John --

Last week marked a historic moment as we witnessed a pivotal vote on Ukrainian aid. Democrats and Republicans joined forces to stand in solidarity with Ukraine against Vladimir Putin's illegal war.

Undoubtedly, reaching this milestone was no easy feat, and the lack of leadership for too long within the Republican Conference was deeply disappointing. However, despite the challenges, we persevered, and together we accomplished what was necessary. Country First played a significant role in this achievement. Over the past three months since the launch of the Ukraine Initiative, I have been continually inspired by the dedication and hard work demonstrated by members of Country First. Whether it was participating in a day of action to reach out to members of Congress, writing letters to the editor in support of Ukraine, attending team gatherings, or signing our petition, every contribution, no matter how small, was crucial to our success. It's through such collective action that we achieve our goals.

Looking ahead, our ultimate success in 2024 lies in ensuring that Donald Trump never sets foot in the Oval Office again. We will remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine as this remains an ongoing process. We will strategically impact races across the country, and together, we will work tirelessly to safeguard democracy and defeat authoritarianism in 2024. I am confident in our ability to achieve these goals because, as we demonstrated with Ukraine, the collective power we possess is capable of achieving remarkable things.

Country First,

Adam

PS: I hoped to see you at our next Campfire on Tuesday. 

Upcoming Events: Civic Duty Campfire, with Country First Founder, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, Tuesday, April 30th at 8PM Eastern

Democracy

ABA Journal: Nearly three-quarters of Americans think US democracy is getting weaker, ABA poll finds                                                                                                              
“Seventy-four percent of U.S. residents say American democracy is weaker than five years ago, according to an ABA poll released in advance of Law Day on May 1. Among those who thought that democracy was weaker, 31% said the primary cause was misinformation and disinformation, while 29% said the primary cause was political parties, according to the sixth annual American Bar Association Survey of Civic Literacy released on Tuesday.”

NPR: New federal grants aimed to support elections. Many voting officials didn't see a dime                                                                                                                                                  “‘This new funding has the potential to provide meaningful support to our guardians of democracy,’ elections experts Larry Norden and Derek Tisler of the Brennan Center for Justice wrote at the time. ‘It is also a meaningful statement from the federal government that it understands threats of physical violence against those who run our elections are a threat to our democracy itself.’" Unfortunately, many of the funds were not received by officials.

Indiana Capital Chronicle: Gerrymandering hurts the minority often in unforeseen ways–OPINION                                                                                                                                    
“Whichever party is drawing the maps of legislative districts, of any kind, they draw them to benefit themselves of course. That part is math, very basic math. In Indiana, Republicans in the Statehouse have drawn the last two maps that determine the House, Senate and Congressional districts. And they have served themselves up a lovely matrix of sweetheart deals.”

Primary First

The Independent: Joe Biden taunts Lauren Boebert with two-word response
"Joe Biden taunted Lauren Boebert with a  two-word response after being asked why the Republican lawmaker switched congressional seats following his visit to her district last year."

Ranked-Choice Voting

AL.com: Why Alabama might ban ranked choice voting                                                       
“A growing number of states with a Republican trifecta (control of House, Senate, and governor’s office) are pitching bans to RCV before it can even gain a foothold in state elections, including in Alabama…One such bill, SB186, passed out of the Alabama Senate earlier this month and awaits a hearing on the House floor. That is likely to come sometime next week.”

CIVIC DUTY CAMPFIRE Live Campfire, with Rep. Adam Kinzinger!

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