RFS feel-good update (7/30): Candidates matter!
Plus, some other thoughts on the election so far + good vibes from the RFS community
Hi all -
What! A! Week!
I was (mostly) off the grid last week for a long-planned vacation — which is why this email is coming to you on a Tuesday instead of the usual Monday — but am thrilled to be back at work and fired up for the final three month sprint to Election Day.
A few random-but-connected thoughts about the way RFS’s work & this community ties into the bigger effort right now:
Candidates matter. We have seen that proven out at the biggest possible scale over the last week — there’s been record amounts of money raised, record numbers of volunteers engaging, and a wildly different campaign vibe + overall party-wide orientation toward our opponent. The stakes of this election haven’t changed, nor has the staff. What’s changed is the candidate.
Who the person is — her story, her energy, her brand — makes a difference. Partisanship counts for a lot, as does policy, but messenger is as important (and I’ll argue even more important!) than message. This is why investing in candidate recruitment is worth the time and money. Better candidates (like Kamala Harris, who would’ve been an RFS candidate for her first DA race had we existed backt hen!) mean better and more effective campaigns at every level.Our record recruitment year matters. It was true before the change at the top of the ticket and it’s even more true now — by running record numbers of Democrats across the country (including and especially in key states like Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, as well as in places like Idaho, Arkansas, and Kansas) we can both capitalize on the new energy for this election and generate even more reverse coattails. It will be a close race, even with VP Harris leading the ticket, and we need every last vote we can find.
The definition of “battleground” continues to be dynamic. Over the last year, I’ve heard from lots of folks about their exclusive prioritization of a small number of core battleground states based on where it was understood President Biden could be competitive. But with VP Harris now running, the map has changed again — states and communities previously thought to be off the table are now much closer. That’s why we’ve got to keep building infrastructure in as many places as we can. Battlegrounds shift!
To paraphrase the VP: We exist in the context of all that came before. One of many reasons why this election will be different than 2016 or 2020 is because we’re all better at this. We’ve got a ton of muscle built up from the last 8 years of work. We’re all better activists, donors, volunteers, supporters —our side has more infrastructure, better data, stronger relationships, and in particular more experience running (and voting for!!) women, especially women of color, which is a testament to what this community has done. No effort is a waste; it just might pay off later than expected.
A major generational shift in leadership is beginning. Kamala Harris is just the beginning. We’ve got an incredible bench that this community has been building for the last 8 years — in the next few years, we’re going to see them step up as older leaders take their cue from President Biden’s selfless act and step back. Your work as part of the Run for Something community matters and will continue to matter.
One last thing, before I get to the good news from across the RFS community: It’s been remarkable and inspiring to see the record amount of money the presidential campaign and affiliated orgs have raised — while so many folks have stepped up to support Run for Something, too, we’ve still got a ways to go to fully fund our 2024 budget.
Let’s make sure Kamala Harris wins big, has governing partners all across the country, and that MAGA Republicans lose everywhere and anywhere they’re on the ballot.
In news from across the RFS community:
We have 9 candidates on the ballot TODAY! Stay tuned for updates from Arizona (and one race in WI!) — we’ll be back with results on social media tonight/tomorrow and in this email next week.
Fast Company highlighted four amazing RFS candidates this year — Allie Phillips in TN, Nate Douglas in FL, Ashwin Ramaswami in GA, and Anna Thomas in PA.
Michigan became the 20th state to ban the “gay or trans panic” defense after Rep. Laurie Pohutsky sponsored the legislation — she’s joined a long list of other RFS alum (including VT Rep. Taylor Small and VA Del. Danica Roem) who’ve led on this issue.
Also in MI: Ahead of the Aug 6. primary, the Detroit Free Press endorsed RFS candidates Rep. Mai Xiong, Rep. Dylan Wegela, Trevis Harrold, and Aisha Farooqi!
This is a great campaign video from MI Rep. Jaime Churches - worth the watch!
“In the spring, Mikah Dyer graduated from Ironwood High School in Peoria. In the fall, he’ll be on his community’s ballot in a run for school board.” He’s running against far-right extremists — learn more about his campaign.
NY Sen. Kristen Gonzalez successfully sponsored legislation to make NY the first state to limit how state agencies can use AI in decision-making processes.
RFS-endorsed candidates Ailina Carona, Alison Beale, and Claire Jones in Tennessee are part of a wave of women all running inspired by a combination of the state’s strict abortion ban and the shooting in March 2023 — and then the state legislature’s refusal to act on either issue.
Sasha Renée Pérez is currently serving as mayor of Alhambra in CA — balancing that with her aggressive campaign for CA state senate. When she last served as mayor in 2020, she was the youngest female, first openly bisexual, and first renter mayor in San Gabriel Valley and the youngest Latina mayor of a mid-sized city in California. (!!)
NYC Councilmember Chi Ossé’s social media is incredible — funny, entertaining, informative, and often viral. Read more on how he does it!
Austin City Councilmember Zo Qadri is exploring the possibility of opening a public bank run by the city - this is pretty interesting!
True crime enthusiasts, this is the RFS-related story for you: alum Chester County Coroner Sophia Garcia-Jackson is hoping to solve a cold case mystery from a 1987 Halloween murder. Spoooooky!
Two events to put on your radar:
On Wednesday, July 31st, at 12pm ET, we’re joining our partners at the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center and the Democracy Policy Network for the fourth annual Statehouse Futures — a free virtual summit to talk all things state & local policy. There are panels, there are keynotes, there are inspiring leaders — don’t miss it!
On Thursday, August 1st, we’re joining Power the Polls for Poll Worker Recruitment Day. So many RFS alum serve as election administrators across the country — one great way you can help them do their jobs well in a fun, nonpartisan, and probably paid way is by working as a poll worker. Sign up at powerthepolls.org and, among many other critical tasks, help hand out stickers to voters!
The next three months are going to be hard and exciting and inspiring and exhausting and everything in between — but we can do anything for three months, right? Right!
Thanks for being on this wild ride with us.
- Amanda
I’m a fan of RFS and love seeing highlights of the lesser-known rising stars. Supporting them from the start and building a wide bench of excellence is a worthwhile investment. They are our future!