Look, recent polls in Oklahoma have a story to tell…
→ Oklahoma’s Democratic challenger for governor is polling ahead of the incumbent Republican.
→ The Democrat running for Education Superintendent, a key statewide position in OK, continues to poll in the lead.
This, in a state where Donald Trump beat Joe Biden by over 30 points in 2020.
Bottom line: Change is underway in Oklahoma. That means it’s more critical than ever to power the organizers on the ground who are fighting to turn the tide, in a state that national Democrats haven’t prioritized in years. Donate now to help us take on more grantees in Oklahoma!
Oklahoma was the first in the nation to pass a near-total abortion ban this year. It has one of the highest incarceration rates in the United States and its leaders routinely make political headlines for everything from banning critical race theory to limiting indigenous sovereignty.
But at Groundwork, we are not surprised by the latest polls. The political movement in Oklahoma confirms what our partners told us from day one: The “red state” narrative is not the real Oklahoma story.
We decided to invest in Oklahoma because we saw our future partners on the ground building the needed civic infrastructure to fight back against their conservative state leaders. We saw Oklahoma voters overwhelmingly support progressive ballot initiatives around Medicaid expansion and cannabis in recent years. We saw a rising local activist community shifting power in the state around everything from the criminal legal system to public education. And – we saw the inexcusable lack of support from national progressives who routinely say Oklahoma is “too red” to merit attention.
Win or lose, let this moment put that narrative to rest for good. Yes, the headwinds we face in Oklahoma are still strong. Yes, the Democratic candidates mentioned above face a steep road between now and Election Day. But to get this far and this close is no small feat and a true testament to what is possible in states like OK if we give the folks on the ground the resources and support they need to build, organize, and activate.
Groundwork is proud to support a growing group of grantees in Oklahoma. We’re trying to stay on target to announce our next round of grantees right after the midterm election and need to raise another $25,000 to make it happen – donate now.
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Thanks for believing in this work. I’ll continue to check in with more updates, talk soon.
Joe
P.S. Our mini-grant recipient, Together Oklahoma, is hosting a panel discussion following tonight’s Oklahoma governor’s debate. You can tune into the discussion here or on Together Oklahoma’s social media.
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Joe Kennedy (he/him)
Founder
Groundwork Project
