RFS feel-good update (10/17): 690 endorsed candidates in 2022!!
Scroll down for how you can them win...
Hi all -
Last week we rolled out our final endorsement class of 2022!
These 47 endorsees bring us up to 690 candidates endorsed in 2022 across 48 states, just two literal handfuls shy of hitting our 700-endorsed-candidate goal this year.
Now, some of our endorsed folks have already gone through their elections, others are up in 2023. So here’s the net-net you need to know: We’ll have 488 folks up in November’s general elections!!! (As a point of comparison: We had 525 folks on the ballot in November 2020.)
Broadly, 54% of our endorsed candidates this year are/were running for state legislature, 25% for municipal office, 12% for education-related offices, and 8% for legal-related roles.
54% of our endorsed candidates are women or non-binary leaders, 50% identify as people of color, and 27% identify as LGBTQIA+.
Get to know our October class — 11 of these leaders are running in 2023, which as we always say, is not an off-year.
Scroll down for some specific ways you can help RFS candidates GOTV before Election Day. It’s never mattered more.
An ongoing reminder of why Clerk Work matters: Over 370 Republican candidates for Congress/governor/secretary of state/state AG have cast doubt on the 2020 election, making them the “new normal” of the GOP. Alarmingly, as the NYT tracks, this ideology has gotten even more popular since 2020.
In more cheery news: We are thrilled to announce the winners of the RFS Alumni Awards!
Michalyn Easter-Thomas, Memphis City Councilmember, has been a fierce advocate for underserved communities.
And for the I Am History Award: Congrats to Gabriela Santos-Romero, who is the first openly queer woman on the Detroit City Council and the first LGBTQ+ Latina elected in Michigan!
In other RFS community updates:
Teen Vogue dug in on why school board races matter, highlighting RFS candidates like Nick Gothard in Loudoun, VA, and Danielle Helzer in Nebraska, among others. As NIck explains: “For everyone who thought they couldn’t be in the room where decisions are made because of the color of their skin, how old they are, or any other reason, we’re hoping to prove that there’s no reason that those most impacted by the state of public education can’t have decision-making power in schools.”
Relatedly: Round Rock school board member Tiffanie Harrison is a key target for conservatives trying to take over the Austin suburb governing body.
Gabriella Cazares-Kelly, the Pima County recorder, is part of a wave of local election officials standing up against intimidation from “Stop the Steal” activists trained by the GOP.
In SC, Columbia City Councilmember Aditi Bussells writes in CNN about “the magic of local government” to help reduce gun violence — among other actions, she led efforts to pass the first law in SC to require city residents to report a lost or stolen gun within 24 hours.
Oklahoma Rep. Mauree Turner talked with Chegg Life about their experience as a young non-binary Muslim leader in the Oklahoma state house, and why their leadership matters.
NC Sen. Sydney Batch’s race for re-election is a key part of the effort to protect access to abortion care in the state. Cosmo dives in, as does Axios.
Maricopa County Attorney candidate Julie Gunnigle and Travis County (TX) DA Jose Garza were part of a larger conversation among DAs and DA candidates about how their offices can protect abortion access.
RFS alum Aimy Steele may have lost her election in 2020 but she never stopped doing the work: She’s been leading the New North Carolina Project, building infrastructure to reach out to people of color and new voters across the state. This will be critical work in service of winning the U.S. Senate race, too!
Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj is working to establish a trust fund that would support survivors of disasters and emergencies in the city.
This is awesome: ME Sen. Chloe Maxmin is the star of a new documentary about rural organizing and how “politics can be human & good.” Can’t wait to watch it.
FL Senate candidate Janelle Perez is making her own path as a “Miami Democrat,” which she defines as a progressive who “saw how [her] family suffered under communism.”
The GOP is going hard against Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo because of the progress she’s made — her opponent has raised 3x as much money, outpacing nearly every candidate for statewide office. It’s never too late to chip in to Lina’s race.
In related reading:
We talked with Marie Claire about how local races can directly affect issues like abortion access, the environment, gun policy, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights & democracy, and the economy.
This is a really good cheat sheet from our pals at Bolts Magazine about many of the critical local races up next month — RFS candidates are extremely well-represented on this list!
Are you looking to volunteer for an RFS candidate? Every Friday, our team emails out a bunch of options. Sign up now and you’ll get the details later this week. A sampling…
Eva Bermúdez Zimmerman, running for Connecticut Senate, District 30 in New Milford, needs volunteers to call and text voters from home and to canvass voters in person. Eva has experience in child care, education, and human rights, as well as experience as a City Councilwoman. Sign up here.
Nick Menapace, running for Connecticut House, District 37 in Niantic, needs volunteers to call voters from home and to canvass voters in person. Nick is an educator who has been dedicated to serving Connecticut since becoming an Eagle Scout. Sign up here.
Rebecca Hyland, running for Connecticut House, District 90 in Wallingford, needs volunteers to call voters from home and to canvass voters in person. With experience as a public defender and high school teacher, Rebecca wants to represent working people in Hartford. Sign up here.
Linh Nguyen, running for DeKalb County Clerk, needs volunteers to call, text, and send postcards to voters from home, and to canvass voters and attend local events in person. Linh has a background in computational science and wants to update the technology in the election process; she’d also be the first woman and first member of the AAPI community to serve in this office. Send an email with your interest and availability.
Jaime Churches, running for Michigan House, District 27 in Grosse Ile, needs volunteers to call voters and send postcards from home, and to canvass voters in person. Help flip this seat and elect a teacher and union leader to Lansing! Sign up here.
Kristen DuPree, running for Metropolitan Community College Board, At-Large in Omaha, needs volunteers to call and text voters from home, and to canvass voters in person. Send an email with your interest and availability to sign up.
Danielle Helzer, running for Nebraska State Board of Education, District 6 in Grand Island, needs volunteers to call voters from home and canvass voters in person. Help elect an experienced high school teacher to protect the rights of all students in Nebraska to pursue a public education. Sign up here for phone banking.
Neil Misra, running for New Hampshire House, Rockingham 25 District in Salem, needs volunteers to call voters from home and to canvass voters in person. Help flip this seat from red to blue to protect reproductive rights, voting rights, and public education. Send an email to sign up.
Carla Catalán Day, running for North Carolina House, District 74 in Winston-Salem, is looking for volunteers to phone bank from home. Carla would be the first Latina elected to the NC House! Sign up here for phone banking and here for canvassing.
Addison Caruso, running for Ohio House, District 36 in Oakwood, needs volunteers to call voters from home and to canvass voters in person. Elect Addison to bring clean energy, well funded schools, and affordable housing to Ohio. Send an email to sign up.
Lauren McNally, running for Ohio House, District 58 in Youngstown, needs volunteers to call voters from home, to canvass voters in person, and to help in the office to prepare mailings in person. Help elect this former journalist to ensure progressive values are represented in the house. Send an email to sign up.
Louise Valentine, running for Ohio House, District 61 in Delaware County, needs volunteers to canvass voters in person. Elect Louise to fund our public schools, strengthen the local economy, and keep our communities safe. Send an email with your location to sign up.
Vito Malacari, running for Pennsylvania House, District 119 in Hanover Township, needs volunteers to call and text voters, and to send postcards to voters from home. Elect this high school teacher and district union leader to Harrisburg. Send an email to sign up with your interest and availability.
Meg Rosenfeld, running for Pennsylvania House, District 139 in Milford, needs volunteers to call and text voters from home and to call and canvass voters in person. Meg would be the first woman and first Democrat elected to this rural district. Sign up here.
Carol Kazeem, running for Pennsylvania House, District 159 in Chester, needs volunteers to call and text voters from home and to canvass voters in person. Elect Carol to bring the change in leadership in this district for the first time in 30 years. Sign up here.
Paige Ellis, running for re-election to Austin City Council, District 8, needs volunteers to help send postcards from home and canvass voters and greet voters at the polls in person. Paige flipped this seat from red to blue in 2018 and it’s a hotly contested election! Send an email with your contact information and how you’d like to help.
Giang "Jenny" Bui running for Rhode Island Senate, District 21 in West Greenwich, needs volunteers to call and text voters from home and to canvass voters in person. Elect Jenny to be the first Asian American in the RI Senate and the first Democrat in this seat since 1906! Send an email with your availability to sign up.
Emilie Krasnow, running for Vermont House, Chittenden-9 in South Burlington, needs volunteers to call voters and write postcards to voters from home, and to canvass voters in person. Emilie is a renter who wants to represent the issues around housing affordability in the house. Send an email to sign up.
Joe Solomon, running for Charleston City Council, needs volunteers to call voters from home and in person, and to canvass voters in person. Joe is a social worker with direct experience in substance abuse and wants to bring real solutions to Charleston. Sign up here.
You made this all possible. Let’s keep it up.
- Amanda