Hi Friend,
As 2020 comes to an end, it’s time for us to say goodbye to Flippable. Thanks to you, the past four years have been an incredible journey through the states, one that our team has documented in our latest and final Flippable report.
When we launched Flippable after the 2016 general election, Democrats controlled 31 state legislative chambers and had six trifectas whereas Republicans controlled 68 chambers and had 25 trifectas. The results of that election brought the failings of our democracy into sharp relief: voter suppression, which had grown more prevalent in the wake of the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder ruling, and gerrymandering, which gave the GOP a larger share of House seats than the share of votes won.
Today, Democrats control 37 state legislative chambers and boast 15 trifectas while Republicans hold 61 chambers and have 23 trifectas. Together, the Flippable community helped flip five of those chambers and establish three additional trifectas. These gains—along with the successful independent redistricting ballot measure in Michigan as well as Democratic gubernatorial victories in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—stand to have positive implications for redistricting in several states.
Still, our work isn’t finished. Several GOP state legislators have made it clear that they intend to use upcoming legislative sessions to restrict ballot access, so we need to continue to flip seats and chambers at the state level. And in states where the GOP controls the legislature, we can expect to see gerrymandered maps yet again after the upcoming redistricting process.
Going forward, our work to build and protect pro-democracy majorities in the states will continue solely through Swing Left. You don’t have to do anything; we’ll move you to Swing Left’s mailing list in the weeks ahead. If you don’t wish to be added, please unsubscribe from the Flippable mailing list by January 8th.
It’s been a privilege to build good government and a stronger democracy in the states with you. We look forward to continuing this work, together, at Swing Left, and we wish you health and happiness in the new year.
In solidarity,
Catherine Vaughan
Co-Founder, Flippable
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