What Happens Next?

Ohio Republicans took a huge L.

The results of off-year elections.

Unpredictability is what we will expect going into 2024. Democrats ended up winning the battle this off year election.

President Joe Biden is unpopular, Washed Up 45 is unpopular, Congress is unpopular, the world is angry and polarizing rhetoric makes it less safe for Jews and Muslims.

Going into 2024 will be interesting. Maybe I should continue blogging!

Ohio passed the resolutions that legalize marijuana and codify Roe v. Wade.

The 2023 Ohio reproductive rights initiative, officially titled "The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety", and listed on the ballot as Issue 1, was a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment that was adopted on November 7, 2023, by a majority of 56.6% of voters. It codified reproductive rights in the Ohio Constitution, including contraception, fertility treatment, whether to continue one's own pregnancy, and miscarriage care, restoring Roe v. Wade-era access in Ohio and protecting "the right to abortion up to the point of fetal viability" while permitting restrictions after.

The Ohio Republican Party tried to thwart this constitutional amendment by attempting to change the rules so as to increase to 60% the threshold required for referendum passage in an August 8 special election, known as August 2023 Ohio Issue 1. The voters of Ohio rejected this change 57%-43%, keeping the threshold for passage at 50%+1.

Kentucky governor Andy Beshear, a moderate Democrat defeats Republican challenger, the Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

Mississippi governor Tate Reeves, a conservative Republican defeats Democratic challenger, Brandon Presley.

Virginia flips. The Democrats managed to capture the Virginia House of Delegates and the Senate and it knocked the sails out of potential 2024 challenger, Republican governor Glenn Youngkin.

Rep-elect Gabe Amo, Democrat of Rhode Island.

Louisiana had its jungle primary in mid-October. Had there been a runoff, it would be today. Louisiana State Attorney General Jeff Landry defeats a handful of candidates to become the governor-elect. The Republican crossed the threshold of 51% to avoid a runoff.

Democrat Gabe Amo defeated Republican Gerry Leonard Jr. to succeed David Cicilline, who resigned on May 31, 2023, to become the president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation. Amo, a former President Joe Biden official won and became the first Black person to win a seat in Rhode Island. He will be sworn in by Friday.

Philadelphia has its first Black woman mayor, Cherelle Parker. She defeated David Oh as the Democratic nominee in the 2023 Philadelphia mayoral election. When sworn in, she will be the first woman to hold the position.