midterms 2018

  • ACLU Files Lawsuit After California Church Is Removed as Polling Place for Supporting Black Lives Matter

    With the 2018 midterms three months away, the Fresno, Calif., country clerk and register of voters received a rather peculiar grievance. Specifically, according to the Washington Post, a voter—who I assume suffers from an acute case of white fragility—wanted to know “Why it was okay to have a Black Lives Matter (a known domestic terrorist…

  • 'Do Black Lives Only Matter in Election Years?' Ayanna Pressley Gives Democratic Donors the Talk They Need

    The question for many newly elected politicians is whether they can keep the same energy they had on the campaign trail once their names are written on the office door. With Massachusetts Congresswoman-elect Ayanna Pressley, it appears that concern can be laid to rest. As BuzzFeed News reports, Pressley gave Democratic Party donors a stern—and…

  • Florida Judge Rules in Favor of Counting Votes Because…Football

    In a win for Florida Democrats, Bill Nelson, the rule of law and common sense, a federal court cited the Constitution and (yes, this is actually true) the NFL rulebook to explain why election officials in the Sunshine State can’t just arbitrarily toss the ballots of eligible voters who voted by mail. “Consider the game…

  • Winners and Losers From the 2018 Elections

    It’s hard to sugarcoat what happened on election Tuesday; Democrats won the House, which was a huge victory, but beloved candidates like Andrew Gillum, running for governor in Florida, or Beto O’Rourke, who was challenging Ted “I’m totally not the Zodiac killer” Cruz for a seat in Congress, lost. The verdict is still out on…

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    Under the Influence: If Every Vote Counts, How Much Should a Celebrity Endorsement?

    It was the kind of Hail Mary some pray for—like a last-minute, death-row pardon. But when Beyoncé publicly threw her support behind Texas senatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke, reactions were mixed, to say the least. Self-affirmed stans of the superstar praised their queen, while others understandably asked why she’d waited until the eleventh hour to use…

  • We’re Stuck With White People

    In the weeks before the midterm elections, America was rocked by three separate acts of domestic terrorism. One, which took place in my hometown, was the deadliest act of anti-semitism in American history. Another was the biggest mass assassination attempt in American history. And then there was the killing of two black people in a…

  • Ayanna Pressley Goes to Washington

    It was a win destined to go viral: Ayanna Pressley, Boston’s first black city councilor, beating out 10-time incumbent Mark Capuano in a stunning upset for the Massachusetts 7th congressional seat. Video taken of Pressley shows the moment she found out about her win—in a forest-green sheath dress, Pressley clutches her chest before leaping to…

  • Andrew Gillum Takes the High Road, Like We Always Do

    Andrew Gillum may not be Florida’s first black governor, but he still had an encouraging message of perseverance and endurance for his supporters during his concession speech to Republican opponent Ron DeSantis. Imagine what would happen if, just once, a black person didn’t have to conduct himself with grace and humility in the face of…

  • 'What's Up With White People?' and 5 Other Questions Tonight's Election Will Answer

    Contrary to popular belief, today’s election is not about Donald Trump. It has nothing to do with a “blue wave,” or red and blue states. It will tell us nothing about America’s changing demographics or 2020. It is all about white people. If you’ve noticed, ever since Barack Obama left office, the term “identity politics”…

  • Stacey Abrams' Political Rise Is Georgia's Coming-to-Jesus Moment 

    ALBANY, Ga.— Glenn Singfield, Sr. takes a lot of pride in the racially diverse clientele that enjoys his meals at Albany Seafood Company, a family-owned business that’s been around since 2014. “Look around this place and see who’s here,” he told me Saturday night, noting the 50-50 split of black and white customers. “The only…