RFS feel-good update (12/13): Let's save democracy, shall we?
And also: Some joy!
Hi all -
Last week, we hosted a call for folks thinking about running for local election administrator roles. Nearly 500 people signed up for it and hundreds more raised their hands to express interest in running for positions that are key to saving democracy. That’s great!
And: It’s just the beginning. I want to highlight a few of the stories that came out just in the last week…
The New York Times: “In races for state and county-level offices with direct oversight of elections, Republican candidates coming out of the Stop the Steal movement are running competitive campaigns, in which they enjoy a first-mover advantage in electoral contests that few partisans from either party thought much about before last November.”
The Brennan Center: “There is an active effort to recruit rogue election officials to sabotage elections across the country.”
The Washington Post: “Figures like Stephen K. Bannon, Roger Stone, Alex Jones, Charlie Kirk and Flynn are regulars on the circuit mobilizing people to take on local governments. Bannon’s “War Room” podcast has promoted and featured potential candidates who have visited and trained on the Precinct Strategy website, which provides information and tools for becoming voting precinct captains and committeemen. People in these roles, although not often talked about, can be powerful decision-makers in local and state elections. As The Washington Post recently reported, Trump supporters are using similar strategies to replace officials in a multitude of local and state offices, “including volunteer poll watchers, paid precinct judges, elected county clerks and state attorneys general.”
Also in The Washington Post: Steps 4-6 of the 18 steps to a breakdown of democracy fall into this bucket…
As George Packer explains in The Atlantic, the path forward is not simple nor flashy: “Citizens will have to do boring things—run for obscure local election offices and volunteer as poll watchers—with the same unflagging energy as the enemies of democracy.”
Join us tomorrow at 4pm ET to talk about what we’re doing to recruit and support candidates for local election administrator roles, our plans for school board work, and the broader mission for 2022 & beyond. Tickets are free; just RSVP now.
In other RFS community updates:
We notched our 637th win last week! Congrats to Jamell Johnson for his big win on the Little Elm City Council.
Nada Elmikashfi came up short in her campaign for WI state assembly, but that didn’t end her civic engagement. She talked to Teen Vogue about what it means to keep fighting even after you lose.
“Haitian immigrants have been settling in Boston for at least 50 years. But until this year, none had served on the City Council. Attorney Ruthzee Louijeune bucked that trend in the Nov. 2 election, capturing one of four at-large seats on the 13-member council.”
Barbara Bessette ran and won a seat in the MT state legislature in 2018, then lost her re-election in 2020. Now she’s getting ready to run again in 2022 — she talked with the Great Falls Tribune about what she learned, why urban Native representation matters, and what she’s going to do differently this time around.
Click through for a must-read thread from Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly:
Chicago Alderwoman Maria Hadden has been investing in community to build trust and bring her neighbors forward together.
MI Rep. Laurie Pohutsky introduced legislation to end the “gay panic defense” that’s been used to justify violence against LGBTQ+ folks. RFS alum across the country have already passed similar laws!
Travis County DA Jose Garza is working with cultural partners to raise awareness about the increase in overdose deaths.
NY Sen. Jeremy Cooney wants to ensure that cannabis licenses go to underrepresented communities, including trans and non-binary New Yorkers.
MA Sen. Becca Rausch has been a vocal advocate and legislator working to end maternal mortality rate disparities.
NH Rep. Manny Espitia sponsored legislation to require election and voting materials to be created in multiple languages.
Meanwhile, we’re keeping an eye on our alumni are running for higher office:
Congrats to James Coleman, South San Francisco City Councilmember, for launching his race for CA state assembly.
RI Sen. Cynthia Mendes, who’s running for Lt. Governor of Rhode Island, has been participating in #SleepOutRI as she fights for ending the housing crisis. Watch this video.
In related reading (and on our radar)
The Republican Party of Texas launched a new Local Government Committee specifically to back candidates for local “non-partisan” races…
Flagging this in Axios: “No office has proven too small. [Trump’s] apparatus touches everything from unseating governors, members of Congress, state legislators and secretaries of state, to formulating policy and influencing local school boards. One common thread with many of the candidates he's backed so far: They all support his efforts to overturn Joe Biden's victory.”
Bad news: This is the last episode of the Run for Something podcast. Ross and I dig in on how to run for office. We answer questions like how to know which office to run for, what dooms a campaign, and why it matters for people like you to get involved.
Hopefully we can resuscitate the podcast again in the future — if you have ideas, send ‘em our way!
Just for fun:
As we go into the final few weeks of 2021, we just want to say thank you. This work is hard but we’re lucky to be able to do it, and even luckier to be doing it with you.
- Amanda