How Democrats won in Trump Country

A somewhat surprising, campaign strategy. No Images? Click here         How Democrats Won In Trump Country Democrats didn’t simply win in places they expected to on Nov. 6. They also managed to flip districts Donald Trump won easily in the 2016 presidential election, as well as some districts that have been held by Republicans for decades. The secret to their success was a fairly conventional, but somewhat surprising, campaign strategy during an election year that was mostly seen as a referendum on Trump: Talking about anything but the president. Democrat Kendra Horn, for example, pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the night when she defeated two-term incumbent Steve Russell in Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District, a seat held by Republicans since 1975. Horn is the first Democratic woman to be elected to Congress from Oklahoma. Moreover, she’s the third woman ever to be elected to Congress in the state’s history. Her largely urban district went to Trump by almost 14 percentage points, prompting skepticism among national pollsters that it would be one of the seats that would flip this year. “I think many people thought I might have lost my mind,” Horn recalled last week at a post-election debrief in Washington, where she reflected on the moment she chose to run for office. “I just believed in the power of talking to the community and saw there was a pathway there. I figured, if not me, who? If not now, when?” READ MORE     WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING? Sixteen Democrats released a letter Monday pledging not to support House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to be speaker of the House. But while the letter indicates that Pelosi has a math problem, there are already signs she may be able to overcome the opposition. READ MORE Three sitting United States senators have filed a lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of President Donald Trump’s appointment of Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker following the forced resignation of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. READ MORE The White House announced Monday that it would restore the press pass of CNN reporter Jim Acosta, leading the network to drop its pending lawsuit against the administration. READ MORE    .     ICYMI Florida Gov. Rick Scott has officially won his third statewide race by his narrowest margin yet ― barely one-tenth of a percentage point ― giving Republicans their fourth takeaway from Democrats in the U.S. Senate.   Minnesota Representative-elect Ilhan Omar said she was ready to challenge a 181-year-old ban on headwear on the floor of the House of Representatives. "No one puts a scarf on my head but me,” Omar wrote.   They ran for office at record levels. They came to the polls in droves. And Democrats owe them a huge thanks for helping them win control of the House. But women may not end up with much of a voice in congressional leadership if House Democrats aren’t careful.    . Want more?  White House Correspondents’ Dinner Won’t Feature Comedian For First Time In 16 Years Ex-White House Aide Details Trump’s ‘Team Of Vipers’ In Tell-All Book: ‘We Were Ruthless’ Beto O’Rourke Isn’t Here For Beyoncé Critics: ‘I’m So Grateful To Her’     HuffPost is now a part of Oath and a part of Verizon. On May 25, 2018 we introduced a new Oath Privacy Policy which will explain how your data is used and shared. Learn More. How will Trump’s administration impact you? Sign up for our email and find out. Did a friend send you this? Subscribe here. Like what you see? Share it. Want more? Here are two other newsletters you'll love: The Morning Email and Must Reads. ©2018 HuffPost | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 You are receiving this email because you signed up for updates from HuffPost Feedback | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe    . - - Preferences  |  Unsubscribe