Hope in the States

Traci: Julie, I know that one of the places we’ve often looked to for hope over the last year is what’s happening within individual states - despite the terrifying expansion of federal powers Trump is trying to grab, there’s still an awful lot that states can do to mitigate harms and move forward to create the communities we want to live in.

Most states are in the swing of their legislative sessions; some have even concluded already. And there is a lot of good stuff happening in state legislatures that we can celebrate. For example, Washington State has passed a historic “millionaire’s tax” - a progressive dream to apply additional taxes to the ultra-wealthy to help create relief for low- and middle-income families, especially with new investments in education and child care, such as an expansion of the free lunch program.

Leaders in Washington State also made progress on several other important progressive priorities, using their majorities in the House and Senate to ban law enforcement from covering their faces, prevent the release of voter data, and ensure vaccine guidance is tied to recommendations from the state rather than the federal government.

Julie: Just south of me in Virginia, the 2025 flip from red to blue allowed the Democratic legislature to move forward an affordability and worker focused agenda that included paid family and medical leave, paid sick days, an increase in the minimum wage to $15/hour and affordable housing policies. They also voted to limit legal cooperation with ICE. These measures now await Governor Spanberger’s signature.

These policies will make it easier and more affordable to raise a family in Virginia. They are responsive to the real needs of people at a time when so many national policies are focused elsewhere.

And, across the country in New Mexico, Governor Lujan Grisham made universal child care official, signing legislation to guarantee no-cost child care that sets young children up for success and helps make life more affordable for families.

Paid leave and child care are policies I have spent a lot of my decades-long career fighting for, and the hard won progress in Virginia and New Mexico definitely provides reasons to be hopeful.

Traci: Even in red states like where I live, sometimes the hope comes from what DOESN’T happen. Legislators in my home state of Iowa abandoned a bill that would have created a total abortion ban. Iowa Democrats also stopped a bill that would have targeted DEI offices at private colleges, while in Florida, advocates and lawmakers stopped four out of five anti-LGBTQ+ bills. Utah’s legislature recently wrapped the year, with trans Utahns pleased with the defeat of several anti-trans bills put forward this year.

Meanwhile, several red states like Georgia are working to push back on voter suppression efforts to help ensure the 2028 elections.

I will never stop beating the drum about how valuable it is to get involved in state legislative races – these are races where the power of these elected officials often far exceeds general public knowledge and understanding of who these candidates are and what they do, so getting to know your local legislative races and pitching to support your candidates of choice can be really powerful. And while professional support is becoming more common in races at all levels, it’s still true that state and local races tend to rely heavily on volunteers.

In addition, state legislatures often serve as the “farm team” for folks who may have higher aspirations for their political career. Helping to build a strong team in the legislature will likely pay off down the road! And finally, legislative races are a good place to spend your time because it’s much easier to show people how their vote makes a difference. An analysis of the 2024 elections found dozens of races where the winner was determined by fewer than 100 votes.

Julie: The good news on this front is that so far this year, Democrats have flipped 28 Republican-held seats in state legislatures across the country over the past 14 months. This bodes well for 2026 Congressional elections too, where the House majority hangs on flipping three seats from red to blue. I recently heard about an effort to focus on 8 key seats - you can learn more and donate here.

Last week, Democrat Bobbi Boudman beat Republican Rep. Dale Fincher in a New Hampshire Senate seat that Trump won by 9 points. And eyes are on the special election in Florida, where next week voters will decide in a special election who represents the Florida state House seat that includes Mar-a-Lago. Democrat Emily Gregory is running against Republican Jon Maple.

I was also excited to see my friend Paul Kendrick win his House primary in Illinois this week! (Go Paul!)

At a time when the global stage is terrifying and the national news bleak, sticking local with state politics can be an important source of hope. And state legislatures will be key in making sure we have fair voting in 2028, and some states are hanging on by a very thin margin. Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and New Hampshire are among the state legislatures that could change control with the 2026 election. Check out the status in your state here. And consider volunteering and donating locally to keep hope alive in the states.