Contest Every Race Finds Republicans Ran Unopposed in 51% of Races in 2022
New data just released by Contest Every Race shows that Democrats failed to field candidates in 51% of all races. In stark contrast, Republicans left only 15% of races uncontested. This disparity, recently featured on the front page of the The New York Times, underscores a critical gap in Democratic recruitment efforts, particularly in local and down-ballot races.
Key Findings:
Leaving so many races uncontested not only signals a democracy in distress — it also depresses Democratic voter turnout and creates an echo-chamber where extremist ideologies can flourish. Contest Every Race is a national organization dedicated to addressing this problem. To date, our candidate recruitment program has fielded more than 7,500 democrats to run, with a 38% win rate.
To push back against uncontested election deniers and extremists, Contest Every Race recently launched its first-ever endorsement slate: 42 candidates running down-ballot in the crucial swing states. These candidates, dubbed "Democracy Defenders," are running in districts currently held by election deniers. Check them out here!
Lauren Gepford, Contest Every Race Exec. Director and Former Exec. Director of the Missouri Democratic Party, lays out the importance of this work:
“Too many races go uncontested — especially those where the only candidate is an election-denying conspiracy theorist. Through our partnerships with local and state groups and endorsement of our ‘Democracy Defenders’ candidates, we aim to protect local communities from the toxic influence of MAGA extremists – while building the bench of Democrats running for local office.”
Lauren Gepford and candidates running against previously unopposed election deniers are available for interview. Contact Daniel Jubelirer, [email protected] or 919-619-5795 to coordinate.
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Contest Every Race is a national organization dedicated to recruiting Democratic candidates to run for local office and building long-term Democratic infrastructure. By focusing on rural and local elections, Contest Every Race is strengthening democracy at the grassroots level and ensuring every community has the representation it deserves.