The same phenomenon that makes Democratic constituencies turn out at lower rates for midterms than presidential elections would presumably make them turn out at even-lower rates for downballot and off-off-year elections. I don’t think the GOP gets credit for that as an organizing accomplishment; and there are some local organizing forces — unions, big-city machines — that work, or have worked, to turn out Democrats just as well as some groups turn out Republicans for downballot races, and I have not seen clear evidence that Republicans have wielded some sort of disproportionate power at the local level for as long as three decades. I think any advantages in lieutenant governors, attorneys general, etc., in the last decade are for the reasons I have stated — the recession, the Obama backlash, voter suppression — rather than the GOP having a better farm system in the form of city councils or what have you.

That said, I acknowledge that certain Republican constituencies have keyed in on certain downballot races and owned them (Evangelical Christians and school boards, say), because they care so much and others do not. And as you may have seen me argue elsewhere, Republicans are quite serious about using the power they have to perpetuate that power; consider what Brian Kemp did just on his own to ensure that a Republican (himself) would be elected governor.

And thanks for reading, and the thoughtful response.