RFS feel-good update (8/7): First stop, Arkansas!
We're hitting 9 cities over the next few months to talk all things running for office
Hi all -
First, a big announcement: Unapologetically Progressive events are back!!! We’re hosting free gatherings across the country through the end of the year, bringing candidates, alumni, people thinking about maybe one day running for office, partners, and supporters together for inspiring conversations and a few drinks and snacks. These will also be live-streamed so you can catch ‘em wherever you are.
The first one will be August 15th in Springdale, Arkansas, hosted in partnership with Emerge AR and Progressive Arkansas Women PAC. RSVP now - it’s 100% free!
In other news - a quick election update!
5 of our 6 folks up last Tuesday either won outright or moved on to the general election — congrats to Claire Reagan (Olathe Board of Education, district 1, position 4 in KS), Jessica Hembree (Shawnee Mission School Board, South Area, in KS), Emily Clouse (Thurston County Commission in WA), Paul Dillon (Spokane City Council in WA), and Drew Mitrisin (Overland Park City Council, Ward 2, in KS).
On Thursday, both our Tennessee candidates won!! Congrats to Terry Vo on winning a seat on the Nashville Metro Council and to Aftyn Behn for winning a seat in the TN state house against an interim state rep. who’d been serving since the death of the previous incumbent. Building the bench in Tennessee: We love to see it!!
There are folks up in Michigan, Minnesota, and Mississippi this Tuesday, so keep an eye out for news
.
In other RFS community updates:
On the anniversary of the Kansas abortion referendum vote last year, KS Rep. Lindsay Vaughn reflects on what the GOP has done since then and the pain other midwesterners seeking abortions have faced.
HwaJeong Kim officially filed for office in Saint Paul, MN and embraced the joy of this momentous occasion. The bubbles!!
Indianapolis City-County Councilor Ali Brown joined supporters in Indianapolis to stand up against the state’s impending abortion ban, explaining how when she gave birth in 2017, she lost a large amount of blood - a future pregnancy could put her life in danger.
NYC Councilmember Sandy Nurse is leading on the issues that matter most: Building thousands of public toilets across the city over the next decade.
In the midst of the heat wave earlier this summer, NY Sen. Jessica Ramos explains why she introduced her TEMP bill, a first-in-the-nation bill that pushes employers to consider temperature-related stress injuries when managing a safe workplace.
Allegheny County Councilor Bethany Hallam is suing the county executive and two other officials for refusing to show up to the Jail Oversight Board meetings. Bethany is formerly incarcerated - she takes jail management incredibly seriously.
A quick Clerk Work story: The Republican board of supervisors in Mohave County had voted 3-2 to hand-count ballots — a pilot of the process ended up showing it’d cost $1.1million and introduce a large number of errors into the results. In spite of what the national headlines and indictments might indicate, democracy is made (or killed) at the local level.
Why it matters to keep bringing in younger leaders who can prove government will deliver: Among other reasons, young voters want them!! It’s not just about the age or experience of the leader, it’s the symbolic shift of the system changing and getting fixed.
Lastly, one other upcoming event: Don’t miss “Claim Your Seat: The Realities of Running as Disabled, Chronically Ill, & Neurodivergent Candidates” on August 16th at 8pm ET. 100% free, 100% worth your time.
August is often a slow (or silly, or both) time in politics — but we’re hard at work with 2023 candidates and already recruiting for 2024. Thanks for making this all possible.
- Amanda