by Karl Kurtz
Today's Washington Post has an interesting article on national attempts to win control of state legislatures this year because of the pivotal role of legislatures in redrawing congressional districts for the new decade. Here are some excerpts:
Some of the biggest names in politics have jumped into the hand-to-hand combat with an intensity generally reserved for a presidential race. Among those at the forefront: Ed Gillespie, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee; former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.); Democratic strategist Harold Ickes; GOP strategist Karl Rove; and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
The national operations are targeting about 100 competitive races in narrowly divided statehouses, in little-known communities such as Chimney Rock, Wis., and Murrysville, Pa., where Evankovich lives. They are recruiting national lawyers and setting up intricate networks to provide cash and expertise. Collectively, partisan special-interest groups, labor unions and state organizations have estimated they will spend upward of $200 million on state legislative and gubernatorial races -- an unprecedented sum.
"Having control of a legislature can translate into U.S. House seats being drawn for Republicans for a decade -- compared to fighting it out district by district for control of the House every two years, which would costs millions," said Gillespie, who is chairman of the Republican State Leadership Committee, which as the main GOP group focused on state races hopes to raise $40 million for this election cycle.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee has doubled its fundraising goals to $20 million and spent the past several cycles quietly increasing majorities in legislatures across the country. The party also established the National Democratic Redistricting Trust to handle the inevitable complex legal challenges to redistricted maps, and Foundation for the Future, a largely union-supported entity, to provide strategic and technical support to legislatures.
Whenever I read articles like this by Washington-based writers, I always wish that they would recognize the importance of partisan control of legislatures for their influence on public policy--often far greater than that of Congress in the things that affect people's every day lives--and not just because of redistricting.
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