Amid the celebratory action after the “blue wave” last Tuesday, two astonishing African American victories were not as broadly mentioned as they deserve: Democrat Aaron Ford’s win in Nevada’s gubernatorial race and Democrat Janeese Lewis George taking the Washington, D.C., mayoral contest to replace the outgoing Muriel Bowser.
Ford joins Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia, Republican Byron Donalds in Florida, Wes Moore in Maryland, and David Crowley in Wisconsin as Black governors — an unprecedented number. Lewis George is also part of a unique ensemble, joining Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City, Katie Wilson of Seattle, Nithya Raman of Los Angeles, and David Morales in Providence, R.I., as Democratic Socialist mayors.
All of this looks good on paper, but in one sense, it’s just the halfway point and we must still endure a president who has executive and veto power and is known to be very vindictive after suffering a defeat. Donald Trump is like a wounded tiger, which makes him all the more dangerous.
The several historic firsts, including a record number of women, will certainly test the push for unity among the Democrats, with some already stating they will not support Chuck Schumer at the helm in the Senate. Hakeem Jeffries, as the potential House leader, may face a similar fractious constituency.
The next 24 months, like the recent two years of Trump, are sure to be tumultuous. Let’s hope the Democrats take advantage of having the GOP on the ropes and go for the knockout.
Sure, we have reason to celebrate after enduring such repressive and demagoguery from the Trump administration, but we must remember, as we did during the civil rights fights, to keep our eyes on the prize and to know that we have won one battle but the war is not over.
