RFS feel-good update (10/3): Meet the Democracy Defenders at ClerkWork.net
Plus: How you can vote in the RFS Alumni Awards!
Hi all -
Welcome to October! Last week we rolled out ClerkWork.net, our new hub for all things Clerk Work — our program to recruit and support pro-democracy candidates for local election administration offices — including our ever-growing list of Democracy Defenders, candidates we’ve identified as champions for democracy. (For example: Meet Lannie Chapman, candidate for Salt Lake County Clerk, who’s running against a conspiracy theorist who’s posted some absolutely bananas stuff.)
Democracy Defenders have pledged to ensure that local elections are accessible, fair, and equitable. They receive specialty tools, training, and resources that will guide them in running successful campaigns — we’ve got their backs.
We’re adding more folks to the list on a rolling basis so check back in for updates.
Some reminders on why Clerk Work matters:
Trump allies - led by noted conspiracy theorist and QAnon fave Michael Flynn - has been interviewing local election officials in nearly 200 counties in order to deeply understand how to corrupt the system from within.
The Brazos County Commissioners in Texas have closed the early voting location on Texas A&M’s campus and despite pushback, are refusing to change their minds. This effectively disenfranchises thousands of people, especially students.
It’s worth keeping in the mind the context these local races are happening in: On the statewide level, there are 17 secretary of state candidates (or candidates who appoint secretaries of state) who deny the validity of the 2020 election. Having pro-democracy local election officials can do a lot to mitigate the harm of statewide bad actors.
This was very cool & appreciated: Ross and I were honored to be named to the Time100 Next list, and even more honored for the explanation of our work to be written by Hillary Clinton, one of RFS’s best and earliest supporters.
Also last week (busy week!): We announced the nominees for the RFS Alumni Awards!
We’ve got incredible folks nominated for awards in these two categories:
Getting It Done Award: Celebrating an RFS alum enacting progressive policies in their community (Nominees: Jonathan Melton on the Raleigh City Council, Michaelyn Easter-Thomas on the Memphis City Council, José Magaña on the San José school board, Jennifer Yi-We Hernandez who ran for Douglas County District Court Clerk in NE, and Adam Bazaldua on the Dallas City Council.)
I Am History Award: Celebrating an RFS alum who broke barriers & made history (Nominees: Luisa Santos on the Miami-Dade school board, Gabriela Santiago-Romero on the Detroit City Council, Taylor Small in the VT state house, Armando Montero on the Tempe AZ school board, and Iman Jodeh in the CO state house.)
Voting closes on October 11th, so don’t miss you chance to make your voice heard. We’ll be giving out these awards (along with a few others to be announced!) in-person at the end of November; stay tuned for details.
In other RFS community updates:
Opponents are spreading dangerous rumors about Tiffanie Harrison, RFS candidate for Round Rock school board in Texas. We’ve got her back - chip in to help her defend herself.
NYC Councilmember Jennifer Gutierrez led on new legislation that requires the city’s health department to provide no-cost doula services in 33 marginalized neighborhoods across the city in an effort to address persistent racial disparities in maternal health.
PA Sen. Lindsey Williams is in a tough fight to hold her seat in Allegheny County, running on her record of increasing school funding, supporters workers’ rights, and a state GI bill for veterans. When she’s knocking doors, she’s talking to voters about it all, plus on her fierce advocacy for abortion access.
In spite of the governor’s veto, NH Rep. Megan Murray is not stopping in her effort to set a scientific criteria for where solid waste landfills go — the kind of thing that seems insignificant until you realize how polluted water can go from landfills into rivers and lakes.
NC Republicans are using a fake photo of NC Rep. Ricky Hurtado to make it look like he believes in defunding the police — in reality, Ricky’s supported and sponsored bills to strengthen the workforce and law enforcement while thinking about accountability and transparency.
FL Rep. Andrew Learned is working on legislation to decriminalize fentanyl strips, which detect the substance in any drug batch — 31 other states have done so but not Florida, a huge problem as fentanyl overdoses are becoming more and more common.
Good thing RFS candidate Nate Blouin beat a longtime incumbent Democrat in a primary — now he’s being investigated for harassment.
This is cool!
It’s a hard sprint to Election Day next month — stay tuned for more updates on races we’re paying particularly close attention to, some final endorsements, and so much more.
You made all this possible. We couldn’t be more grateful.
- Amanda