Democrats made big gains in elections across the U.S. Tuesday, as voters turned against the Republican Party one year after Donald Trump was elected president. In New Jersey, Democrat Phil Murphy defeated Kim Guadagno in the race to replace the deeply unpopular Republican Governor Chris Christie.
In Virginia, Democrat Ralph Northam defeated Republican Ed Gillespie in a gubernatorial race that was widely seen as a referendum on President Trump’s policies. In response, Trump tweeted, “Ed Gillespie worked hard but did not embrace me or what I stand for.” Northam’s acceptance speech was briefly interrupted by immigration rights activists, who protested Northam’s pledge to sign a ban on sanctuary cities as governor. The protest prompted a security official to rush Northam off the stage.
In Maine, voters approved an expansion of Medicaid for low-income adults, defying Republican Governor Paul LePage and lending support to the Affordable Care Act.
In Ohio, voters rejected a measure that would have forced pharmaceutical companies to reduce the price of prescription drugs, after Big Pharma outspent its opponents by a three-to-one margin.
In Washington state, Democrats have flipped the state Senate and will take control of the entire Washington state government.
In New York, voters rejected a convention to rewrite the state’s constitution, while in New York City, incumbent Mayor Bill de Blasio won a second term in office in a landslide election.
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, civil rights lawyer Larry Krasner has been elected district attorney. Krasner is a longtime opponent of capital punishment who opposes police stop-and-frisk policies. He’s represented protesters with Black Lives Matter, ACT UP, Occupy Philadelphia and other progressive groups.
