Democrats have managed to pick up a legislative seat in a deep red district in Missouri, in a district easily won by Donald Trump in 2016. Voters in Jefferson County, a suburb of St. Louis, elected 27-year-old Democrat Mike Revis over his opponent, 59-year-old Republican David Linton.
The race was for a seat in the Missouri state House of Representatives which was left vacant after the incumbent in that seat left to run for county executive. President Trump won that district by a 61-33% margin. According to preliminary results, Revis has captured 52% of the vote compared to Linton’s 48%.
Democrats will undoubtedly point to the results as a remarkable swing in a district so easily won by the president less than two years ago.
Another surprising result, albeit in a loss for Democrats, came in another Missouri district, a rural one about halfway between St. Louis and the Arkansas border. That vote was too close to call, as of 10 p.m. EST. Republican Chris Dinkins wound up defeating her opponent, Democrat Jim Scaggs by a 53-47% margin. But the closeness of the race was noteworthy considering the extraordinary 78-19% margin President Trump won the district by in 2016.
Democrats have won fifteen special elections in districts previously held by Republicans in 2017. They believe that portends a Democratic wave come the November midterm congressional elections.
A strong economy and climbing approval numbers for the president however, have Republicans feeling a little less anxious about midterm prospects than they were just a few months ago. In Missouri, for example, Republicans easily won two other special elections in state House races on Tuesday, and the Party in Missouri holds a super-majority of state House seats.