Hi John,
What just happened in Texas should light a fire under every progressive in this country.
The governor just signed the most radical abortion ban in the country. Not only does it ban abortion before most people know they're pregnant --
it allows anyone who opposes abortion to sue anyone who helps procure an abortion. That means doctors, of course. But also -- provide a ride to the clinic? Donate to an abortion fund? Texas Republicans say you can be sued, too.
Now there are lawsuits already underway that put a hold on this law going into effect. But that it made it this far… that's why we all need to get fired up.
This law is one of 69 anti-choice restrictions that state governments have enacted
so far this year. If it keeps up,
2021 could set an all-time record.
This is beyond bad. It's a catastrophic change that impacts tens of millions of women and people who can become pregnant nationwide. It means more baseless restrictions on providers, fewer clinics, longer distances, and higher costs to access care. And it's all part of a campaign to get these laws before the Supreme Court and ultimately overturn
Roe v. Wade.
Democrats, largely, didn't win enough down-ballot elections in 2020 to keep these bills from becoming law (Although we’re proud that Run for Something alums are fighting back where they can!).
Republicans, however, have been investing in down-ballot elections for decades to deliver exactly this.
John, if we're going to ensure reproductive justice for all people, we need to elect pro-choice progressives every chance we have -- not just every four years. Will you chip in
$5
to help continue recruiting, training, supporting, and electing young progressives to state and local office?
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
This is the exact outcome Republicans wanted when they started seriously investing in state legislatures and governorships decades ago.
In contrast, the Democratic establishment chose to prioritize national elections and neglect our political infrastructure in the states. Doing so ceded enormous power to out-of-touch, power-hungry conservatives who want to control our bodies -- now women and people who can become pregnant are paying the price.
Now the choice to keep these laws from oppressing tens of millions of people rests with the conservative-controlled Supreme Court -- not something we can count on.
But do we despair? FUCK. NO. Run for Something was born out a refusal to let the darkness sweep us under in 2017.
We can build the power to stop the damage Republicans are wrecking, but it means a sustained, major investment in the places our party and movement have too long neglected -- state and local politics.
The 2022 cycle is well underway -- but so are the next 10 years. We've got diverse, young progressive candidates gearing up for the fight for our rights and freedoms. Will you support their campaigns and take power back?
There's work to do -- I hope we can count on you.
Amanda Litman
Co-founder
Run for Something
P.S. Does this shit make you want to run for office? We’ll help you:
runforwhat.net
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Run for Something is a grassroots-powered organization that recruits and empowers young progressives running for local office, with the goal of winning permanent power for decades to come. We've elected 500 diverse, young progressives to power by relying on support from grassroots donors pitching in a little to create big change. Please chip in now to help us continue running and winning.
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