RFS feel-good update (7/27): Our poll on police reform...
Hi all -
99 days to the general election (although obviously people are still voting in a number of state & local primaries between now & then, and hopefully in the general, most voters will be voting by mail or early in person before 11/3, so that’s a soft 99, really) — but still, 99 days is (probably) survivable!
We had a bunch of stuff going on last week. Here’s what you might have missed:
Our poll on police reform & 2020: We partnered with Collective PAC to commission a poll on how local candidates can communicate about police reform & reimagining public safety. You can read the whole deck here. The TL:DR: People are more likely to vote for candidates who want to reallocate funding to things like mental health, K-12 education, and housing.
The Run for Something Awards Show was incredible. Inspiring, moving, funny — everything you could ask for out of an awards show and then some. You can watch the whole thing on Facebook.
This week’s edition of Armchair Chats was a fascinating conversation with Teddy Goff about digital strategy on campaigns. This Wednesday at 6pm ET, Ross will be chatting with Sarah Audelo of the Alliance for Youth Action and Ben Wessel of NextGen Rising about youth vote engagement. RSVP now to log on or tune in on Facebook.
The work continues: Keep an eye on your inbox this week for our next endorsement class. Spoiler, it’s our most diverse class yet.
In incredible alumni & candidate updates…
PA state house candidate Jessica Benham, who will be one of the first openly Autistic state legislators in the country if she wins, wrote a powerful op-ed on the 30th anniversary of the ADA: “Disability justice is not just ramps and curb cuts; it spans health, education, the environment and more.”
Rony Baltazar-Lopez won his election and made history as one of the first Latino member & one of the youngest members of the Milford School District Board of Education in Delaware.
Emmett Soldati, candidate for NH Executive Council, won a case against Facebook in the NH Supreme Court after Facebook deleted his small business’s Instagram account without warning or explanation — legal experts say it could have national implications.
Memphis City Councilmember JB Smiley has introduced a resolution to bring more transparency into police complaints.
LA City Council candidate Nithya Raman talked with Brown Girl Magazine about her groundbreaking campaign, representation, imposter syndrome, and how bleak it is that only 2 of the elected representatives in LA City Hall are women.
Ames City Councilmember Rachel Junck was in the Des Moines Register this week for being named one of Glamour’s college women of the year and discussed the RFS mentorship program…
As the Ames City Council continues to adjust to governing during a pandemic, Junck has also used her platform to pay it forward by inspiring and mentoring other college students to have a voice in local politics.“I have had several individuals reach out to me for advice on running for office as a young person and it is always wonderful to be able to share my experiences and help push for more representative government,” she said. “I’ve gotten to mentor several college students running for office in other states through the organization Run for Something, and I love getting the chance to share any advice and learn more about what drives them to make a change in their own communities.”
Jabari Brisport has declared victory in his race for NY senate - he’ll be the first openly queer person of color to hold a seat in the chamber. (I’m personally very excited because he’ll be my state senator!!)
Our partners at NowThis are highlighting our candidates as part of series called Face of Change. They started with Brendan Johnson, who’s running to flip a state house seat in Michigan and Brittany Rodas, who’s doing the same in PA.
In odds & ends:
We partnered with So You Want To Talk About —an Instagram account with nearly 900k followers - for an explainer on how to get involved in politics. Check it out & share it widely!
You must must must read this Tampa Bay Times story on how Florida Democrats are going to win the state by competing in every single state legislative race. One activist sums up the RFS mantra: “We need to start thinking of candidates as field organizers, people who are on the ground and connecting with the community.”
Finally, if you’re free on Thursday night, join us for a powerful event with Harris County (TX) Judge Lina Hidalgo, WA state Senator Emily Randall, and Minneapolis School Board Director Josh Pauly.
Can’t stop won’t stop keeping up the momentum going into the hot & sticky parts of summer. Thanks for making all this possible.
- Amanda