John,

Amazing news out of Jackson, Mississippi last night! Our candidate, Jody Owens, just won his primary race and will be the next District Attorney of Hinds County!!!

This is a huge step forward for our movement to reform America’s justice system – and a mandate for big change. District by district, we’re electing a new wave of reform-minded prosecutors (also called district attorneys in many places) who will end mass incarceration, fight racism, and hold police accountable for abuses of power.

No elected position has more power to change the justice system. That’s why these district attorney races are so important – and why your support means so much. For Jody’s campaign, together we:

• Gave over $11,600 to Jody’s campaign: We wrote Jody’s campaign a $5,000 check to start, raised $4,978 for him directly via Real Justice supporters, and gave another $1,628 in the final week – all of which helped pay for critical staff and voter contact efforts on the ground.
• Spread the word about Jody’s campaign to millions of people via social media: All of these people we reached represent potential voters, donors, and volunteers.
• Ran local radio ads to maximize voter turnout for Jody: We spent $2,200 on the ads. I spoke about why Jody is the best person for the job, and we ran them on some of the most popular stations in the county, especially focusing on reaching young voters of color.

...And it paid off! Jody has been a tireless civil rights attorney and advocate for justice. He fought to protect voting rights, fund public schools and close private prisons as Managing Director of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Now he will bring real justice reform to Jackson as the next DA.

Especially after Tiffany Cabán’s loss in Queens, New York last night, this win is the juice that our movement needed. I am so proud of each and every one of you.

Next, we need to make sure our upcoming district attorney races are well-funded. As Tiffany’s election reminded us – we are still up against big money and the entrenched establishment, and everything can come down to just a handful of votes.

Can you chip in $3 to our new fund specifically for public defenders who are running for district attorney?

Thank you for everything so far – and for staying committed through hard-fought victories and losses. Now let’s do everything in our power to keep the wins coming, okay? We will announce an exciting, new endorsement in Austin, Texas – so stay tuned.

Love and appreciate you,

Shaun King

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