Election Update & Looking Ahead

As I'm sure you've heard: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have won the race! There are still some ballots to be counted, and surely there will be some recounts and challenges, but there is no reason to think that any of that will influence the outcome.

Senator Dick Durbin, State Senator Melinda Bush and State Representative Joyce Mason have all won their races, too!

We also have good news shaping up on the local front. Gina Roberts and Diane Hewitt have both won seats on the Lake County Board representing our area. And it looks like we have a good shot at retaining or expanding the Democratic majority on the board as a whole. Plus, county-wide races are looking good, bolstered by the mailed ballots that have been counted so far. Jennifer Banek is still ahead in the race for Coroner, and Eric Rinehart pulled ahead in the race for Lake County State's Attorney with the count as of last night.

PATIENCE PLEASE

Mailed ballots are still being counted in Lake County, so we need to continue to be patient as the final tally shapes up. Mailed ballots have been swinging heavily in favor of Democrats (at a rate of about 2-to-1), so we have reason to believe that the gains will continue to increase. Join our facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/BentonDems for future updates.

GEORGIA, SWEET GOTV

However, there is more work to be done. In Georgia, a state that Biden-Harris appear to have won, there are two U.S. Senate seats up for a runoff election on Jan. 5th. If the Democrats take both seats (which is doable), then they'll gain control of the Senate, and federal judicial appointments. We'll be writing postcards to help get out the Georgia vote for these two candidates: Jon Ossoff ( https://electjon.com/ ) and Rev. Warnock ( https://warnockforgeorgia.com/ ). Cards will be ready around Nov. 18 and the mailing date is Dec. 26-28. If you can help, or would like to donate to pay for postage, please email joy@bentondems.org

LOOKING FOR LOCAL LEADERS

In addition, we have a window of opportunity for the next month to get Democratic candidates on the ballot for the local, municipal elections in April 2021. We are looking for candidates to run for municipal offices in Winthrop Harbor and Beach Park, and we need people to run for local school and library boards. If you or anyone you know is interested in running for any local positions, please contact joy@bentondems.org so we can help get you started on the process.

ENJOY THE MOMENT

For now, though, take a moment to enjoy the great news that we will have a new POTUS and VP in January, and strong Democratic representation at the local and state level as well. Many of you have worked hard for these great candidates - phone banking, writing postcards, dropping lit and donating time and money. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE!!