Democrats Set Ambitious Spending Plan for State Legislative Races
New York TimesJan 10
State Democrats Claim Fundraising Record in 2023
The Facts
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLLC) has announced "record-breaking" fundraising of over $21M in 2023 as part of its two-year cycle aimed towards "win[ing] state legislatures and build[ing] state infrastructure across the country."
The DLCC has a 2023-2024 target budget of $60M — $10M more than the 2022 midterm election cycle and four times more than its 2016 budget. It has claimed increases have occurred in grassroots funding "despite downwards industry trends."
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Following contentious legal decisions on issues such as abortion, voting rights, and gun laws, the importance of state legislatures has grown significantly within the public eye ahead of upcoming US elections. While funding for state legislative races is still comparatively minute when compared with federal campaigns, Democrats have recognized that, during this critical time for democracy, there is an urgent need to further engage with voters at federal level.
Republican narrative
Local governance has seen a degradation in competency, predominantly led by Democrats who have ignored grassroots issues while cities and towns fail to fulfill their essential functions. Trust in state-level political systems has severely eroded as partisan moral preaching remains prioritized over sustaining healthy communities. While Democrats receive an abundance of financing from corporatized unions, the real American public continues to suffer under their leadership.
Nerd narrative
There's a 54% chance that a Democrat will win the 2024 US presidential election, according to the Metaculus prediction community.