RFS feel-good update (7/15): No candidate should fear for their safety
Here's what we've done to help people through that...
Hi all -
On the events from over the weekend…
Political violence — and all violence — is absolutely never acceptable.
Everyone should be able to run for office without fearing for their safety.
RFS alum Nick Roberts, Indianapolis City-County Councilor and one of the youngest municipal officeholders in a major American city, had some comments I found capture how this relates to our work at Run for Something:
We have heard many times over from candidates and potential candidates over the years that the threats to their lives and their families are real, scary, and only increasing (and exponentially worse for women, candidates of color, and LGBTQIA+ leaders.).
In response to that, over the last year, our states & campaigns team have put together comprehensive resources to help candidates prepare themselves as much as they can. These include guidance on things like how to avoid putting one’s home address on public materials, cybersecurity best practices, event safety procedures, canvassing safety, and more.
We have run safety workshops over the last six months and have additional trainings planned that will be led by both our team and partners who are experts in the field.
And: The sad reality is there is only so much we can do. Neither us nor our candidates have the resources to completely ensure their safety — and sadly, as we’ve seen, even full Secret Service protection cannot prevent the worst from happening.
But we’ll keep doing what we can do, however we can, to keep our candidates safe. Your support of Run for Something continues to make that possible. Thank you.
As for the rest of the election, well… we’ll see what happens, and we’ll work like hell to win. The RNC this week will likely reinforce how alarming the GOP’s vision for America is. And yet, it is clear we’ll need to give our voters even more compelling positive reasons to show up at the polls. Local candidates can be that motivating force.
So the work continues, somehow still more important than ever!
In RFS community news, because other stuff did happen in the last week:
Seattle City Council candidate Alexis Mercedes Rinck makes the case for how Project 2025 reinforces the need to prioritize local elections.
RFS candidate Anna Payne in PA is running for one of the most competitive state house races in a must-win state — we need her to win, both for her and for democracy!
This is a beautiful profile of AZ Rep. Lorena Austin, the first openly non-binary Latinx legislator in the country, who flipped their district in 2022 and has been a fierce leader and advocate in the state house. They said: “It really showed me that people are not looking for a status quo politician, a polished politician. You don’t have to be an attorney. They want someone who’s real, who understands what it is like to struggle and stretch a dollar, who’s been part of the community and actually worked in the community.”
Abdul Osmanu, current member of the Hamden Legislative Council and candidate for CT state house, is out there knocking doors and talking to voters about the things they care about — especially the cost of housing.
Millicent Rogers is now chair of the Durham County School Board in NC — which means Durham County is now run by RFS alum (shout out to county board chair Nida Allam!)
Allegheny County Councilmember Bethany Hallam is exploring ways she can incentivize developers to include public access to electricity after learning that people who use electric wheelchairs often don’t have ways to charge them. '
Anyse Smith is not your typical candidate — she’s been homeless, in debt, incarcerated, arrested, and more —and she’s being fully transparent with voters about her history and how it’ll shape her leadership as she runs for Palm Desert City Council.
This is a great letter to the editor in support of Ted Chisholm for Milwaukee County Treasurer: “Ted will work more proactively to help homeowners and small business owners avoid foreclosure if financial emergencies cause them to fall behind on property taxes. He will move more quickly than his opponent to foreclose on abandoned and vacant properties that have sat unused for years. And he will be visible and active in our community, just like he has been during his past service and throughout his campaign.”
Another great letter to the editor, this one in favor of Steven Arauza, who’s running for Garfield County Commission in CO: “Coming from a working-class background and having a young family himself, Steven clearly understands the daily challenges of earning a living, maintaining housing and raising a family in Garfield County in 2024.”
NE Sen. Terrell McKinney is leading on legislation to reform the state’s public housing system, which is currently rampant with dangerous living conditions.
A few upcoming RFS events to put on your radar:
This Wednesday night at 7pm ET is our next regularly-scheduled candidate intro call. This week’s call will include special guest Adrian Ghainda, who at 25 years old, ran for Hudson County Board of Commissioner in NJ. These are 100% free and full accessible convos for anyone thinking about running for office (or thinking about maybe one day considering running for office.)
On Wednesday, July 31st, Run for Something Action Fund is once again joining forces with the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center and the Democracy Policy Network for the fourth annual Statehouse Futures virtual summit — a free series of conversations on critical state and local issues.
On Thursday, August 1st, we’re partnering with For The People to host a free conversation about how to protect public libraries.
Thank you for sticking with us. This summer is already off to a chaotic and unprecedented start — your support even when everything feels so unknown and unpredictable is not ever taken for granted.
Thanks,
Amanda