Kerby Anderson

How many times have we heard as we head into an election season, that this will be the most important election in our lifetime? Reid Wilson, writing for The Hill, is not given to hyperbole but sets forth some very persuasive reasons why the 2020 election will be the most important. First, the Democratic Party is likely “to nominate the most liberal candidate ever to carry the party’s mantle.” He explains that even the moderate candidates are staking out positions further to the left of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Second, four Supreme Court justices are over the age of 70, and two are in their 80s. Three of them have served on the court for more than a quarter century. The next president will be able to put more justices on the court. Third, voters in 34 states will elect US senators this year. They will ultimately determine how far the next president can go in choosing not only the next Supreme Court justice but all the other federal justices who serve on lower courts. That is why Democrats are targeting seats in Arizona, Colorado, Maine, and North Carolina. Republicans have seats in Alabama and Michigan in their sights. Finally, voters in most states will be electing new state legislators. They will have the power to draw legislative and congressional boundaries after the census. “Of the eleven states that will elect governors this year, seven will have a role in the map-making process.” This redistricting and gerrymandering will have an impact throughout the rest of this coming decade. It will determine who represents you in Congress and who represents you in the state house. Both political parties recognize how important that will be and “will fund years of litigation” over these political maps. These are just a few reasons why 2020 will be the most important election in your lifetime.