Feel-good update: New research, 3 years of RFS & great alum stories!
Why the Iowa Caucuses shouldn’t be the most important thing on your radar.
With two weeks to go to the Iowa Caucuses, all eyes are on the primary — and that’s a problem. Ross and I published an op-ed on CNN.com about how the Democrats’ myopic focus on the White House could doom us to lose for the next decade and more. This included some new research I want to call out:
Our research has identified that fielding a candidate in a state legislative race in a district that previously went uncontested — as more than 35% of state legislative races often do — can increase Democratic turnout by up to one percentage point in that district.
For example, according to Run for Something research, running a full slate of Democrats for Pennsylvania state legislature in 2016 would have generated at least an additional 23,000 Democratic votes — cutting Trump’s 44,000 vote margin in half and bringing the state into automatic recount territory, without the Clinton campaign making a single decision differently.
When this story went up, we got some incredible responses. My personal favorite: This map, which illustrates how wide-ranging the issue of uncontested elections is (while also highlighting how many races were won by less than 275 votes — a full-capacity Applebee’s restaurant.)
It’s worth noting how many of those uncontested Republicans were running in states like Montana, Maine, Georgia, and Alabama — all places where Democrats will need every last vote to win the Senate.
Running people for local office helps win more local offices and helps win the House, the Senate, and the presidency. Over the last three years — yesterday was our 3 year anniversary!!! — we’ve endorsed more than 900 folks running and elected 303 people across 45 states (55% women, 47% people of color, 18% LGBTQ). But this year, it matters more than ever that we go as big as possible. That means you’ve got to step up. Hope you’re ready to give it your all.
In alumni updates:
HUGE: Last week, Virginia ratified the Equal Rights Amendment. The effort was led by RFS alum Jennifer Carroll Foy. When Democrats win state elections, good things happen! (Meanwhile, Carroll Foy and fellow RFS alum Joshua Cole are taking on the fight to legalize marijuana.
In PA, doctors and medical students can perform pelvic exams on anesthetized patients without their consent — after RFS alum Rep. Liz Hanbidge learned about this, she teamed up with another state rep to introduce a bill to ban this horrific violation of privacy.
In Nebraska, state Senator Megan Hunt is pushing legislation to pay college athletes what they’re worth. In New Hampshire, Rep. Garrett Muscatel is doing the same.
KS Rep. Rui Xu talks powerfully in the Shawnee Mission Post about his new daughter has made the fight for affordable childcare personal for him, and how it’s particularly important for both rural communities and young working parents with student debt.
The NYT spoke a number of RFS alum, including North Strabane Township Supervisor Emily Holmes, KS school board member Jessica Hembree, Ramsey County (MN) commissioner Nichole Frethem, San Marcos (TX) City Council Member Jocabed Marquez, and GA state Rep. Jasmine Clark about the structural challenges young women face in running and serving in office. The last quote in particular made me laugh.
2017 RFS alum Atlantic County Freeholder Ashley Bennett is challenging Democrat-turned-Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew for his seat in Congress. This is what investing in talent leads to!
If you’re feeling antsy and want to do some good right away, Dr. Eliz Markowitz’s special election to flip a TX state house seat is next week. Make a few calls and relieve your anxiety.
Thanks for making all this possible. I’m so proud of what we’ve done over the last three years, and so excited to see what we can do in the next three, five, ten, and beyond.