DNC Battleground Brief

November 22, 2019

This is the DNC’s Battleground Brief — a weekly wrap-up of Trump’s broken promises and everything you need to know across the path to 270.

GEORGIA ON MY MIND. On Wednesday, ten candidates took the stage for the debate in Atlanta while the DNC and the Democratic Party of Georgia showed why the state is a major defensive liability for Republicans and a battleground they’ll have to defend

Take a look:

  • USA Today: Is Georgia a swing state? Democrats think so, and some trends are on their side. “A changing population, strong performances from Democrats in U.S. House, statehouse and statewide races, and increased attention from national voter groups has Democrats hopeful they can flip the traditionally red state blue in 2020. ‘I can’t think of a better place to showcase the Democratic field in one of the most diverse cities in this critical battleground state,’ Perez said in a statement provided to USA TODAY.”

  • Associated Press: DNC chairman blasts Georgia GOP leaders, voter suppression. “The chairman of the Democratic National Committee took aim at voter suppression during a summit in Atlanta hours before the city was to host his party’s presidential candidate debate. Tom Perez blasted Georgia’s Republican leadership Wednesday and what he described as restrictive practices at the polls. Perez also took verbal shots at President Donald Trump, calling him ‘the most dangerous president in American history.’”

  • GPB: Stacey Abrams Kicks Off DNC Panel On Voter Suppression In Disabled, Minority Communities. “Abrams delivered her remarks as she kicked off a panel discussion about voter suppression across the country and in Georgia and its disproportionate impact on disabled voters and non-white voters. … That was the focus of the panel discussion, moderated by the Democratic Party of Georgia’s Saira Draper and Andrea S. Young with the Democratic National Committee.”

  • The New Yorker: The 2020 Democrats Converge on Atlanta, Signalling Georgia’s New Political Importance. “All of this points to the fact that the Democratic National Committee is holding a debate in a place where it is possible to see both the power of aspiration and the obstacles to realizing it. Tharon Johnson, a Democratic strategist who is based in Atlanta and was the National Southern Regional Director for Barack Obama’s reëlection campaign, told me, ‘The D.N.C. is putting their resources in a state and, particularly, a city that they believe can be part of the equation for a Democratic nominee to get to two hundred and seventy electoral votes.’”

  • The Root: Democratic Debate: Democrats Can Win Stacey Abrams’ Georgia If They Really Want It. “Georgia’s Democratic Party Chair Nikima Williams says the eventual Democratic nominee for president of the United States can win Georgia, if they put in the work. ‘I’m looking towards the 2020 election, but we did not stop what we did in Georgia in 2018,’ Williams said. ‘We’re only building up on the energy and everything that Stacey Abrams built in the state and we continued that energy into 2019. We didn’t take 2019 as an off-year-election. We continue to build upon that and pick up municipal races along the way. So as we conclude the 2019 election cycle, we’re looking towards 2020 and how we can engage our constituency groups and Georgia Democrats across the state, so we can move into 2020 turn Georgia a bright blue.’”

Lots more coverage here.

CHAIR PEREZ ON MSNBC: “DEMOCRATS HAVE THE WIND AT OUR BACK”.  Fresh off Democratic victories in Kentucky, Virginia and other states, Democrats’ win in the Louisiana governor’s race once again confirmed that our party is entering 2020 with the winds at our backs and delivered another “black eye” to Donald Trump. See more from Chair Perez’s appearance on MSNBC:

WATCH:

Chair Perez: “I think Democrats have a real wind at our back. There’s been three Novembers since this president took office. In every November election, Democrats have scored decisive victories.”

Just like in other 2019 states, Democratic turnout was up in Louisiana, and independent voters — particularly in the suburbs — rejected the Republican Party.

THE LATEST FROM ABC ON OUR BATTLEGROUND STATE INVESTMENTS: “DEMOCRATS TAKE FIGHT TO 2020 BATTLEGROUND STATES WITH INVESTMENTS IN VOTER PROTECTION.” From the article: 

  • Democrats are looking to expand early investments in seven key battleground states in the lead up to the 2020 election cycle, with a six-figure investment to fund a new round of general election staff operatives, according to a Democratic Party official. The investment is part of a broad voter protection campaign — signaling their commitment to safeguarding the integrity of U.S. elections.

  • “The DNC is making historic, early investments to build the general election infrastructure our eventual nominee will need to defeat [President Donald] Trump. In addition to organizers who are working to mobilize key communities, we are proud to partner with our state parties to build an on-the-ground, voter-protection infrastructure that will protect the rights of voters to participate in our democracy,” said Reyna Walters-Morgan, DNC director of Civic Engagement and Voter Protection, in a statement to ABC News.

  • For its part, the DNC’s most recent battleground investments are part of a far-reaching campaign to build up voter protection infrastructures through education, advocacy and organizing resources, and by backing four lawsuits related to ballot order in Arizona, Texas, Georgia and Florida. Last week, Democrats secured a major victory when a Florida court overturned the state’s law requiring that ballots list Republicans first, which Democrats argued implicitly gave the GOP candidates an unfair advantage.

DISPATCH FROM MICHIGAN: Republicans Are Stuck With Trump’s Broken Promises

  • As Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes writes in The Detroit News: “Yes, Michigan Republicans up and down the ballot are tied to Donald Trump. Yes, they have tried desperately clinging to him and his broken promises. And the results have been devastating.”

WHEREVER TRUMP OR HIS CRONIES GO, DEMOCRATS ARE HOLDING ARE THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS BROKEN PROMISES.

In Texas:

  • Texas Tribune: “The Texas Democratic Party, meanwhile, called the visit a stunt that shows Republicans are worried about the upcoming elections… Texas Democrats, meanwhile, hosted ‘a workers roundtable event exposing Donald Trump’s failed economic record for working Texans.’ That 9:30 a.m. event, at the Texas AFL-CIO headquarters, featured Austin Mayor Steve Adler and multiple Democratic state representatives.”

  • Austin Statesman: HEADLINE: Trump in Austin: Democrats rebuke Trump over economic policies: “Democratic state representatives and local officials, flanked by labor leaders, airport workers, electricians, public school teachers and other workers, gathered Wednesday ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to Austin to denounce Trump administration policies that they said largely have hurt working class Texans while cutting taxes for wealthy people… ‘We’re here today to talk not about Apple or (CEO) Tim Cook,’ said Austin Mayor Steve Adler. ‘We’re here to make sure that we’re talking about how the president’s economic policies are failing Texas workers and workers around the country.’”

  • KXAN: HEADLINE: Workers, Democrats suggest the economy isn’t as great as Pres. Trump claims: “As the city of Austin prepared for an afternoon visit from President Donald Trump, union workers and Texas Democratic leaders gathered to talk about what they believe to be economic harm the President’s policies have caused.”

  • State Representative Gina Hinojosa (D-Austin): “Texas is one of the few states that is actually seeing the income disparity gap increase. That’s the difference between the rich and the poor. That gap is getting larger.” Watch more from KVUE (ABC) here.

In Wisconsin:

  • Green Bay Press Gazette: “Democrats held an event Wednesday morning in Green Bay to counter Pence’s visit. ‘Donald Trump and his administration have been a disaster for hard working Wisconsinites, and no amount of lip service will change the hardship so many in our state are feeling,’ said Philip Shulman, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.”

  • The AP: “Wisconsin Democratic Party spokesman Philip Shulman said Trump has been a disaster for working people and hasn’t addressed any of their issues such as health care and prescription drug costs.”

  • Randy Scannell, District 7 Alderperson, Green Bay: “(Trump) has lied to us, again and again. He has broken every promise, again and again.” Watch more from NBC26 here.

  • Watch more from FOX 11 here.

In Oregon:

  • Salem Statesman Journal: “The Democratic Party of Oregon released a statement in response to the visit. ‘If Trump thinks his path to victory runs anywhere near Oregon, he’s about to have a rude awakening. Over the last three years, he has broken his promises at every turn, jeopardizing our health care and passing a corporate giveaway that will hike taxes on working families,’ it read. ‘Oregonians saw through Trump’s empty rhetoric three years ago, we rejected it by double digits, and we’re going to do it again in 2020.’”

  • See more coverage at KPTV and KGW.

In Indiana: 

  • WIBC: “Indiana Democratic Party Chairman John Zody had this to say in response to Pence’s visit: ‘Nothing Pence says today can erase this administration’s long trail of broken promises to hard-working Hoosiers. Over the past three years, he and Trump have attacked our health care, hiked our taxes, and blocked our children’s path to quality education. We deserve better, and in 2020, we’re going to get it.’”

TRUMP’S BROKEN ECONOMIC PROMISES ARE HURTING THE STATES HE NEEDS TO WIN.

**TRUMP’S BAD HEADLINES**

CNN: Trump’s options for winning a second term are narrowing.

BLOOMBERG: Trump Pledged to Help Small Farms. Aid Is Going to Big Ones.

FINANCIAL TIMES: Why US farmers are falling out of love with Donald Trump.

Make sure to follow the DNC’s War Room (@DNCWarRoom) to get real-time updates on Trump’s abuses of power and broken promises.

Happy Friday!

The DNC Comms Team