despite Donald Trump's victory, rare good news for the Democrats

UNITED STATES – Cold shower for the Democrats. As the count continues, Donald Trump has officially been elected president, four years after leaving the White House. By winning the swing states of Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, he defeated Kamala Harris and exceeded the threshold of 270 voters needed to win the election.

If the New York businessman had already claimed his victory during a speech a few hours earlier in his stronghold of Palm Beach, Kamala Harris for her part postponed her speech, and still did not speak this Wednesday 6 November at midday.

But November 5 did not only mark the date of the presidential election: other votes took place to renew the House of Representatives and part of the Senate. Americans also had to vote on several local referendums, including some concerning the right to abortion. The Democratic camp won a few rare victories during these secondary elections. We take stock.

· Arizona expands abortion rights

In this southwestern state, according to CNN projections, a majority of voters voted to extend the right to abortion, a measure supported by Democrats. The approved measure seeks to enshrine in the state Constitution the right to abortion until the viability of the fetus, which is between 22 and 24 weeks of pregnancy. She devotes a “fundamental right” to abortion, reports the New York Times.

Two years after the Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court, the measure allows Arizona to restrict abortion before viability if it has a “compelling reason” and authorizes abortion after viability if, according to the “ good faith judgment of a treating healthcare professional”it is necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant woman.

A victory for pro-choice, in this state where abortion is currently prohibited after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Last April, the Arizona Supreme Court even ruled that a law dating from 1864 on a near-total ban on abortion was valid in the state. This law prohibits any abortion from the moment of conception, unless the mother's life is in danger, rape or incest not being considered valid exceptions. A decision that Joe Biden did not fail to denounce, even if, in fact, the law in question was not to be immediately applied.

Still according to CNN projections, voters in Colorado, Montana, Nevada and Maryland also chose to include the right to abortion in their state's Constitution, while referendums approved in the state of New York and Missouri are intended to protect this right. In contrast, Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota have ruled out constitutional protection.

En Alabama, Shomari Figures élu

If Alabama traditionally votes red, that is to say Republican, the Democrats wanted to believe in the victory of Shomari Figures, their candidate for the House of Representatives in the second district. On 96% of the ballots counted, the 39-year-old Democrat was elected with 54.5% of the votes ahead of his Trumpist opponent, Caroleene Dobson, reports al.com. This son of a civil rights activist, who worked at the Department of Justice under Obama and Biden, thus becomes the fourth black member elected to Congress from Alabama.

The results of this constituency were particularly awaited: for months, activists mobilized against the modification of the electoral map practiced by Republican elected officials, in a region with a large African-American population, which mainly votes Democratic. Because in the United States, the technique of « gerrymandering » is widespread. This involves changing constituency boundaries to favor one party. For example, a city center with a Democratic majority will be divided into several districts, each attached to a suburban area where the Republican vote dominates.

Before the American Supreme Court, the Democratic activists of the second district won their case: the judges demanded a new division to allow a more representative electoral map, which made it possible to include the cities of Mobile and Montgomery, with a large Afro population. -American. The victory of Shomari Figures fits into this framework.

· Two black senators and one trans elected official

Another Democratic victory, Delaware voters nominated Sarah McBride to represent them in the House. She becomes the first transgender person to serve in the United States Congress. The chances of victory were high for this 34-year-old woman in a majority Democratic state. “Today is proof to the people of Delaware that we are a fair state where voters judge on the ideas of the candidates and not on their identity”welcomed the new elected official.

These two Democrats will also make American history: Angela Alsobrooks and Lisa Blunt Rochester were both elected to the Senate on Tuesday, November 5. For the first time, two black women will serve together in the upper house of Congress. They will represent Maryland and Delaware. Until now, only three times black women had been elected senators in all of American history: Carol Moseley Braun, Laphonza Butler and a certain… Kamala Harris. They had never sat together.

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