Hi John,
As always, there are no off years for the progressive movement. We've got news for y'all, some good and some seriously bad -- let's dive in:
The Good: Run for Something kicked ass in New York this summer. We're still holding tight for final results from the board of elections, but it's quite possible we've helped elect at least 16 diverse, young progressives to the NYC Council -- and if 2 more folks win in November, maybe even 18. That's power and with it, our candidates are seeking to enact real change in their communities.
Also, India Walton just delivered the first successful leftist primary challenge to an incumbent in the history of the Buffalo mayorship. If India wins the general election this fall, she'll become Buffalo’s first woman mayor and America’s first socialist mayor of a major city in over 60 years!
Not too bad, John. If you lent a hand by chipping in a little of your hard-earned money, volunteering for our endorsed candidates, or sharing their posts on social media, thank you.
Now, unfortunately, The Bad: After losing the presidential election in 2020, white supremacy groups like the Proud Boys and conspiracy theorists like QAnon are turning their focus down the ballot. They're running for seats on our school boards, in our city councils, for state legislatures, and more.
They're using the same strategy that made David Duke, a literal KKK leader, a viable candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1990 and governor in 1991. (Slowburn's deep-dive of this for their 4th season is a must-listen.)
The fight to stop them is happening right now. To defeat them we'll need to do the same thing we did in New York and in all 50 states for the last 4 years: volunteer for candidates we believe in, share their campaigns with peers and friends, and chip in whatever we can, whenever we can.
It won't be easy, but I know what this team is capable of. We've already elected over 500 diverse, young progressives to office -- we can stop the rise of a whole new class of David Dukes if we work together.
