The Fight Over RBG's Supreme Court Seat Stresses the Importance of 2020 Senate Elections
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away last Friday, setting off discourse on whether or not the Senate should move forward with a potential nomination from President Donald Trump for her seat. One of the most immediate impacts of RBG’s passing is how it has invigorated Senate races as politicians unveil their stance on whether or not to nominate another justice before the election. Notably, conversations about flipping the U.S. Senate to a Democratic majority reached a fever pitch as donations surged, especially after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (D-KY) said the Senate would hold a vote on a nominee Trump puts forth.
According to a Sunday morning statement from Act Blue, the fundraising site for Democratic Senate candidates across the United States, small-dollar donations to the platform following the death of the Supreme Court justice had reached over $100 million; 10 P.M. marked the record for donations raised in a single hour, according to the organization.
McConnelll has become a high-profile target of these efforts. Crooked Media launched a campaign called “Get Mitch or Die Trying,” which donates to 14 close Senate races in Colorado, Maine, North Carolina, Montana, Iowa, Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, Alaska, South Carolina, Texas, Kansas, and Mississippi through ActBlue’s platform. In a statement to Teen Vogue, Crooked Media reported they had raised $12 million in less than a day over the weekend.
To flip the Senate, Democrats will need a net gain of three seats to win the majority. According to CNN, there are 10 Senate seats most likely to flip. In one of them, Democrat Jaime Harrison has gained considerable momentum against Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, who would oversee the confirmation hearings and who recently released a statement to support Trump’s motion to fill RBG’s seat before the election.
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/rbg-supreme-court-fight-2020-senate-elections?
