There is no question that The Democrats victory in the Senate Election in Alabama just a few days ago comes as a big surprise to many of us. Between political wonks and many political operatives in Washington, Alabama it’s not a State us that Democrats are supposed to win. But we did, and here’s why.
First, one of the most important takeaways from this election is the fact that a majority of voters decided to vote against what is morally right versus sticking to political parties. Country came before Party. And Americans proved it during this election.
Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, a majority of voters understood this simple premise: Regardless of Party affiliation, no political candidate or politician should be in The United States Congress with the type of accusations (and much evidence) that Roy Moore has against him when it comes to his terrible behavior against women and children. It’s terrible and it should not be tolerated.
Yes, a big portion of the electorate decided to vote for Roy Moore, but at the same time, it’s important to note that over 20,000 voters decided to “write-in” a candidate. Meaning that a good chunk of voters, many of them Republicans, were too embarrassed to vote for the GOP Candidate, but at the same time weren’t ready to vote for a Democrat.
Now the biggest lesson from this election is this: Minority voters matter. And they matter a lot.
It’s no secret that for years, politicians from both sides of the isles have taken the minority vote for granted. Not just in Senatorial and House Races, but in Presidential Races as well.
It’s a relief and quite the good news that The Democratic Party is continuing to make the necessary changes to improve and innovate the way we engage with communities of color.
To be specific, here are a few things that The Democratic Party was able to accomplish in this past election:
- Organizers funded by The Democratic Party were strategically placed in communities of color and near college campuses, were a good portion of millennials were present.
- Over 1.32 million phone calls were made and just in the last seven weeks, over 325,000 doors were knocked on.
- Using the latest SMS texting technology, over 1 million texts were sent to volunteers and voters in Alabama.
Now, more than ever, we must continue building on these efforts and ensure that we execute a similar strategy for 2018. When we organize, mobilize, and invest in our communities, we win elections. It’s that simple.
In an election where an estimated 30 percent of the electorate in the Alabama Senate Race were African-American, the share of these voters was higher than both of Barack Obama’s presidential victories.
To be specific, Doug Jones won 93 percent of the vote among black men and 98 percent of the votes among black women. That’s a big deal and a testament that The Democratic Party, political operatives, Pacs and other key organizations need to focus a big part of their efforts in getting minorities voters to come out and vote.
And that means, not just a few months before an election, but an all-around year operation were minority groups truly feel invested and part of The Democratic tent.
I’m optimistic that Alabama was an important wake-up call for many of us and a test for the new leadership of the Party to prove that they got what it takes to win elections come 2018. And so far, they’re proving just that.