hard to imagine that vulnerable Republicans across New York, New Jersey and California are more willing to take a risk on taxes or any major policy that could hurt their constituents. Blue-state Republicans already have raised concerns that the current House of Representatives tax plan largely wipes away the deduction for state and local taxes, which could be a major problem for residents and business in high-tax states. House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican, said Wednesday that it’s more important than ever for his party to pass a tax bill. For some of his members, it’s also more risky.