RFS feel-good update (3/29): Reverse coattails research
A contested state legislative race can help the top of the ticket by .3-1.5%. Awesome.
Hi all -
I’m so excited about this: Last week, we released some awesome research about the impact of reverse coattails — our long-standing theory that simply fielding state and local candidates can increase Democratic performance at the top of the ticket.
The Washington Post wrote a good summary. Here’s the TL;DR:
Run for Something analyzed 3,953 precincts within 61 counties in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, North Carolina, New York, Ohio and Texas. The study compared precincts where a Republican was running on the ballot for state House or Senate uncontested with places where both Republicans and Democrats were running. The study found that even if the Democrat didn't win, having a contested state legislative race provided anywhere from a .3 percent to 1.5 percent boost for Biden.
You can read the full study here if you like digging into the numbers.
The case for investing early in local elections is clear. It’s good for politics and it’s good for policy (see: the entire list of positive policies our candidates & alum are fighting for below).
And, if you’re not inspired by all the positive impacts, consider the reality that we don’t have an alternative.
Republicans have competed for and won local elections for the last 40 years, and now we’re all paying the price. They’re passing egregious voter suppression where they can (using the Big Lie of a stolen election to rationalize it) and using their entire network of legislators and outside groups to support and coordinate it.
There are now more than 250 bills moving through 45 state legislatures that all aim in some way to suppress access to the polls. This is what we said would happen if Democrats did not win state legislatures in 2020. This is what we have to fight back against through federal legislation and why we have to invest now to win state and local office in 2021 and 2022.
(Relatedly: After the filing deadline last week, thanks to an incredible team effort, Virginia Democrats are contesting 95 of the 100 House of Delegates seats this year — the most Democrats to run for general assembly since at least 1997 .and likely much longer before that. Let’s gooooo!)
In RFS candidate and alumni updates…
After a seven-way election, Marche’ Johnson won first place and moved on to the run-off in her campaign for Montgomery City Council; she’ll be back on the ballot in a 1:1 race at the end of April.
If you want to be inspired (and, who doesn’t these days?) we’ve pulled together an incredible list of 20 women running for local office in 2021 who you should know.
A must-watch: Roxanne Martinez’s painful experience with breast cancer and her survival drove her to give her back to her community. She’s running for Fort Worth Independent District school board.
A must-read from WI Rep. Francesca Hong: “The Korean "Han," a deep emotion, stems from the Chinese character 恨 of resentment, and refers to the loss of identity and a deep sense of guilt tied to shame, despair, grief and the trauma of our history.
I think about it often when navigating spaces of discrimination and microaggression. I get angry knowing that while our culture, and so many Asian cultures, continue to sprinkle themselves on worldwide stages in our movies, television shows, music and food, our people — specifically our working women — don’t always feel that agency or power. We assimilate and quietly achieve, never wanting to make too much noise — too burdened by the pain and loss of our generational trauma.”
At the same time: Reps. Francesca Hong and Kristina Shelton are getting accolades for their Economic Justice Bill of Rights for All Wisconsinites, which includes provisions for raising the minimum wage, and providing affordable health care and high-quality housing.
OK Rep. Mauree Turner took over Elle’s Instagram to answer 20 questions about making history. Worth watching!
Get to know Andrea Waner, candidate for Colombia city council in Missouri.
GA Rep. Marvin Lim introduced a bill to require police officers to get trained in basic outreach in languages other than English, and would establish translation services for 911 systems.
NY state Sen. Samra Brouk is leading on legislation that simplifies and standardizes state requirements for comprehensive sex ed curriculums. Right now, NY state law requires that sex ed stresses abstinence — Samra’s bill would rectify that, among many other things.
“Alyia Gaskins is spending most of her time listening as she wages her first campaign for Alexandria City Council. She said, if elected, she will govern in the same manner.”
PA state Sen. Katie Muth is calling on the governor to take immediate action to update nursing home regulations — nursing home residents make up more than 50% of total COVID deaths in PA.
NV Assemblywoman Selena Torres is leading on the Keep Nevada Working Act, which would support immigrant workers and protect against misuses of state and local resources for immigration enforcement, among other things.
IL state Sen. Robert Peters is sponsoring a new bill to decriminalize HIV — right now, people living with HIV can be punished with a prison sentence and a $25k fine for engaging in certain activities. Out in Nevada, state Sen. Dallas Harris is leading on similar legislation.
Grist.org named Maine state Sen. Chloe Maxmin to their top 50 list for her work passing the state’s Green New Deal.
MI Rep. Laurie Pohutsky has helped lead on a bill that will rein in the cost of insulin and other prescription drugs. The bill passed the House and is going to the Senate. IL Rep. Dagmera Avelar is leading on similar legislation in Illinois; it’s making it’s way through the committees now.
In the PA state assembly, Rep. Jessica Benham is speaking up for the disabled community: “I also think how some of my colleagues dismissed the death of people from COVID-19 as maybe less than important because of preexisting conditions. And as someone who has a disability and has a preexisting condition, I found that incredibly offensive, all of our lives are valuable and important and to dismiss anyone death simply because they had a disability is unacceptable.”
NC Rep. Ashton Clemmons (a former principal!) is leading on a bipartisan bill that would end a current requirement that teachers pay for their substitutes when they take personal days.
NY Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson wrote an op-ed on the critical need for NY relief legislation to include excluded workers like undocumented New Yorkers and folks returning home from incarceration.
Of the 16 South Asian Americans running for NY city council, five — Jaslin Kaur, Felicia Singh, Amit Bagga, Shahana Hanif, and Shekar Krishnan — are endorsed by RFS!
Also in NY: Right now, only 13 of the 51 NY city councilmembers are women; there are 150 women running to change that and right now, women of color are among the top fundraisers. Shout out to RFS-endorsed candidates Crystal Hudson and Tiffany Cabán.
Can’t be what you can’t see…
Louise Snodgrass may have lost their campaign for SD state legislature, but they’re still fighting hard against the horrifically bigoted anti-trans legislation in the state capitol.
We’re keeping an eye on alum Jennifer Carroll Foy’s campaign for VA governor — check out what’s going down on Cheddar, Teen Vogue, Forbes, and CNN.com. (Plus, she’s been endorsed by Rep. Katie Porter - you truly love to see it.)
This week on the Run for Something podcast: When his mom told him he was never going to be the next LeBron James, Ohio native Justin Bibb was crushed -- until a chance encounter with a presidential campaign in a hotel lobby redirected his passion to politics. Now he's running for mayor of Cleveland, because his city can't wait for someone else to bring about change. We talk about his path to the campaign, the moments that inspired him to run now, what's surprised him most as a first-time candidate, and how you can help him win. Get it wherever you get your shows!
No events this week, but if you missed last week’s Unapologetically Progressive Women panel, put it on in the background and get inspired.
So much to do and we’re excited to do it all. Thank you so much for making all this possible. We’re grateful to have you on the team.
- Amanda