RFS feel-good update (4/25): "An army of young leaders"
Hate won't win when RFS alum are fighting back.
Hi all -
If you weren’t one of the tens of millions of people who’ve watched MI Sen. Mallory McMorrow’s speech on the chamber floor, turn on the volume and watch this.
Since that speech, Mallory’s been everywhere - the Washington Post, local news, PBS, Yahoo, all over cable, even talking with Religion News Service.
This is part of a trend of RFS alum fighting back against the bullshit. You may have watched MO Rep. Ian Mackey’s speech on the house floor last week in favor of LGBT rights, or maybe took a few minutes to see NE Sen. Megan Hunt’s powerful and successful push against an abortion ban.
It’s no coincidence that RFS alum like Mallory, Ian, Megan, and so many others from the last year have been leading voices in the fight against the GOP. Young people do not have any delusions about what the Republican Party is — the moral clarity is obvious; the rage is pure. We’re building the army that can take on the monsters.
Following up on Clerk Work…
Thank you to so many for your (almost entirely!) positive feedback to Clerk Work!
If you want to read or listen to more about the program…
I joined Crooked Media’s “What A Day” podcast to talk about the origin story and need for recruiting and supporting local election administrator candidates.
Wonkette pretty clearly summed it up pretty well: “They're calling it Clerk Work, because it's about putting some fuckin' clerks in who are competent and believe in democracy.”
Check out Axios, The Hill, The Root, or watch a few minutes on CBS News.
A number of far-right outlets like Breitbart, the Federalist, and TownHall got Big Mad, too, which is how you know we’re doing something right. (I’m not going to link them to not give them traffic…)
This three year program is just getting started — so get excited to hear a lot more about it and how you can get involved. So much more to come.
In other RFS community updates…
“His campaign manager is a college freshman, his most dedicated volunteers are high-schoolers, and the state legislator he’s running to replace took office in 2006 — when he was 9. He’s also gay, trilingual and, at 25, slightly embarrassed to say he’s still living with his parents. If elected to the Maryland House of Delegates, Joe Vogel would be the youngest person sworn into the state legislature next January and nearly three decades younger than most of his colleagues.” - The Washington Post digs deep on some of the amazing Gen Z candidates Run for Something is working with this year - their campaigns are strong, different, and infused with a sense of moral clarity.
The hostile rage against LGBTQ+ communities isn’t stopping LGBTQ+ candidates from running — if anything, it’s infusing them with a renewed sense of urgency. Read more about Nnedi Stephens in Nevada and Jacob Torgenson in Montana, as two great examples.
Roe v. Wade is not long for this world — RFS candidates/alum like Becca DeFelice, Janelle Evans, and Anna Eskamani are not shying away from talking about abortion access.
From the streets to the ballot: Hugo Martinez and Dulce Vazquez started off as organizers fighting to defund the police; now they’re running for city council to take matters into their own hands.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has worked in partnership with workers themselves to ultimately create the Essential Workers Board, which will make recommendations to the county on how they can best support essential workers.
A half-dozen RFS alum in Florida staged a sit-in on the Florida House to disrupt debate on a congressional redistricting plan that reduced Black representation in half.
This is an excellent observation from VA Del. Danica Roem: “There’s a mindset that a lot of Republicans have, a lot of Democrats have, which is that every election is a base election. There’s not really a lot of ticket-splitters. So why is it that I won two precincts that the top of the ticket lost? When I have been asked before, “What type of Democrat are you?”—I’m a constituent-service Democrat. That can be progressive, that can be moderate, whatever, but a constituent-service Democrat delivers results and gets shit done for the people that person is elected to serve.”
CO Rep. Iman Jodeh introduced legislation to address and prevent homelessness.
Ashantae Green, the commissioner for the Duval Soil and Water Conservation District, is working with a local brewery to create a carbon-neutral beer. Badass.
PA Sen. Amanda Cappelletti makes the case for action on climate: “It is not radical to propose programs that generate investments in people, jobs, infrastructure, and the future of the economy.”
Get to know Simone Rede, candidate for Portland City Auditor - her experience as an auditor, artist, and advocate will make her an incredible leader.
OH state senate candidate and veteran of the U.S. Army Anthony Eliopoulos was endorsed as a Gun Sense candidate by Moms Demand Action - we love to see our partners get into these races.
In upcoming Run for Something events:
On May 4, "See Yourself Running: Realities of Running as an AAPI Candidate” will feature a panel of endorsed AAPI candidates & alum from across the country to talk about their campaign experience and what you should know about running for office. Reserve your spot here.
On May 14-15th, we’re joining Lead Locally & Friends of Earth Action to host a training for folks who want to run for local office on climate issues. 100% free, 100% virtual - sign up now.
Save the date! On June 15th, Party for Something is BACK. We’re hosting everyone’s favorite non-gala gala in D.C. — get your tickets now for what is sure to be an incredible evening.
We’ve got great new endorsements coming out this week and so much more recruitment to do before the final filing deadlines — thank you for making this all possible. You’re a star.
- Amanda