Why It Matters: Do Elections Matter?
Why it Matters: Do Elections Matter?
A regular feature to the Chagrin Gateway Democrats from Lyn Newman
What happened? : On April 1, 2025 Susan Crawford won her seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court despite Elon Musk having spent millions of dollars and making personal visits to Wisconsin trying to defeat her. She not only won, she won by a 10 percent margin.
Why it matters?: Crawford’s victory maintains a 4-3 liberal advantage on the Wisconsin court for a least another year in a term that could decide cases about congressional maps and redistricting as well as reproductive rights and collective bargaining. But more than that, her victory is a sign that votes matter. Message matters. When people can see the local consequences of political action, they can be persuaded to vote for their own interests.
What can we do about it?: Talk about issues. Avoid “us vs them language”. Talk to people about what needs doing and finding leaders that can help us get it done. We need local School Board Members, City Council Members and Judges who believe in upholding the constitution. We all really do want to make America Great. But we want it to be great for all of us. We can do it if we all work together. Susan Crawford just proved it.
Lyn Newman can be found on Bluesky
In the News
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