Feel Good Update: The blue wave could have been a blue typhoon…
Upcoming elections, alumni updates, and startling news about gerrymandering.
Long update today, but it’s all good stuff. First up, upcoming elections…
On March 26th, Tina Belge is running in a special election for South Carolina State Senate, District 6. (Over the weekend, both Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg campaigned with her.) On March 30th, Brendan Csaposs is running for East Baton Rouge Metro Council, District 8. On April 2nd, we have 21 endorsed candidates running in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Missouri — check them out in the Candidate Directory. Stay tuned for election updates.
In more 2019 news:
— Get to know two of our folks running in Madison City Council elections — 19 year old Matthew Mitnick and 18 year old Avra Reddy.
— In Colorado, Candi Cdebaca, candidate for Denver City Council, talks about environmental justice: “I was living in the most contaminated ZIP code in America.”
— As candidate for Bartlett Public Library District trustee, Parth Patel continues to rack up endorsements including the Daily Herald and ApnaUSA.
— Updates from Virginia: “Up to the point of meeting Sen. Saslaw, I was not solidly in Yasmine Taeb’s court. But his visit sealed the deal.”
Meanwhile, our alumni are getting shit done all across the country:
— Arizona state Representative Alma Hernandez wants to ensure kids get vaccinated — naturally, she’s being called a Nazi on the internet because of it.
— Three RFS alum — Boston City Councillor Lydia Edwards, MA state Rep. Tram Nguyen and MA state Senator Becca Rausch — joined a panel on what it’s really like being a woman in elected office.
— Watch now. “State Rep. Erin Zwiener’s 8-month-old daughter, Lark, can often be heard cooing as resolutions are read.”
-- Jordan Acker, RFS alum & member of the University of Michigan Board of Regents, is working to limit anti-semitism on campus.
— The NYTimes profiled NY state Senators Alessandra Biaggi and Jessica Ramos, who share an apartment in Albany along with state assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou. I would watch this reality show.
3 Young Lawmakers Share a Progressive Vision, and a 7-Room Apartment
What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox .] ALBANY - On a recent evening in the state's…www.nytimes.com
— Caitlin Clarkson Pereira lost her campaign in November — but she’s still fighting to ensure other parents across Connecticut have an easier time running. Vox dug in on her efforts.
— Rep. David LaBeouf flipped a seat red to blue last November. Young Dems of Massachusetts profiled him: “The number one lesson I learned was to be true to yourself. Many people doubted me when I ran and told me that my personality or my background wasn’t fit for the district. At the end of the day, people appreciated my authenticity and that I was willing to go out of my comfort zone to earn their vote.”
Good news: Washington Blade named national political director Sarah Horvitz one of their 40 under 40 queer women of Washington!!
Bad news: The AP found that if the GOP hadn’t redrawn the boundaries in their favor back in 2010/2011, Democrats would’ve won an additional 16 seats in the 2018 elections. Redistricting & state legislative races have to be a priority this cycle.
AP: GOP won more seats in 2018 than suggested by vote share
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Democrats won more votes, regained control of the U.S. House and flipped hundreds of seats…www.apnews.com
We’re on it. Thanks for being a part of our efforts.