Feel-good update: Our big milestones
How our candidates continue to lead when it matters most.
Hope you’re staying safe & sane inside. A few things to update you on…
First: We hit two big milestones last week that your support made happen: We endorsed our 1000th+ candidate (in fact, we’re up to 1056!) and we’ve now recruited more than 50,000 people who want to run since launching 3+ years ago. (If you’re curious: Candidate recruitment actually ticked up by 50% in the final 2 weeks of March — the pandemic is not deterring anyone from getting involved as a candidate.) This quick video made me feel good; I hope you watch.
Second: We’re continuing to update resourcesforcampaigns.com daily with more materials for candidates. We’re also beginning a series of calls with our candidates specifically around the pandemic — while some are just for candidates, we’re hosting one that’s open-to-the-public call with guest speaker Dan Pfeiffer (Obama communications director & Pod Save America host) to break down campaign messaging right now. You can RSVP for that here.
Third: Last week we did our first virtual fundraiser, with guest speakers like Ben Wessel from NextGen, Suzy Smith of the Warren campaign, Maya Rupert from the Castro campaign, Jason Kander, and West Wing actor Bradley Whitford. It was amazing to spend an hour not thinking about the coronavirus. We’ll be doing more of these (stay tuned!) — hope you can join.
Virtual fundraisers are lit
Finally, some light good news: Hadiya Afzal, who we’ve been working with for years, was finally called as the winner of her primary election for Dupage County Board. She won by 48 votes. We’re so excited for her.
Our candidates & alum continue to lead when it matters most. A few examples…
VA: Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy lays out some key ways the state gov’t can do more to help Virginians: increasing the cap on unemployment benefits, funds for businesses making PPE & medical supplies, and pass paid sick leave through a special session.
MO: County Clerk Brianna Lennon — who actually administers elections — argues for the Missouri legislature to expand access to the polls during this pandemic by loosening rules around mail-in voting as soon as possible.
PA: Rep. Sara Innamorato joined three others to work on legislation freezing rent & mortgage payments in PA. Meanwhile, Rep. Liz Hanbridge is working to give folks an additional 60 days to pay their property taxes.
OH: State Rep. Phil Robinson is leading on legislation to help the state’s schools, including waiving state testing, mitigating the expansion of a voucher program that was hurting school budgets, and providing additional assistance to districts in need.
UT: South Salt Lake City Councilmember Natalie Pinckney is working to bring her city into the 21st century when it matters most, revamping the website, creating some kind of hotline, and possibly providing folks free financial advisors.
MA: Rep. Tram Nguyen is fighting for hazard duty pay for first responders. Boston City Councilmember Lydia Edwards is calling for shifting funds to rental assistance while they debate temporarily ending rent collection overall.
FL: Rep. Anna Eskamani is continuing to push for a statewide moratorium on evictions. Joshua Simmons, Coral Springs Commissioner, wrote a powerful op-ed:
Local governments are churning out information left and right to keep residents informed to prevent panic. Local government and local elected officials are making sure their resident’s utilities stay functional while doing their best to prop up local businesses to keep them operational during the near global shut down of many industries. …
When the dust settles from this crisis, it will be local governments and local elected officials that pick up the pieces and find a way to move forward, no matter what shape they are in. It will be the local governments that will need to provide an outlet for residents to find joy through tragedy. Local elected officials around the country are doing their best to interact with and bond with their residents to get through each day as all of our lives change.
This week, we worked with the press to amplify how our candidates are adapting to this new environment, hoping the stories can inspire more interesting campaign tactics: CNN put a spotlight on one of our favorite tactics: Turning mail pieces into mutual aid notes you can put on your neighbor’s door, both offering help & extending the reach of the campaign’s info. The WSJ wrote a similar story, in which we shared our suggestions for fundraising and extending your budget when the campaign’s timeline drastically changes. CBS News shared specific stories of how some of our candidates are adapting their mechanics. Voice of America explained how campaigns are trying to build trust online.
Thank you for making this possible. We’re proud to be working alongside you.