More than a week after the 2020 election, it’s fair to ask, “what just happened?” The results point to deep divisions within both parties, and in many states, including Connecticut. We saw historic voter turnout, aided by special “pandemic rules” that made mail-in voting a reality for the first time here. But we still saw long lines at polling sites, and in some states new restrictions on the number of polling places. We’ve heard calls for “unity,” both across the political divide, and within political parties, while others continued pointing fingers of blame for unexpected losses. And, we’ve seen shifts on Connecticut’s political map, with former Republican strongholds turning blue, and pockets of red creating new challenges for Democrats.
In this CT Mirror post-election special called “What Just Happened?” recorded this last Tuesday, I talked about all of these issues with Leah Wright-Rigueur, the Harry Truman Professor of History at Brandeis University, and Susan Bigelow, award-winning columnist for CTNewsJunkie.com.