Democratic state Rep. Lauren Arthur flipped a Missouri state Senate seat on Tuesday, triumphing over Republican state Rep. Kevin Corlew by a double-digit margin in Missouri’s first special election since the resignation last month of Republican Gov. Eric Greitens.
Arthur, a former middle school teacher, is the first Democrat to win the state’s 17th Senate District seat in more than a decade, according to the Kansas City Star. She amassed 59.6 percent of the vote, compared with 40.3 percent for Corlew. It was a district that both Donald Trump and Mitt Romney had won by a 4-point margin.
Arthur’s victory marks the 42nd red-to-blue flip in state legislative races since Trump became president ― and it continues the Democrats’ successes in suburban areas.
Arthur will now represent most of Clay County, a suburban area north of Kansas City. The seat was previously held by Republican Ryan Silvey, who resigned earlier this year.
“Tonight’s result is the latest example of the unprecedented energy we’re seeing across the country, and further proof that when we organize, we can win everywhere,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said in a statement.
Following Arthur’s win, a Missouri Republican consultant issued a warning to the GOP for the looming November midterms.
“Every suburban Republican should be petrified tonight,” the consultant told the Star, speaking anonymously. “This devastating loss signals they could lose this fall.”