Feel-good update (6/22): How much we raised for Black candidates this weekend...
Hi all -
Good news, we officially made it to summer!
On Friday, Run for Something was closed for Juneteenth. We asked supporters to commemorate the day by contributing to 47 Black candidates — mostly women — all running for local office in 2020.
We’d originally set a goal of $19,000, in honor of 6/19. Thanks to nearly 500 generous donors, we more than doubled it, raising more than $38,000 directly for all the campaigns.
And in more good news, a few winners from last week: Congrats to Kelli Kelly (Churchill County Commissioner, NV) , Wendy Stolyarov (Sparks City Council, NV), Cecilia González (NV state assembly, district 16), Howard Watts (NV state assembly, district 15) for advancing out of their primaries, and Kurt Thigpen for outright winning a seat on the Washoe County Board of Trustees (NV).
A few RFS candidate & alumni updates across the country to inspire you…
NY State Sen. Zellnor Myrie talked with Slate about what it was like to be pepper-sprayed by police at protests in Brooklyn and what he’s doing to lead the charge on reforming the police.
CO Rep. Brianna Titone & VA Del. Danica Roem joined other trans elected officials & leaders in a conversation with Teen Vogue about their experiences in politics. A must-read.
SC Rep. JA Moore’s sister was killed in the shooting at Emanuel AME in Charleston five years ago — he credits his run for office to wanting to carry on her legacy.
Little Rock mayor Frank Scott Jr. issued an executive order banning the use of chokeholds, going into effect immediately.
Sean Elo, a member of the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees & candidate for San Diego City Council, has a powerful op-ed in the San Diego Union-Tribune about what the future of policing could look like.
Paige Ellis, Austin City Councilmember, has signed a pledge promising not to take money from police unions. She joins other RFS candidates & alum including Delegates Lesley Lopez & Vaugn Stewart in Maryland, & Minnesota state house candidate Cedrick Frazier.
In Wisconsin, Elena Haasl, Dane County Board member, talked with local radio about reimagining the Madison police department.
Safiya Khalid, the only Black member of the Lewiston City Council in Maine, is pushing on a proposal that would require the police department to complete anti-bias training, hire more diverse folks, create a Community Review Board, and more.
CT Sen. Will Haskell has worked for the last year & finally got across the finish line a $3 million program that will make community college free for first-time college students in CT in Fall 2020.
Continuing the progress from last week’s SCOTUS decision, Texas Rep. Jessica González is leading on legislation to guarantee LGBTQ Texans do not face discrimination in access to housing, health care, and other public accomodations.
Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy wrote for Glamour about her experience as one of the first Black women to attend the Virginia Military Institute:
“As today’s protestors in my state call for the removal of Virginia’s Confederate statues, I can’t help but think back to that first year at VMI, when every morning the school conducted a salute to Confederate general Stonewall Jackson. But right beside Stonewall Jackson’s memorial was an American flag that, to me, represented democracy, equality, and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country they loved.”Along with our partners at the LGBTQ Victory Fund, we hosted a panel “Young, Queer, & Electable.” Watch the full conversation here — it’ll make you feel so good about the future.
And if you want more: Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta was also on MSNBC’s panel about what it means to be Black and queer in America.
Finally, take 30 seconds and learn more about Jose Garza, our candidate for Travis County DA in Texas:
Announcement: This Thursday night, June 25th, at 8pm ET, we’re hosting another Front Row Seat encore event, called “PRIDE & Prejudice”. It’s going to be an incredible & inspiring conversation; speakers will be announced Thursday morning, but if you get your ticket now, you’re guaranteed a spot. A spoiler: This will be a candid conversation about the challenges and successes of running for office as BIPOC and LGBTQ.
And heads up, later this summer we’ll be hosting the Run for Something Awards. Cast your vote now for our two alumni categories.
Finally, in some related reading: We talked with Refinery29 about why it matters to vote in local elections — and how local elections give citizens the chance to build on the habit of voting.
Thanks for making all this possible. Keep an eye on your inbox & social media tomorrow for a new class of RFS endorsements — onward we go!
- Amanda