By JIM DEAN | 3/27/13 4:46 AM EDT

Every two years, I pound the pavement with Democracy for America members going door to door, talking to people on the phone, and getting the attention of just about anyone who will listen because progressives know that grassroots action is what it takes to win U.S. House and Senate races.

These elections are critically important. But in the process of focusing on the “big” races, progressives all too often take our eyes off the battles for our state legislatures. We won the presidency, retained the Senate and made solid gains in the House in the last election. Yet Republicans currently hold a lopsided 58 percent of all state legislative chambers in the country.

The only way progressives can overcome this clear Republican advantage is by applying the same shoe leather we’ve used for years to win national races and take these state legislatures back.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/03/progressives-must-focus-outside-dc-89343.html#ixzz2OmDoZhhN