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Dear Democracy Rescuers,
As you know, we're like firefighters at The Union. When we see a burning threat to democracy or an election that needs to be amplified or mobilized, we grab our phone, postcards, walking shoes, cars, PCs and registration forms and run towards the fire–for the good of our community and our nation.
Just like firefighters, we have a single mission. Theirs is to protect life and property. Ours is to protect democracy and the rule of law. Just like firefighters, we reflect America in its diversified glory, building teams of people of different backgrounds, ethnicities, ages, genders, population densities and political stripes. Just like firefighters, it is not our differences that matter, but the single purpose that binds us together. We are a pro-democracy coalition. We revere the legacy we’ve been handed and will fight to pass it on to future generations.
As responders, one thing we rarely do is sit back and reflect on the impact we’re having, whether on The Union itself or on the efforts of our volunteers and partners–and now is the time to do that. Because in truth, your efforts and those of our partners have led to some stunning special election victories! So, let’s pause a minute and take stock. Just look at the record!
Together, in 2023 alone, we have:
- Prevented a majority of biased gerrymanders on the Wisconsin Supreme Court by the election of Justice Janet Protasiewicz (4/4/23)
- Reversed the Tennessee House’s unconstitutional expulsion of “the Justins” from their elected positions by supporting their return in a Special Election. (8/3/23)
- Defeated an amendment to the Ohio Constitution which would permit minority rule by requiring a 60% vote to pass future constitutional amendments. (8/8/23)
- Prevented MAGA control of the House in the battleground state of Pennsylvania by electing pro-democracy candidate Lindsay Powell to break the 101-101 tie. (9/19/23)
- Stopped a conspiracy theorist and election denier from gaining a seat in New Hampshire's closely divided House, by electing democracy defender Hal Rafter just months before the nation's first Presidential primary. (9/19/23)
This last victory, just achieved, reveals a lot about our momentum. The dramatic vote swing to the pro-democracy side in this 2020 Trump-leaning district made a decisive statement in this purple state. According to Jo Jordon, NH State Lead for The Union, “From a statewide perspective, we are on the cusp of the ability to eliminate gerrymandering–which will help ensure that NH voters' demands are heard on a wide range of topics.”
On a national level (Finally!) mainstream media outlets are taking off their blinders and picking up on the attraction and success of pro-democracy candidates. For example, the pro-democracy candidate in western PA who broke the tie in the House (above) out-performed party representation by 13 points in her 30 point victory, And in NH, the pro-democracy candidate (also above) won by a 12 point landslide in a district that leans 6% to the right of the national average–an 18-point swing! Our work to build a strong pro-democracy coalition has freed elections from the old GOP vs DEM paradigm and helped transform them into what they’ve become: a battle between democracy and autocracy.
Polls only predict how voters will cast votes. Elections reflect their true intentions. The trend becomes indisputable when analysts look at the hard data of election results.
Why is all of this important to The Union? Because it tells us exactly what we need to know for 2024:
- Together, we have learned how to energize and organize voters;
- Together, we have used Special Elections to practice our winning strategies;
- Together, we have shown that our model produces positive results; and
- Together, we can now scale up for the critical work ahead: joining with the rest of the fast-growing American pro-democracy movement to shore up democracy’s defenses and replace authoritarian and anti-voter elected officials with pro-democracy candidates.
A key to our success has been our Action Center. On any given day, you’ll find over 220 curated events across the country, sponsored by a majority of our 100+ partners. Our partners are vetted to ensure their goals align with ours and our connections grow stronger weekly. These organizations endorse pro-democracy candidates and work to defeat authoritarian candidates and those who reject the rule of law. Daily actions support our national pro-democracy coalition and by targeting local volunteers, we add our own “boots on the ground.” This unique model is very effective in getting out the vote. Here’s the link: action.jointheunion.us
As volunteers with The Union, you have been generous in donating your time and talents–and your commitment has driven all of our wins so far. We are on the right path, but it will take all of us to make sure that in future 2023 and 2024 local, state and federal elections, voters understand that there is only one issue–DEMOCRACY–and there is only one way to win: VOTE!
Remember, firefighters don’t care about the color of the house, the size of the refrigerator or the titles of the books on the shelves–their job is to put the fire out. Our job is to put the authoritarian fire out and save our democracy. Thank you for joining us!
It takes all of us,
The Union
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