RFS feel-good update (2/16): New 2021 candidates, same rotten GOP
Hi all -
Hope you had a relaxing long weekend (if such a thing is even possible right now) and you’re staying warm. Good news, only 25 days until daylight savings kicks in and the sun sets after 7pm again!!
First, the good stuff: Last week, endorsed a new class of 2021 candidates — 42 amazing people! The new class brings us to 72 candidates this year in 16 states — 85% for municipal office — and 63% women, 63% BIPOC, and 25% LGBTQ.
I particularly love that so far, 15 of our 2021 candidates are alum, 9 of whom ran, lost, and got back in the fight. Check ’em out.
Now, less good stuff: At least 57 GOP state & local officials were at the 1/6 insurrection in D.C.
Read that, then read this: “Since Trump left office, grassroots Republican activists and state parties have become his vociferous defenders, condemning and censuring elected Republicans who dare to deviate in any way from full-throated support of the former president.”
These stories are why I’m glad more than 10,000 people have signed up to run for office since Election Day 2020 alone. The GOP is rotten all the way down. We have to beat them at every level.
Last night, I joined Rachel Maddow to talk about what Run for Something is doing to fight back. Take a few minutes to tune in — you can watch our interview here.
If you want to see her full explanation of Run for Something and our interview, it begins around 30 minutes in.
(I talked with the Washington Post about this, too — it’s Trump’s party, even if he’s never on the ballot again.)
In RFS candidates & alumni updates…
This week, we endorsed Chi Ossé for NYC council. CNN featured him earlier this month: “Chi Ossé, 22, had never attended a protest until the summer of 2020.
Unable to forget the horrific video of Floyd's death, he said he found a therapeutic outlet for that pain and sadness on the streets of New York.
Protesting helped Ossé process underlying trauma that he said had built up over his years living as a Black man in America. Within just a few weeks, he became one of the loudest voices calling for systemic change. And after months of organizing and engaging with community, he decided to take his activism a step further by announcing his candidacy for the New York City Council. If elected, Ossé would be the youngest elected official in the city's history.”
For NYC council candidate Felicia Singh, the taxi medallion problems in NYC are personal: Her family is at risk of losing their home because of it. This is a must-read story.
WA state Sen. Emily Randall (the majority whip!) is working hard to bring an equity lens to the state’s Medicaid system, including a hole in coverage that limits access to post-partum care.
Fairfax County School Board Member At-Large Abrar Omeish is making a name for herself as the Gen-Z activist fighting for equity and inclusion.
Vogue talked with NY state Sen. Jessica Ramos about her work fighting to get vaccines for delivery workers.
CO state Reps. Dylan Roberts and Brianna Titone are fighting for necessary funding to fix the state’s unemployment insurance system.
Also in CO: State Sen. Julie Gonzales is introducing a bill to establish guidelines on how the state shares info with federal agencies after the DMV shared info with ICE.
And finally, also in CO: The Colorado Dems named Reps. Iman Jodeh and David Ortiz - both RFS alum! - as rising stars.
FL Rep. Travaris McCurdy is leading on legislation to bring accountability to the hiring process for police officers — right now, an officer with a record of on-duty criminal activity can easily move from job to job.
NH Sen. Becky Whitley is pushing legislation to prevent students from being arrested at school, and would prohibit school resource officers from searching students without first having probably cause. Obvious but important stuff here!
FL Rep. Anna Eskamani is mulling over a run for governor — learn a little on why.
This is awesome, and why electing young progressives at every level matters: CA state assemblymember Alex Lee introduced social housing legislation on the state level; Berkeley City Councilmember Terry Taplin is leading on the city level.
Montana Rep. Alice Buckley has introduced legislation to give victims of sexual assault the right to check on the state of their rape kits.
For Delaware state Sen. Marie Pinkney, gun violence is personal: her first teenage love was shot and killed days after his 20th birthday. That’s why she’s leading to declare gun violence a public health crisis in Delaware.
Maryland Del. Vaughn Stewart is pushing on the state to take charge in getting safe drinking water to every Marylander, no matter their economic circumstances.
“If you think it’s a given that the phrase “Green New Deal” is toxic to Democrats in Republican-leaning districts, you might want to talk to Chloe Maxmin of Maine. In November, she unseated the state’s GOP Senate minority leader, Dana Dow, with 51 percent of the vote in rural, working-class District 13 … The hallmark of her electoral campaigns has been a highly personalized approach, with a deep focus on community and real, face-to-face conversations with voters of all kinds, no matter where they’re coming from politically.” A must-read from 2x Run for Something alum Chloe Maxmin on how she wins and what she does with her power.
HI state Rep. Adrian Tam is leading on legislation that prohibits insurance companies from refusing to cover procedures related to gender transition.
One article & one podcast for you to consider:
Stacey Abrams and Lauren Groh-Wargo wrote a great op-ed in the NYT about how to flip any red state blue: Sustained investment, organizing, and trusting local leadership.
I joined the @GoodGoodGoodCo podcast to talk about how young people can drive positive change by running for office — it was fun to be 100% positive!
On the Run for Something podcast this week: First, an explanation on impeachment, and why most Republican elected officials are morally bankrupt. Then: A conversation with Joél-Léhi Organista, a member of the Salt Lake City school board. Joél-Léhi is an activist, an educator, an immigrant, and so much more -- we talk about his path to elected office and how to be his most authentic self in leadership. Learn more at http://jloschoolboard.com/. Get the show wherever you get your pods.
We have a bunch of awesome events coming up - save the following dates:
February 18th: Unapologetically Progressive & Black - a free night celebrating some of the amazing RFS candidates making Black history right this very minute.
February 22nd: A virtual house party (ticketed) with GA state Sen. Kim Jackson & Coral Springs Commissioner Nancy Metayer
February 23rd: A free Strategy Session with our partners at Avalanche Insights, where we’ll walk through the research we did on our 2020 candidates & program, then dive in to what’s next.
February 25th: See Yourself Running - a free call for Black folks thinking about running for office, hosted in partnership with Collective PAC and Higher Heights.
February 27th: A comedy show hosted by Josh Gondelman and starring Adam Pally, Cocoon Central Dance Team, Chris Duffy, Shalewa Sharpe, and @TrumpComedyNerd.
February is rough. Really rough. But the end is in sight, the weather is going to warm up, and we will make it through. Thanks for being part of this team.
- Amanda