{"id":1913231,"date":"2023-04-11T21:42:35","date_gmt":"2023-04-12T01:42:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/heres-every-major-upcoming-election-republicans-should-already-be-preparing-for\/"},"modified":"2023-04-11T21:48:17","modified_gmt":"2023-04-12T01:48:17","slug":"heres-every-major-upcoming-election-republicans-should-already-be-preparing-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/heres-every-major-upcoming-election-republicans-should-already-be-preparing-for\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s Every Major Upcoming Election Republicans Should Already Be Preparing For"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fheres-every-major-upcoming-election-republicans-should-already-be-preparing-for%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1913231&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<p>There\u2019s no sugarcoating the fact last week\u2019s Wisconsin Supreme Court election was a complete disaster for Republicans. In one of the nation\u2019s most hotly-contested battleground states, Republican Daniel Kelly lost to Democrat Janet Protasiewicz by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2023-elections\/wisconsin-state-supreme-court-results\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">11 points<\/a>, meaning Democrats will now control the state\u2019s highest court for the first time in <a href=\"https:\/\/pbswisconsin.org\/news-item\/meet-the-candidates-running-in-the-2023-wisconsin-supreme-court-primary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">15 years<\/a>. With cases regarding abortion, election integrity, and governmental overreach likely to be heard before the court in the coming years, Protasiewicz\u2019s win is devastating for conservatives in the Badger State.<\/p>\n<p>Given the high-stakes nature of the election, one would expect prominent conservatives to be raising the alarm about the race\u2019s local and national implications. Yet, in the weeks leading up to the critically important election, the 2024 GOP presidential primary consumed the attention of leading conservative figures. While Republicans were busy fighting one another about who would make the best candidate to take on President Joe Biden in 2024, Democrats were laser-focused on taking control of Wisconsin\u2019s highest court.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-1808135045\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div  class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-f2a9b70ebce26db845a3605273037060 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-f2a9b70ebce26db845a3605273037060\"><\/div>\n[READ<strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/03\/31\/why-are-conservatives-talking-about-2024-instead-of-the-wisconsin-supreme-court-election-next-week\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Why Are Conservatives Talking About 2024 Instead Of The Wisconsin Supreme Court Election Next Week?<\/a><\/strong>]\n<p>In the months leading up to the April 4 contest, Democrats poured millions into the race to back Protasiewicz\u2019s campaign. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/news\/2023\/04\/wisconsin-supreme-court-race-was-the-most-expensive-state-judicial-election-in-u-s-history\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">OpenSecrets<\/a>, the Democrat justice-elect raised $14 million, including $8.9 from the Wisconsin Democrat Party. Protasiewicz also received <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2023\/03\/29\/report-george-soros-donates-1-million-to-wisconsin-democrats-ahead-of-state-supreme-court-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">millions of dollars<\/a> in donations from out-of-state figures such as leftist billionaire George Soros ($1 million) and Illinois Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker ($1 million).<\/p>\n<p>Kelly, on the other hand, only managed to raise <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/news\/2023\/04\/wisconsin-supreme-court-race-was-the-most-expensive-state-judicial-election-in-u-s-history\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$2.6 million<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Such a massive difference in campaign cash doesn\u2019t even account for the efforts left-wing groups took to mobilize Democrat voters ahead of the April 4 contest. In mid-March, for instance, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/non-profit\/voteamerica\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">VoteAmerica<\/a> \u2014 a left-wing nonprofit \u2014 announced it was launching a \u201cWisconsin\u00a0Campus Voter Turnout\u201d program designed to encourage Wisconsin\u2019s \u201c233,238 students on 24 college and university campuses\u201d to vote in the election. Left-wing political action committees also undertook <a href=\"https:\/\/justthenews.com\/politics-policy\/elections\/election-bribery-or-gotv-pac-allegedly-pays-people-vote-progressive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">similar efforts<\/a> with eligible voters throughout the state.<\/p>\n<div  class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-cbc43dbed6935791eb9a9ac4d6a2d04c fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-cbc43dbed6935791eb9a9ac4d6a2d04c\"><\/div>\n<p>Kelly\u2019s humiliating defeat should serve as a wake-up call to Republican and conservative figures that forgoing state and local politics in favor of the next national contest is a failing strategy. Instead of hyperventilating over the next presidential primary or midterm, conservatives should be reorienting their focus towards state and local races that can provide citizens with mechanisms to push back against federal overreach.<\/p>\n<p>In order to avoid more electoral disasters like that in Wisconsin, The Federalist has compiled a list of the most significant elections taking place in 2023 that conservatives should begin mobilizing for right now.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pennsylvania <\/h2>\n<p>While the 2022 midterms resulted in Democrats gaining a one-seat majority in the Pennsylvania <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Pennsylvania_House_of_Representatives\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">House of Representatives<\/a>, a series of special elections next month give Republicans an opportunity to take back control of the state\u2019s lower chamber. On May 16, the commonwealth will hold <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Pennsylvania_state_legislative_special_elections,_2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">elections<\/a> to fill vacancies for two state House seats (Districts 108 and 163). If Republicans win both, they\u2019ll take back control of the House.<\/p>\n<p>Later this year, on Nov. 7, the commonwealth will also hold elections for a <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Pennsylvania_Supreme_Court_elections,_2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pennsylvania Supreme Court seat<\/a>, a <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Pennsylvania_intermediate_appellate_court_elections,_2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Commonwealth Court seat, and two Superior Court seats<\/a>. While a Republican victory in the state Supreme Court race wouldn\u2019t give conservatives control of the high court, it would cut into Democrats\u2019 current <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Supreme_Court_of_Pennsylvania\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">4-2 majority<\/a>. In recent years, the state Supreme Court has ruled on numerous high-profile issues such as <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/11\/02\/pa-supreme-court-deals-huge-election-victory-undated-mail-in-ballots-cannot-be-counted\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">election integrity<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2018\/03\/22\/republicans-right-impeach-pennsylvanias-rogue-supreme-court-justices-gerrymandering\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">gerrymandering<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div  class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-0dd31c6b191391aeca9af3d5ddce5ae3 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-0dd31c6b191391aeca9af3d5ddce5ae3\"><\/div>\n<p>Primaries for Pennsylvania\u2019s judicial elections will be held on May 16.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mississippi, Kentucky, and Louisiana<\/h2>\n<p>The states of <a href=\"http:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Mississippi_state_executive_official_elections,_2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mississippi<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Kentucky_state_executive_official_elections,_2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kentucky<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Louisiana_state_executive_official_elections,_2023\">Louisiana<\/a> each hold <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Gubernatorial_elections,_2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">elections<\/a> for governor, attorney general, and other statewide offices this fall.<\/p>\n<p>While Mississippi\u2019s governor seat is occupied by Republican Tate Reeves, Kentucky\u2019s is held by Democrat Andy Beshear, who is seeking reelection. In the 2019 Kentucky gubernatorial race, Beshear barely squeaked out a win against then-GOP Gov. Matt Bevin by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/election\/2019\/results\/kentucky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">roughly 5,100 votes<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>In Louisiana, Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards is term-limited and will not be seeking reelection. With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/election\/2020\/results\/state\/louisiana\/president\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">both<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/election\/2020\/results\/state\/kentucky\/president\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">states<\/a> overwhelmingly voting for former President Donald Trump during the 2020 election, Kentucky and Louisiana <em>should<\/em> be easy pick-ups for Republicans.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to statewide executive races, Mississippi and Louisiana will also be holding <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/State_legislative_elections,_2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">elections<\/a> for their respective state legislatures. <\/p>\n<p>The primaries for <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Kentucky_state_executive_official_elections,_2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kentucky<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Mississippi_state_executive_official_elections,_2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mississippi<\/a> will be held on May 16 and Aug. 8, respectively. Both general elections are on Nov. 7. Louisiana \u2014 which uses a <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Louisiana_majority-vote_system\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">majority-vote system<\/a> \u2014 will hold its primary elections on Oct. 14 and a general election on Nov. 18. <\/p>\n<p>In a majority-vote system, all candidates compete in the same primary. If a candidate manages to win the primary outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote, then that candidate is declared the winner. If no candidate receives an outright majority, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if a Republican candidate wins more than 50 percent during Louisiana\u2019s Oct. 14 gubernatorial race, he or she would become the next governor. If said Republican doesn\u2019t get more than 50 percent, then that candidate and the next highest vote-getter would advance to the Nov. 18 general election.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Virginia and New Jersey<\/h2>\n<p>Both <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Virginia_elections,_2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Virginia<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/New_Jersey_elections,_2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New Jersey<\/a> have elections for their respective state legislatures on Nov. 7.<\/p>\n<p>In Virginia, Republicans are fighting to hold onto their <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/State_legislative_elections,_2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">slim majority<\/a> in the House of Delegates (51-47) and potentially flip the Democrat-controlled Senate (21-18). Following Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin\u2019s victory in the commonwealth\u2019s 2021 gubernatorial race, Senate Democrats have worked to kill Republican-led initiatives tackling numerous issues such as education, <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/wireStory\/va-senate-democrats-kill-effort-repeal-electric-car-96494419\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">energy<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcwashington.com\/news\/politics\/virginia-senate-democrats-kill-slew-of-gop-voting-bills\/2980468\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">election integrity<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year, for instance, Virginia Democrats used their majority in the Senate to <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2023\/02\/16\/sage-law-parents-rights-virginia-senate-committee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">block<\/a> the passage of Sage\u2019s Law, a measure that would have required school officials to notify parents if their child begins to \u201cidentify\u201d as something other than their biological sex while at school. The bill was named after a 14-year-old Virginia girl who became a <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/01\/19\/virginia-teen-sex-trafficked-twice-after-school-hides-gender-identity-from-her-parents\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">victim of sex trafficking<\/a> after her school concealed her gender dysphoria from her mother.<\/p>\n<p>While an uphill battle given New Jersey\u2019s blue hue, it\u2019s not impossible for state Republicans to potentially take control of at least one chamber of the state legislature. During the state\u2019s 2021 elections, Republicans picked up <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/New_Jersey_General_Assembly_elections,_2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">six seats<\/a> in the General Assembly. Current numbers in the <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/State_legislative_elections,_2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">General Assembly<\/a> would require Republicans to pick up six seats to have an outright majority.<\/p>\n<p>New Jersey\u2019s primaries are on June 6, while Virginia\u2019s are on June 20.<\/p>\n<div  class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-e741b9b23ff48c8c32f1f62bef9ef39e fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-e741b9b23ff48c8c32f1f62bef9ef39e\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">   Shawn Fleetwood is a Staff Writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He also serves as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/2023-elections\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">2023 elections<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/democrats\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Democrats<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/elections\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Elections<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/fundraising\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">fundraising<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/get-out-the-vote\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">get out the vote<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/kentucky\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Kentucky<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/louisiana\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Louisiana<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/new-jersey\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">New Jersey<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/pennsylvania\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Pennsylvania<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/republicans\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Republicans<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/virginia\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Virginia<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/voter-registration\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">voter registration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/voting\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">voting<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/wisconsin-supreme-court\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Wisconsin Supreme Court<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s no sugarcoating the fact last week\u2019s Wisconsin Supreme Court election was a complete disaster for Republicans. In one of the nation\u2019s most hotly-contested battleground states, Republican Daniel Kelly lost to Democrat Janet Protasiewicz by 11 points, meaning Democrats will now control the state\u2019s highest court for the first time in 15 years. With cases<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":1913232,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[3728,3751,3752,8555,3756,6532],"class_list":["post-1913231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","tag-election","tag-heres","tag-major","tag-preparing","tag-republicans","tag-upcoming"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1913231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1913231"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1913231\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1913232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1913231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1913231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1913231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}