Hi all -
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving (and if you celebrate, a beautiful first night of Hanukkah - I ate latkes for dinner last night and breakfast again this morning and have zero regrets about that.)
Given the short week last week, this will be a (relatively) short email, but before I dive in to a few updates, I just want to say: Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday!
I know it feels like we say this every year for the last couple years, but that doesn’t make it any less true: 2022 is going to be an existential election for the future of democracy.
Yes, we have to hold the House & Senate, but beyond that, we have to win state legislatures, school boards, local election administrators, and more in order to build sustainable power and save democracy.
We have to do it because the GOP is doing it. (This NYT story from over the weekend will scare the shit out of you.) We have to do it because it’ll make people’s lives better. We have to do it because in the face of our opposition, we are morally obligated to do whatever we can.
Run for Something is recruiting and supporting thousands of young diverse progressives running for local office. Donate right now to keep the momentum going into 2022.
You can also make a donation to Run for Something Civics, which focuses specifically on recruiting young leaders and helping them post-election day.
Thank you for doing what you can. I’m so grateful to be in this work with you.
In RFS community updates…
Last week we had yet another winner! Congrats to Rod Hickman for winning his special election in Mississippi.
We have to make it easier for normal people to run for office & actually serve in state legislature — and that means raising the pay for state legislators. DE Sen. Marie Pinkney and many others talked to The 19th* about why it’s necessary.
For local candidates, climate change isn’t just a talking point: It’s an issue they can run on, win, and do something about. New city councilman-elect Richie Floyd is going to make sure St. Petersburg, FL is hitting its climate goals. New Port of Seattle Commissioners Hamdi Mohamed and Toshiko Hasegawa are going to make operations at the city’s airport and the container port more green and sustainable, with proposals to add electric rail and electrify boats in the harbor. Cleveland mayor-elect Justin Bibb is going to prioritize climate action in his administration. Alum Katie Walsh is running an org specifically to train folks on how to run for local office on climate issues! It all helps (especially as Ross notes in this piece, there isn’t much hope for federal action after 2022.)
TX Rep. Jasmine Crockett made waves for leading the fight for voting rights (and was obviously a guest on the Run for Something podcast.) Now she’s running for Congress! She’s going to be a star.
With abortion access on the line in the Supreme Court this week, it’s gratifying to see local leaders step up to do what they can. Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savitt promises his office will never prosecute someone for seeking reproductive health care, no matter what.
WA Sen. Emily Randall is introducing legislation to create more apprenticeships across the state.
In related reading & watching:
So what happens next? The first step is acceptance — specifically, accepting that such a conservative Supreme Court is no longer going to protect reproductive freedom but will instead undermine it. The next step is to shift the focus away from the courts and onto electoral politics — by translating the American public’s consistent majority support for abortion rights into electoral victories at all levels of government, but especially in the states, where nearly all laws around reproductive rights get made.
I talked with Zerlina Maxwell on Peacock about the need to get involved in school board elections.
Just want to highlight this again: Republicans are building long-term sustainable power by winning from the bottom up.
A few Run for Something events coming up:
On December 6th, we’re hosting See Yourself Running: Election Administration - a free convo with currently city/county clerks and recorder of deeds about what it means to run elections and run for office to run elections.
On December 14th, we’re hosting a free strategy session with our best supporters. Don’t miss it.
Finally, a reminder that we’re hiring! Help us find the best people for four key positions on the team.
This week on the Run for Something podcast: In November, Amber Sellers became the first Black woman elected to the Lawrence City Commission in Kansas. At first, Amber didn't think she'd be the one to run -- in fact, she was trying to recruit someone else to fill the spot. But after months of conversation, she realized she should do it, even if she was afraid, and even if it meant putting herself out there. We talk about how she ran and won, what it means to her community to have her serve, and her priorities for next year. Learn more at https://sellers4lawrence.org
Thank you, thank you, thank you. We are so excited for what’s to come in 2022 and can’t wait to work with you to do it.
- Amanda