On Politics With Lisa Lerer: On to November

What we learned from the primaries, a trip to Charleston, and reading your emails. [Trouble seeing this email? View in browser]( [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( September 14, 2018 | Evening Edition [Lisa Lerer] Hi. Welcome to On Politics, your guide to the day in national politics. I’m Lisa Lerer, your host. Tonight we’re following [Hurricane Florence updates](. If you’re in the path of the storm, stay safe. Andyworks/Getty Images What is it they say about primaries? They come in like a lion and out like a lamb? They get better with age? They taste like … chicken? Whatever. The point is that the mess of state primaries, special elections and runoff races is finally over, and the final stretch of the midterms has officially begun. We’re excited. Around here, nothing says fall like foliage, pumpkin spice dog treats ([they’re real]( Editor Tom says: “animal cruelty”) and campaign rallies. ADVERTISEMENT But before we move into all the political fun we have in store over the next 53 days, we thought it was worth taking a look back at what we learned. Oli Scarff/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images There are new rules. But we still don’t exactly know what they are. President Trump’s victory blew up a lot of what the “experts” thought they knew about politics. The midterms showed that he is continuing to change the rules. He waded into Republican primaries — a decision once seen as anathema — and a lot of his chosen candidates won. G.O.P. strategists worry that a least a [few of those candidates]( are out of step with the general electorate. On the Democratic side, high-profile insurgent candidates — including Ayanna Pressley in Boston and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York — bucked the party establishment and ousted longtime incumbents. The revolution kind of happened. Despite all the attention paid to those Democratic upsets, 71 percent of the non-establishment candidates challenging incumbents in House primaries[lost]( according to the Brookings Institution. But — and this is important — challengers still had a significant impact on the party. Scores of them rejected corporate PAC dollars. They pushed for single-payer health insurance in races across the country. The desire for fresh blood in the party was real and resonant: [By our count]( about 60 Democrats have said they won’t back Nancy Pelosi for speaker should their party win control of the House. It’s (still) all about Mr. Trump. The president always casts a shadow over the midterm elections. But this one seems to block out the sun, moon and stars. Republicans tried to outdo themselves in their support for the president. (My favorite example? In the Minnesota governor’s race, the candidates debated what was worse: Tim Pawlenty calling Trump “unhinged and unfit,” or Jeff Johnson calling him a “jackass.” Mr. Johnson won the primary.) For Democrats, each new controversy was like a shot of adrenaline to their volunteers, donors and voters. Republicans are quick to note that the president remains popular with their base. But with polls forecasting a surge in Democratic turnout, Mr. Trump’s larger-than-politics presence may end up benefiting his opponents most. One for the history books. After years of stagnating around 20 percent of Congress, [record-breaking numbers of women]( are running for House, Senate and governor. They were joined by unprecedented numbers of L.G.B.T. and minority candidates. Every primary night seemed to bring another first: Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib and Minnesota’s Ilhan Omar are likely to be the first Muslim women in Congress; Deb Haaland of New Mexico is poised to be the first Native American woman; and Gina Ortiz Jones, of Texas, could become the first Filipina-American. And in Vermont, Christine Hallquist became the first transgender candidate for governor on a major party ticket. ____________________ Jonathan Martin’s district of the week We’re starting what we hope will be a regular feature: Tapping the brain of our national political correspondent Jonathan Martin. No one knows political trivia — or where to find the best nosh on the campaign trail — better. He sent us this: Like many of you, I have the Carolinas on my mind this week. And I can’t think of the Carolinas without thinking of Charleston. Few cities have been impacted by a storm like the Holy City. Hurricane Hugo devastated Charleston in 1989, and the legacy of legendary former Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. is inextricably linked to the recovery he helped oversee. (How much does Charleston love its still-alive-and-well former mayor? They named their new minor league baseball stadium after him, and quickly short-handed it as “The Joe”). Lisa tells me this is the part of these riffs where I have to offer restaurant suggestions, so here goes: The Ordinary, a really neat space in an old bank downtown, or The Wreck, which is a beer-served-in-a-can beauty on Shem Creek over in Mt. Pleasant. I am hardly alone in my weakness for the charms of Charleston, and as more folks move to the area, its politics are changing. While still Republican-leaning, the congressional district that takes in most of the city could feature one of this year’s sleeper races. Republicans there ousted Representative Mark Sanford in a primary earlier this year and are running Katie Arrington, an enthusiastic backer of President Trump, against the Democrat Joe Cunningham, a local attorney. It is one of those districts where, if Mr. Trump’s fortunes don’t improve, Republicans could find themselves in an unexpectedly competitive race. And after Hurricane Florence, that could lure more reporters back to the Carolina coast for why we want to be there: to cover a political story, and have a good meal or three. Send him your restaurant recommendations (preferably in battleground states) [here](mailto:onpolitics@nytimes.com?te=1&nl=politics&emc=edit_cn_2018091420180914). ____________________ Thanks for writing Part of what has made our first week so much fun is reading your letters. We heard from high school students, a 97-year-old nun, and readers in all corners of the country. In all, over 500 of you wrote to let us know what you want to see in this newsletter. Jules in Denver said that they’d like to read about “what people are doing to band together … to *incite* politics.” Elaine in Louisville (“83 years old and still kickin’!”) asked for “stories unrelated to the disconcerting news out of Washington.” And Conrad in New Jersey suggested “an occasional look at an interesting race for a local office somewhere in the country.” Good idea, Conrad. We want to know who we don’t know. Are there candidates in your community running for any level of office who interest you, inspire you or infuriate you? Tell us about them and why they stand out. Write us at [onpolitics@nytimes.com](mailto:onpolitics@nytimes.com?te=1&nl=politics&emc=edit_cn_2018091420180914), and we may feature your pick in an upcoming edition. ____________________ Help me feel smarter • They aren’t mentioned in the same breath as Scorsese and Spike Lee, but they should be. [Here are 20 women from film history that you should know.]( • Elkhart, Ind., is the “R.V. capital of the world” — and stronghold for Trump supporters. But signs of a slowdown have residents worried. [Read that story.]( • Here’s one to think about over the weekend. How will the police solve crimes on Mars? [The Atlantic looks into it.]( ____________________ … Seriously, guys It’s Friday! After a long week, we’ve all earned some funny photos of animals. [Here you go](. _____________________ Isabella Grullón Paz and Margaret Kramer contributed to this newsletter. Thanks for reading. Politics is more than what goes on inside the White House. On Politics brings you the people, issues and ideas reshaping our world. Is there anything you think we’re missing? Anything you want to see more of? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at [onpolitics@nytimes.com](mailto:onpolitics@nytimes.com?te=1&nl=politics&emc=edit_cn_2018091420180914). 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