This is GAME TIME friends.
I’ve worked and/or volunteered a ton of elections. (Going back to canvassing for Jesse Jackson in New Hampshire snows of 1988.)
Participating in this election, right now, represents an opportunity to make the most impact you will ever be able to make in national and local politics in any of our lifetimes.
This is exciting stuff. The stakes could not be higher.
Here’s some quick thoughts.
1. Get Involved NOW
As I’ve mentioned before, now’s the time to get involved locally in GOTV. In a tight Congressional race, a team of volunteers canvassing in these crucial months can swing a race. That sounds like hyperbole, but it’s not.
Back in 2006, I canvassed in Tracy CA out of the garage of super volunteer Martha Gamez. For my first canvas she sent me out with an experienced union member who was a calm and persistent door knocker.
I learned how to handle the turf from him in ways big and small.
When I came back with three volunteer kossacks (as we were known back then) I was able to teach them what I’d learned.
Do this if you can. You will make a difference. You may help us win back the House.
2. Donate if you can. Early money is best, but NOW is better than never.
Here’s the campaigns and organizations my wife and I have donated to this cycle broken into 3 groups to consider:
Strong Candidates to Consider
TX-23 Gina Ortiz Jones
IA-01 Abby Finkenauer
FL-26 Debbie Murcasel-Powell
IL-14 Lauren Underwood
MN-02 Angie Craig
OH-01 Aftab Pureval
GA-Gov Stacey Abrams
KS-03 Sharice Davids
MI-11 Haley Stevens
TX-32 Colin Allred
TX-07 Lizzie Pannil Fletcher
VA-02 Elaine Luria
VA-07 Abigail Spanberger
CA-10 Josh Harder
CA-25 Katie Hill
IA-03 Cindy Axne
ME-02 Jared Golden
WA-05 Lisa Brown
NJ-03 Andy Kim
CA-48 Harley Rouda
CA-45 Katie Porter
KS-02 Paul Davis
ND-SEN Heidi Heitkamp
MO-SEN Claire McCaskill
NV-SEN Jacky Rosen
I’m sure there’s more to add, feel free to suggest your own below.
Strong “Stretch” Candidates we donated to
TX-SEN Beto O-Rourke
MO-02 Cort VanOstren
CO-03 Diane Mitsch Bush
NE-02 Kara Eastman
MT-AL Kathleen Williams
MI-07 Gretchen Driskell
GA-07 Carolyn Bourdeaux
FL-25 Mary Barzee Flores
IN-09 Liz Watson
Organizations
Movement Vote Senate Fund
Movement Vote 2021 Redistricting Fund
Movement Vote Youth and Student Fund
Movement Vote US House Fund
LUCHA AZ (via Movement Vote)
CCI Action Iowa (via Movement Vote)
Latino Power North Carolina (via Movement Vote)
Battleground TX (via Movement Vote)
DSCC (Because when push comes to shove, they will allocate to win seats and conduct triage down to the wire.)
National Democratic Redistricting PAC
Don’t need help / Primary Soon / Other:
MI-13 Rashida Tlaib (Going to Congress, Yay!)
NY-14 Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (Going to Congress, Yay!)
MO-01 Cori Bush (Fought the good fight)
DE-SEN Kerri Harris (Very long shot at this point)
HI-01 Kaniela Ing (Primary on Saturday 8/10, we’ll see!)
MN-05 Ilhan Omar (Primary on 8/14, we’ll see!)
AZ-02 Dem Winner (Very likely Democratic seat, better to donate elsewhere)
VA-10 Jennifer Wexton (Likely Democratic seat, better to donate elsewhere)
Final thought:
For my entire political life, Democratic politics has been in some form of compromise or retreat. We have received more sucker punches and body blows than any of us care to remember.
That can change right now.
We are fighting the good fight. There is no question to any of us here what the GOP is all about.
There will be time for analysis in the history books.
Our job right now is to kick as much Republican butt as hard as we can in as many places as we can until the last election of 2018 is called.
Goodnight and goodluck, and let me know what you think of my picks in the comments.