Democrat Linda Belcher Wins Kentucky Special Election

Late last year, Kentucky State Representative Dan Johnson committed suicide in response to allegations that he sexually assaulted a local teenager. His death left a vacancy in the State House of Representatives that required a special election to fill it. As a result, Johnson’s wife and Linda Belcher, the Democrat Dan Johnson originally unseated in 2016, ran for the House seat throughout January and February. And, in a state that overwhelmingly voted for Trump and local Republican representatives in 2016, Belcher easily won the special election by 68 percent of the vote to Rebecca Johnson’s 32 percent (Neuman 2).

Belcher’s win is significant because it’s one win of many in a series of Democratic special election victories that have unseated Republican representatives in federal, state, and local legislatures; and past trends dictate that special elections are often indicative of midterm election results, meaning the Democrats have a decent chance of making gains in the House and Senate this year. This could result in a divided government that will drastically affect the relationship between Trump and Congress and will prevent Trump from utilizing the legislature.

However, a Democratic sweep similar to the one made by Republicans in 2012 isn't set in stone. Republicans tend to be more active in the political process, meaning that in order to make gains, the Democrats have to abandon their typical voter apathy and go to the polls this fall. Regardless of party affiliation, Congress after the 2018 elections is projected to change drastically in response to the disappointment with the current administration on both sides of the aisle.

Works Cited

Allen, G. (2018, February 14). Democrats take republican seat in florida special election. Retrieved February 22, 2018, from NPR website: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/14/585728575/democrats-take-republican-seat-in-florida-special-election

Neuman, S. (2018, February 21). Kentucky democrat wins special election to reclaim seat after lawmaker’s suicide. Retrieved February 22, 2018, from NPR website: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/21/587509178/kentucky-democrat-wins-special-election-to-reclaim-seat-after-lawmakers-suicide

Wilson, R. (2018, January 21). Why democrats keep winning special election. Retrieved from The Hill website: http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/369847-why-democrats-keep-winning-special-elections

Yglesias, M. (2018, February 21). Kentucky special election results: Linda belcher wins. Retrieved February 22, 2018, from Vox website: https://www.vox.com/2018/2/20/17034262/kentucky-special-election-linda-belcher

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