Democrats flip two seats in state special elections

By: 
REBECCA SAVRANSKY
Publication: 
The Hill
Sep
27
2017

Democrats on Tuesday flipped two seats in special state elections in Florida and New Hampshire.

In Florida, Annette Taddeo won a Miami-area state Senate seat, The Daily Beast reported.

The Miami Herald noted that the race was heavily contested due to its importance to both parties, adding that the Republican who resigned from the seat faced controversy after reportedly making racist comments.

She won in a district that Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton took in the 2016 presidential race, 58 to 40 percent.
In New Hampshire, Kari Lerner won a special state House election in a district President Trump won by a significant margin.

Lerner beat her opponent, former state Rep. James Headd (R), by 39 votes, according to WMUR.

She garnered 50.6 percent support, while her opponent received 48.4 percent.

Trump won the district in 2016 by 23 points, and Republicans have a 2-1 advantage in registrations in there.

Earlier this month, Democrats flipped state House seats in New Hampshire and Oklahoma, replacing Republicans in two districts ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.

Since Trump’s election, Democrats have flipped eight GOP-held seats at the state level, and Republicans have yet to flip a seat in 27 special elections.