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Don't you think it is interesting how many on the right are such strong advocates of local control until "local control" means a community enacts a local ordinance saying "No shooting range inside city limits" or "No discrimination against 'teh gays'"? Then the conservatives are quite happy telling a town or a county - "Nope, you can't do that. Us at the state legislature know more than you guys." Actually its often a result of the rural vs urban divide that seems to be increasing in this country, aided and abetted by blatant gerrymandering, so more votes may be cast for progressive politicians and causes but the conservatives have given more power to the rural districts.
The Nov 2014 elections in the state of Michigan provide an example of the influence conservative control has had on state election results.
In the races for the state House, Democrats received more votes but Republicans INCREASED their majority status:
Democrats: 1,536,812 (50.98%)
Republicans: 1,474,983 (48.93%)
The Republican maps turned a 61,829 margin FOR DEMOCRATS into a 63-47 "majority" for Republicans.
The average Republican victory: 6,389 votes. The average Democratic victory: 10,092.
In the races for the state Senate, the discrepancy is even more egregious:
Republicans received slightly more votes than Democrats, but turned a slim total-vote victory into a super-majority:
Democrats: 1,483,927 (49.23%)
Republicans: 1,527,343 (50.67%)
The Republican maps transforms that slim 43,416 statewide vote margin (1.4%) into a 27-11 advantage (71%) in the state Senate.
The average Republican victory: 15,107 votes. The average Democratic victory: 33,133 votes.
http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/election/results/14GEN/14GENall.html
The Nov 2014 elections in the state of Michigan provide an example of the influence conservative control has had on state election results.
In the races for the state House, Democrats received more votes but Republicans INCREASED their majority status:
Democrats: 1,536,812 (50.98%)
Republicans: 1,474,983 (48.93%)
The Republican maps turned a 61,829 margin FOR DEMOCRATS into a 63-47 "majority" for Republicans.
The average Republican victory: 6,389 votes. The average Democratic victory: 10,092.
In the races for the state Senate, the discrepancy is even more egregious:
Republicans received slightly more votes than Democrats, but turned a slim total-vote victory into a super-majority:
Democrats: 1,483,927 (49.23%)
Republicans: 1,527,343 (50.67%)
The Republican maps transforms that slim 43,416 statewide vote margin (1.4%) into a 27-11 advantage (71%) in the state Senate.
The average Republican victory: 15,107 votes. The average Democratic victory: 33,133 votes.
http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/election/results/14GEN/14GENall.html