John --

Happy Friday!

Colorado primary is 5 days away! Join our Phone Bank to remind voters to VOTE!

Have a great weekend and let’s make a difference together!

Team Country First,

Each week, Country First will highlight a key member who has demonstrated placing Country over Party. If you would like to submit someone who has made a positive impact on your experience with Country First, please email [email protected]. 

Meet Kyle Keelan:

Where are you from? 

I am from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. 

What has been your focus at Country First? 

I'd love to focus on defeating anti-democracy candidates who have proven their poor character by spreading lies and conspiracy theories regarding the 2020 election. Specifically, I'm interested in mending division and defeating toxic tribalism by promoting country over party, finding common ground, and advocating the truth. A benchmark for holding political office must include accepting an election's results - regardless of the outcome. 

What was your motivation for joining and how did you hear about us? 

A motivation for joining Country First was the Capitol insurrection on 1/6, former President Trump’s evergrowing attempts to undermine our country’s democratic institutions, and Rep. Kinzinger’s outspoken efforts to find political common ground. 

What are your hopes for America in the coming years and generations? 

My hope for America in the coming years and generations is to endure the dysfunctional politics and toxic tribalism that have engulfed our political system in recent years. I wish to live in a country where ethics, character, and education define good leaders and candidates, not partisan agendas or cult of personality. 

Do you think we can right the ship?

I think we can right the ship by empowering a reasonable majority to protect our fragile democracy. A broad and determined coalition has continuously defeated anti-democracy candidates since 2020, and I think we can do it again. 

Thank you Kyle, for your contributions to Country First, and democracy more broadly!

2024 Election 

Ranked-Choice Voting

Science Direct: Does ranked choice voting increase voter turnout and mobilization? “The study utilizes large, unique data from administrative voter turnout records that overcomes this limitation. We find significant and substantially higher probabilities of turnout in places that use RCV, and find evidence that campaigns in RCV places have greater incidences of direct voter contacting than in similar places that do not use RCV.” 

Democracy

Milwaukee Independent: Financial insecurities: How Stabilizing American Democracy Would Fatally Cripple the U.S. Economy                    
“Yellen acknowledged that democracy ‘doesn’t seem like typical terrain for a treasury secretary,’ but she added that ‘democracy was critical to building and sustaining a strong economy…The argument made by authoritarians and their defenders that chipping away at democracy is a fair or even necessary trade for economic gains is deeply flawed,’ she said. ‘Undercutting democracy undercuts a foundation of sustainable and inclusive growth.’”

USA Today: 334 public officials in 5 swing states have undermined or cast doubt on elections: study                                           
According to a new study, “hundreds of public officials in five key swing states have denied election outcomes, tried to overturn an election or made statements to undermine an election.”

Thought Leadership

National Review: To Fight Polarization, Look to the Constitution                                              “There is a profound and practical idea of unity implicit in our constitutional system, which we should work to recover: In a free & therefore diverse society, unity does not mean thinking alike; unity means acting together. The difference is crucial.”

Alaska Beacon: How ranked choice voting is bringing Alaska politics back to the center Ranked choice voting is benefiting the reasonable majority, and forcing bipartisanship among candidates for elected office. “…Alaska politics is slowly moving toward the middle. Composed of nearly equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats, the coalition adopted and followed a moderate agenda.”

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VOLUNTEER today! We only have one requirement: Be a reasonable person of goodwill looking to find common ground with others who want to address our challenges in a healthy, productive way.