Tuesday’s midterm elections ushered in a historic blue wave across the United States, with Democrats picking up seats even in historically conservative states like South Carolina and Texas. In many cases, voters didn’t settle for moderation, with the left flank of the Democratic Party netting historic gains in federal, state, and local elections.
Here in Portland, voters reelected all six incumbent City Council members whose seats were up for grabs this year. The results came as a relief to all the incumbent councilors, but carried particular weight for the City Council’s most left-wing members, who faced significant opposition campaigns. Progressives also nabbed victories at the county and state levels.
At the White Owl Social Club, where Portland’s Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) chapter hosted its election night party, local leftists claimed victory as soon as the early results rolled in. To them, the results show Portlanders are willing to stick it out with their democratic socialist councilors, despite well-funded efforts to unseat them…