By JOHN T. BRODERICK Jr.
The elections in New Hampshire and nationally this month were seismic in their impact, but I believe they had different motivators. In New Hampshire the Democrats’ overwhelming victory allowed them to sweep the House and Senate. They came within one vote in the Senate of having veto-proof majorities in both chambers. One more Senate seat and the Democrats could have essentially eliminated the Governor’s veto power and chosen the policy prescriptions for meaningful change. Even without that decisive advantage, they have enormous power to restore decency and fairness. A lot of that had been stripped away by ideological Free Staters and an often-compliant Governor. The cruelty, incivility, and duplicity of Washington had crept into the State House.
The public grew tired of watching the New Hampshire they cherished being disassembled. They grew weary of the endless culture wars, the war on teachers and public education, the free money given out to parents of kids in parochial and private schools while shortchanging public schools, the needless elimination of revenue sources so they could cry poverty and shortchange funding for the University System and compensation for those long ago kids the state abused for 50 years at YDC facilities, the unconscionable rise in their property taxes caused by the State’s endless noncompliance with its obligations under the Claremont school funding cases, the consequential $51 million budget cut to critical DHHS services and the state’s dismissive disregard of the needs of the Office of Child Advocate.
In the national election, voters rejected the blatant corruption and self-dealing of President Trump and his family, the startling incompetence leading to the start and prosecution on the Iranian war, and an economy that benefits the wealthy while crushing the average family. The country had finally grown tired of the constant lying and deceit and the unparalleled cruelty of ICE.
Democrats now have near-unprecedented majorities in both Houses of Congress. There can be no real debate that the American people, especially independent voters, rejected the Trump agenda and voted for their economic and pluralistic survival.
But it would be a mistake for Democrats to believe the voters gave them a mandate. Many of the House Districts they flipped from red to blue were extremely close. Kansas elected a Democratic Senator for the first time in 94 years but I doubt it was because voters there suddenly fell in love with Democrats. More likely, they gave up on getting help from Republicans and the promise of the Democrats’ message resonated. It was hopeful and practical. It “saw them.” I believe the message got the mandate, not the Democratic Party. Even some deep red Southern states elected Democratic Senators. Texas was among them because it was fed up and stood up. Texas hasn’t turned into a blue state but it might become blue or purple again if Democrats understand the opportunity their landslide vote signaled.
Democrats expanded the electoral map in ways that seemed unimaginable two years ago. But they had great candidates, practical, doable promises to right the economic wrongs wiping out the middle class and a deliverable strategy to provide healthcare to young and old alike. They talked about American values and policies that we once held close but had let slip away. The Democratic message was about fairness and inclusion. Their message valued job security for working Americans more than it valued thoughtless expansion of data centers. It promised guardrails.
If Democrats fulfill their promises with discipline, they will earn the trust of their voters and likely be aided by many Republican members of Congress who can’t expect to retain their seats in 2028 pretending they didn’t hear the cries of their voters. America needs to heal.
Everyone in both parties wins if we can restore bipartisanship. It won’t be easy but it’s essential. Our nation will not long survive if becoming a truly functioning democracy remains beyond our reach.
John T. Broderick Jr. is the founder of the Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership and Public Policy at UNH Law.