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There are four competitive special elections for state legislative seats taking place in January, and the people of South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania have a chance to make their voices heard.
State legislatures make laws about everything from civil rights to student loan policies to marijuana legalization, which is to say that local elections are extremely significant.
According to Flippable, “Special elections are anyone’s game. Most voters don’t show up at the polls for them, so the normal rules don’t apply. The party that’s paying the most attention has the best chance of winning.” In other words, more than ever, every single vote counts.
Here’s where voters can make a difference this month:
Wisconsin State Assembly, District 58 — Tuesday, January 16
Republican representative Bob Gannon passed away on October 3, 2017, and the state is holding a special election to fill his seat on Tuesday, January 16. Democratic nominee Dennis Degenhardt and Republican nominee Rick Gundrum will face off that day. Degenhardt’s platform is focused on education, increased wages and improved benefits, affordable health care, funding to fight opioid addiction, and “real fiscal responsibility.” Gundrum made some news during the primaries with his staunch anti-choice stance — he does not believe in a woman’s right to choose, even in cases of rape, incest, or a pregnancy that endangers the woman’s life. He also reportedly has a record of fiscal conservatism and lists his “key issues” as taxes, opioid use, and transportation.
South Carolina State House, District 99 — Tuesday, January 16
Former representative James Merrill resigned on September 1, 2017, after he was indicted by a grand jury on 30 counts of ethics violations, involving taking money for personal use from groups with a stake in state House legislation and failing to disclose it. Democratic nominee Cindy Boatwright will face Republican nominee Nancy Mace on January 16.
Boatwright, a licensed mental health counselor and first-time candidate for office, is pro-choice and in favor of common-sense gun reform. Mace, who was the first female graduate of the Citadel Corps of Cadets, opposes a woman’s right to choose and says that she believes “the Second Amendment, as written, is good enough.”
Wisconsin, State Senate District 10 — Tuesday, January 16
Republican Sheila Harsdorf resigned from the state Senate on November 10, 2017, to accept an appointment as Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Democrat Patty Schachtner, Republican Adam Jarchow and Libertarian Brian Corriea will be on the ballot on January 16.
Schachtner, a lifelong western Wisconsin resident, former EMT, and gun safety advocate, says, “I believe our state can do a better job supporting children, families, and seniors in western Wisconsin.... I do that every day in my work in the community, and will bring the same approach to the legislature.” Jarchow, a former state assemblyperson, has a record that includes a law to protect hunters from harassment called the Right to Act and a vote to freeze tuition at all University of Wisconsin schools in order to make college degrees more affordable. Corriea, a U.S. Navy veteran and insurance adjustor, says, “I will be able to bridge partisan divides and bring good ideas back to the forefront, no matter which side of aisle they come from.”
Pennsylvania, State House District 35 — January 23, 2018
Representative Marc Gergely resigned from the state House after pleading guilty to two misdemeanor charges relating to an illegal gambling machine ring. Democratic candidate Austin Davis faces Republican Fawn Walker-Montgomery in the January 23 special election. Davis has been involved in his community from an early age — by 21, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review had called him “a veteran at the politics of helping others” — and his platform highlights issues of jobs, education, transportation, and public safety. Montgomery — who was the first black person and woman to run for the State House of Representatives in the 35th District in 2016, when she lost to Gergely — is an anti-choice candidate. Her platform focuses on crime, education, ending political corruption, and criminal justice reform.
Related: Guide to Your Local Election Ballot
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