Feel-good update (6/29): 61 new candidates who are the present & future of our party
Hi all -
This weekend is July 4th — I’m as surprised as you are that we’ve made it this far into 2020. Here’s some good news to start your week off…
Last week, Run for Something endorsed 61 incredible local candidates for office.
41% of our June class are BIPOC. 49% identify as women. 23% are LGBTQ+. They are the present & future of the Democratic Party.
They — plus you, plus everyone else in our candidate pipeline & anyone possibly interested in running for office — are cordially invited to join us every Wednesday at 6pm ET/3pm PT for the next 10 weeks as we kick off our Armchair Series.
Each week, Ross or I will be hoping on a video to moderate a chat with an expert in campaign tactics. This week, July 1st, we’re starting with a conversation on communication & getting our your story with renowned expert Lis Smith of the Buttegieg presidential campaign, most recently.
You can RSVP for each chat individually, or RSVP for the entire series & get the Zoom links each Wednesday.
The July topics include fundraising with Anthony Mercurio (7/8), organizing & the power of movement with Jessica Byrd (7/15), digital communications with Teddy Goff (7/22), and youth vote engagement with Sarah Audelo and Ben Wessell (7/29). More to come in August & into September!
The chats will be streamed on the Run for Something Facebook page, and crossposted by our partners at NowThis.
This series was one part of the RFS pandemic plan we released earlier this spring — we’re really excited to get going on Wednesday!
In alumni & candidate news:
Judge Lina Hidalgo in Harris County continues to lead even when few others in Texas have stepped up. Watch her great interview with Rachel Maddow.
In PA, the Allegheny County Council is advancing a bill to ban no-knock search warrants, lead by our alum Bethany Hallam & Liv Bennett.
Cambridge City Councilmember Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler is working on an order get full disclosure on any military equipment owned by the city police department.
In Seaside, CA, City Councilmember Jon Wizard is publicly calling to defund & demilitarize the Seaside police department, and is pushing for the city’s soon-to-be-created Community Policing Advisory Commission to be able to remove an officer if necessary. Jon just announced he’ll be running for mayor of Seaside this fall after seeing the current incumbent mayor fail to lead during this crisis. Jon could not be more qualified…
We’re still waiting for results from Tuesday’s elections — but one alumni update: Qasim Rashid, who we worked with in his 2019 campaign for VA state senate, won the Democratic nomination for Congress in VA-1. If he flips that seat in November, he’ll be the first Muslim to represent VA.
Watch this powerful new ad from Nada Elmikashfi, candidate for WI senate.
Wisconsin Rep. Greta Neubauer wrote a beautiful op-ed in The Journal Times about publicly claiming her identity as a queer woman. Happy Pride, Rep. Neubauer!
Good news: The Houston Chronicle endorsed Akilah Bacy in her runoff for state house in Texas.
Get to know Eli Savit, candidate for Washtenaw County prosecutor — his campaign is about ending racial inequity in the county’s justice system.
In Virginia, Del. Danica Roem has proposed redefining the name of Stonewall Middle School to be in honor of the Stonewall Inn and the gay rights movement, instead of confederate general Stonewall Jackson.
NY state Sen. Zellnor Myrie has introduced a bill to end qualified immunity for police officers, creating a way for police to be held accountable.
If you’re looking be inspired, watch the video from our Front Row Seat encore event earlier this week. Ross moderated an incredible conversation with PA Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, U.S. Rep. Mark Takano, Justice of the Peace Elaissia Sears, and GA state house candidate Kim Jackson — all about running and leading as LGBTQ Black folks and people of color.
We have a whole bunch of candidates with volunteer opportunities right now. Below are links to their bio, their state, what they need help with, and then how to sign up. (Remember: Directly volunteering for local candidates also helps Joe Biden — all voter contact for Democrats is good voter contact.)
Gary Turco - CT - texts — send an email
Tamisha Civil - MA - phone calls — send an email
Meg Wheeler - MA - texts/phone calls/postcards - sign up here
Mari Manoogian - MI - phone calls - sign up here
Aimy Steele - NC - phone calls - sign up here
Brian Farkas - NC - phone calls - sign up here
Jessica Harrington - FL - phone calls & online events - sign up here
Javier Estevez - FL - texts + phone calls - sign up here
Anna Eskamani - FL - texts - sign up here
Ben Marcus - FL - phone calls - sign up here
Franccesca Cesti-Browne - FL - phone calls - sign up here
Dotie Joseph - FL - phone calls - sign up here
One final event heads-up: On July 16th at 8pm ET/5pm PT, Abe Cohen Hoffing, Nikitha Menon, Allie Moore, and Rafi Ruthchild are hosting an online house-party — speakers include Godfrey Santos Plata (CA state assembly), Jackie Fielder (CA state senate) and Nithya Raman (LA city council). Get your ticket now!
Thank you for making all this possible. We consider ourselves lucky to take on this mission, and grateful to do it with you on our team.
- Amanda