RFS feel-good update (3/7): 20k+ school board races this year
Hi all -
First, a quick report back on our elections last week! 11 of our folks on the ballot run their primaries outright, 5 more moved on to run-offs. We’ve got more folks on the ballot this week — stay tuned.
Now, let’s talk about one of my all-time favorite topics: school boards!
Our partners at Ballot Ready put together an incredible overview of where the 20k+ school board races are happening this year.
The 1776 Project PAC is working to flip 300 school board seats with far-right conservatives. And when Proud Boys said they’re pivoting to local elections, this is what they meant.
We’re fighting back. RFS alum Dr. Katie Clark sent a note to our supporters earlier this week:
I serve on the Altadena Library District Board of Trustees. That means my job as an elected official is making sure my local public libraries can do THEIR jobs: providing critical resources, books, programs, and opportunities to our community. So I get REALLY fired up when I see my Twitter feed filled with stories of efforts to ban books in schools and libraries.
Libraries are powerful centers of our democracy. It’s true! Just think about it: Where else can you go for free, anytime, no matter who you are or where you come from or where you live, and connect with some of the most powerful ideas in human history? Not only that, libraries (and librarians!) are devoted to protecting your privacy and to defending your rights to access information.
We know the far right is going after schools and books because their conspiracy theories and lies can’t stand up to the power of truth.
And good news: On Wednesday, March 9th, we’re hosting a call for folks thinking about running for school board. RSVP now - 100% free!
In RFS community updates:
As the Don’t Say Gay bill makes its way through the FL state legislature, RFS alum are fighting back and fighting with the students who are protesting. Watch Reps. Michele Rayner-Goolsby, Fentrice Driskell, Dotie Joseph and Travaris McCurdy find the joy.
This is a fascinating overview of Dulce Vasquez’s campaign for LA City Council: In a recent TikTok video, Dulce Vasquez, 36, smirks as she listens to Donald Trump announcing his first presidential campaign: “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best.” Vasquez, a formerly undocumented Mexican immigrant running for Los Angeles City Council’s District 9, places a hand on her sweater, featuring a saguaro. “Me?” she mouths as Trump drones on: “They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you.” Vasquez feigns slapping the ex-president. “Shut the [expletive] up,” she says, as a stream of text shows her achievements over “Por Mi México” by rappers Lefty Sm and Santa Fe Klan. The video, with about 85,000 views, shows Vasquez’s social media savvy in appealing to millennials and Gen Z.”
Bryant Odega has launched his campaign for LA City Council — this is a great opening argument.
Brit Blalock, candidate for AL House of Representatives, makes a powerful case for refusing to accept corporate PAC money and how the state’s funding model has hurt its residents.
Zooey Zephyr decided to run for office after testifying in front of the MT legislature against an anti-trans sports bill. Now she’s talking non-stop about housing, health care, and equity: “It matters to elect people to office who have firsthand experience dealing with the kinds of things that are primary issues in your community… It matters to have someone [like me] who has been a renter their whole life, who is fighting to get into the market and sees that it’s increasingly inaccessible. It matters, when you talk about health care, to have someone who relies on health care for her quality of life.”
Congrats to PA Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta on his marriage! These photos are so gorgeous.
CO Rep. Dylan Roberts is working on legislation that would hopefully help to reduce wildfires.
PA Rep. Jessica Benham is making her mark as the first openly autistic and openly out LGBTQ woman in the state legislature — she’s getting stuff done in Harrisburg while staying grounded with her Pittsburgh community.
Becca Miller ran for Somerville city council last year; she came up short but her reflections on her campaign are worth reading. Even a loss has value for a candidate and for their community!
An ongoing reminder about our work on local election admins:
Trump’s plan continues to be extremely not a secret. He told a room full of Republican donors: “The vote counter is often more important than the candidate” and he’s proudly endorsing the Steve Bannon & Oath Keepers’ plan to take over the Republican Party from the inside out.
Meanwhile, the League of Wisconsin Municipalities put out this deeply charming PSA reminding us how local election administrators can reinforce trust in the process.
In other related reading:
I talked with Paul Rosenberg at Salon.com about why in spite of everything, I’m optimistic about the future of democracy (if we survive the next few years.)
People with student loan debt are wildly under-represented and people with mortgages are wildly over-represented in Congress — that absolutely has an impact on the legislating priorities.
Don’t take it from me; take it from Ben Wikler, WI state party chair: “If we’re serious about forestalling authoritarianism, we have to invest everywhere—not just in the battlegrounds. And not just this year. For the next decade.”
Two event notes:
ICYMI: Our RFS Five Anniversary Event was so so so much fun! You can watch the whole thing on YouTube. Put it on in the background and feel good about democracy for a chance.
On Thursday, March 10th, if you’re in NYC, join us for a night of comedy. Comedians tell jokes, I talk Run for Something. Tickets start at $15.
A programming note: This weekly email will go on a quick pause for the next two weeks; keep an eye on Run for Something’s social media for more regular updates!
Thanks for making all this possible. We’ve got a lot of work to do but we’re so glad to work together.
- Amanda