RFS feel-good update (8/23): Leading when it matters most, as always
Even in red states, blue local leadership matters
Hi all -
While GOP governors continue to stand in the way of public safety efforts to keep kids healthy, RFS alum on the local level are fighting for our values and our communities.
In Texas, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee successfully defended their county’s school mask mandate.
In Miami, school board members Luisa Santos and Lucia Baez-Geller are pushing back against Ron DeSantis and state agencies trying to get in the way of local mandates. Sarah Leonardi is doing the same in Broward County:
And in Palm Beach County, Alexandria Ayala has successfully helped pass a mask mandate protecting kids.
As we watch local leaders push back against GOP higher-ups, I’m more sure than ever: One of the most important projects for Democrats in the next few years is winning local elections, even and especially in states we might think of as “red” or “lost causes.” It really matters, not just for politics but for policy.
(Good thing this is what Run for Something does!)
In RFS candidate & alumni updates:
Thanks to the leadership of Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly, Pascua Yaqui Tribe members will no longer have to travel 2-3 hours round-trip to early vote — the county will fully staff a drop box on their reservation.
Boston City Council candidate Alex Gray challenged the mayoral and city councilor candidates to experience a day the way he does: blind.
WV Delegate Kayla Young joined colleagues in pushing for Congress to invest in clean transportation infrastructure.
Similarly: San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera joined colleagues to rally for more federal legislation that addresses climate change — an existential crisis for us all and especially for coastal cities like San Diego.
Latina.com has a profile with a perfect headline: “Lina Hidalgo Can’t be Stopped.”
State Rep. Jasmine Clark — a microbiologist by training — is pushing GA Governor Brian Kemp to enact a statewide mask mandate, boost tracing efforts, and do more to encourage vaccinations.
Rep. Dotie Joseph’s bill increasing access to health care for communities of color was just signed into law — it boosts funding for the Office of MInority Health and Health Equity to create county liaisons across the state.
Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit has added preventative creative programs to his office, trying to use art to deter youth away from the justice system. This is very cool.
NC Rep. Ashton Clemmons is leading on legislation that will raise the state’s lowest-in-the-nation marriage age, which is currently at 14.
In Wisconsin, Nada Elmikashfi - a former candidate for Madison city council - has a powerful op-ed on the state’s anti-Critical Race Theory bills and the assault on truth.
FL Rep. Anna Eskamani is calling for expedited resettlement of Afghan refugees - as a daughter of two Iranian immigrants, this is a personal fight for her.
CO Rep. David Ortiz, a combat veteran who now uses a wheelchair after injuries suffered in Afghanistan, talked with the Colorado Sun about what’s going on in the country now.
In related reading: We talked with Insider about the wave of candidates of color who stepped up, inspired by the protests of last summer. Candidates & alum mentioned in this story: Christopher Coburn, Bridgette Craighead, Indira Sheumaker, Justan Parker Fields, & Dontaye Carter.
This week on the Run for Something podcast: Dr. Aditi Srivastav Bussels never thought she'd run for office -- she got multiple degrees in public health to try and take care of people. But when the pandemic started, she realized exactly how critical her perspective would be in city government. Now she's running for Columbia City Council in South Carolina. We talk about her experience becoming a candidate, what it's like running as a South Asian woman in a southern city, the role of city government in public health, and whether or not she's having any fun. Learn more about her campaign at aditiforthecity.com
A programming note: Next week, for the time a long time, there will be no Feel-Good Update in your inbox at any point. I’m taking some time off to get married and relax — mostly the latter, to be honest, but the former’s a good excuse for it.
Thanks for being part of this community. Catch you after Labor Day!
- Amanda