This year has had highs and lows for Democrats. We are now faced with a Washington, DC where Donald Trump will be in the White House again with Republicans controlling both houses of Congress. Though the margins seem smaller than how they looked on Election Night, the bottom line remains the same, and that’s we didn’t win enough at the national level. There have been and will be many more conversations about how exactly we get over the proverbial hump in 2026 and 2028. A lot of that is yet to be determined, but I can tell you this: Democrats, to get there, we have to continue to work hard, not despair.
Thanks in no small part to the hard work we did together, things went differently in Lake County. For the third election in a row, the people of Lake County rejected Donald Trump by a higher margin than the rest of the state did. We didn’t lose a single incumbent Democratic elected official, in spite of the national headwinds. Our Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart was considered the top political target of the Republicans in the entire state. He won. Our Coroner Jennifer Banek won. So did Circuit Court Clerk Erin Cartwright Weinstein.
And it wasn’t just our countywide officials who came out on top. Every Lake County Democratic state legislator won re-election. Every sitting member of the Lake County Board was victorious again. All members of Congress whose districts include parts of Lake County will be headed back to Washington.
Thank you to our candidates, elected or not, who put themselves forward to represent us. We’re grateful. Not all Democrats can point to the wins the way we can here, and we’re so fortunate to have people who go on to be terrific public servants, not just successful candidates. So many folks are counting on them while we also keep moving forward to compete in upcoming elections. Our volunteers and supporters have and will drive this effort. Can you help us get a strong start on electing Democrats in 2025 municipal races, the 2026 midterms, and the next presidential race in 2028? You can do that by joining or renewing your 2025 Lake Dems membership (or just chip in) at lakedems.org/contribute.
So, given all the success in our area, how did we do it? What did the Lake County Democrats do?
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 been conveyed to voters.
- Democrats are good on issues that really matter to Lake County voters, while Republicans are not.
- Lake Dems’ extensive voter turnout program successfully brought many more voters to the polls.
Our Democratic turnout program included:
- REV (Reach Every Voter) project that engaged voters all over Lake County well before the GOTV (Get Out the Vote) rush near Election Day,
- Targeting of sporadic voters who are predicted to be Democrats but don’t reliably vote in every election and need motivation and information,
- A large text banking program,
- Phone banking into swing states,
- Engaged activists and potential voters on various social media platforms,
- Door knocking across the county, including in areas where turnout is historically low Targeted GOTV phone banking for key Lake County races,
- Win Over Wisconsin (WOW) project with Wisconsin Democrats to knock doors in the closest swing state
- 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,
- Full-color Democratic Voter Guides for passing at polling places during Early Voting and on Election Day,
- Postcard projects to contact swing state voters directly, which also helped keep volunteers active,
- A large Election Protection Team of election attorneys and other pollwatchers trained in election law, who could 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),
- Volunteer engagement out of four Lake Dems offices in Waukegan, Highland Park, Barrington, and Grayslake, sending campaigners into all areas of the county including traditionally red areas,
- And so much more…
Stay tuned for what we’ll be doing next. Local municipal elections are coming up in 2025. The midterm elections in 2026 will be here before you know it. And, yes, so many Democrats are already looking forward to 2028. We’ll be rolling up our sleeves to work hard the whole time, and we hope you’ll continue to be there with us. Help us get a good start in that effort: lakedems.org/contribute.
And be sure to join us for our Lake County Democrats Holiday Party on December 15 at Las Palmas in Mundelein. It’s free admission, but please RSVP at lakedems.org/holiday2024. At the same link, you also can sign up or renew your 2025 Lake Dems membership too.
The political opposition isn’t going away anytime soon. It won’t be easy. But we’re going to keep going, and we’re going to keep electing Democrats. Let’s do it together.
Lauren Beth Gash
Chair, Lake County Democrats
