RFS feel-good update (3/15): Another 2021 winner!
Plus: Our on-going recruitment campaign, TikToks, and more.
Hi all -
Three things, right up top…
First: Congrats to Yassamin Ansari, the latest Run for Something winner in 2021 and a new member-elect of the Phoenix City Council. Yassamin, a climate activist and organizer, will be the deciding vote on a number of issues, including the creation of a civilian oversight board over the city’s police department.
Second: NowThis highlighted our effort to recruit candidates to run against state and local GOP elected officials who participated in or encouraged the insurrection. You can read more about it, or watch the video.
Finally, keep an eye on your inbox this week — we’ll be endorsing an amazing new class of 2021 candidates. No! Off! Years!
In RFS candidate & alumni news…
The New Yorker went long on how investment firms are acquiring trailer parks and in the process, undermining one of the largest sources of affordable housing, highlighting Iowa Sen. Zach Wahls as one of the key leaders in the fight against them.
Assemblywoman Selena Torres is the youngest lawmaker in the Nevada Assembly — in her day job as an English teacher, she asked students where they learned about the news; they told her uniformly TikTok. So now she’s on TikTok, bringing young people into the process.
Speaking of TikTok, it’s great to see alum Kelly Krout use her TikTok account to recruit candidates in Arkansas…
VA Delegate Danica Roem joined Pod Save America to talk about the anti-trans legislation sweeping the country — it’s a remarkable interview worth listening to.
PA Rep. Rick Krajewski got his start in activism as part of Reclaim Philadelphia, a local activist group. In 2020, he beat a 35-year incumbent in the Democratic primary — now he’s fighting for a People’s Budget in Harrisburg. Read more about how activists in PA are keeping the fight up locally, and on how Rick’s personal story intersects with this work.
NY state Sen. Samra Brouk flipped a seat red to blue in the chamber — something that, honestly, no one she went to college with would have expected.
Elisa Crespo is on the ballot next week in a special election for NY City Council; if she wins, she’ll be the first out trans woman of color on the council.
FL Rep. Andrew Learned was lead drafter on the state’s COVID relief plan, which includes an expansion of the state’s extremely stingy unemployment benefits, among other things.
AZ Rep. Alma Hernandez is working on limiting the use of no-knock warrants, which allow law enforcement officers to enter homes without knocking or announcing their presence.
Earlier this month, Del. Danica Roem led the fight to ban the “gay panic” defense in Virginia. Now VT Rep. Taylor Small is doing the same in her state.
“The only way to honor the sacrifice of so many people throughout this crisis is to meet this moment with meaningful action, like paid family and medical leave at the state and federal level.” - DE Sen. Sarah McBride
Kenya Handy-Hilliard understands first-hand how city agencies work (and how they don’t) — she’ll bring that experience with her to the NY City Council.
CO Rep. Brianna Titone has been named chair of the Colorado Legislative LGBTQ Caucus. RFS alum in leadership - we love to see it.
Chama St. Louis may have lost her campaign for Peoria mayor but she’s not done fighting - she’s the new campaign director for the New Normal Initiative, which will push for local civic and community engagement.
This is a big step for the Bronx Democratic Party: They’ve endorsed a record number of women candidates, including RFS-endorsed candidates Marjorie Velazquez, Pierina Sanchez, Althea Stevens, and Amanda Farias.
NV Assemblyman Howard Watts sponsored legislation to require schools to get rid of racist mascots and logos, and push officials to recommend renaming mountains, trails, or any other geographic points.
New Mexico Rep. Andrea Romero is shepherding cannabis legalization through the state legislature.
According to The Cap Times, WI Reps. Francesca Hong and Kristina Shelton “are renewing the fight for economic democracy in Wisconsin.” This is what vision looks like.
As the number of candidates in our pipeline has grown, so has the number of volunteers helping us screen ‘em. It’s an awesome way to spend your time if you’re looking for a way to channel your anxiety/optimism.
Some related reading & listening:
I joined The Hot Dish to talk with J.D. Scholten and the One Country Project executive director Tessa Gould about rural Democrats, and highlighted some of the research we did on specific challenges rural candidates face.
Pew Research broke down the demographics of the 117th Congress. While young folks have made progress, Baby Boomers make up 53% of the House and 68% of the Senate. As we’ve said many times over…this is not what America looks like.
This week on the Run for Something podcast: We don't often hear from Democrats running in Alabama - let's fix that! Meet Marche' Johnson, a veteran and single mom running for Montgomery City Council, ran for the first time in 2019 and lost by just six votes. Then the incumbent who beat her died in office -- often the only way space is made for new leaders, unfortunately -- and now she's fighting again in a wide open race. This time, she's not going to lose. Learn more at marcheonthemove.com. Listen wherever you get your shows.
A reminder on a few events we’re hosting this month:
Thursday, March 18th at 8pm ET: A (virtual) house party with NY Assemblywoman Amanda Septimo and North Carolina State Senator DeAndrea Salvador. Tickets start at $25.
Monday, March 22nd: Black Women Run - a call for Black women thinking about running for office one day. Free, of course!
Thursday, March 25th at 8pm ET: Unapologetically Progressive Women — hear from some of the amazing RFS candidates who are making history this Women’s History Month. Tickets are free.
We’ve made it to the sunny season (and the vaccine season!) and every day we’re a little closer to the end of the pandemic. There is so much work to do, and so much optimism to infuse the work with. Thanks for making all this possible.
- Amanda