Red Wave? Really?

Dear Democrat,

Tuesday was a great night for Lake County Democrats!

Blue Waves in 2018 and 2020 swept in Democrats, and pundits predicted a “Red Wave” year in 2022. In Lake County, that wave swept Republicans right out of office. We won races all over Lake County.

Even our candidates who fell short in the election results were winners. They made a difference by softening the ground and engaging volunteers in formerly dark red areas, turning out voters who then helped our countywide and statewide candidates win. Thank you to our candidates, elected or not, who put themselves forward to represent us. We’re grateful.

Among other wins, every one of our incumbent State Representatives and State Senators were re-elected, while Mary Edly-Allen, Laura Faver Dias and Nabeela Syed were newly elected to the legislature. We also held our significant majority on the county board (14 Democrats and 5 Republicans). Our countywide candidates were all elected or re-elected: Sheriff John Idleburg, Treasurer Holly Kim, Regional Superintendent of Schools Michael Karner, and newly-elected County Clerk, Anthony Vega, who became both our first Hispanic and first openly gay countywide elected official.

And the race between Maria Peterson and Senator Dan McConchie is still undecided! This is doubly significant because McConchie is the Illinois Senate Minority Leader (!) and he may be on the verge of losing. Many pundits wrote off this race as unwinnable, and thought it wouldn’t even be close. Maria proved them all wrong.

Our candidates were successful for many reasons, including:

• Our recruiting was strong and our candidates were incredible.
• Democrats who’ve been elected have done a great job – and that’s gotten across to voters.
• Democrats are good on the issues that matter, and Republicans, quite frankly, are not.
• Lake Dems’ extensive voter turnout program successfully brought many more voters to the polls.

Our Democratic turnout program included:

• A mailing to sporadic voters (costing close to $20,000) who are predicted to be Democrats but don’t reliably vote in midterm elections and need motivation and information
• A large text banking program
• Phone banking for Judge Elizabeth Rochford for the IL Supreme Court
• Targeted GOTV phone banking
• Ads on Social Media firing up the pro-choice vote
• A targeted countywide mailing (costing almost $20,000) showcasing the diversity of our Lake County candidates
• A 24/7 Lake Dems Voter Assistance Hotline, staffed by attorneys trained in election law, plus a dedicated Hotline reserved for candidates, staff, attorneys and pollwatchers
• Door knocking in areas where midterm election turnout is historically low
• A large Election Protection Team of election attorneys and other pollwatchers trained in election law, who can be moved from polling place to polling place to solve issues that arise in real time (and prioritizing polling places we know from experience have the most problems)
• Full-color, glossy Democratic Voter Guides for township canvassing in the Fall, and for passing at polling places during Early Voting and on Election Day
• Volunteer engagement out of three Lake Dems offices in Waukegan, Highland Park and Mundelein, sending campaigners into all areas of the county including traditionally red areas
• And so much more … but we’re too tired to remember today.

And, of course, thank you to all of our candidates, volunteers, contributors and supporters for everything you do to help elect Democrats! Stay tuned for what we’ll be doing next.

Lauren Beth Gash, Chair
Lake County Democrats