So What Just Happened in Last Week's Election?

A number of states turned from red to blue as a result of this past November 3rd election. Namely Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Iowa, Ohio, Nevada, Kansas, Maine and Indiana. 

Georgia  Turns Black and Blue

Importantly, in Georgia there was a changing of the guard overall. Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson to become the state’s first Black person and woman to become governor as well as becoming the first Black woman governor in US history. Democrat Tanya Miller became the first woman to serve as Georgia’s Attorney General and Democrat Penny Brown Reynolds became the first black person as well as the first woman to serve as the Georgia Secretary of State.

Lydia Powell is now the first Black woman to be elected as the Georgia state school superintendent and Katherine Juhan-Arnold was the first Black person as well as the first woman to be elected agriculture commissioner.

Keisha Sean Waites is now the first Black woman to be elected to a statewide executive office in Georgia and the Deep South. Her post is the insurance and fire safety commissioner. 

Nikki Porcher is now the first Black woman elected to serve as Georgia's labor commissioner, as well as the first Democrat to win the office in over a decade. Sheila Edwards was elected to the state public service commissioner post. This election establishes control of a five-member utility regulation board to a Democratic majority for the first time in 30 years.

Let's take a look at what happened in Missouri with regard to redistricting, a wealth Fund, and judges.

Overall voter turnout for the state of Missouri, including absentee and early voting was 43.4% of all registered voters, according to the Kansas City Election Board. There was a key initiative in the City of St. Louis and half a dozen key initiatives for the state. The results were as follows:

St. Louis City Proposition B
Proposition B intended to earmark subsidies for early childhood education and manage them through a Board that would not be elected by voters, but rather appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the Board of Aldermen. This was rejected by a somewhat narrow margin of 52.8%).

Missouri Proposition A 
The Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s best attempt at gerrymandering was rejected by a resounding 61.8% of voters.

Missouri Amendment 3 
This effort to restate an already existing law that requires parental approval for gender transitioning just to slip in a ban on abortions was rejected by 55.4% of voters

Missouri Amendment 6
This ballot measure that will make it difficult for Missouri legislators to overturn voter-initiated laws and amendments was approved by 59.9% of voters.

Missouri Amendment 7
This amendment which would have created a sovereign wealth fund that could have resulted in devastating cuts to conservation, parks, education, roads, bridges and healthcare was very narrowly rejected by 50.8% of voters.

Missouri Amendment 8
The amendment to make the county sheriff the top law enforcement official in the county, where this official will then supersede the county prosecutor or even the district attorney was narrowly approved by 51.0% of voters). 

As for the retention of Missouri judges, voting was as follows:

Paul Wilson, Missouri Supreme Court Justice was retained and received 62.8% of the vote.

Angela Turner Quigless, Appeals Court Judge was retained and received 66.3% of the vote.

Calea Stovall-Reid, 22nd Judicial Circuit Court Judge, was retained and received 74.3% of the vote.