A Democrat has been elected in the heart of Trump Country, Pennsylvania’s solid red 18^th Congressional district, tucked in the state’s far southwest corner. Democrat Conor Lamb narrowly won by 627 votes over Republican Rick Saccone. This is a district  President Donald Trump won by 20 points in last year’s presidential election.

Lamb’s victory over a Republican candidate actively supported by Trump carries huge implications for this crucial election year and encourages Democrats to believe that significant gains in Congressional races are possible. The results in this election and recent ones in Virginia and Alabama tempts one to see erosion in Trump’s base of support.

As of this writing, 23 Republicans and eight Democrats have indicated plans to retire from their seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The U.S. Senate will lose four Republicans and two Democrats to retirement. Twelve Republicans and eight Democrats plan to run for other offices. Here is what CNN had to say about all this: “The possibility of another slew of Republican retirements . . . is now very real. Not every retirement is created equal, but if suburban Republicans — especially in Pennsylvania and New York — decide to call it quits in the face of a strong wind blowing in their faces, the chances for Democrats to win the 24 seats they need to retake the majority goes up, up, up.” 

If you wonder why our government is in such disarray, remember that Republicans control both houses of Congress, the White House, the U.S. Supreme Court and numerous state legislatures and governors’ mansions across the country. Who represents us? If ever there was a time for dissenting voices and votes, that time is now.

Make no mistake, 2018 is the time to support these candidates with our volunteer hours, our money and most important of all, our votes.