RFS feel-good update (7/11): The next generation of Democratic leadership

It's never been more important!

Hi all -

Would you like a little good news to start your morning? Of course you would! As of Friday, 30,136 people have raised their hand to run for office with RFS in 2022 and beyond - bringing our pipeline to over 120,000 young people who want to run.

That wildly exceeds our best year yet (2021, when just under 25k people signed up) and in fact, puts us on pace to double it.

We’re proactively finding and supporting the next generation of Democratic leadership, which be more needed, especially right now!

I’ve got an op-ed in the Boston Globe today saying exactly that: We have to save ourselves by running for local office. Take a look and spread it far

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In RFS community updates:

• As PA Republicans try to push through an abortion ban, PA Sen. Katie Muth refused to stay silent. Watch her quick speech on the floor.

  Senator Katie Muth @SenatorMuth

  This is a DISGRACE. It is 11:45 p.m., we have not finished passing a state budget, but the Senate R's forced a Committee vote on an abortion ban. Women and our allies will not stand for this. This is an attack on reproductive justice, on OUR RIGHTS and on OUR BODIES. #PABudget

• Reps. Malcolm Kenyatta and Emily Kinkead aren’t staying silent either. Catch up on what happened in PA over the weekend.

  Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta @malcolmkenyatta

  The same people who wanted to throw out the election results are saying we should trust the voters. 🙃

  

  J.J. Abbott 📮 @jjabbott

  🔥🔥 After @malcolmkenyatta points out their lies about this abortion rights ban and hypocrisy saying they “want voters to decide” after majority of @PAHouseGOP tried to help Trump overturn PA’s election, GOP shuts off his mic then shuts the public from the debate. #StopPABans https://t.co/0ixkJEfwxL

• In her first six months on the Port of Seattle Board of Commissioners, Toshiko Hasegawa got right to work: 150+ meetings, developing plans for providing transportation for port employees, mitigating the environmental impact of cruise ships, and more.

• VA Del. Josh Cole’s leadership and partnership on LGBTQIA+ issues led to legislation that directly improved the lives of trans students in Virginia schools.

• Memphis City Councilman JB Smiley Jr. (who’s also running for governor!) is introducing a resolution to urge the Shelby DA and law enforcement not to prosecute women seeking abortions or medical providers who perform them.

• Allegheny County Council is considering legislation introduced by alum Tom Duerr that will protect abortion access in the county, even if it becomes banned across the state.

• “What drives me crazy being in the Kansas Legislature is the hypocrisy that we always hear where legislators are like, ‘Why are young people leaving Kansas?’ And then all of us say, ‘Regressive politics,’ and then they just ignore it, and then continue their attack … So either stop pretending like you care why young people are leaving Kansas, or actually listen to us and help us address it.” - Rep. Rui Xu, as part of a convo with fellow RFS alum Brandon Woodard and other young legislators on why young people are leaving the state.

• Atlanta City Councilwoman Liliana Bakhtiari led on a new partnership between the city and the Atlanta Volunteers Lawyers Foundation, which will help Atlanta families facing eviction.

• RFS alum Derek Camp, who nows runs the Allen County Democratic Party in Indiana, helped get a number of candidates on the ballot for previously uncontested elections (in part due to our relational recruitment program!) This is how it works: One conversation at a time.

• VA Del. Danica Roem successfully set up a new website, maintained by the state police, that lays out all current cold cases in service of aggressive public outreach and transparency.

• After a video she made went viral (in the extremely wrong circles - think Tucker Carlson & far-right trolls), RI Sen. Tiara Mack responded to the haters: “As a queer, Black woman I am used to this treatment. It doesn't make it okay, but I realize there are separate rules in society for me. I choose not to follow them, and for many that is liberating and for others it rubs them the wrong way. I lead with empathy, love, compassion, and joy in all that I do.”

In related reading:

• Get inspired by the wave of Gen Z candidates running for Congress - the responses to it have been deeply moving.

  Nida Allam @NidaAllam

  I didn't run for office because it was "my turn" or because I wanted recognition. Campaigning is thankless & grueling, and if you win, the "prize" is that you finally get to do the hard part. @amandalitman is right, it takes a true calling to service to be willing to step up.

  

• “We must invest in down-ballot candidates to regain control of state legislatures and increase the Democratic talent pipeline. It requires investing in Democratic infrastructure to provide for year round organizing capacity and the people power needed to run winning campaigns. And we must make these investments early enough in the cycle to make a difference.” Read on in Newsweek from our partners at Arena.

• Some great advice for funders from the head of the Democracy Alliance and an expert at the Schusterman Foundation on the direct ties between democracy and abortion access.

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Two upcoming events to note for you:

• On Tuesday night, we’re partnering with the National Council on Independent Living for a conversation on how disabled and neurodivergent folks can run for office and win.

  

• We’re joining with our partners to host our second annual Statehouse Futures, a 100% free virtual summit to talk all things local campaigns and governance. Don’t miss it on July 19th.

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Thanks for making all this possible. We’re lucky to get to do it.

- Amanda