It was a massive electoral wave, bringing massive victory to some and massive defeat to others. I was among those experiencing the pain of massive defeat. No, I was not swept out of the Alabama Senate, but I experienced massive defeat anyway.

Let’s begin with the Alabama Legislature. In the Senate, there were 20 Democrats and 15 Republicans. Now there are 22 Republicans and 12 Democrats and one independent. There are five white Democrats and seven black Democrats. I saw a wave coming but I knew not its dimensions. It never occurred to me that we might have as few as 12 Democrats or that there might be as many as 22 Republicans.

Let me go a little further in exploring the changed dimensions in Alabama. Only one white Senator of those elected four years ago survived. The wave was no respecter of person. It swept the long serving: one had served 33 years; two had served 28 years; and still another had served 26 years, and so on. It swept out the deeply rooted and the shallowly planted. It swept out the powerful who held powerful positions such as chair of the powerful Rules Committee, Senate majority leader, deputy Senate president pro tem, and so on. It swept out those who had served well and those who had served less well. The wave just swept on, bringing defeat to many and victory to just as many.

The Alabama Legislature had been Democratic for 119 years. The massive wave didn’t care about more than a century of accomplishment, history and tradition. It just swept on.

The Alabama Senate is so constructed that a few senators can slow down or stop legislation. As the Senate is now constituted, it requires 21 votes to cut off an extended debate. However, Republicans now have 22. They can cut off debate at will. The BIR (Budget Isolation Resolution) requires a 3/5 vote to proceed with non budget legislation prior to passage of the education and general fund budgets. They now have more than 3/5. The traditional Senate rules do not provide any safety net. The massive wave swept all that away.

The political landscape is dismal but I am not without hope. I am hopeful because we can still be resourceful. I am hopeful because we can still be creative. I am hopeful because we can still serve, taking what we have and making what we need. It is this hope with which I go forth to serve during this exacting moment in history.