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Democrats Elect Thomas Perez, Establishment Favorite, as Party Chairman - New York Times

Molly Murray and Matthew Albright, The News Journal Published 3:47 p.m. ET Feb. 25, 2017 | Updated 8 hours ago

Candidates explain why it's important to vote Molly Murray/ The News Journal

Stephanie Hansen talks to Rebecca Walker of Pike Creek, a campaign volunteer, at Olive B. Loss Elementary School in Bear.(Photo: DOUG CURRAN/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS JOURNAL)Buy Photo

Democrat Stephanie Hansenwonthe special election for the 10th District Senate seat Saturday, capturing58 percent of the votes cast andpreserving her party'scontrol of the Legislature.

The race drew national attention and donations from across the country. Former Vice President Joe Biden and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley both campaigned on Hansen's behalf in the weeks leading up to the election.

Stephanie Hansen and Dr. Debbie Harrington of Middletown react as numbers from the polls come in at a watch party at Odessa Fire Hall.(Photo: Doug Curran, DOUG CURRAN/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS)

"This was the first swing election in the country since the inauguration. It was the first chance for voters to rise up with one voice to say were bigger than the bullies," Hansen said during her victory speech at the Odessa Fire Company. "It was the first chance for voters to declare with one loud voice that were better than the politics of fear and division.What we accomplished together will have implications for our entire state and country, and I think tonight theyre hearing us loud and clear in all corners of this country and certainly in D.C. and in Dover."

The picture perfect weather andheavy spending in the race between Hansen, Republican John Marino and Libertarian Joseph D. Lansendorferhelped draw a higher than typical special election crowd. Temperatures reached into the mid- to upper 70s in most of the state, until about 4:30 p.m. when a thunderstorm swept through the region.

As of 5 p.m., 11,203 votes were cast 31.37 percent ofregistered voters, said Anthony J. Albence, director of the New Castle County Department of Elections. There are 35,673 registered voters in the district.

"That's a pretty good turnout," he said.

Thanks to donations from all over America, Hansen's campaign was able to spend more than $251,525, and an allied political action committee, First State Strong, dropped another $497,482, according to the Department of Elections.

That's a total of $749,008 $102.40per person who voted for Hansen.

Those numbers reflect the spending only from the latest reporting periods, so the final tally could be higher. They also don't count spending by unions and other groups that backed Hansen.

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The 10thSenate Districtincludes Middletown, Glasgowand southern Newark.

Hansen's victory keeps Democrats in control of the state Senate and ensures President Pro Tempore David McBride, D-Hawks Nest, his job.

"As president pro tempore, I'm committed to working with all senators for the good of all Delawareans," McBride said.

He attributed the win in the 10th District to an outstanding candidate.

"She supported jobs, talked about the environment and education," McBride said.

Hansen, who lives in Middletown,is an environmental attorney in Wilmington. She served as New Castle County Council president from 1996 to 2001 and before becoming an attorney was an environmental scientist and hydrologist at the state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

Voting in the Delaware Senate District 10 race takes place at Glasgow High School on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.(Photo: JOHN J. JANKOWSKI JR./SPECIAL TO THE NEWS JOURNAL)

Democrat Stephanie Hansen campaigns Saturday in Middletown with her husband (in white shirt) and House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach.(Photo: MOLLY MURRAY/THE NEWS JOURNAL)

The seat was previously held by now-Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long. Herinauguration in January triggered Saturday's election and left the Senate split 10-10.

State Republican Chairman Charles Copeland, in a statement, commendedMarino and his entire team.

"It's been truly amazing to watch this grassroots effort come together to work for a common cause in an effort to make our state better," Copeland wrote in the statement. "This evening, Delaware citizens have been able to see just how politically bankrupt Delaware is. Delaware Democrats, administratively, changed Delawares campaign finance laws in the middle of this campaign so that they could go on to raise $1 million to buy the 10th Senate District seat.

"Delawares Democrats spent over $100 per vote in a district that they already had a 60-to-40 registration advantage. Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, you should be outraged that this kind of unethical behavior occurred. Once again, we are seeing what happens when one political party has absolute power ... corruption."

Sen. Greg Lavelle, R-Sharpley, said the Republicans knew it would be difficult to win the seat.

"John and his family ran a great race," he said. "We knew it would not be easy."

It was even more challenging because "from their side, it was absolutely a national race," he said.

Hansen's win could have major consequences for state policy.

Democrats will retain their majorities on all Senate committeesand keep control of the Joint Finance Committee, which writes the state budget.

Stephanie Hansen receives a phone call from Joe Biden congratulating her on her win at a watch party at Odessa Fire Hall.(Photo: DOUG CURRAN/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS)

Democrats will have an 11-10 majority in the Senate on top of their comfortable control of the House. That means progressive policies like a minimum wage increase could still pass. Republican-backed policies like "right to work" laws, which would make union membership optional, will remain unlikely to pass.Marino and Hansen clashed on right-to-work laws during the campaign, with Marino arguing the policy would bring jobs and Hansen saying it would lower wages. Unions fiercely supported Hansen.

The stalled appointment by Gov. John Carney ofShawn Garvin, former federal Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator, to head the state environmental agency could also move forward. Senate Republicans blocked the nomination.

Hansen blasted Republicans for blocking Garvin, saying it showed the GOP wanted to bring Washington-style gridlock to Dover.

The race captured the attention ofnational news organizations. The New York Times and the Huffington Post wrote about the race, interviewing Democrats across the country who saw it as one of their first chances to fight back against an ascendant GOP and President Donald Trump. National Democrat-aligned groups like the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee and EMILY's List solicited donations for Hansen.

Republicans didn't come close to matching Democrats financially. Marino's campaign spent $96,156 and a supportive PAC, FirstStateFirst, spent $40,785.

Stephanie Hansen and her husband, David Marturana, campaign at Olive B. Loss Elementary School in Bear.(Photo: DOUG CURRAN/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS JOURNAL)

Both sides accused the other of breaking campaign finance laws, but Elections Commissioner Elaine Manlove ruled that neither side acted illegally.

The massive political spending meant residents of the district were deluged with mailers, calls and advertisements online and on TV.

Two complaints werelodged with election officials Saturday. Election officials received a report Saturday morning that voters in the district received phone calls advising them that Hansen had withdrawn from the race. That was untrue, and the complaint was turned over to the state Department of Justice for review.

The second complaint came from Lavelle.

He said voters under 18 were permitted to cast ballots in the race.

"This is outrageous," Lavelle said.

John Marino shakes hands with Steve Beaston, a campaign volunteer from Delaware City, at Everett Meredith Middle School in Middletown on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.(Photo: DOUG CURRAN/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS JOURNAL)

Under state law, people under 18 are allowed to register to vote if they will be 18 by the next general election.

That allows them to vote in special elections even if they aren't already 18, said Howard G. Sholl Jr., deputy director of the New Castle County Department of Elections.

Lavelle said the legislation that allowed 16- and 17-year-oldsto register when they got their driver's licenses was not intended to allow voters under 18.

"This was not the intent," he said.

Lavelle said he was unsure how many voters cast ballots in the under-18 categoryby 12:30 p.m., but"I don't know what we can do. I guess we'll wait and see."

He complained that the state Elections Department was favoring the Democrat in this race through decisions that were made.

Marleen Oetzelof New Castlesaid she, for one, was sick of cronyism.

Voting in the Delaware Senate District 10 race takes place at Glasgow High School on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.(Photo: JOHN J. JANKOWSKI JR./SPECIAL TO THE NEWS JOURNAL)

She runs ananimal rescue agency and was upset when former Sen. Patricia Blevins was picked to lead the state's animal welfare operation after she lost a re-election bid in November. She feels Blevins wasn't qualified.

"I'm beyond furious," she said. "You can't complain to anyone" because Democrats control the governor's office and the General Assembly.

"And did I mention I'm a Democrat," she said.

The race is high stakes for both parties, and that word got out to Hansen supporter Chad Masso.

He said he is a regular voter but "all the hype" with this election raised his interest.

Thanks to donations from all over America, Hansen's campaignspentmore than $251,525, and an allied political action committee, First State Strong, dropped another $497,482, according to the Department of Elections.

Those numbers reflect the spending from the latest reporting periods only, so the final tally could be higher. They also don't count spending by unions and other groups that backed Hansen.

Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, Senator Bryan Townsend, Stephanie Hansen and Senate Majority Leader Margaret Rose Henry react as numbers from the polls come in at a watch party at Odessa Fire Hall.(Photo: DOUG CURRAN/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS)

STORY CONTINUES BELOW MAP

The campaign also saw volunteers flock into the district to knock on doors and place signs. Before Saturday, both campaigns were confident they had knocked on the door of any resident who was likely to vote for them.

Democrats have held a majority in the Senate for 44 years.

Contact Molly Murray at (302) 463-3334 or mmurray@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter@MollyMurraytnj.

Early warm weather could spell trouble later

State Senate 10th District Total Votes Percentage

Stephanie Hansen, Democrat 7,314 58.13%

John Marino, Republican 5.127 40.75%

Joseph D Lanzendorfer, Libertarian 139 1.12%

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Hansen wins, preserves Democrats' control of Senate - The News Journal

The Democrats who don't dare face voters at town halls New York Post Recent weeks have seen a flood of media reports on Republicans facing angry constituents at town-hall meetings, so it's nice to see the Associated Press point out that many Democrats have been dodging town halls altogether. Specifically, AP's Steve ... and more »

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The Democrats who don't dare face voters at town halls - New York Post

ERIK S. LESSER/European Pressphoto Agency

Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton delivered a videotaped address during the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Winter Meeting in Atlanta.

Hillary Clinton has kept a relatively low profile since losing the election in November a few public appearances and walks in the woods notwithstanding. But she has a new message for her fellow Democrats: keep fighting.

Appearing in a video message at the Democratic Partys Winter Meeting in Atlanta on Friday, Clinton, who has stayed out of the Democrats contest for party chair, praised the Jan. 21 womens marches across the country and other signs of public criticism of Trump

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Let resistance plus persistence equal progress for our party and our country, she said.

She also indirectly noted her popular vote victory, which Trump has insisted was not legitimate. Nearly 66 million votes, she said, are fueling grassroots energy and activism.

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Saying that being the Democratic candidate was the honor of a lifetime, Clinton urged Democrats to keep fighting.

The former Democratic presidential candidate made an appearance at the Democratic National Committees Winter Meeting in Atlanta.

Ill be right there with you every step of the way, she said.

While Clinton has maintained a quieter profile since the election, she has commented publicly at select times during the Trump presidency.

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When an appeals court rejected a Trump administration request to reinstate the presidents travel ban, she tweeted 3-0 in response to the decision, an apparent reference to the judges unanimous decision.

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Hillary Clinton urges Democrats to keep fighting - The Boston Globe

In the wake of Donald Trumps election, the left side of the political spectrum has mobilized with a strength and fervor that few can remember. Protests against the administrations actions have occurred daily, beginning with the Womens March, a massive mobilization that involved more than onein every 100 Americans. The protests have already shifted the political landscape, with Senate Democrats voting en masse against Trumps most controversial nominees, and even successfully derailing Andy Puzder, his pick forlabor secretary.

But for this resistance as its been labeled to sustain itself in the months ahead and truly change politics, it must become a full-fledged movement. To better understand the possibilities for movement-building and explore its implications, we tried to quantify just how influential progressives are feeling today, and what they see as their path forward.

The survey was conducted among 988 respondents identified as Political Influencers. In short, Political Influencers are hyperactive partisans who exhibit a high level of activism. They are involved in a number of political activities, from more traditional approaches to influencing (i.e., voting or signing a petition) to more committed activities (i.e., participating in a local community group or taking part in a demonstration). As their name implies, Political Influencers are active and outgoing, and pride themselves on being well-informed and up to date. Enabling their influence, this audience likes talking about politics and current affairs with friends, and doesnt shy away from expressing opinions.

Gleaning insight into the views of Political Influencers is particularly important because they have an inordinate amount of influence over whether or not movement-building is successful. Research has shown that the impact of an Influencer can be significant, and includes an ability to change behaviors or opinions in others. Basically: Political Influencers are movement-makers.

Awakening a New Political Movement?

Far from agreeing with New York Times columnist David Brooks that protests are ineffectual, 97 percent of respondents believe that demonstrations strongly (68 percent) or somewhat (29 percent) help the cause(s) that are being advocated. Even more noteworthy, the protests and demonstrations that have taken place since the 2016 election appear to be awakening an audience that has previously shied away from such public displays of disapproval. In the past six months, slightly more than half (54 percent) of Political Influencers have taken part in a political protest or demonstration. Of those, only 7 percent say they had regularly participated in protests or demonstrations in the past, while nearly two in five (39 percent) say they had never participated in a protest before. Other research suggests a similar dynamic. A new Quinnipiac poll, for instance, found that nearly half (48 percent) of Democrats say they have become more politically active since the election; the same is true of only 28 percent of independents and 27 percent of Republicans.

Past movements have been successful in part because theyve been able to harness power from those that dont see themselves inherently as protesters or activists. In addition, other polling has shown that the Womens March and other progressive actions are broadly popular among voters, which make them both more effective and harder for Republicans to ignore. Despite claims by Trump that the protesters are paid agitators, they have significantly more public support than he does.

To the benefit of progressive candidates in upcoming elections, Political Influencers also plan to be quite active in terms of political contributions to candidates and causes. Between now and the 2018 election, the mean amount respondents who plan to donate expect to contribute to candidates and causes is $749. Hearteningly, they are more likely to report targeting money toward state and local races than national races, though they are least likely to donate to state and local causes.

Democrats Have Their Vote, but Significant Party-Building Lies Ahead

Of those Political Influencers who express a vote preference in the 2018 midterm election, 98 percent plan to vote for a generic Democrat against a generic Republican. That said, these Influencers dont currently have many good words for their party, which is seen by many as disorganized, spineless, leaderless, weak and ineffective. Even more troubling, a quarter believe the party will still be divided come November 2018.

Fundamentally, there exists a crisis of confidence among Political Influencers when it comes to their views of the Democratic National Committee. While majorities have confidence in state and local Democratic leaders and state parties, and to a lesser extent in Democratic members of the U.S. Senate and House, a majority dont have confidence in the DNC to represent their interests. This lack of confidence is weighing on feelings toward the party. Only 31 percent of Influencers believe the party has strong leadership, and perhaps even more troublingly, only 37 percent believe the party is on a path toward victory.

Another red flag for the Democratic Party moving forward is how few Political Influencers believe that joining a political party is an effective way to ensure their voice is heard by decision-makers. By and large, Influencers see voting in elections as the best way to ensure their voice is heard (79 percent say its one of the best ways). Calling or writing your elected official (72 percent) is also seen as an important way to make your voice heard. Notably, making a political donation (38 percent) is also seen as an important way to ensure being heard. But fewer than one in five Influencers (18 percent) see joining a political party as a top way to ensure your voice is heard by decision-makers. This apathy toward belonging to a political party should act as a warning to the incoming leaders of the Democratic Party. Political Influencers are motivated, and taking action. But they dont see identification with the party as a key way to ensure their voice is being heard.

As to how the party positions itself moving forward, there is one thing all Influencers overwhelmingly agree on: The Democratic Party needs to stand up to Trump. Eighty-one percent of respondents strongly and 13 percent somewhat agree that Democrats should stand their ground against Trump, rather than compromising. Moving forward, the party needs to ensure these Influencers feel that it is speaking and acting in a way that reflects their own voices. The party standing its ground against Trump is the surest way to do so.

How Young Influencers are Shaking Up the Party

Moving forward, the party needs to both better understand and better address the unease of younger Influencers. Young Influencers were least likely to believe that voting is the most effective way to make a difference (only 56 percent of those under 30 vs. 71 percent of those 65 or older) and also the least likely to say they always vote (74 percent vs. 94 percent, respectively). Influencers young and old must embrace the importance of voting, and the party is an important messenger in that conversation.

It appears that divides stemming from the 2016 Democratic primary campaign remain, as disproportionately high levels of distrust toward the Democratic National Committee exist among younger Influencers. While only 35 percent of those age 65 or older say they trust the DNC a little or not at all, 57 percent of those under 30 distrust the DNC. Younger respondents were also less likely to approve of how Democrats in Congress were handling their job, with 87 percent of those 65 or older approving compared to 71 percent of those under 30. In addition, only 28 percent of those under 30 say that fights for working families describes Democrats very well, compared to 42 percent of those 65 or older.

While these divides are certainly not chasms, they do indicate potential areas of friction among Political Influencers moving forward, particularly when it comes to party-building. And they provide a caution flag to Democratic leaders: More can and should be done to address this trust deficit that exists, particularly among younger Political Influencers.

Identity Politics or Populism?

Following the presidential election, there has been a lengthy debate about the tension between a progressive embrace of civil rights and an embrace of economic populism. Notably, few respondents worried that the Democrats were too focused on the interests of people of color (i.e., consumed by identity politics). Even more notably, young respondents were least likely to believe the party is too focused on speaking to communities of color. Fifty-five percent of those under 30 said that described Democrats not well at all compared to 38 percent of those 65 or older.

These low numbers believing the party is too focused on identity politics paired with the high numbers who believe the Democratic Party is fighting for working families would suggest Influencers dont see these questions as zero-sum. Instead, they may perceive that identity politics ensures that populism does not become racially exclusionary, while economic progressivism ensures that identity politics remains tethered to economic liberation.

Though many have been quick to draw lessons from the Tea Party, it also provides a cautionary tale of ideological purity. The fixation on ideological purity in the Tea Party movement almost certainly cost Republicans seats in the Senate and sunk the grand bargain, an agreement that favored their interests. Instead, President Obama got some of the tax increases he wanted later anyway, while Social Security and Medicare were spared from even modest cuts. Today, the extreme positions of the Tea Party imperil the Republican Partys long-sought plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

We find that ideological purity may not be as much of a stumbling block on the left as it has remained for Republicans. Respondents were asked whether they would prefer making sure Democrats espouse strong progressive values or are united in their opposition to President Trump. Fully 62 percent of respondents choose the latter. Progressives would be wise to learn from the mistakes the Tea Party made in 2010, and avoid the temptation to let ideological purity supersede an ability to coalesce a winning majority united in opposition to Trump necessary to win back control of the House in 2018.

Conclusion: The Path Forward

The strength and fervor of this resistance is real and has the potential to grow into a full-fledged political movement. These insights from Political Influencers suggest four key takeaways to watch moving forward:

1. There are signs that this effort is engaging people who havent been actively engaged in politics in the past.

It appears that resistance efforts are indeed drawing new blood into the Influencer circle, engaging progressives who havent always been as actively involved. Making sure these new Influencers feel like their voice is being heard will be critical. Equally important, there is a recognition among Political Influencers that for change to happen, it must be fought for at all levels of government, including at the state and local level.

2. Political Influencers play an important role in the strength and direction of the resistance effort moving forward. Right now, there is a crisis of confidence in the national party.

While Political Influencers are overwhelmingly planning to vote for and support Democrats heading into 2018, the partyhas some significant rebuilding ahead. These folks are motivated and taking action, but they dont see identification with the party as a key way to ensure their voice is being heard. Moving forward, the party needs to ensure these Influencers feel it is speaking and acting in a way that reflects their own voices. Standing up against Trump is the surest way to do so.

3. Progressives need to avoid the missteps of the Tea Party, and right now, they are. But care must be taken to avoid the trap of ideological purity.

The Tea Partys legislative success has been and remains muted, in part because of its insistence on ideological purity. While these findings suggest that ideological purity may not provide a similar challenge for the left, it is important to learn from the Tea Partys mistakes.

4. Democrats need to portray themselves as a party thats willing to fight, and rely on their state and local counterparts to organize resistance efforts.

Political Influencers are desperately seeking a national Democratic operation that acts as a bullhorn for their own voices to be heard. Right now, these Influencers dont express confidence that the DNC represents their interests, and even fewer believe the party has strong leadership or is on a path toward victory. Bottom line: The work is cut out for this new team that takes the reins at the DNC. In the meantime, Political Influencers recognize the importance of state and local organizing efforts, and are involving themselves at this level. Its here, at the grassroots, that the rebuilding effort will reap its greatest rewards.

Note: The authors conducted a national survey of 988 Political Influencers. The survey was conducted from Feb. 7-11, 2017. For this survey, a Political Influencer is someone who has engaged in five or more of the following activities: presented his or her views to an elected leader (i.e., through letters, emails or calls); written a letter to an editor; urged someone outside his or her family to vote; used social media to discuss politics; urged someone outside his or her family to take part in a demonstration; urged someone to get in touch with an elected official; made a speech before an organized group; served as officer of an organization or club; run for public office; taken an active part in a political campaign; signed a petition; voted in an election; donated to a campaign or issue advocacy organization; participated in a community group that advocated for a specific issue; or taken part in a demonstration or protest.

These insights represent a diversity of voices across geographies, ages and professions. Notably, Political Influencers are not limited to traditional political circles and more often than not come from seemingly unrelated industries; in fact only 2 percent of respondents in this research consider their jobs to be in political advocacy and fewer than 2 percent reside in Washington. Political Influencers on the left are disproportionately white, female and college-educated. But whats notable is that differences across these demographic groups are muted, the exception being among younger Political Influencers.

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Where do Democrats go from here? Look toward Political Influencers who want them to stand up to Trump - Salon