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Opinion: The Democrats' race to seize control of the Arizona House is over even before it has begun. It's all part of a genius plan to remain irrelevant.

With just over six months to go until the November election, Democrats have already given up any hope of seizing control of the Arizona Legislature.

Granted, it was always going to be a long shot, what with new political districts that favor Republicans, the GOPs historical advantage in voter turnout and the usual midterm fate that befalls the party in charge in Washington.

But the Arizona DemocraticParty hasthrown in the towel even before this years legislative races have begun, not even bothering to field enough candidates to at least try to win a majority in the Arizona House.

Some Democrats are privately fuming.

All hell is breaking loose in the Democratic Party right now … , one party insider told me. Incompetence I can deal with. But stupidity just does not make sense.

Arizona Democratic Party Chairwoman Raquel Tern could not be reached for comment. Party spokeswoman Morgan Dick, however,praised the 94 Democrats who are running for the Legislature.

Were confident voters will elect candidates who share their values, and those candidates will be Democrats, she said, in a statement. Despite a vitriolic atmosphere, Arizona Democrats have fielded an impressive slate of candidates across Arizona and we are ready to win majorities in the legislature.

Its difficult to see how you willwin a majority when youdont even field enough candidates in the races that could get you there. If there is such a thing as political malpractice, this is it.

Democrats are currently two votes shy of a majority in both the House (31-29) and Senate (16-14). In other words, theyre basically irrelevant.

As long as Republicans stick together on issues like education funding, abortion and tax cuts for the states richest residents, Democrats are mere bystanders in the hallways of power.

So it only makessense that they would go full tilt toward trying to pick up a couple of seats in each chamber in 2022.

It was never going to be easy. Newly drawn political districts give Republicans 13 safe districts (meaning 26 seats in the 60-member House) to the Democrats 12 (24 seats). The remaining five districts are considered competitive. (Districts, 2, 4, 9, 13and 16, for those who are keeping track.)

That is 10 seats in the House, theoretically up for grabs by either party. Yet Democrats are only fielding candidates for six of those 10 seats, meaning the absolute best they can hope for isa 30-30 tie.

And that, only if pigs start flying in circles around the state Capitolbecause four of those five competitive districts lean Republican.

In the Senate, Democrats are at least running a candidate in each of the five competitive districts, giving theman outsidechance of winning a majority, assuming they can ground those joyriding pigs in mid loop-de-loop.

But the race to seize control of the House is over even before it haseven begun, leaving someparty operatives either scratching their heads or grinding their teeth.

The ones who are old-timers like me, were sitting back and saying Oh my god, not again, longtime Democratic consultant Bob Grossfeld told me. Its like the opportunities come along pretty frequently …but its just blown up, merely because of an inability to carry offense or just carrying lousy defense and I cant tell the difference right now.

Some activists tell me that the strategy of the partys legislative campaign committee was focused not on winning a House majority but on winning individual seats fielding only one candidate for a districts two seats and thus increasing that candidate'sodds of victory.

What they cannot explain is Legislative District 13, the most competitive districtin the state.Democrats already have one seat in this Chandler district, with Rep. Jennifer Pawlik.For some reason understood only by thegurus of the Democratic Party, they decided not to run a second candidate to try to snag the other seat.

Did I mention political malpractice?

Democratic consultant Chad Campbell says the single-shot strategy makes sensein the long run. It gives Democrats a chance to get a foothold in those Republican leaning competitive districts in 2022, when Republicans have an inherent advantage, and then build on that in future years.

Its a strategic approach to changing a district over time, as opposed to going in with two candidates and losing both seats, Campbell told me.It can be counter intuitive but done correctly it can work and then you can start to change the political leanings of the district over a couple of cycles.

So give up and hope for the best in 2024or 2026?

The strategy of the party that in 2020 came oh so close to finally winning a seat at the tableis to retreat, rendering Democratic legislatorseven more irrelevant than they already are?

Whatgenius drew up this plan?

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LaurieRoberts.

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Democrats have already given up on winning the Arizona House this year. Genius plan - The Arizona Republic