“Someone needs to stand up for these women.”
I had asked this Tennessee state legislative nominee why she decided to run for office in her red, rural district. She was humble, but her organizing chops were obvious.
“I just volunteered because nobody else was running,” she said. “And I want to wake up the women of Tennessee.”
When you talk to dozens of amazing people with dozens of amazing origin stories, you’re bound to be inspired.
And over the last week, I’ve had the delightful and inspiring task of calling nominees for state legislature in some of the reddest places in the country to tell them that a grassroots community formed specifically to fund underfunded Democratic nominees for state legislature has funding for them.
Last week I called into Tennessee and (alongside the wonderful Jess Piper!) Missouri; yesterday I called nominees in Ohio.
They all have great stories.
There’s the retiree who volunteers with No Vet Dies Alone who is running in a district Trump won with 70% of the vote. He has a lot of conversations with Republicans. He told me “You know, we all have the same goals – but they’ve been so misled.” His website is designed by a 17-year old. He loves working with the new generation.
There’s the woman whose son is non-verbal; she’s learning sign language while learning how to be a candidate. She decided to run for state legislature when she went to a training and the presenter said “You don’t have to have a certain resume to run for office – you just run.”
There’s the fellow who triangulated the most well-trafficked roads in the district, strategically placing his yard signs in places with the most impact. His district is more competitive than most folks think, and certainly more than it would be without his work.
There’s the woman with 20+ years of finance, accounting and tax experience – who also coaches soccer for 3 and 4 years olds. (Considering how red state legislatures behave, I’m pretty sure it’s her coaching experience that will be most useful in the state legislature.) She decided to run because the extreme Republican in her district was going to go uncontested, and she couldn’t stomach that. She said “I never really thought about running, but thought – I’m a reasonable human being and I’m tired of the people who are there.”
There’s the woman who stepped up to take the place of another nominee who had to drop out; although her district is very red, the local artist community trends blue. She’s tapped into that community to create a kitchen cabinet that includes a resident artist (who does quite a bit of protest art), a playwright, and the local college photography professor. These are her advisers and her creative team, and I honestly don’t think you could have a better one.
She was giddy that she’d be able to tell them at their next meeting that they actually had a budget to work with.
She’s the perfect example of the kind of nominee who will be able to do a lot with a little. I’m just happy to be able to give her a little bit more to do a lot with.
The reactions I get after telling a nominee that we have funding for them are priceless, heartwarming, and sometimes even heartbreaking in their earnestness. Some sit in stunned silence. Some cry. Some laugh. Most say some version of “Oh my God, are you kidding me? Can you say that again?”
They often list off the things they can now afford that they couldn’t dream of just five minutes before. Top on the list are yard signs – especially the big ones that you can put in fields; literature for the doors; postcards; and gas money for volunteers to door knock in their often sprawling, rural districts.
They can’t believe someone is reaching out, unasked, specifically to help them. Because our Every State Blue projects fund underfunded Democrats, we intentionally find and fund the folks who have raised the least. They’re especially shocked to get a leg up, because their experience has typically been to have doors slammed in their face.
I am honored to open doors for these folks. They’re exceptional.
I joke that every time I call a nominee I spend 20 minutes on the phone; I honestly can’t help myself. It’s a special kind of person who’s willing to run for office in a heavily gerrymandered, red district. They’re compelling characters with depth and intensity and passion.
They’re college professors, accountants, gun sense advocates, lawyers, retired teachers, retired labor leaders, farmers, doctors … they come from all manner of occupations and experience levels.
They may hail from red, rural districts, but they represent pieces of all of us – whether you’re in a blue state or a red state – in an urban, suburban, exurban, or rural district.
As one woman in Ohio whispered into the phone after I told her we’d be sending over $6,000 for her campaign, “I’m your mother, your sister, your friend. I’m your neighbor next door.”
She followed that up with “This donation is not lost on me.”
It brought me to tears.
These folks are doing their absolute best, working their fingers to the bone, having tough conversations, being criticized, sometimes being vilified, and sometimes even losing their career.
And they do it all without the expectation that anybody is going to be there to catch their fall.
So it’s a privilege to be able to show up and let them know that even though what they’re doing is hard, they’re not doing it alone.
This afternoon the mailman brought me a handwritten note from that nominee I talked to last week in Tennessee. “This isn’t just a thank you card,” it says. “It’s also a ‘where would I be without you card.’”
Friend, we can do so much, for so many, when we work together.
Let’s do more of it.
Let’s get to work.
Small Deeds to Do for the Week of August 20, 2024
Here’s the part where – if you are so inclined – we roll up our sleeves and engage in what I like to call Action Therapy. Each Tuesday I share a few “small things” – usually a Small Thing to Read, a Small Event to Attend, and a Small Call to Make or Action to Take. You can tuck these actions into your week with ease – and know that you’re doing something today to make tomorrow better.
If after reading this you’re motivated and inspired to support red state Democratic state legislative nominees, I’m here for it! As I explained above, at Every State Blue (https://everystateblue.org/), we crowdfund support for underfunded Democrats – and have state projects in Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee and nationally with our federal Forgotten Democrats program. You can support our work here, or join one of our projects (Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Forgotten Dems). You can also make one-time donations here (Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Forgotten Dems).
Small Event to Attend: Thursday – Pop Your Popcorn, Invite Your Friends!
Obviously the DNC is happening this week (I’ve been loving it!) and Thursday night during the main programming we’ll hear from Governor Tim Walz and Vice President Kamala Harris. Block off some time on Thursday (beginning at 5:30pm central) because this is one series of speeches you won’t want to miss.
Here’s the DNC schedule: https://demconvention.com/schedule/?event_day
Here’s the Youtube channel: YouTube.com/demconvention
And the direct link: DemConvention.com/watch
Small Thing(s) to Read: Democratic Platform and Missouri Outlawed Abortion, and Now It’s Funding an Anti-Abortion Group That Works in Other States
First, here’s the official Democratic Party Platform (link: https://democrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/FINAL-MASTER-PLATFORM.pdf). It’s long, but definitely worth perusing – even if you just check out the Table of Contents. The Platform was officially adopted at the Democratic National Convention this week.
Second, file this under: why we should support Democrats running in red states.
A Missouri law provides a tax credit for “pregnancy crisis centers.” One major beneficiary of the funding is the Missouri nonprofit Coalition Life. Because abortion is outlawed in Missouri, Coalition Life has shifted its operations to neighboring Kansas and Illinois where abortion is legal.
“Almost every minute the abortion clinic in Illinois is open, Coalition Life representatives are out front, aiming to intercept people seeking abortions and persuade them to change their minds.”
This is excellent reporting. It’s important to understand the impact that red state policies and lawmakers have beyond their own states’ borders. https://www.propublica.org/article/missouri-anti-abortion-tax-credits-pregnancy-crisis-centers-coalition-life
Small Action to Take: Check Your Voter Registration + SwipeBlue
Federal law prohibits removing voters within 90 days of an election – and we’re in that timeframe! So now’s a great time to check your voter registration and make sure it’s up to date.
You can check it at vote.gov or IWillVote.com.
Next, check out SwipeBlue – a relational organizing tool that you can use to match your phone contacts with the voter file: https://www.swipeblue.org/userguide
SwipeBlue matches your friends to the voter file to show you who is registered – and who is not. When you swipe left (Blue), a text message pops up that you can send to your friend to encourage them to register, to vote, or to take other important actions.
Importantly, they don’t store numbers from your phone or opt your friends into any list. And all texts are sent by you using your own messaging app in your phone.
It was built for progressive activists who want to mobilize their family and friends to take meaningful actions.
It is free and you can use it at your own pace.
You can download the app by clicking “download” on their home page, or from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store by searching for “SwipeBlue.”
Thanks for reading, friend – I’m glad to see you here! If you love what I do and you want to support it, consider becoming a paid subscriber on substack. It means a lot!
Small Deeds Done 