Democrats Won Just One Out of Four Special Elections in Missouri Yesterday, So Why Are They Celebrating?

What a difference a year of Trump makes. Democrats won a special election in Missouri yesterday in a district that voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

Democrat Mike Revis won Missouri's 97th Legislative District Seat by 3 points; in 2016, Trump carried the district by nearly 28 points. This amounts to a 31-point shift toward Democrats in that district, and the 35th legislative pickup for Democrats since Donald Trump took the oath of office last year.

“This win is enormous,” said state Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis, head of the Democratic Party’s House Victory Committee. The victory was made possible due to “a lot of grass-roots support and a hardworking, authentic moderate candidate from his community.”

“Rep.-elect Mike Revis’s victory tonight will undoubtedly send another shockwave through the GOP as we continue to run the best candidates focused on addressing local issues and improving their neighbors’ quality of life,” said Jessica Post, executive director of a group dedicated to electing statewide Democrats. “The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee continues to be impressed by our dedicated and talented slate of candidates, who have stepped up to run in these precedent-setting special elections.”

In addition to the 97th district, there were three other statehouse seats up for grabs in Missouri which Republicans managed to save. In the Show Me State's 144th District, Republican Chris Dinkins defeated Democratic challenger Jim Scaggs by 6 points; the election was decided by a mere 299 votes.

In Missouri's 129th district, Republican Jeff Knight defeated Democrat Ronna Ford 69 to 31 percent. This may seem like a resounding victory, but Donald Trump carried Missouri 129 by 67 points in 2016. Ford represents a 22-point swing toward Democrats since the 2016 election.

Republican Peggy McGaugh defeated Democrat Ethan Perkinson in Missouri's 39th District 64-36. Despite losing, Democrats managed a 19-point swing in their favor; Trump carried the 39th District by 47 points in 2016.

The lesson here?