First: Wow oh wow we have accomplished so much in four short (long) years. 479 winners, 54% women, 56% BIPOC, 21% LGBTQ. Our pipeline is up to 64k - 1000+ of whom signed up since 11/3. 👀 rfsfeelgoodupdates.substack.com/p/rfs-feel-goo…
Our mission stays the same: Recruit and support young diverse progressives running for local office at scale.
Democrats have to compete everywhere, run for and win local elections, and fight for our values at every level of government in order to build sustainable power. rfsfeelgoodupdates.substack.com/p/rfs-feel-goo…
This is not a full strategic plan. (We’ll release one of those early next year after we’ve debriefed, more with our candidates, have clear target lists, etc.) It’s more of a vision statement. This is where we’re going. Are you coming with us? rfsfeelgoodupdates.substack.com/p/rfs-feel-goo…
Our annual @runforsomething budget over the last four years has averaged out to around $2 million. We have big dreams for what scaling up could look like - but we can only do that if we raise a lot more $$ — and if we raise it *now* & early 2021. secure.actblue.com/donate/rfs?ref…
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On @crookedmedia today, @RossMoRock & I laid out some principles the entire Democratic Party — operatives, funders, electeds, volunteers, all of us — needs to embrace to move forward. /1 crooked.com/articles/democ…
(1) Treat every election like it’s the most important election of our lives, and treat every month like October. Next year is not an “off year,” just like 2017 and 2019 were not “off years.” Do not wait for the deadline to start doing the work. /2 crooked.com/articles/democ…
(2) Resource every state like a battleground. @GovHowardDean’a 50 State Strategy was smart; bring it back. That means fully funding all 50 state parties, recruiting candidates everywhere, & giving them the resources they need as early as possible. /3 crooked.com/articles/democ…
This is hard to do but it’s not rocket science: The next DNC chair needs to invest in year-round local organizing in all 50 states (& in both urban/rural areas) & set a tone for working w/ grassroots groups. Donors need to fund it in Jan 2021 (or now), not in Sept 2022.
That organizing should be both IRL (when safe) & online. The tech should be stable & accessible. Messaging & outreach should be driven by locals who know their communities. The DNC & state parties should exist to make Democrstic electeds, candidates, & vols’ lives easier.
The DNC has come a longggg way since 2016 (and 2014, and way before that.) The team there has rebuilt an A+ foundation. Now that they’re no longer starting from scratch, they can reorient with a longterm focus on organizing & infrastructure. Can’t wait to see it happen.
Fun @runforsomething facts: In less than 4 years, we've elected 459 young people to local office across 46 states. Those winners are 54% women, 55% BIPOC, 20% LGBTQ. 41% won seats in state legislatures, 41% won municipal office, 15% won education offices & 3% won legal positions.
@runforsomething We've got more than 62k people in the candidate pipeline -- nearly a third of whom signed up in the last 8 months, considering a run in 2021, 2022 or beyond. runforwhat.net
Four years of annual @runforsomething budgets add up to less than $8 million.
Been hearing rumblings about (a) people mad that Dems aren't canvassing; (b) some funders holding back $$ "until canvassing comes back” & (c) candidates feeling pressure to canvass. I want to be as clear as possible: It's unethical & dangerous to canvass in a global pandemic. /1
I get it. Every study shows that canvassing is the tried & true most effective way to get people to show up to vote. We all want to do the thing that we know works! /2
And maybe you saw that the Koch network is sending out canvassers & you're nervous we're falling behind. That should be a negative cue for you: They're willing to do it because they don't a single fuck about peoples' health or safety, and they blatantly ignore science. /3
In NY's primary, I didn't vote for Biden. (I believe in voting your ❤️ in primaries, even in long-over races.) But I want to tell you a story -- in a long thread, sry! - about why I'm not just voting *against* Trump but actively *for* Biden this fall. TL;DR: It's about grief. /1
In May 2017, I was invited to join a small meeting in DC with a handful of other org leaders to give updates to the VP on our work. Honestly, I was terrified -- I was the youngest one in the room & feeling very out of my league. /2
(As an aside, I remember it vividly because this meeting was the same day Comey got fired -- the push notifications popped up on all our phones in the middle of the meeting & we all got a bit distracted...) /3
In this crisis, state & local campaigns are having to change tactics on the fly. Here are a few things we’re seeing @runforsomething candidates & others do -- reply and tell me what else you’re trying, whether you’re working on a campaign or running yourself. /1
Candidates have stopped canvassing & holding/attending in-person events, & are transitioning all voter contact to phone calls & text messages. For folks who have staff & $$, that’s a little easier. For those without, well, it’s obviously a bit trickier. /2
Campaigns are moving money into even more digital ads, trying to reach voters where they’re at (which, right now, is at home & probably in front of a computer or cell phone.) /3