ON THE TRAIL

2020 (and Beyond)

The 2019 AG races were always expected to be an uphill battle. In these elections, DAGA fought hard in deeply red states — where Trump’s favorability remains high — to elect candidates who would protect health care, tackle the opioid epidemic, and put families and communities first. The results in the 2019 elections are not a marker of a GOP resurgence at the AG level. When we look at the 2020 AG map and beyond, we see a sprint back to a Democratic majority that could hold for years to come. Click here for a more in-depth look at how the 2019 elections set DAGA up for big wins in 2020 (and beyond).

Bonus content: State Attorney General races weren’t the only elections taking place on Tuesday. Across the country, voters went to the polls to elect governors, state legislators, and local officials. For a more complete look and analysis of Election Day 2019, check out DemList here.

MULTI-STATE MOMENTS!

DEM AGs FIGHT FOR HEALTH CARE ACROSS THE COUNTRY!
New York AG Tish James led a coalition of 19 Democratic AGs with three major cities and counties in a lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s efforts to grant health care workers the right to refuse treatment for patients based on moral and religious beliefs. AG James tweeted, “Health care is a right, not a privilege, and we will continue to fight to protect access to health care for our vulnerable communities.” Following, AG James’ victory in New York, a federal judge in Spokane Washington issued a similar ruling for a lawsuit brought by Washington AG Bob Ferguson also challenging the Trump Administration’s so-called “conscience rule.” Both rulings provide protections for millions of people living across the country. Trump’s rule would have affected more than 600,000 health care facilities that risked losing federal family planning funds if they did not comply. Read more about the lawsuits here!

SCOTUS WATCH: DACA HEARING 11/12
On November 12, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a challenge to the Trump Administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA. The justices will consider three consolidated cases, with 22 Democratic AGs represented, that were filed in California, the District of Columbia, and New York. In all three cases, the challengers have argued that ending the program would violate the Administrative Procedure Act, the federal law governing administrative agencies, as well as the rights of DACA recipients. California AG Xavier Becerra hosted a Twitter Chat on Friday to draw attention to the important role DACA recipients play in our communities and why Democratic AGs are fighting to protect Dreamers. Catch a Twitter chat recap here. Read more about the upcoming case here.

AG SPOTLIGHT!

ALL THE WEISER
In honor of Election Day this year, Colorado AG Phil Weiser spoke about public officials’ duty to uphold the rule of law and the critical role of the public in upholding democracy. “It’s on every generation to keep our republic,” AG Weiser said. “Today’s challenge around civic engagement may be more fundamental, more difficult than ones we’ve had before, but I remain optimistic.”  Learn about AG Weiser’s vision here.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Kentucky’s Democratic AG Andy Beshear won the Governor’s race on Tuesday. AG Beshear is the 23rd Democratic AG to move on to the Governor’s office. There was unprecedented coordination between the DGA, the KY Democratic Party, and DAGA this year supporting the Beshear campaign. Teamwork makes the dream work.