RFS feel-good update (8/19): So! Much! News!
A little bit to freak you out, a little bit to get you hyped
Hi all -
This is a very jam-packed update to kick off a jam-packed week of the DNC Convention — I hope you’ll read it all!
I’ll start with the scary stuff:
There have been a series of stories (here and here, for starters) in the last week confirming what the RFS team has been saying for years: The 2020 insurrection was a mob at the capitol; the 2024 version will be chaos in a city or county clerk’s office.
That’s why we launched Clerk Work, our program to recruit pro-democracy local election administrators. In nearly three years, we’ve gotten 525 Clerk Work-specific candidates on the ballot and helped nearly half of them win — a huge victory for voters and democracy.
In the spirit of transparency: It was not as big a program as we imagined upon first launch — the level of funding dropped dramatically after the 2022 elections, so the program impact was also smaller. (I wish it hadn’t happened then and I hope that’s not a mistake that will come back to haunt us. But anyway.)
Looking ahead, Run for Something’s role is specifically in doing two things: (1) Run up the score and (2) protect the count.
Running up the score means generating as big a wave of reverse coattails as we possibly can. The bigger the margin of victory, the harder it will be for the GOP to spread a false narrative. We know local candidates can bring out voters who might not otherwise be contacted or show up.
In addition to that, RFS candidates and alum (3200+ and counting!) are trusted local voices and community leaders. We can mobilize this network to be on the frontlines of democracy, one conversation at a time.
Protecting the count happens in three ways: We have 56 RFS candidates running for election-certifying positions; some of whom will take office before the 2024 presidential election is certified. They can mitigate some harm to democracy before it can happen.
More broadly, our candidates and electeds need us to have their backs as their physical and online safety is put at risk. We have all kinds of resources for the, but we need to be on the ground as much as possible.
We’ve also specifically got Clerk Work champions (like Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas in PA, among others!) who need support in whatever way makes sense in the moment.
All that requires resources — not just through Election Day but until at least December 11th, when the deadline hits for states to certify results and send them to the Electoral College.
We need you to step up and give. If you can make it monthly, even better. If you can give more than you’d prefer to do online (or would rather give to one of our other entities or through wire transfer) just reply to this email and I’ll get you the info you need.
I cannot emphasize this enough: Funding RFS’s work is not like giving money to a super PAC where it goes straight from you to the org to TV stations across company (I don’t say this with judgement — paid ads can be effective! — but that’s just literally where the money goes.) When you give to RFS, you’re helping build long-term sustainable power and short-term saving democracy. It matters. Thank you.
A new member of the RFS team! I promised you news! I am thrilled to share that Johanna Silva Waki will be joining RFS as our new Executive Director, starting next week!
Johanna comes to RFS from a long tenure at EMILY’s List, where she worked on state and local campaigns and then ran their strategic partnerships work. Prior to that, she had her own consulting firm. She has spent her entire career recruiting and supporting diverse leaders running for office.
Johanna brings a deep passion for our mission, an incredible strategic mindset, and political savviness to our team. We are over the moon about her leadership.
With Johanna’s start comes a transition for me — I’ll be sliding into a new role as President of Run for Something, and Ross will stay as a senior advisor through to when I return from family leave (which, eek, will be starting soon!)
Welcome Johanna to the team.
A new RFS tool we just launched: Our team has heard from folks over the years that one of the biggest hesitations about signing up to consider a run for office is that there simply isn’t a ton of info about what these offices do or what skills you need to run. To solve for that, we’ve launched The Starting Line (localofficeguide.net) — an incredible resource for learning more about these small offices that make a big difference.
Check it out — there are quick facts, inspiring videos, and lots of ways to learn more. Share it widely, especially with someone you think should run for office!
In other RFS community updates:
Congrats to our winners from last week’s primaries: Christian Phelps-State Assembly, District 93, WI; Huldah Hiltsley-State House, District 38A, MN
and Katie Jones-State House, District 61A, MN. On to November!
Abortion is officially on the ballot in Missouri as the Secretary of State has confirmed the ballot initiative has enough signatures — a win that wouldn’t have been possible without RFS alum Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon, whose office oversaw validation in the biggest areas. Every kind of office can touch abortion access!
Seattle City Councilmember Zack Zappone successfully passed a new initiative to eliminate parking minimums within city limits — a huge win for building more housing.
PA Rep. Jessica Benham — the only openly autistic member of the PA legislature — has been a leader in sponsoring legislation advocating for people with disabilities, including a bill to create a consolidated gov’t department for disabled communities and adding a secretary of disability role to the governor’s cabinet.
NV Rep. Selena La Rue Hatch, a former teacher & current elected in one of the most competitive state leg races in Nevada, has a powerful op-ed about how because the GOP governor veto'ed legislation last year, kids who need the help will no longer get free lunches in school.
Some related reading or watching:
I joined GMA3 on ABC last week to talk about what Run for Something does and why it matters. It’s a quick two minutes — hope you’ll watch and share.
In The Daily Beast, I make the case for why 2024 is not like 2016: We’re ready to elect a woman this year because we’ve spent the last eight years electing women to lots and lots of other offices.
Finally: You might be feeling a little Zoomed out but I hope you’ll get excited for an amazing call we’re hosting on Thursday, August 29th, at 8pm ET/5pm ET, called “Run with Her,” highlighting some of the amazing women on the ballot alongside Kamala Harris this year and reminding us all how important it is to not just win the big stuff but win the small stuff, too. RSVP now — your spot is free (but we appreciate anything you can give!)
So much going on - thank you for making it all possible. More to come!
- Amanda
Thank you so much for all the terrific information and pertinent updates. I think we’re all feeling relief, cautious optimism, and some trepidation as the months ahead progress.