John,
The last couple days have been horrific. I know alongside so many of you, I am feeling a ton of rage and grief. I hope you’re taking care of yourselves and taking action however you can, wherever you are.
I just wanted to take a few moments to update you on the state of the runoff election in TX-28:
With only a 177 vote margin, Jessica Cisneros still has a very real chance of winning. It’s a big f*cking deal our movement is on the verge of taking down the NRA A-rated, anti-choice and anti-union Henry Cuellar.
Jessica is likely headed to a long, expensive recount — and in a minute, we’re going to break down a) how we got here, b) what we accomplished, and c) the road ahead in more detail.
But first, we have to ask: Can you rush a contribution of $10 or any amount to Jessica’s Recount Fund to ensure every vote is counted fairly and accurately?
Contribute to Jessica's Recount Fund
So how did we get here?
Despite a year with mass youth cynicism with the political process, young people in TX-28 and across the country mobilized for Jessica’s race.
And what did the Democratic Party do? They supported an anti-abortion, anti-labor, NRA “A” rated, and Big Oil-backed “Democrat” while 40 years of reproductive freedom were at risk and children were being murdered.
They stood back while super PACs spewed lies about Jessica and poured millions of dollars into a safe Democratic seat in a year when extremist Republicans are outspending Democrats across the country.
And after another horrific mass shooting, leadership still stood by Cuellar, one of the NRA’s favorite Democrats. To support a candidate that is so fundamentally misaligned with the party’s values is a failure of Democratic leadership, and a betrayal of our movement.
It’s shameful. And yet because of our people power, we’re on the verge of a recount.
Damn right.
Thanks to your support, we built a massive youth turnout operation, making over one million voter contact attempts across the district. We hit the phones and knocked on doors to make sure TX-28 voters knew there was a candidate ready to have their backs in Congress — not Big Oil’s or the NRA’s.
And to do that all in the face of millions in outside special interest spending, and STILL BE WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF WINNING THIS THING? That’s inspiring.
So what happens now?
This race is not over. Let me repeat: THIS RACE IS NOT OVER.
There are still hundreds of ballots left to count across the district and Henry Cuellar is the only one calling this race. There’s a reason no news outlets have called this race — because it is too close to call.
That’s why we expect a recount — and recounts are no small task. They can take a long time and require assembling a team of experts to deal with any legal challenges that come Jessica’s way.
We can expect Henry Cuellar’s corporate backers will be happy to throw everything they’ve got at his defense. That’s why it’s critical we help the Cisneros campaign prepare for this process now. Contribute $10 or any amount you can afford to Jessica’s Recount Fund to help them fight back against any challenges that come their way and ensure each and every vote is counted in this race.
If you've stored your info with ActBlue Express, we'll process your contribution to the Jessica Cisneros - Recount Fund instantly:
In solidarity,
Varshini, Sunrise