A Blue Way Forward

Two Democratic Candidates Map Out the Future of Democratic Campaigns

(left) Jon Ossoff — Rob Quist (right)

In 2016, Democrats were handed an embarrassing defeat on election night. Despite winning the popular vote, they lost the presidency, and were unable to regain control of the Senate or the House. It was a bad night for the party, and many have wasted no time in picking apart the reasons for the loss. Whether it was ignoring the white working class, ignoring the progressive wing, ignoring the black community, or some other problem, many people see reasons to be pessimistic about Democrats’ chances in the future. However, in two of the special elections since, two very different Democrats are showing that there is a path forward in many places thought to be completely out of reach.

Jon Ossoff (GA-6)

When Tom Price was nominated for Secretary of Health and Human Services, it was assumed that his seat would be easily replaced with a Republican. That was before Jon Ossoff started his campaign. In the past two months, he has raised over 8.3 million dollars, more than any Democratic candidate in 2016. He currently leads the polls at 43%, more than 20% above any other candidate. Though that is only for the first round of a run-off primary, it’s a strong showing given that Tom Price won the district with 61% of the vote just five months ago.

There are several factors that have led to Ossoff’s meteoric rise. The unpopular Trump presidency has led to a gushing of angry liberal dollars into his campaign’s coffers, and a split Republican field means that he doesn’t have to worry about a single competitor just yet. However, it’s not just the situation that is helping him, it’s his campaign itself.

Georgia’s sixth district is a wealthy, suburban district right outside of Atlanta. Therefore, Ossoff’s campaign doesn’t focus on things like income inequality. Instead, he talks about bringing high-tech jobs to his district, and holding Trump accountable. By focusing on these key issues, he allows people who are otherwise Republicans to vote for a platform that includes environmental protection and a right to abortion because those issues just aren’t as important to these voters. Compromising on these district-specific issues allows him to actually do well with a liberal agenda.

Rob Quist (MT-AL)

Meanwhile, in the state of Montana, there is a much less publicized election being held. This one is replacing Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, who held this seat that has remained Republican since 1997. Montana is a very different place than the suburbs of Atlanta, and this is reflected in the Democratic candidate. Rob Quist is an extremely well-known folk singer in Montana who has generally held very liberal views. He was a supporter of Bernie Sanders, wants to implement single-payer healthcare, and despises money in politics.

One might think that this level of progressivism would immediately kill a candidate in a red state like Montana, but there are some important caveats. Quist is a strong supporter of second amendment rights, and he spends a lot of time talking about the issues of farmers and ranchers, who make up a solid portion of the Montana voter base. These are things that Democrats generally don’t do on the national level, which is why Montana has gone Republican in the presidential elections for decades. However, they do have a Democratic governor and a Democratic senator, both of whom have been elected by running similar campaigns to Quist. All in all, Quist is a quintessentially Montanan candidate.

Wrap-Up

The difference between these two candidates shows how Democrats can move into the future. Every state is different, and every district is different. Therefore, in every area, it is important to run a different type of candidate. In places like Montana, Wyoming, or the Dakotas, it is important to run a candidate that is more lax on gun control while focused on farmers and ranchers (like Rob Quist). In wealthy suburbs like Atlanta, it is important to focus on high quality jobs and government accountability (like Jon Ossoff). In areas like Louisiana and Texas, it is important to be more lenient on abortion, while working within the powerful establishment (like Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards). Every state will need a different type of Democrat, and as long as they stick to the ideals of social and economic justice, that should work just fine.