Mayor Pete

[America Needs R'hllor]

Coming Soon

Author's Note: No, I'm not abandoning Four More Years. This is just a fun, low-effort Timeline I'll write as a break from endless studying to exams and sinking into breakup regrets. It won't be nearly as deep, thought-out and full of plot twists as FMY, but more general and relaxed- I'll basically just report election results, maybe recap some news events, speeches, debates etc. I might do it as a Point of View Timeline, akin to Castro's wonderful Eternal Sunshine of the Democratic Mind, but again, much less detailed and complex. It'll start with the results of the 2018 midterms, which I'll begin reporting in the next post. Hope you'll enjoy it!

[America Needs R'hllor]

Elizabeth

Elizabeth was cautiously optimistic.

The American people were very dissatisfied with President Trump and, most importantly, with the Republican Party. More than a year of continuous failures, unpopular bills and increasingly outrageous controversies were taking a toll and exciting the Democratic base to go out and vote, and this was reflected well in the polls. The blue wave of 2018, they called it. Even better than 2006. Some of the most optimistic pundits even thought that they could win the Senate. Liz hoped that they were right.

Already, CNN had reported and called some races, including her own. She was one of the first Senators to give her victory speech, and did it, as agreed by the two colleagues, right before Connecticut's Chris Murphy gave his own speech. Liz turned to the TV screen, where CNN was recapping the races so far called, and uncalled:

Connecticut U.S. Senate Election (35% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Chris Murphy (D)*- 62% ✓
Businessman Matthew Corey (R)- 36%

Delaware U.S. Senate Election (43% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Tom Carper (D)*- 70% ✓
Businessman Chuck Boyce (R)- 27%

Florida U.S. Senate Election (44% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Bill Nelson (D)*- 50.9%
Fmr. Governer Rick Scott (R)- 48.4%

Indiana U.S. Senate Election (56% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Joe Donnelly (D)*- 48.8%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita (R)- 48.3%

Maine U.S. Senate Election (40% Reporting): INDEPENDENT HOLD
Senator Angus King (I)*- 55% ✓
Governor Paul Lepage (R)- 34%
Teacher Zak Ringelstein (D)- 8%

Maryland U.S. Senate Election (37% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Ben Cardin (D)*- 62 % ✓
Fmr. CIA Officer Sam Faddis (R)- 24%
Ms. Chelsea Manning (I)- 13%

Massachusetts U.S. Senate Election (36% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D)*- 59% ✓
State Rep. Geoff Diehl (R)- 39%

Michigan U.S. Senate Election (33% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D)*- 56% ✓
State Senator Rick Jones (R)- 42%

Mississippi U.S. Senate Election (36% Reporting): REPUBLICAN HOLD
Senator Roger Wicker (R)*- 58% ✓
State Rep. Jay Hughes Jr. (D)- 40%

Missouri U.S. Senate Election (37% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
State Attorney General Josh Hawley (R)- 50.1%
Senator Claire McCaskill (D)*- 48.6%

New Jersey U.S. Senate Election (43% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone- 58% ✓
Fmr. State Assemblyman Jack Cittarelli (R)- 38%

Ohio U.S. Senate Election (48% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Sherrod Brown (D)*- 52.5%
U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci (R)- 46.8%

Pennsylvania U.S. Senate Election (42% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Bob Casey Jr. (D)*- 55% ✓
U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R)- 44%

Rhode Island U.S. Senate Election (35% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D)*- 65% ✓
State Rep. Robert Nardolillo (R)- 31%

Tennessee U.S. Senate Election (31% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R)- 50.1%
Fmr. Governor Phil Bredesen (D)- 49.0%

Texas U.S. Senate Election (27% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D)- 51.3%
Senator Ted Cruz (R)*- 47.9%

Vermont U.S. Senate Election (46% Reporting): INDEPENDENT HOLD
Senator Bernie Sanders (I)*- 77% ✓
Fmr. State Rep. John MacGovern (R)- 21%

Virgina U.S. Senate Election (51% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Tim Kaine (D)*- 54% ✓
County Supervisor Corey Steward (R)- 44%

West Virginia U.S. Senate Election (48% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Joe Manchin (D)*- 49.8%
U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins (R)- 48.1%

Elizabeth observed the results critically for a few moments. It was looking pretty good. Senators Casey Jr., Stabenow and King, who were thought vulnerable, easily turned back their challengers. Tim Kaine seemed to be heading for a landslide against his madman of an opponent, with Virginia called even before much of NoVA and his own Richmond reported. Senator Nelson was doing well too, despite the scare that Rick Scott was going to unseat him. Sherrod was looking solid- Jim Renacci's Trumpian rhetoric backfired against him in an anti-Trump midterm. But the Democratic incumbents from the deep red states were worrying her- Joe Manchin seemed likely to be reelected, but Claire and Joe were clearly fighting very tough battles. She just hoped they'd be able to escape defeat, at least this time.

And there were two glimmering beacons of hope- Phil was doing shockingly well in Tennessee against that kooky Blackburn, and Beto was actually leading Cruz, though admittedly many Republican areas haven't reported yet. If one of them could win, in addition to Kyrsten and Jackie in Arizona and Nevada, and they lost only one incumbent... they could actually win the Senate. And if they won the Senate... 2020 was looking better and better.

Liz was well-aware of the rumours against her running. And she had to admit, they were not completely unfounded. Why else would she take up that assignment in the Armed Services Committee? But it's not like she wanted to be President- she just desperately wanted the next President to be a progressive. Bernie seemed to be making moves, though. She thought that he was too old, but she wouldn't run if he did. There would simply be no need. The Senator sighed and turned her eyes back to the screen. 9 p.m. was here, with polls in some important states closing.

The room erupted in cheers as CNN made three consecutive calls- New York for Kirsten, Minnesotta for Amy and New Mexico for Martin. Now it was time to wait.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Kirsten

"We are now ready to call the North Dakota Senate race for incumbent Heidi Heitkamp. Heidi Heitkamp was re-elected to represent North Dakota in the U.S. Senate. This is a key hold for Democrats..."

Kirsten smiled as CNN called yet another race for a vulnerable Democrat. This night was looking better and better, and they were telling her that much of it was caused by increased turnout and enthusiasm from women- which, as a leader of that movement, could only benefit her when it's time to announce her campaign in a year or so. With Trump so weak, and a likely Democratic House, as well as a possible Senate victory, it was just a matter of winning the Democratic primary. And Kirsten Gillibrand was confident that she had a good chance.

She turned her eyes to the list of election result to see the updated list of called races.

California U.S. Senate Election (13% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D)*- 59% ✓
State Senator Kevin de León (D)- 41%

Florida U.S. Senate Election (83% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Bill Nelson (D)*- 51.2% ✓
Fmr. Governer Rick Scott (R)- 47.9%

Hawaii U.S. Senate Election (4% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Mazie Hirrono (D)*- 91% ✓
Businesswoman Crystal Carpenter (I)- 8%

Minnesota U.S. Senate Election (49% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Amy Klobucher (D)*- 63% ✓
State Rep. Jim Newberger (R)- 32%

Minnesota U.S. Senate Election, SPECIAL (49% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Tina Smith (D)*- 59% ✓
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R)- 39%

Nebraska U.S. Senate Election (44% Reporting): REPUBLICAN HOLD
Senator Deb Fischer (R)*- 57% ✓
City Councilwoman Jane Raybould (D)- 38%

New Mexico U.S. Senate Election (39% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Martin Heinrich (D)*- 54% ✓
Fmr. Mayor Richard Berry (R)- 45%

New York U.S. Senate Election (54% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D)*- 74% ✓
Businesswoman Chele Chiavacci Farley (R)- 22%

North Dakota U.S. Senate Election (61% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D)*- 52.7% ✓
State Senator Tom Campbell (R)- 45.8%

Ohio U.S. Senate Election (88% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Sherrod Brown (D)*- 53.9% ✓
U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci (R)- 45.2%

Utah U.S. Senate Election (38% Reporting): REPUBLICAN HOLD
Fmr. Governor Mitt Romney (R)- 69% ✓
Councilwoman Jenny Wilson (D)- 27%

Washington U.S. Senate Election (20% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Maria Cantwell (D)*- 67% ✓
State Rep. Brad Klippert (R)- 33%

West Virginia U.S. Senate Election (94% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Joe Manchin (D)*- 50.1% ✓
U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins (R)- 47.8%

Wisconsin U.S. Senate Election (43% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Tammy Baldwin (D)*- 54.3% ✓
Businessman Kevin Nicholson (R)- 44.6%

Wyoming U.S. Senate Election (55% Reporting): REPUBLICAN HOLD
Senator John Barrasso (R)*- 71% ✓
Businessman Gary Tauner (D)- 27%

Joe Manchin, Tammy Baldwin, Sherrod Brown, Heidi Heitkamp and Bill Nelson, all kept their seats. And these were only the called races. What really interested Kirsten, and most likely any other political watcher, were the races left uncalled:

Arizona U.S. Senate Election (37% Reporting): TOO EARLY TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema- 52.8%
Fmr. Sheriff Joe Arpaio (R)- 39.2%
Fmr. Chairman Robert Graham (R-I)- 7.7%

Indiana U.S. Senate Election (98% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Joe Donnelly (D)*- 48.6%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita (R)- 48.5%

Missouri U.S. Senate Election (88% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Claire McCaskill (D)*- 49.2%
State Attorney General Josh Hawley (R)- 48.9%

Montana U.S. Senate Election (40% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Jon Tester (D)*- 51.6%
State Audito Matthew Rosendale (R)- 45.2%

Nevada U.S. Senate Election (36% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Jackie Rosen (D)- 49.9%
Senator Dean Heller (R)*- 48.5%

Tennessee U.S. Senate Election (89% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. Governor Phil Bredesen (D)- 49.5%
U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R)- 49.3%

Texas U.S. Senate Election (85% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D)- 49.4%
Senator Ted Cruz (R)*- 49.4%

In Arizona, Kyrsten seemed assured a victory. The Senator from New York noted the "too early", rather than "too close", label. Meanwhile, Montana and Nevada also seemed like solid ground for Jon and Jackie. The only truly worrying places were, for Kirsten, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas. Indiaia... it was very close, but the time was running out for Todd Rokita to catch up. She hoped that she was right.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Tim

Well, darn it, Texas isn't going to happen, right?

Tim was watching the results of the night with interest. Despite leading very late into the count, Beto's numbers were steadily worsening as the last prescints started reporting, and that slimy Cruz seemed to be running away with the race. His own race wasn't of much interest anymore- with 99% reporting, Virginia went 65%-33% for him against his joke of a Republican challenger. But the other races were, indeed, interesting. It looked like the Democrats just might reclaim the Senate tonight, and he was happy about it.

Still, I could've been Vice President right now, Tim thought for the umpteenth time that night. But he had to remind himself that if he had been the Vice President, the night would probably have looked much bleaker. So at least there was that, with Trump's disastrous Presidency. Tim lost the chance to be Vice President, of course, and he doubted he could become President. That was it. He didn't even want to. Though, the words of his fellow Senator, Mark, kept coming into his mind: "I lost my chance when I didn't run in 2008, Tim, but you could yet bring sensible Virginian governing into the White House... Think about it, Tim, you have the name recognition and you'd be surprised by the amount of people you could appeal to. Terry won't win the primary, as much as I like him, but you could. Think about it."

A CNN alert woke Tim up from his thoughts, and he turned sharply to look at the screen. Then, he had to stop himself from cursing loudly.

"We have a major call to make," Anderson Cooper proclaimed ceremoniously, "Texas Senator Ted Cruz has been reelected. I repeat, we can call the Texas Senate race for incumbent Ted Cruz. This joins the recently called races in Montana and Arizona, and leaves only four uncalled Senate races. A big sigh of relief for Texas Republicans..."

Texas U.S. Senate Election (97% Reporting): REPUBLICAN HOLD
Senator Ted Cruz (R)*- 49.8% ✓
U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D)- 48.7%

Arizona U.S. Senate Election (73% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC GAIN
U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema- 54.1% ✓
Fmr. Sheriff Joe Arpaio (R)- 36.5%
Fmr. Chairman Robert Graham (R-I)- 8.6%

Montana U.S. Senate Election (66% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Jon Tester (D)*- 52.3% ✓
State Audito Matthew Rosendale (R)- 45.8%

Disturbed by the result, Tim turned to look at the rest of the races in his campaign manager's laptop, hoping to see something encouraging.

Indiana U.S. Senate Election (98% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Joe Donnelly (D)*- 48.7%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita (R)- 48.7%

Missouri U.S. Senate Election (94% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
State Attorney General Josh Hawley (R)- 49.3%
Senator Claire McCaskill (D)*- 49.0%

Nevada U.S. Senate Election (54% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
U.S. Rep. Jackie Rosen (D)- 50.7%
Senator Dean Heller (R)*- 48.2%

Tennessee U.S. Senate Election (93% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. Governor Phil Bredesen (D)- 49.6%
U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R)- 49.4%

The tension in the room seemed to be growing. Claire wasn't in a good shape, while Phil and Joe were in very dangerous positions. The night was not quite done yet.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Chuck

The room erupted in cheers as the AP called Nevada for Jackie Rosen, another gain for them. Of course, it didn't come as a surprise to Chuck- the numbers were heavily suggested that. He patted Harry Reid, who came to participate in the watch party, on the shoulder.

Nevada U.S. Senate Election (63% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC GAIN
U.S. Rep. Jackie Rosen (D)- 50.6% ✓
Senator Dean Heller (R)*- 48.1%

However, Chuck still wasn't quite calm. The last three races were very tight, and it looked like the future of his political career was balanced on the edge of a dagger. It seemed like as the minutes went by, the tension just grew impossibly higher. He could see Kirsten's leg fidgeting. It was officially her night, her watch party, considering she was running for reelection. But no one doubted that she would win- her night, or so she hoped, would come in November 3rd, 2020. Tonight, it was Chuck's night. Tonight he might finally become Majority Leader. He jumped as another alert came on the TV screen. CNN were calling another race.

"We have another call, Wolf, and it's a historic one- Phil Bredesen has won the Senate race in the state where he once served as a popular Governor. I repeat, Former governor Bredesen has defeated Representative Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee's Senate race, and will succeed the retiring Senator Bob Corker in the U.S. Senate, becoming the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in the state since Al Gore in 1990."

Tennessee U.S. Senate Election (97% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC GAIN
Fmr. Governor Phil Bredesen (D)- 49.8% ✓
U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R)- 49.1%

Cheers filled the room again, and this time, Chuck joined them. In 2016, no one expected the Democrats to actually win Tennessee's Senate seat in 2018. Hell, even when Phil announced in 2017, they gave him very slim chances. But Blackburn's gaffe-filled campaign and Bredesen's popularity did her in. Now, Chuck would almost certainly become Majority Leader, he thought...

Another alert interrupted his wistful thoughts. And this time, with bad news.

"We can now call another race..." Anderson Cooper's voice boomed forbodingly. "Missouri State Attorney General Josh Hawley has won the Senate race there, unseating incumbent Senator Claire McCaskill..."

Missouri U.S. Senate Election (98% Reporting): REPUBLICAN GAIN
State Attorney General Josh Hawley (R)- 49.3% ✓
Senator Claire McCaskill (D)*- 49.1%

Chuck's heart sank. Claire was a good, loyal Senator, and a useful asset. Now she would be replaced by a Republican, and Chuck once again felt anxiety. He looked at the numbers for the last race, in Indiana, and got a major scare.

Indiana U.S. Senate Election (99% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita (R)- 48.76%
Senator Joe Donnelly (D)*- 48.74%

Rokita is leading?! He cursed under his breath. This was bad news. Very bad news. if Joe Donnelly lost reelection, Mike Pence's tie-breaking vote would keep Republicans in the majority. Not good, not good, not good... Suddenly, the numbers changed again. The last prescints were finishing their reports, and soon there will be nothing left. The first state to report its results would be the last state to call its Senate race.

Indiana U.S. Senate Election (99% Reporting): TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Senator Joe Donnelly (D)*- 48.765%
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita (R)- 48.763%

"This is it, folks, the compositon of the Senate will be decided in the coming minutes..." Wolf Blitzer declared dramatically. Chuck held his breath. The entire fate of the Senate, in the end of a few Hoosiers.

And then the alert came.

"We can now call Indiana's Senate race... Democratic incumbent Joe Donnelly has won re-election, by a few hundred votes! I repeat, Democrat Joe Donnelly won re-election in Indiana, and with this result, we can make a key call- Democrats will hold the majority in the next Senate!"

Indiana U.S. Senate Election (100% Reporting): DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Senator Joe Donnelly (D)*- 48.766% ✓
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita (R)- 48.762%

The cheering in the room was deafening now, and everyone flocked to Chuck, hugging and congratulating him. "Now you can smile, Chuck," Harry told him, "never smile before the enemy is crushed and you know you've won the battle. You've won."

Chuck Schumer allowed himself to smile. He was the Senate Majority Leader.

Composition of the U.S. Senate:

Democratic Majority: 51 Seats (Leader: Chuck Schumer)
Democrats: 49 Seats  (+3, -1)
Independents (Caucusing with the Democrats): 2 Seats  (+-0)


Republican Minority: 49 Seats (Leader: Mitch McConnell)
Republicans: 49 Seats  (+1, -3)

[America Needs R'hllor]

Recount in Indiana? The vote percentages indicate a margin of 100 or less.

Yes, there will be a recount and Donnelly will win it. I won't cover it since it's more of a "broad strokes" TL- I won't get much into the more intricate details, that's reserved for FMY.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Gavin Pt. 1

Governor-Elect Gavin Newsome was satisfied.

He was finally, after all these years, the Governor of the most populated state in the country, and possibly one of the most powerful men in Amercica. After Jerry's return frustrated his ambitions, and after he waited 8 whole years in the dullest job on earth, he could finally assume the position he so craved.

Oh, and the Democrats picked up 9 Governor's mansions. Gavin turned to look at the screen again, where the very eye-pleasing results were displayed.

State of the U.S. State Governorships:
Democratic Party- 27  (+11)
Republican Party- 22  (-11)
Independents- 1  (+-0)

[America Needs R'hllor]

Gavin Pt. 2

Results of the 2018 Gubernatorial Elections

Alabama Gubernatorial Election: REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Kay Ivey (R)*- 51.7% ✓
Mayor Walter Maddox (D)- 47.1%

Alaska Gubernatorial Election: INDEPENDENT HOLD
Governor Bill Walker (I)*- 52.0% ✓
State Rep. Mike Chenault (R)- 44.4%

Arizona Gubernatorial Election: REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Doug Ducey (R)*- 50.3% ✓
State Senator Steve Farley (D)- 49.1%

Arkansas Gubernatorial Election: REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Asa Hutchinson (R)*- 61.4% ✓
Fmr. Exec. Director Jared Henderson (D)- 37.5%

California Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom (D)- 67.6% ✓
Fmr. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D)- 32.4%

Colorado Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC HOLD
U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D)- 53.3% ✓
State Treasurer Walker Stapleton (R)- 45.4%

Connecticut Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Businessman Ned Lamont (D)- 49.8% ✓
State Rep. Prasad Srinivasan (R)- 48.9%

Florida Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC GAIN
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham (D)- 50.7% ✓
Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam (R)- 49.1%

Georgia Gubernatorial Election: REPUBLICAN HOLD
Lt. Governor Casey Cagle (R)- 51.0% ✓
State Rep. Stacey Abrams (D)- 48.4%

Hawaii Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Governor David Ige (D)*- 60.4% ✓
State Rep. Andria Tupola (R)- 37.8%

Idaho Gubernatorial Election: REPUBLICAN HOLD
Lt. Governor Brad Little (R)- 60.7% ✓
State Rep. Paulette Jordan (D)- 38.2%

Illinois Gubernatorial Election: REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Bruce Rauner (R)*- 41.6% ✓
Venture Capitalist J. B. Pritzker (D)- 40.8%
Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (G)- 12.9%
State Sen. Sam McCann (C)- 4.0%

Iowa Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC GAIN
Union Leader Cathy Glasson (D)- 50.2% ✓
Governor Kim Reynolds (R)*- 48.4%

Kansas Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC GAIN
Sec. of Agriculture Josh Svaty (D)- 42.7% ✓
Sec. of State Kris Kobach (R)- 36.9%
Businessman Greg Orman (I)- 20.3%

Maine Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC GAIN
Attorney General Janet Mills (D)- 38.2% ✓
Fmr. Health Commissioner Mary Mayhew (R)- 36.6%
State Treasurer Terry Hayes (I)- 16.5%
Mayor John Jenkins (I)- 6.4%

Maryland Gubernatorial Election: REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Larry Hogan (R)- 50.1% ✓
Fmr. NAACP President Ben Jealous (D)- 48.9%

Massachusetts Gubernatorial Election: REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Charlie Baker (R)- 58.6% ✓
Fmr. Mayor Setti Warren (D)- 40.7%

Michigan Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC GAIN
Fmr. State Senator Gretchen Whitmer (D)- 52.5% ✓
Attorney General Bill Schutte (R)- 46.5%

Minnesota Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC HOLD
U.S. Rep. Tim Walz (D)- 54.2% ✓
County Commissioner Jeff Johnson (R)- 45.4%

Nebraska Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC GAIN
State Senator Bob Krist (D)- 49.6% ✓
Governor Pete Ricketts (R)*- 49.1%

Nevada Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC GAIN
County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani (D)- 50.9% ✓
Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R)- 48.5%

New Hampshire Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC GAIN
Author Stefany Shaheen (D)- 50.2% ✓
Governor Chris Sununu (R)*- 49.1%

New Mexico Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC GAIN
U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D)- 55.0% ✓
U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce (R)- 43.9%

New York Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Governor Andrew Cuomo (D)*- 57.4% ✓
State Assemblyman Brian Kolb (R)- 38.3%
Mr. Larry Sharpe (L)- 3.2%

Ohio Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC GAIN
Fmr. CFPB Director Richard Cordray (D)- 50.1% ✓
Attorney General Mike Dewine (R)- 49.7%

Oklahoma Gubernatorial Election: REPUBLICAN HOLD
Mayor Mick Cornett (R)- 53.2% ✓
Fmr. Attorney General Drew Edmondson (D)- 46.4%

Oregon Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Governor Kate Brown (D)*- 58.6% ✓
State Rep. Knute Buehler (R)- 41.0%

Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Governor Tom Wolf (D)*- 52.8% ✓
State Senator Scott Wagner (R)- 46.7%

Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC HOLD
Fmr. Governor Lincoln Chafee (D)- 49.7% ✓
Mayor Allan Fung (R)- 48.9%

South Carolina Gubernatorial Election: REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Henry McMaster (R)*- 53.7% ✓
State Rep. James Smith (D)- 46.1%

South Dakota Gubernatorial Election: REPUBLICAN HOLD
U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem (R)- 57.6% ✓
State Senator Billie Sutton (D)- 41.8%

Tennessee Gubernatorial Election: REPUBLICAN HOLD
U.S. Rep. Diane Black (R)- 50.4% ✓
Fmr. Mayor Karl Dean (D)- 49.2%

Texas Gubernatorial Election: REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Greg Abbott (R)*- 52.9% ✓
Fmr. Sherriff Lupe Valdez (D)- 46.6%

Vermont Gubernatorial Election: REPUBLICAN HOLD
Governor Phil Scott (R)*- 70.9% ✓
Middle School Student Ethan Sonneborn (D)- 27.3%

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election: DEMOCRATIC GAIN
State Superintendent Tony Evers (D)- 52.5% ✓
Governor Scott Walker (R)*- 47.2%

Wyoming Gubernatorial Election: REPUBLICAN HOLD
State Treasurer Mark Gordon (R)- 53.3% ✓
Fmr. State Rep. Mary Throne (D)- 46.4%

The results definitely painted a rosey picture for Democrats, the Governor-Elect pondered. Sure, there were some blunders J. B.'s embarrassing loss in Illinois or Stacey's inability to win a key race in Georgia, but mostly, Democrats exceeded expectations- they created two new Alaskas in Nebraska and Kansas, they won a surprise victory in Iowa, they finally won the Governor's Mansion in Florida, and they unseated a hated incumbent in Wisconsin. Things were looking good for 2020. Maybe too good.

Sure, Gavin didn't want Trump to win four more years. But still, he had an uneasy feeling that a Democrat winning in 2020 would seriously harm his ambitions... 2024 would be out of the game, and then in 2028 he would be running for a third Democratic term, and maybe even a third Californian term. He briefly pondered running in 2020 himself, but that would go nowhere. Californians would be furious at him and voters would see him as opportunistic.

Gavin sighed. Whatever the case, he might as well get himself in a good relationship with the next President, maybe it would help him in 2028. He pressed the office phone's button. "Get me on the line with Kamala Harris, please."

[America Needs R'hllor]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

You forgot one thing, David Ige won’t be the Dem nominee in Hawaii. Colleen Hanabusa is the presumptive nominee.

He's running, isn't he? That means that he could be the nominee in an alternate Timeline.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Paul

"Future Minority Leader Paul Ryan has said this morning that he 'congratulates' future Speaker Pelosi for her victory", Dana Bash proclaimed on the office's TV screen, "and that Republicans are ready to keep working for the American people in a bipartisan, but principled manner."

Minority Leader Paul Ryan. Minority Leader Paul Ryan. Minority Leader Paul Ryan. "Dammit, that title sucks," Paul cursed aloud to no one in particular. The office was empty anyway- the Speaker's office, he was reminded again, that he would have to give to Nancy soon enough.



Composition of the U.S. House of Representatives:
Democratic Party: 243  (+49)
Republcian Party: 192  (-49)

New House Leadership:
House Speaker: Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
House Majority Leader: Tim Ryan (D-OH)
House Majority Whip: Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
House Minority Leader: Paul Ryan (R-WI)
House Minority Whip: Steve Scalise (R-LA)

Paul sighed. So be it- at least now he could lead from the opposition, rally Republicans and generally just blame Democrats for the dysfunction. Mitch seemed to be enjoying it until 2014. Let Trump and the Democrats drown in each other's mud- he's probably going to lose in 2020 anyway, and then they'd have their fun combatting the new Democratic President, and come 2022 he'd be Speaker again.

Who knows, maybe they could elect an actual conservative in 2024, and then start ushering in true change. Fantasies of privatizing medicare and social security ran through his mind, and brought a smile to his face. Something good might come out of this terrible election after all.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Cory

Cory Booker was staring at the TV screen, and he was getting increasingly annoyed.

"And this is why, today, I am announcing that I will be a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 Presidential election? For all the women who felt sidelined in the past four years and showed immense bravery coming out with their stories. For all the DREAMERs and immigrants who felt that their government, their country which they know and love, is threatening their very place in the world. For members of the LGBTQ community, who felt an increase in rhetoric against them under a President who doesn't care about them and a Vice President who expressed frightening views about them. And for all the hard-working Americans and small business owners whose healthcare was threatened and whose hard-earned money went to tax cuts for corporations and billionaires. This is why I'm running for President! For our Country, for our People, for America!"

As cheers erupted in the televised Manchester, New Hampshire rally, Cory closed the TV and looked at his aide angrily. "How did she manage to announce before us?!"

She just shrugged. "I don't know, Senator, they haven't told us anything about it.

The Senator from New Jersey huffed. He wanted to be the first serious candidate to announce, to get his name out there and Kirsten somehow managed to beat him to it. It's March 12th, for God's sake, it's so early. She was shrewd, he had to admit, very shrewd. He sighed. "Fine, whatever. Start preparing my speech. We'll make the announcement in Iowa, to counter her. And give me this poll."

The aide nodded and handed him a bunch of papers with an inside poll conducted by his team. It had the candidates they thought were most likely to announce, and it brought mixed news.

Of these candidates who would you vote for if your Democratic Primary\Caucus was today?
Elizabeth Warren- 22%
Kamala Harris- 11%
Cory Booker- 9%
Kirsten Gillibrand- 8%
Amy Klobucher- 5%
Andrew Cuomo- 4%
Jason Kander- 4%
Eric Garcetti- 3%
Terry McAuliffe- 3%
John Hickenlooper- 2%
Deval Patrick- 2%
Seth Moulton- 1%
Jay Inslee- 1%
Julian Castro- 1%
Tulsi Gabbard- <1%
Martin O'Malley- <1%
John Delaney- <1%
Other\Undecided- 32%

Cory sighed. Kirsten was probably going to surge after her annoucnement, but it didn't even matter that much. The race just started now- it was going to be a long year.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Jay

"...And this is Washington's Governor Jay Inslee, announcing his bid for the Democratic nomination. Today, he once again said that if Donald Trump attempts to 'throw away the Americans', meaning DREAMERs, in his state, he will use all legal means to stop him and protect 'good and loyal Washingtonians'. He has recently gained some steam in the race because of his tenure as Chair of the DGA during the successful 2018 midterms and his opposition to Trump:"

The television screen now showed a familiar scene- a sunny rally in Olympia, Washington. "And I am running," Jay heard himself proclaiming, "because these four years have proved to us that it's time for sane, competent leadership, compassionate towards all Americans and aiming for bettering everyone's life, not for mere political gain! Join me, and let us bring these values back to our nation's government!"

The Governor smiled in satisfaction and turned off the TV. It was going better than expected- he was the last candidate to announce, so he was getting the final polling boost of name recognition from it. And with Hickenlooper and Bullock declining a Presidential bid to run for Senate, while McAuliffe and Patrick also decided not to run, he was the only one to have experience actually governing a state, and a deep one at that, of almost seven years. Well, no, he had to remind himself, Andrew and Martin have that too. But they're jokes.

He was also popular in his state, and his actions against Trump made him popular in the party. The polls reflected that:

Democratic Primary- National
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 21%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 11%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 11%
Sen. Cory Booker- 10%
Sen. Amy Klobucher- 5%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 5%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 4%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 4%
Fmr. Sen. Russ Feingold- 3%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 3%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 2%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 2%
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard- 2%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 1%
Rep. Seth Moulton- 1%
Fmr. Gov. Martin O'Malley- 1%
Fmr. Gov. Brian Schweitzer- <1%
Rep. Adam Schiff- <1%
Rep. John Delaney- <1%
Other\Undecided- 12%

Democratic Caucuses- Iowa
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 19%
Sen. Cory Booker- 12%
Sen. Amy Klobucher- 9%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 8%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 8%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 5%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 5%
Fmr. Sen. Russ Feingold- 5%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 4%
Fmr. Gov. Brian Schweitzer- 2%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 2%
Fmr. Gov. Martin O'Malley- 2%
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard- 1%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 1%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 1%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- <1%
Rep. Seth Moulton- <1%
Rep. John Delaney- <1%
Rep. Adam Schiff- <1%
Other\Undecided- 14%

Democratic Caucuses- New Hampshire
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 22%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 13%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 11%
Sen. Cory Booker- 10%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 5%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 5%
Fmr. Sen. Russ Feingold- 4%
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard- 4%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 3%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 3%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 3%
Sen. Amy Klobucher- 2%
Rep. Seth Moulton- 2%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 2%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 1%
Fmr. Gov. Brian Schweitzer- <1%
Fmr. Gov. Martin O'Malley- <1%
Rep. Adam Schiff- <1%
Rep. John Delaney- <1%
Other\Undecided- 8%

He was doing well, Jay reflected. Sure, the numbers would get down a notch soon, but he'd still be pretty much guaranteed access to the high league debates. Suddenly, the office door opened. "Um, Governor," his campaign aide said in an uncertain tone, "you might want to turn on the TV." Jay frowned and did ad he was told.

"We now go to Dana Bash in Richmond, Virginia, where we're told Senator, and 2016 Vice Presidential nominee, Tim Kaine will be announcing a surprise bid for the White House. This brings the Democratic field to a historic amount of 20 candidates, truly a chaotic battle..."

Jay Inslee cursed under his breath. "Ugh, seriously?!"

[America Needs R'hllor]

John

"What do you mean, she doesn't want to be Secretary of State this year?!" John Kelly asked his aide on the phone, outrage filling his voice.

"She said it's not the time for her yet. The aide answered somberly. "She wants to, um, see what happens in 2020."

The Chief of Staff groaned in frustration. Both he and Nikki Haley knew exactly what would happen in 2020- Donald Trump would lose reelection, more likely than not. She just didn't want to be too associated to the Trump administration- the UN provided a safe distance, he assumed.

Fine, John thought angrily for a moment, let Donald have that crazy torture-supporting Pompeo if he wants him so much. But he knew that Mike Pompeo would not do- he was just too controversial, and would see too much scrunity by useless Senators like Rand Paul. He needed to look for an alternative, even if Haley was not up to the task. With nothing else to do, he opened his laptop and checked his emails.

Big mistake.

"CNN did a summary of Dems by order of their announcements," the Email said, "would recommend watching." John sighed- he didn't want to see the ones who will probably unseat his boss. However, the retired General was always a dutiful man, and now he shall be a dutiful plot device.


July 28th, 2017: Maryland Congressman John Delaney announces early, longshot bid for the Whitehouse, citing bipartisanship and a moderate record


March 12th, 2019: New York's junior Senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, announces her formidable bid for the Democratic nomination, propelled by the #MeToo movement and a strong campaign start


March 15th, 2019: Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) announces that he will run for President, adding another heavyweight to the Democratic field


March 20th, 2019: Another House member, Seth Moulton (D-MA), announces a run, appealing to veterans and "mavericks"


April 3rd, 2019: Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles' popular mayor, joins the fray with the message that a Mayor can lead even better than a Congressman


April 5th, 2019: Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley announces his second Presidential lead with a positive message, once again a longshot


April 27th, 2019: Former HUD Secretary and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro says on live television that he will be a candidate for the Democratic nomination in 2020


May 1st, 2019: Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard announces her own bid in a Worker's Day speech, appealing to the progressive Democrats


May 6th, 2019: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo joins the fray in a NYC rally, directly targetting his state's junior Senator as "an opportunist"


May 6th, 2019: In the same day and a few streets from his Governor's rally, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his campaign and attacked Cuomo as "the machine's candidate", immediately setting off a nasty battle in which Cuomo accused de Blasio of "obstructing his rally" and de Blasio attacked back, calling him a liar


May 10th, 2019: Former Montana Governor and blue-dog Democrat Brian Schweitzer announced a longshot campaign for the Presidency


May 14th, 2019: Minnesota Senator Amy Klobucher, long expected to run for President, announced her campaign in a crowded rally, but then immediately critisized for Fmr. Sen. Al Franken's reported attendance of the rally


May 27th, 2019: Kamala Harris, the Senator from California, finally announced her widely-expected bid for the White House, immediately becoming a major contender


June 1st, 2019: Massachusetts Senator and progressive champion Elizabeth Warren announces her Presidential bid, immediately becoming the de-facto frontrunner in the Democratic primary


June 10th, 2019: Surprising many, former Missouri SoS and Senate hopeful Jason Kander, a popular rising star, announced his longshot bid


June 12th, 2019: Adding another Progressive into the mix, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), who endorsed Sanders in 2016, joins the big field


June 12th, 2019: Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), who gained renown as ranking member and then Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, announces his quixotic bid for the White House


June 20th, 2019: Twice-defeated Fmr. Sen. Russ Feingold from Wisconsin announced a surprising run for the Democratic nomination, pulling the number of Progressive favourites up to 4


August 3rd, 2019: Jay Inslee, the popular Washington Governor, joined the huge Democratic field in a successful campaign start


August 17th, 2019: Shocking the political world, Hillary Clinton's 2016 running mate and Virginia Senator Tim Kaine announced that he will run for the Democratic nomination, becoming one of the major contenders

God, this is a huge field, Kelly though, but someone will definitely emerge from there. This party hates Trump, they'll unite against him, and then we're doomed. They might as well run some has-been like Evan Bayh. Suddenly, an idea entered his mind. This day might produce something useful after all. John Kelly dialed his secretary. "Get me Dan Coats."

[America Needs R'hllor]

*Snip*

My top 5 for the democratic nomination (which happens to mirror real life):
1. Kirsten Gillibrand
2. Kamala Harris
3. Jay Inslee
4. Tim Kaine
5. Julian Castro
6. Anyone but Gabbard

Not surprising they mirror real life, considering pretty much everyone other than Biden, Sanders and the billionaires is running
Also, it'd be great if you can replace my (very long) post in your quote witn a "snip" or anything else, like I did here It makes the threat harder to scroll through.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Hillary

Hillary Clinton was sitting in her home's living room, watching the Democratic Primary Debate. Unlike four years ago. Or twelve years ago. She really should've run this year, the former nominee reflected, maybe it would've cleaned up this clonecar a bit. Biden should've run, at least. Hell, even Bernie would be preferable to... this.

She watched on as Elizabeth Warren attacked Cory Booker for his "ties to the pharmaceutical industry". How surprising. She also watched as Booker defended himself in a passionate voice, claiming to work for all Americans. Yawn. Gillibrand managed to come in between them and talked about how dividing the party into two camps was damaging. Surprisingly, she managed to come out of this unbruised, and then the debate went on.

Inslee kept talking about his experience. Kaine said that it was turn to return to normalcy and was immediately attacked by both Merkley and Garcetti, who accused him of being part of a failing ticket that let the country fall to Trump. Bleh, as if any of them would've done better with a media witch-hunt spanning decades. Tim retorted that attacks should be directed at Donald Trump, not fellow progressives, and claimed again that he had the broad support and experience to put the country in safe hands after Trump. Kamala started talking about policy and was interrupted by Feingold, who asked her about taking money from Super PACs. Booker tried to passionately appeal to the "unity" of the party and turned out looking fake (the irony of this thought did not escape Hillary). Kander managed to say something about voting rights that looked charismatic and sounded appealing. Hm. Castro talked about the DREAMERs. Of course, Hispanic support is all that separated between him and <1% in the polls. Then Merkley and Warren started fighting over who is more progressive, with Merkley questioning why she didn't endorse Bernie Sanders in 2016. Damaging, Hillary thought. Elizabeth was a pretty lousy frontrunner. Then Feingold swooped in, touting a progressive record of decades and sounding like a has-been immediately afterwards, when Inslee, with his fresh face, spoke about true progressive reforms enacted in Washington.

Then, Gillibrand was asked about her flip flopping when she went from the House to the Senate. Hillary cringed- this was not going to be pretty. Kirsten gave a surprisingly good answer about the fact that with the years, one's views evolve, especially about social issues. She claims that no one asked this question of Barack Obama after he changed his views on gay marriage, alluding sexism. And, she added, she represented a rural conservative district and had to represent her constituents. This set off Jeff Merkley, who proclaimed that he's also from a rural part of Oregon and never had to flip-flop. Gillibrand answered that her district was different than him and that she did not really "flip-flop".

The debate kept going on and on, and Hillary had to keep herself from falling asleep. It was a mess, really. They'd be lucky if some candidate managed to emerge from the pack before the convention. She didn't even know who to support- Tim was her running mate, sure, but Kamala, and Cory, and Eric, and Jason, they were all good too. She just shrugged and kept watching.

Well, she thought suddenly, at least it was better than the undercard debate, broadcasted right before the main one. There, everyone below 2% in national polls was forced to participate, leaving 13 for the main debate and 7 for the undercard. This basically meant a huge brawl between Cuomo and de Blasio, who just battered each other again and again to the amusement of the audience. From time to time, you could hear Tulsi calling the process rigged, Seth Moulton trying to say something that sounded tough and Martin O'Malley trying to say something. Anything. Schweitzer was less of an entity than he was four years ago, Schiff was boring as hell and Delaney was just... Delaney.
Merkley won the main debate. Warren, Castro and Booker performed poorly, while Harris, Garcetti, Klobucher and Feingold were just meh. In the undercard debate, if anyone could be considered a winner it was Gabbard and Moulton. Meanwhile, Cuomo and de Blasio took each other down while Schweitzer, Schiff and Delaney didn't do anything to improve their situation.

Sighing, the former Secretary of State turned again to look at the polling averages that determined the debate composition. And got a jolt of horror again. The field was really, really, really a mess.

Democratic Primary- National
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 17%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 14%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 10%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 9%
Sen. Cory Booker- 7%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 5%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 4%
Sen. Amy Klobucher- 4%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 4%
Fmr. Sen. Russ Feingold- 4%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 3%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 3%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 2%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 2%
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard- 2%
Rep. Seth Moulton- 1%
Fmr. Gov. Martin O'Malley- 1%
Fmr. Gov. Brian Schweitzer- <1%
Rep. Adam Schiff- <1%
Rep. John Delaney- <1%
Other\Undecided- 7%

Democratic Caucuses- Iowa
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 14%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 14%
Sen. Cory Booker- 9%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 8%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 7%
Sen. Amy Klobucher- 7%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 6%
Fmr. Sen. Russ Feingold- 6%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 5%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 4%
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard- 2%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 2%
Fmr. Gov. Brian Schweitzer- 1%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 1%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 1%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 1%
Fmr. Gov. Martin O'Malley- <1%
Rep. Seth Moulton- <1%
Rep. John Delaney- <1%
Rep. Adam Schiff- <1%
Other\Undecided- 10%

Democratic Caucuses- New Hampshire
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 20%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 14%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 11%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 8%
Sen. Cory Booker- 7%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 6%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 5%
Fmr. Sen. Russ Feingold- 4%
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard- 3%
Rep. Seth Moulton- 3%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 2%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 2%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 2%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 2%
Sen. Amy Klobucher- 1%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 1%
Rep. Adam Schiff- <1%
Fmr. Gov. Martin O'Malley- <1%
Fmr. Gov. Brian Schweitzer- <1%
Rep. John Delaney- <1%
Other\Undecided- 7%

[America Needs R'hllor]

Russ

Well, it's done, isn't it?

The former Senator from Wisconsin stared at large screen, where the results from the Iowa Caucuses were staring back at him. It was a tough battle between many contenders who had appeal in that state, so his place wasn't that bad, but it was not good either. Not good enough to stay in, as most of the other beating him probably will. When he entered the race, a decision neither he nor anybody else thought he'd make just a year prior, there were high hopes that he would be able to energize the progressive base, which wasn't very happy with Elizabeth Warren. Many pundits speculated that he could be that one star to rise up like a phoenix and be crowned as the party's nominee. But the field grew bigger and bigger, and his star waned more and more, until he became just another also-ran.

Yet, while others- Martin O'Malley and John Delaney, more specifically- dropped out even before Iowa, he decided to give it his all in the state and attempt to energize the grassroots. He failed, though, and the identity of the winner just made his mood worse:

Democratic Iowa Caucuses- 99% Reporting
Sen. Tim Kaine- 15.4% ✓
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 15.0%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 12.2%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 10.4%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 10.1%
Fmr. Sen. Russ Feingold- 7.7%
Sen. Amy Klobucher- 7.2%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 6.1%
Sen. Cory Booker- 4.7%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 3.2%
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard- 2.2%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 1.4%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 1.0%
Fmr. Gov. Brian Schweitzer- 0.9%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 0.7%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 0.6%
Rep. Seth Moulton- 0.6%
Rep. Adam Schiff- 0.5%
Fmr. Gov. Martin O'Malley- 0.1%
Rep. John Delaney- 0.0%
Other- 0.0%

"...This is definitely one of the wildest contests we've ever had here in Iowa," came the commentary from MSNBC, "and it definitely marks this entire primary as one of the wildest in history. So many candidates, and many of them aren't giving signs of dropping out soon- we've received word that Rep. Adam Schiff and Fmr. Gov. Brian Schweitzer will be dropping out today, but no word from the other campaigns. Senators Booker, Harris and Gillibrand, three of the major contenders in the race, will all continue to New Hampshire. We've reached out to the Feingold and Klobucher campaigns, but received no word on whether they'll be dropping out after their loss here..."

The former Senator frowned. Sure, he could still conceivably win a few states with this huge field, but was there any point? Iowa would, most likely, give Kaine a big boost, as well as Inslee, who performed surprisingly well after canvassing the state. Kander and Merkley were also winners here, reaching double-digits despite being considered underdogs. But not Russ. He was one of the losers, again. And another thought kept nagging at him- he was not just splitting the Progressive base and helping people like Kaine win, he was also splitting the entire vote, and contributing to the hot mess that was the 2020 Democratic Primaries. The field needed to consolidate, quickly, and he needed to help it consolidate.

"Sir," one of his aides approached, appearing stressed. "The press won't stop calling. They want to know if you're dropping out. And if you're endorsing anyone."

Russ sighed. "Yes, I am. Prepare my remarks- I'm going to endorse Senator Merkley."

[America Needs R'hllor]

I met someone today who told me she worked in some "small city in Indiana." I asked her what city, she said it won't sound like anything to me, and I said it might. As you might've guessed, she said "South Bend", and got really excited that I know the city and am familliar with the identity of its mayor. She said she met him once, and agreed with me when I said that he should be President someday. Apparently, he's been an amazing Mayor, developing the city a lot and bringing in many young people. She was extremely impressed with him. Looks like it's happening- #Petementum, folks
Obviously didn't tell her I'm writing an election timeline centered around him, that'd make me sound like a weirdo (which I'm quite obviously not... right? RIGHT???)

[America Needs R'hllor]

Kamala

Two losses in a row. And big ones, at that. This was not the way Kamala Harris had imagined her Presidential campaign going. As she looked at the results in display on her computed screen, Kamala pondered what they meant for the nation, for the Democratic Party, and mostly, for her future.

Democratic Primary- New Hampshire
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 17.3%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 15.6%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 10.3%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 7.9%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 7.7%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 7.6%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 6.6%
Sen. Cory Booker- 5.5%
Rep. Seth Moulton- 4.5%
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard- 4.1%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 3.5%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 3.3%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 2.9%
Sen. Amy Klobucher- 1.8%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 1.2%
Others- 0.0%

Kirsten was obviously going to enjoy the lion's share of momentum here. It was a big victory for her, one which might just be the decisive factor in the race. Warren received yet another blow from voters, but she'd probably stay in the race- national polls still had her up, narrowly. Jay Inslee will keep gaining steam after coming third again, as would Kaine, damn him, who passed her and came forth. Kamala was expected to do much better here, so her results would be a blow, especially as her fellow Californian, Eric Garcetti, managed to come very close to her. Merkley did much better than expected in the state as well, and might just have spoiled Warren's victory, while Booker did even worse than her. At least I've got that to comfort me, she thought. Still, his strength in the south is probably going to prompt him to continue.

The rest were all much less consequential. Moulton and Gabbard did solidly compared to their Iowa wins, but both have already announced that they were leaving the race- they needed to do much better here, especially Seth. Neither Cuomo nor de Blasio, bizarrely, agreed to drop out. These feuding bloated egos are pathetic, and are just making us look bad. And worse, they still get donations from New York's financial sector, so they can keep running as much as they want. Meanwhile, Amy Klobucher, who surprisingly kept going after Iowa, said that she will wait for states more favourable for her to vote. Castro said the same. Kamala sighed- this was going to stay a messy field.

A knock on her door woke her from her thoughts. "Yes?" She asked gloomily.

An aide's head peaked inside. "Senator? The press is calling again. They're insisting to know whether you're going to be dropping out."

The junior Senator from California nodded. "I see. Nosey people, they are, but I should get used to it... No, I'm not dropping out. Tell them that we still have a path." She stood up to give more strength to her words. "We're going to win California, and from there, we're going to win the nomination." And let Garcetti, or anyone else, try to stop me.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Jason

Jason Kander was pretty satisfied.

He was only a former Secretary of State in Missouri and a failed Senate candidate, and already he managed to win a fifth place in the Iowa Caucuses, and now, a second place in a contest, very close to first. The results of the Nevada Caucuses flashed on the TV screen before his eyes, both mocking him with the closeness of his loss and encouraging him for the contests to come:

Democratic Caucuses- Nevada (100% reporting)
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 16.3%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 15.6%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 13.6%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 10.4%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 9.3%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 8.1%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 7.2%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 6.5%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 4.6%
Sen. Cory Booker- 4.4%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 2.1%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 1.7%
Others- 0.2%

Pundits dubbed this result as a surprise, an upset. They thought that Kirsten Gillibrand would ride on her momentum and triumph in Nevada, or that Kamala Harris would use her regional advantage to win, or even that one of the Hispanic candidates could succeed. Instead, the big winners of the night were the Progressive Merkley and Kander himself.

While Eric Garcett, Julian Castro and a few others split the Hispanic vote, Jeff and Jason ran a strong grassroots campaign in Las Vegas and elsewhere, fighting for union support. In the end, Merkley edged him out, and would probably be the one to gain the most momentum from the state. But it was close, and Kander was confident that it could boost his campaign in such a messy field. Still, it wasn't as close as the South Carolina Primary a few days earlier:

Democratic Primary- South Carolina
Sen. Tim Kaine- 16.1%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 15.9%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 13.7%
Sen. Cory Booker- 11.3%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 11.1%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 7.2%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 5.9%
Sen. Amy Klobucher- 5.6%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 3.5%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 3.2%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 3.0%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 2.7%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 0.8%
Others- 0.0%

Once again, the black vote was split between Harris, Gillibrand, Booker and others, allowing Tim Kaine to emerge victorious over Harris by a very narrow margin. The result boosted the Kaine, Harris and Gillibrand campaigns, and further sank Booker, who only barely came ahead of Jason in a state he was initially expected to win, but only Klobucher dropped out, saying that there was just no path forward for her. And she was right. Now, after Nevada, Jason was worryingly not hearing any chatter of anyone dropping out . The press expected the field to winnow after the early primaries, but it was just not really happening- neither of the top candidate was willing to let his or her chances go with such an indecisive field, while in that situation, many of the lower-level ones kept running, thinking that a miracle could happen to boost them. Such were the campaigns of Garcetti and Castro. Cuomo and de Blasio were something else- just two bloated egos fighting each other. No one really noticed them.

It was going to be a tough road, but Jason eyed Tennessee, Oklahoma and, especially, Missouri and reached a decision- he was going to fight for it. It's not like his chances were much lower than those of the others. This was his life's opportunity, and he wasn't going to miss it.

Democratic Primaries

American Samoa
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands
US Virgin Islands
Democrats Abroad

[America Needs R'hllor]

what are the current delegate counts?

I'm not going to bother with delegate counts in this primary, since there are too many unknowns about the 2020 Presidential election and a few other reasons which I don't want to spoil.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Eric

Well, that went about as bad as expected, Los Angeles' Mayor thought as he looked at the final results from Super Tuesday. It wasn't particularly good for him, but it's not like anyone gave him much of a chance. He had hoped for some miracle giving him a victory or at least a tight race in California, but it was for naught- Harris won it handily. Still, he overperformed, and did not completely embarrass himself. He was young, and had a bright future ahead of him- he needed to secure it by exiting graciously now.

Still, the results were interesting- while Harris and Kaine won the most delegates, no one really managed to distinguish themselves. As much as six candidates have now won races, surely a historic number. Eric Garcetti felt a bit bitter that he wasn't one of the six, but oh well. He will win states in a future primary, he was certain. Even with him leaving the race, the primary remained messy and the threat of a contested convention was looming ever-closer, sending panic through the DNC. Eric had no wish to be part of that mess, especially since he doesn't have any chance anymore.

With Julian Castro, having failed to win Texas, leaving the race too, there were now zero Hispanic candidates. At least now they'll have work to work hard to earn our votes, Eric mused to himself as he drafted his endorsement of Kamala Harris.

American Samoa
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Democrats Abroad

Democratic Primary- Alabama
Sen. Kamala Harris- 19.4% ✓
Sen. Cory Booker- 18.8%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 16.1%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 12.5%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 9.4%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 6.0%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 5.1%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 4.9%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 3.2%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 2.7%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 1.3%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 1.0%
Others- 0.4%

Democratic Primary- Arkansas
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 15.8% ✓
Sen. Tim Kaine- 15.1%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 14.2%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 13.9%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 9.8%
Sen. Cory Booker- 8.5%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 5.8%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 5.7%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 4.5%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 3.9%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 2.2%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 0.4%
Others- 0.2%

Democratic Primary- California
Sen. Kamala Harris- 44.2% ✓
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 23.5%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 10.6%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 7.1%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 4.4%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 4.2%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 2.0%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 1.3%
Sen. Cory Booker- 1.2%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 0.9%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 0.4%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 0.2%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Primary- Colorado
Gov. Jay Inslee- 21.4% ✓
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 20.2%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 15.4%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 11.5%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 9.7%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 6.0%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 4.9%
Sen. Cory Booker- 4.3%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 3.1%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 1.5%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 1.3%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 0.6%
Others- 0.1%

Democratic Primary- Georgia
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 19.1% ✓
Sen. Kamala Harris- 16.4%
Sen. Cory Booker- 14.6%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 11.4%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 10.1%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 6.3%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 5.5%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 4.1%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 3.5%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 3.2%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 3.0%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 2.8%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Primary- Massachusetts
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 40.7% ✓
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 15.5%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 11.1%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 7.3%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 5.6%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 5.3%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 4.2%
Sen. Cory Booker- 3.4%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 2.9%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 2.7%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 0.9%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 0.4%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Primary- Minnesota
Gov. Jay Inslee- 28.2% ✓
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 27.8%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 20.1%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 10.6%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 4.1%
Sen. Cory Booker- 3.0%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 2.2%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 1.3%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 0.9%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 0.7%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 0.5%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 0.4%
Others- 0.2%

Democratic Primary- Tennessee
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 14.7% ✓
Sen. Tim Kaine- 14.3%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 14.1%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 12.9%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 11.5%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 11.3%
Sen. Cory Booker- 7.6%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 6.9%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 3.1%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 1.5%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 1.3%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 0.8%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Primary- Texas
Sen. Tim Kaine- 23.5% ✓
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 19.6%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 16.0%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 9.7%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 9.2%
Sen. Cory Booker- 5.1%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 4.8%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 4.2%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 2.5%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 2.1%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 2.0%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 1.3%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Primary- Vermont
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 30.7% ✓
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 29.5%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 14.2%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 9.7%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 4.9%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 4.6%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 2.1%
Sen. Cory Booker- 1.7%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 1.2%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 1.0%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 0.3%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 0.1%
Others- 0.4%

Democratic Primary- Virginia
Sen. Tim Kaine- 40.8% ✓
Sen. Kamala Harris- 12.4%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 10.3%
Sen. Cory Booker- 8.2%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 6.1%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 4.4%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 4.2%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 4.0%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 3.7%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 3.6%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 1.4%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 0.9%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Caucuses- Wyoming
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 36.2% ✓
Gov. Jay Inslee- 20.5%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 13.4%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 11.5%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 5.5%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 5.0%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 3.1%
Fmr. Sec. Julian Castro- 2.4%
Mayor Eric Garcetti- 1.0%
Sen. Cory Booker- 0.9%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 0.3%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 0.2%
Others- 0.0%

[America Needs R'hllor]

Jeff

"How's the situation in Ohio?" Jeff asked his pollster, leaning forward and looking at the computer screen. It full of county maps and predictions, the material of political nerds' wet dreams.

She pointed at the Ohio map. "We're doing well, Senator. The grassroots campaign seems to be resounding there. Kander is going all in there too, as does Warren- it's crucial for her- but it seems like we're more effective. They like our... erm, folksy attitude."

"Good," Jeff said in satisfaction. "What about Illinois?"

The pollster clicked a few links and opened a map of the state he asked for. "It's... alright. We're running very well in the rural areas, but Chicago isn't friendly to us. We'd have to get lucky to win this."

"I see." Jeff thought for a moment. "We'll concentrate all our resources on Ohio."

"Are you sure, sir?" The pollster raised her brows at him. "We can win quite a few delegates if we do well in Illinois and Missouri."

"Missouri is Kander's, and in Illinois we have no chance. Optics are important, and we need to win a big state." He spoke confidently. "We're going to win Ohio."

When he started the campaign, he was almost certain that he was going to have to drop out and endorse Elizabeth at some point. But as the time went, she flopped while he rose, gaining endorsements from both Feingold and Gabbard, and winning states. He wasn't going to drop out now- while she won Massachusetts, Vermont, Democrats Abroad and Maine, he won Nevada, Wyoming, North Dakota and Nebraska. They were balanced. Now he needed to win another state in Mini Tuesday, and get himself an advantage over her. If he becomes the Progressive candidate, Jeff thought, he could win the nomination. And most importantly- Elizabeth was a fine person, but he was certain that she was a bad candidate for a general election, a progressive Hillary who won't be able to implement her agenda. He needed to be the nominee, and maybe then he could make her Secretary of the Treasury.

The date was close now- they had to put all of their weight on Ohio and win it. A flashing screen caught his eyes, where the results of the states leading from Super Tuesday to Mini Tuesday were conveniently displayed. The primaries seemed to be getting only messier and messier.

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Democrats Abroad

Democratic Caucuses- Kansas
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 19.3% ✓
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 17.5%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 11.7%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 9.9%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 9.2%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 7.6%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 5.4%
Sen. Cory Booker- 2.7%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 1.5%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 1.3%
Others- 0.1%

Democratic Primary- Louisiana
Sen. Kamala Harris- 23.9% ✓
Sen. Tim Kaine- 19.8%
Sen. Cory Booker- 17.3%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 13.2%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 8.7%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 6.6%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 6.1%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 2.2%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 1.2%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 0.8%
Others- 0.2%

Democratic Caucuses- Maine
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 32.4% ✓
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 21.7%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 15.1%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 10.5%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 6.3%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 5.0%
Sen. Cory Booker- 3.4%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 2.9%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 1.9%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 1.1%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Caucuses- Oklahoma
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 25.8% ✓
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 22.2%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 15.0%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 14.6%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 7.8%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 6.2%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 5.3%
Sen. Cory Booker- 2.5%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 0.7%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 0.6%
Others- 0.3%

Democratic Caucuses- Nebraska
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 36.8% ✓
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 17.6%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 17.1%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 8.8%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 8.5%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 6.1%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 2.4%
Sen. Cory Booker- 1.8%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 0.5%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 0.4%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Caucuses- North Dakota
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 40.1% ✓
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 19.4%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 12.2%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 7.9%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 6.1%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 5.9%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 5.5%
Sen. Cory Booker- 1.2%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 0.9%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 0.7%
Others- 0.1%

Democratic Primary- Democrats Abroad
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 21.7% ✓
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 20.5%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 18.2%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 13.5%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 9.1%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 7.3%
Sen. Cory Booker- 4.2%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 3.5%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 1.1%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 0.9%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Primary- Michigan
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 23.3% ✓
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 16.0%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 15.6%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 14.5%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 10.7%
Sen. Cory Booker- 8.4%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 4.3%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 4.0%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 2.1%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 1.1%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Primary- Louisiana
Sen. Kamala Harris- 28.5% ✓
Sen. Cory Booker- 23.1%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 21.0%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 10.6%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 5.4%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 4.3%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 3.1%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 2.6%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 0.9%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 0.5%
Others- 0.0%

[America Needs R'hllor]

Tom

"It's going to a contested convention now, isn't it?" DNC Chair Tom Perez said gloomily as he stared at the Mini Tuesday results flashing on the screen. "No way to stop it."

"Most likely," Keith Ellison agreed. "Normally, this would be a disaster for the Democrats. Well, it still might be. But at least Trump is still deeply unpopular, so whoever we nominate should have the clear advantage."

"Who are we going to nominate, though?" Tom asked and turned to look at his former rival. "I know your people want Merkley or Warren, but would anyone else be alright with you?"

Keith just shrugged. "I don't know yet. Progressives obviously wouldn't want Kaine, but anyone else... well, it'll depend on the platform, on the running mate. They won't accept another ClintonKaine kind of ticket, though."

Tom Perez sighed and turned back to the results. Everything indicated to a bloody and chaotic convention battle- they must have been opening champagnes at the White House.

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Democrats Abroad

Democratic Primary- Florida
Sen. Tim Kaine- 19.6% ✓
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 17.9%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 16.5%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 14.2%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 8.8%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 7.9%
Sen. Cory Booker- 7.1%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 3.4%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 2.6%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 1.8%
Others- 0.2%

Democratic Primary- Illinois
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 22.4% ✓
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 17.7%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 17.2%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 10.9%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 10.7%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 7.5%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 6.6%
Sen. Cory Booker- 4.3%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 1.5%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 1.1%
Others- 0.1%

Democratic Primary- Missouri
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 42.6% ✓
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 13.5%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 12.2%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 8.1%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 7.3%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 6.1%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 5.9%
Sen. Cory Booker- 2.4%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 1.0%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 0.9%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Primary- North Carolina
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 24.3% ✓
Sen. Kamala Harris- 21.8%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 19.5%
Sen. Cory Booker- 9.7%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 7.5%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 6.1%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 5.4%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 2.6%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 2.0%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 0.9%
Others- 0.2%

Democratic Primary- Ohio
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 24.7% ✓
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 22.1%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 16.5%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 10.2%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 8.8%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 7.4%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 5.1%
Sen. Cory Booker- 3.5%
Mayor Bill de Blasio- 0.9%
Gov. Andrew Cuomo- 0.8%
Others- 0.0%

"Sir," a staffer approached him as he looked at the results, holding a cellphone. "We've received some messages from the Booker campaign. He'll be dropping out tonight."

Tom nodded in satisfaction. At least something positive happened tonight. "It's about time- he hasn't won anything save for that narrow win in Guam. Anything from Cuomo or de Blasio?"

She shook her head carefully, probably knowing how furious Tom was about the failing candidacies of the two brawling New Yorkers. "We've heard nothing, sir."

That's it, the DNC Chairman thought. They've crossed every red line. "Set me a meeting, Melinda. With both of them. They're going to be dropping out this week, or I swear, I'll see to it that they never win any office even if that's the last thing I do in my life." He could see Keith nodding in approval as the staffer went off to do Tom's bidding. It was time to bring at least some sense of order to this mess of a campaign.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Elizabeth

The Senator from Massachusetts was tense as the results from the northeastern states were coming. This was her most decisive moment in the campaign- if she didn't manage to win enough states, she'd have to drop out.

As the primaries got messier and messier, her status as frontrunner became null, Elizabeth started regretting ever getting into the race. She didn't want to be President- she just wanted to improve America, make its economy more equal. She considered dropping out and endorsing Merkley, her rival for the Progressive base, several times, but each time reached a conclusion that it wasn't logical- they were just too balanced, with a slight delegate lead for Warren over the Oregon Senator. If she dropped out, her enthusiastic supporters would be disappointed and there was no guarantee that Merkley would win. At least now she still had a chance at the convention.

The results of the primaries leading from mini tuesday to that day weren't very good for her- Merkley won the plain caucus states that would normally go to her, and there weren't many areas where she could squeez wins. Until now.

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Democrats Abroad

Democratic Primary- Arizona
Sen. Kamala Harris- 29.9% ✓
Sen. Tim Kaine- 24.3%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 16.1%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 12.5%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 7.8%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 5.5%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 3.6%
Others- 0.3%

Democratic Caucuses- Idaho
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 39.7% ✓
Gov. Jay Inslee- 18.4%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 16.3%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 9.8%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 7.5%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 5.1%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 3.2%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Caucuses- Utah
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 28.1% ✓
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 26.6%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 17.9%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 11.2%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 6.9%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 4.2%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 4.7%
Others- 0.4%

Democratic Caucuses- Alaska
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 41.2% ✓
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 20.7%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 15.5%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 9.9%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 5.1%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 3.6%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 3.5%
Others- 0.5%

Democratic Primary- Hawaii
Gov. Jay Inslee- 29.6% ✓
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 28.9%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 20.4%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 7.8%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 7.0%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 4.1%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 2.2%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Caucuses- Washington
Gov. Jay Inslee- 67.4% ✓
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 10.7%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 8.3%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 4.5%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 3.3%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 3.0%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 2.8%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Primary- Wisconsin
Gov. Jay Inslee- 27.3% ✓
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 26.8%
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 18.6%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 10.4%
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 8.5%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 5.1%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 3.3%
Others- 0.0%

But now, Warren thought, there was a chance for a breakthrough- if she could win enough states, specifically Pennsylvania and Maryland, she could once again assume her position as the leader of the Progressives. Then, the road was short until the convention- the field would probably not change much anymore, and the convention would be a bloody battle between either one of Merkley and Warren, and one or two of the other candidates, most likely amongst Gillibrand, Kaine and Harris. Only after that they could march against Donald Trump and the corporatist Republicans as a united party, and defeat them in November. Or so she hoped.

Hours later, when Elizabeth Warren stared at the television screen displaying the final results of the northeastern primaries, she had mixed feelings.

American Samoa
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Democrats Abroad

Democratic Primary- Connecticut
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 33.1% ✓
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 27.7%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 15.4%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 9.4%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 5.8%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 5.1%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 3.5%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Primary- Delaware
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 29.5% ✓
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 28.8%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 21.0%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 9.2%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 5.5%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 3.3%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 2.7%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Primary- Maryland
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 32.7% ✓
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 24.5%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 16.8%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 15.6%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 4.9%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 3.1%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 2.4%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Primary- Pennsylvania
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 26.6% ✓
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 19.3%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 18.0%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 15.7%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 15.2%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 3.0%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 2.2%
Others- 0.0%

Democratic Primary- Rhode Island
Sen. Elizabeth Warren- 42.7% ✓
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand- 18.7%
Fmr. SoS Jason Kander- 15.4%
Sen. Jeff Merkley- 8.6%
Gov. Jay Inslee- 7.1%
Sen. Kamala Harris- 4.5%
Sen. Tim Kaine- 3.0%
Others- 0.0%

[America Needs R'hllor]

I think its obvious whats happening, but I won't say in case someone else hasn't figured it out yet.

This timeline is great, keep going!

You can tell me your prediction in PM, I'm curious