Corruption Watch: Democrats Sweep Elections by Defeating MAGA, Energy Companies and Election Deniers, and Winning on the Economy

Corruption lost this week! Here’s a look at how Tuesday’s elections shook out across the country:

Pennsylvanians rejected billionaires’ attempts to buy state supreme courts. Pennsylvania voters chose by enormous margins to retain three Democratic supreme court justices, reports Spotlight PA. These wins bring huge relief for anyone who cares about preserving our democracy. Pennsylvania billionaire Jeffrey Yass had dumped significant amounts of money trying to unseat the Democratic justices. As Democracy News has previously covered, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has major implications for issues like statewide abortion access – but also national concerns like how election cases are decided should results be disputed by election deniers. Pennsylvania voters turned out in huge numbers for an “off year” retention and rejected billionaires’ attempts to carve a path for Republican justices to take control of the court.

Mississippians broke Republicans’ lock on state power. Democrats truly swept on Tuesday night. They flipped seats in several state legislatures, including Mississippi. Special elections were held for eight state Senate and two House districts in Mississippi because of a court-ordered redistricting to allow for more majority-minority districts in the state legislature, reports the Magnolia Tribune. Democrats picked up two seats in the state Senate and one in the state House, breaking the Republican supermajority, which gives Democrats a little more leeway to block extremist Republican moves like attempts to change the state constitution. Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said, “Mississippians are sending a clear message that, from blue states to red states, voters are ready to stand up against Republicans’ extreme agenda and hold them accountable.”

Miamians combated voter suppression. Voters in Miami approved a referendum that amends the city charter to prohibit gerrymandering and also establishes a citizens’ redistricting committee, reports The Miami Herald. The referendum came as a response to the city approving districts that a federal judge said were racially gerrymandered and unconstitutional.

And so did Mainers. During a special election, Mainers resoundingly – 64.1 to 35.9% –rejected a Republican-sponsored ballot measure, Question 1, that would have enacted numerous new voting restrictions. This comes ahead of a major midterm contest where multiple Democratic candidates have jumped into the race to unseat Senator Collins.

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Georgians overcame the energy lobby. In Georgia, Democrats Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard pulled off upsets and won elections to the state’s Public Service Commission, the body that oversees utility companies. That’s a huge deal because they unseated Republican incumbents, and because across many states, energy companies have poured money into electing and lobbying public service commissions to do their bidding. Energy company executives donated to the Republican candidates tasked with overseeing them. That kind of direct pay-to-play is an ever-increasing problem given that electricity costs are spiking as tech companies are straining the grid with their rush to build more data centers. “Affordability is front and center in voters’ minds, and today they overwhelmingly said they’re tired of subsidizing corporate interests at the expense of their families,” Hubbard said in the Georgia Record. DNC Chair Ken Martin said, “This victory is a direct response to [Republican]’s cost-raising agenda that is squeezing pocketbooks in Georgia and across the country.”

Democrats ran on affordability and won big. Democratic New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill trounced Trump-endorsed Republican Jack Ciattarelli by roughly 13 points. Real estate magnates were among Ciatarelli’s biggest donors. Sherrill, on the other hand, called to expand programs for first-time homeowners, freeze electricity bills, and generally focus on the cost of living. She has called Trump’s tariffs “an extortion racket.” After her election, Sherrill said, “The reason I was so focused on affordability issues is because my communities are focused on affordability issues and how they’re going to be successful.”

And won big again. Democratic Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican candidate Winsome Earles-Sears by almost 15 points. Democratic candidates also won lieutenant governor and attorney general races, and Democrats expanded their control of the House of Delegates. Every single county in the state swung left. Spanberger campaigned on how federal layoffs, DOGE-driven cuts, and the federal shutdown were all calamitous for Virginia’s economy and promised that she will fight back. Virginia Public Radio reports Spanberger said last month, “We need a governor who will recognize the hardship of this moment, advocate for Virginians, and make clear that not only are we watching people be challenged in their livelihoods and in their businesses and in communities, but Virginia’s economy is under attack.” That message won.

And again. New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani beat former Governor Andrew Cuomo by roughly 9 points. Mamdani launched his campaign with a deluge of small-dollar donations and an army of volunteers and centered his campaign on making the city more affordable. In his victory speech, Mamdani encouraged supporters to “Breathe this moment in.”

After a tough year, let’s take in all these wins. Don’t listen to the noise. Democrats are running on taking on oligarchs and corruption, and delivering affordability, and from Mississippi to New York City, they’re winning.