Hi all -
First, on the shooting in Nashville last week — personally, this was the first school shooting to happen since my daughter was born, a uniquely American parenting milestone. I was furious at the GOP’s inaction on gun violence before; now the rage is overflowing. It is truly unconscionable for the GOP to choose guns and power over our kids’ safety.
I am so glad that every Run for Something candidate is committed to reducing gun violence however makes sense for their office and community. I’m also so glad that we’re focusing on offices that can really make a difference here, like state legislatures and school boards. And, I’m absolutely incandescent with fury that because most elected Republicans are cowards, more families are likely to mourn the way those in Nashville are. We’ll keep doing our part. I hope you’ll do yours.
Huge week ahead: we have 19 incredible endorsed candidates on the ballot in Colorado, Illinois, MIssouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin — city council races, school board campaigns, & one library trustee race.
We’re also tracking six Democracy Defenders — candidates running for offices that literally administer elections and who are committed to uphold election integrity and ensure fair & free elections — up in Wisconsin tomorrow. An indictment, arrest, or unruly mob won’t bring down democracy; local elected officials subverting the process from within absolutely could.
And on top of all that: Last week we rolled out 53 new endorsements across 19 states — folks running for municipal energy boards, auditor roles, library boards, city and county councils, school boards, state legislatures, DA, and more — and wow oh wow they’re incredible.
A few of the many folks you’ll be seeing and hearing more about in the coming months:
VA state senate candidate Heidi Drauschak, who worked in the Obama White House and founded an organization focused on campaign finance reform & increased citizen engagement in Virginia
More in VA: Adele McClure for House of Delegates in VA! If she wins, she’ll be the first Black and first Asian person to represent Arlington County in the chamber.
Lily Franklin, a 29 year-old fifth-generation Virginian and teacher who’d be the first woman to represent southwest VA in the chamber.
India Walton, who came thisssssss close to winning her race for mayor of Buffalo, is now running for Buffalo City Council - we’re also supporting social worker Kathryn Franco to join her
24 year old Adrian Ghainda, a grad student running for Hudson County Board in NJ in order to fight for transparency, green spaces, better housing, and affordable mental health resources
Tess Cohen, a lawyer who’s running against the Bronx political machine for District Attorney
In other RFS alumni & community updates:
NE Sen. Megan Hunt is keeping up her efforts to stop all other legislation from moving forward until the GOP drops a bill that would ban transition-related medical treatment for young people. The New York Times explains how this is personal for Megan: Her son is trans. This is the section that got me: “Most everyone in his life has been supportive. He said that the only invalidating messages he had heard have come from some of his mother’s colleagues. “It’s pretty much been other lawmakers,” he said. “People at school have been very nice, my friends are very nice, my mother’s friends have been very accepting, too.”
Rep. Alice Buckley’s legislation to bring back a childcare affordability program is making progress in the Montana state house — a big step forward for working families.
Meanwhile, in NH, Sen. Becky Whitley is pushing forward the conversation on how the childcare crisis and housing crisis overlap — two issues intimately personal for younger voters.
Yassamin Ansari was elected to the Phoenix City Council on a platform of tackling climate change in a big way for a city that needs it: She’s already made progress in bringing electric buses to the city.
MN Rep. Kristi Pursell is leading on legislation to spend $100 million on high-speed internet infrastructure
FL Rep. Ashley Gantt - who won her primary last year against an anti-abortion Democrat — called out the GOP’s bullshit law that would prohibit young people from talking about their periods in school.
Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo (an RFS alum!!) is using her first bill to address the drug epidemic.
NY Sen. Michelle Hinchey’s legislation requiring the Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp to actually do meter readings before they charge people passed unanimously out of the Senate — revelatory!
PA Rep. Sara Innamorato and Sen. Nikil Savil are pushing forward legislation that would create a tax relief system for longtime homeowners in developing areas that get squeezed because the surrounding property values go over.
In honor of trans visibility day, hear from Cairnie Pokorney, who just became the first trans man elected to the school board in his community.
In related reading: Rebecca Traister explains with all the data on how advocating for abortion access wins elections — and it’s no coincidence that RFS alum MI Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Rep. Laurie Pohutsky are named-checked here, as part of the reason reproductive freedom is centered in our side’s discourse is because a new generation of leaders, mostly young women, are taking over.
Thank you for making all this possible. We’re so grateful to have you on our team.
- Amanda