RFS feel-good update (3/11): Super Tuesday results!!
Hi all -
It was a big week last week, between Super Tuesday, the State of the Union, and last night’s Oscars — I’m only going to dig in on the first of those but quite the wild ride!
Let’s talk Super Tuesday: With 8 races left to call, 20 of our RFS candidates won last week — here’s a few that I think are particularly exciting:
Lauren Ashley Simmons came out ahead and pushed an anti-LGBTQ+ incumbent in the TX state house into a runoff (since neither crossed 50%) — showing that we don’t have to tolerate hate in our party.
Jose P. Garza handily won his primary and will almost certainly win re-election as Travis County DA in Texas — his opponent racked up big money (mostly from Republican megadonors…) and drew the attention of people like Elon Musk.
Taral Patel endured an onslaught of racist attacks in his campaign — and yet, he came out ahead in his competitive primary and will move on to the general to take on a GOP incumbent for Fort Bend Commissioner in Texas.
April Van Dyke beat an incumbent judge in California who had been charged with 19 counts of poor judicial performance — including prejudicial conduct, personal relationships with attorneys, drug use, and using racial slurs.
Kristian Carranza won her primary and will take on a GOP incumbent in one of the most competitive TX state house races this cycle — her opponent has voted for private school vouchers and has worked to restrict authority of local governments.
In spite of the money that real estate and police unions spent against her, and in the face of long odds because of a targeted redistricting campaign, Nithya Raman held on and will move to a runoff election to hold her seat on the LA City Council.
We’ve got another 14 folks on the ballot over the next few weeks, so stay tuned! Remember, these candidates are knocking doors, talking to voters, and doing the kind of organizing that will help them win now and build the foundational relationships we need to have in order to win big in November.
Keep up the momentum. Between now through March 31st, a few generous supporters are matching every donation up to $100k — double your impact and give when it matters most. (Spoiler: That’s now!)
In other RFS community updates:
This is a heartbreaking but must-read interview with OK Rep. Mauree Turner, the country’s first non-binary legislator and one of the few LGBTQ members of the Oklahoma state legislature. Their presence in the halls of power is so so so important.
SC Rep. Kambrell Garvin, who had his daughter via IVF, is leading on legislation to protect IVF and fertility treatments in the state.
VA Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg is leading on legislation to create a new form of felony for adults who allow a child to possess a firearm.
After a long fight, San Antonio City Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez has successfully established the Office of Integrated Community Safety, a new center outside the police department to focus on preventing crime.
Similarly, in Newport News, VA, mayor Phillip Jones is establishing an Office of Community Safety, which will work to reduce homicides by 15% over the next 18 months.
San Diego City Councilmember Kent Lee is introducing an ordinance to ban rodeos in the city, citing animal cruelty. (Fun fact: Every single person pictured in this article’s photo is an RFS alum!)
MI Rep. Laurie Pohutsky is introducing legislation to allow veterinarians to bring back telehealth measures that were used during COVID, making it easier for people in rural areas or who can’t get to an office to still care for their pets.
MN Rep. Cedrick Frazier led on a bill to create a uniform system for districts that decide to have school resource officers, including creating minimum standards for use of force, response tactics, and relationship-building.
NY Sen. Jeremy Cooney proposed a bill to protect workers who go on disability or medical leave from being fired.
IL Rep. Bob Morgan continues fighting the good fight to make Daylight Saving Time permanent!
Minneapolis City Councilmember Jason Chavez is fighting to pass an ordinance that guarantees minimum pay for rideshare drivers, even if rides are cancelled.
A bunch of housing stuff I want to call out, because housing is one of the most obvious issues where having millennials and gen Z in office can really move the needle, given how our generations are uniquely experiencing the housing crisis:
All RFS alum on the Cambridge City Council — Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler, Burhan Azeem, and Ayesha M. Wilson — championed new legislation to combat the rising tide of evictions and extend more legal protections to tenants.
Providence City Councilman Miguel Sanchez is introducing an ordinance to rezone more than 300 plots in his neighborhood to address the housing crisis.
PA Sen. Nikil Saval created a wildly popular and successful new program in PA that helps property owners repair their homes — his work is serving as a model for legislation being introduced in Congress.
Ann Arbor City Councilmember Travis Radina is working on an ordinance to close loopholes in tenants’ rights legislation.
Also in MI: Rep. Carrie Rheinsgans, a renter herself, speaks to the personal burden renters are experiencing in her county.
NYC Councilmember Shekar Krishnan is leading on proposals to curb landlord malpractices — including targeting landlords who exploit illegal construction and vacate orders to displace tenants.
CA Assemblymember Alex Lee is pushing legislation to ban institutional investors from buying single family homes and then renting them out.
None of this would be possible without you. Thanks for being on our team.
- Amanda