RFS feel-good update (6/17): Reasons to be hopeful
Seriously!
Hi all -
It’s about to be summer, things feel a little hot and glum, so I’m kicking off this week’s update with a smattering of reasons why I’m hopeful for the future (even if the present feels kinda bleak…):
These headlines!!! For the first time in nearly 30 years, Florida Democrats are fielding a full slate of Democratic candidates. Wisconsin’s doing the same. Even Idaho’s got a record number of Democrats running. As I talked about last week - THIS MATTERS.
This chart, from a great story in the Boston Globe about candidate recruitment wins this year and how local candidates will gin up reverse coattails for the whole ticket.
This new research from CAWP that shows that while the overall number of state house candidates are down, the drop is almost entirely among Republicans: “At the intersection of gender and party, the only group seeing a rise in state House candidacies is Democratic women.”
The growing RSVP list for our “Ask Me Anything: Pride Month” free event happening Tuesday, June 18th, 8-9pm ET — people still really want to run for office!!
NYC Councilmember Chi Osse’s groundbreaking fight — that he’s going to win! — against apartment broker fees in NYC.
This story in the Economist about competing in state and local elections, which explains: “More competitive local elections might offer only a marginal boost. But in a state like Wisconsin, where the past two presidential elections were won by fewer than 25,000 votes, marginal shifts are all it takes.
Christina Hines, who’s spent her legal career as a professional prosecutor advocating for women and families, and is running for Macomb County Prosecutor against a GOP incumbent with a history of sexual harassment, ethics violations, corruption, and a deep anti-abortion record.
That Sacramento has had an incredible 29% drop in homelessness in part due to the leadership of City Councilmember Katie Valenzuela.
Because Justin Douglas helped flip the Dauphin County Commission blue in 2023, for the first time ever, the county is officially celebrating Pride month.
Leaders like Noah Nordstrom, a high school Spanish teacher, community organizer, and union leader with a deep sense of duty and commitment to his home in Tennessee.
I know right now everything feels blah, at best, and super-fucked, at worst. But I really do believe there are bright spots, and the RFS network is one of them. That includes you!
In other RFS community updates, which also make me hopeful:
Congrats to Hamilton Grant for winning his primary for SC state house, Ellie Sato for winning the primary for ME state house, and Kamilah Bywaters for moving on to a run-off for Clark County school board in NV. We’ve got 13 more candidates up this week across Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Virginia. Stay tuned!
RFS alum including IA Sen. Zach Wahls, former CT Sen. Will Haskell, DE Sen. Sarah McBride and so many others are featured in the Democracy Journey as examples of honorable leaders.
Boston City Council president Ruthzee Louijeune is presenting a proposal for ranked choice voting for the city. Huge.
Rep. James Talarico is calling out the addition of Christianity into Texas school curriculums — which has direct consequences nationwide because of the power of the TX textbook market.
NC Rep. Allen Buansi is bringing the big issues into the limelight — including tackling predatory towing companies and fighting for increased pay for elections directors.
MT Rep. Zoey Zephyr is featured in this gorgeous profile in Teen Vogue (with stunning photos!!), sharing that in spite of the odds, “I have a belief that change is possible. I have a belief that this country is worth fighting for, that my state is worth fighting for.”
VA Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, and KY Reps. Josie Raymond Lindsey Burke are part of a wave of moms making public service easier for other new parents.
PA Rep. La’Tasha Mayes leading on new legislation that would send parents critical newborn care items — diapers, onesies, post-partum supplies — upon birth as part of the state’s larger Momnibus package.
Austin City Councilmember Vanessa Fuentes pushed for and got funding for a pilot program for displacement navigators, who helped local homeowners and renters handle changing housing situations — a year in, it’s been incredibly successful.
This is not a hopeful story, but it is a must-read one: Rep. Mauree Turner’s lonely and difficult experience in the OK state legislature reaffirms why it matters to fight in red states. Their presence in the halls of power mattered.
A quick school board update:
The hits keep coming: A book about book bans has been banned in a Florida school district. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Supreme Court has ruled that the state Board of Education does not have unilateral power to decide what books can be in schools; that power is reserved for local jurisdictions.
More reminders of why school board matters! Join us for a webinar on June 25th at 1pm ET where we will be taking a deep dive into our school board program and how our work is helping to save public education and defend our democracy. We’ll be chatting through both nonpartisan and partisan opportunities for 2024. I would love to see you on the Zoom!
Thanks for making all this possible. You’re the best.
- Amanda