I thought this might be a good time to give you guys an overview of the fundraising plans as we get closer to November. The election is 2 months from today – that’s not a lot of time left!
Broad overview:
– North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT)
– Worker Power AZ
– Four Directions AZ
– candidates in close races where our dollars can make a difference!
More specifically:
Had another great meeting with NCAAT yesterday and we will start raising funds over the weekend. Look for a post on Friday or Saturday about the group and the specific efforts we are supporting.
After that, it’s what we’re calling Operation Blue Arizona! (more on that in a minute)
And after that, it’s candidates unless one of the groups we support has a particular need we can help with, in which case we’ll do some FLASH Fundraising.
Operation Blue Arizona!
We’ll have a thermometer for Worker Power GOTV, a thermometer for Four Directions AZ, and a thermometer with candidates in AZ who can use a hand.
All at the same time – something for everyone, we hope!
Call for Candidate Suggestions
- winnable races
- that are close
- where our funding can make a difference
- can be senate, US House, state races, supreme court races
- but always, always, always, that can have a national or strategic impact, directly or indirectly
Please share your suggestions in this thread. Not just naming names – tell us who they are, where they are why the race is important, what you see as the national or strategic impact – make your case! :-)
Here’s the list of candidates we supported last time. We made a difference last time around, and we can make a difference this year, too!
Here we go!
Baud
You are amazing.
Manyakitty
@Baud: second this.
Trivia Man
WI-08, Kristin Lyerly. An OB-GYN, she sued the state to legalize abortion access. Worked in rural MN as an OB-GYN. This is the Green Bay area where Gallagher stepped down – timing his resignation for maximum GOP chaos.
This is a two-fer as I understand it. On election day in November there are two races with the same candidates. Race one fills the seat immediately and that person will be in the House on January 6. Second race is for a full term.
Trivia Man
@Trivia Man: In 2020 it was Trump +16 but in the recent supreme court race it was GOP +4. Gallagher won with 72% in 2022… but resigned in disgust this year,
Trivia Man
@Trivia Man: Tony Wied is Trump endorsed and vocal about MAGA. His only resume entry i see in his website is “owned a chain of gas stations for 30 years, sold them 2 years ago”
SiubhanDuinne
Earlier this year I had decided not to do postcards because I was having some painful hand cramping. But that has disappeared, so I would like to join the postcard-writing brigade.
Can anyone recommend an organization where I can order the cards and they’ll be shipped to me (along, obvs, with addresses and suggested text). I’ll happily pay for cards and stamps and do the writing, addressing, and mailing — but I do NOT want to have to download art work, put it on a jump drive, buy card stock at Staples, and deal with their surly “print shop” staffers.
If you know of a legit outfit that will mail me the blank cards, I’d appreciate any suggestions. Thanks in advance!
frosty
OT. I want to do some postcarding in the next two months and I forgot to write down where all my fellow juicers are getting addresses. I read that Postcards to Swing States doesn’t need help; they got all their millions of addresses taken care of. Can you give me some suggestions?
I have leftover postcards I printed in 2022 from an Etsy PDF so I’d like to work with an outfit that lets me use them up.
Thanks!!
SiubhanDuinne
@Baud:
@Manyakitty:
Adding my thanks to Water Girl, along with expressions of awe.
TaMara
There are some quiet races that could help tip both houses .
In Colorado, we really need to keep Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo, and she’s in a tough race, especially since the Libertarian dropped out. That helped swing things her way last election. I’m doing what I can for her district, since mine is safe.
I don’t think throwing money at Boebert’s opponent will matter – that district is going to do one of two things – vote red and elect her or stay home (possibly vote “other”) I doubt they’ll actually vote blue.
And for the Senate, in Nebraska, this surprise (to me, former BJ commenter BGinCH flagged him for me) Senate candidate is polling about even with the incumbent. I’m not sure if it’s fundraiser-worthy – but even though he’s an independent, it could help our Senate chances. Looking at his platform, I’m assuming he’ll vote with the Dems. About Dan Osborn – platform Here’s his intro video . Since CO senate seats are safe, I’ve been throwing some cash his way.
ETA: NE has an abortion amendment on the ballot (for pro-choice) and there is large support for that, which is why I think Osborn has a more than good chance to flip that seat. Also, his last name is Osborn and in NE that’s name recognition, even if it’s spelled differently.
BR
Here’s my candidate suggestion list for young swing state downballot (state house/senate) candidates:
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/youngswingdemcandidates
I shared this link earlier this week. The idea is that we need youth turnout to win the presidential election, and it would be nice to keep or win a few state houses at the same time. Young candidates will turn out young voters.
WaterGirl
@frosty: check on 2024 Activism in the menu bar up top, or in the mobile menu and the click on the postcard info.
sitting at the DMV because all my IDs and credit cards were stolen. Sigh
frosty
@WaterGirl: Thanks, I thought there might be something like that. Sorry about your trip to the DMV. Getting all of that stolen is a complication that nobody needs.
Trapped Lurker
I would like to put in a plug for Angela Alsobrooks, senate candidate in “blue” Maryland. Her opponent, Larry Hogan, was a popular republican governor who did much less damage than he might have, because the democratic legislature overrode numerous vetos. He is DEFINITELY a republican, but did much better than trump during the pandemic & is well known. Angela is an African American woman who was a county executive of the largest minority-majority county in the state. She has less name recognition than Hogan. Hogan is running a dishonest campaign—presenting himself as suddenly pro-choice (NOT!), and I’m very concerned he could win and give the senate to McConnell. Polling is very tight. She could use our help…
WaterGirl
Happy to see suggestions coming in!
GBinChicago
@SiubhanDuinne: My wife and I have been sending postcards we get from Blue Wave Postcards Movement. We’ve sent a couple hundred by now. See shop.bluewavepostcards.org They provide everything you need–cards, mailing labels and stamps (although you might be better off buying stamps yourself, it would be faster).
rikyrah
You are fabulous 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
rikyrah
@Trapped Lurker:
ICAM
SiubhanDuinne
@GBinChicago:
Thanks very much, I’ll check them out!
zhena gogolia
@SiubhanDuinne: I did Postcards to Swing States, but I guess they’re not taking any more volunteers. It was a very painless process so I expect to do it again (assuming we ever have another election). They sent the postcards, addresses, and sample messages. I supplied the stamps. I did 300, which are sitting upstairs waiting to be mailed in late Oct. It was fun. (I didn’t do any doodling with colored pens, so mine are pretty boring, but I hope they’ll do the job!)
ETA: I enjoyed all the strange street names in Las Vegas.
Soprano2
@WaterGirl: Ugh, I am so sorry, what a PITA.
zhena gogolia
@WaterGirl: Oh no! That is a nightmare.
karen marie
Watergirl obvs gets all the plaudits but all you kids are my heroes.
Jay C
@TaMara:
Yeah, I’ve seen a number of posts online about Dan Osborn in Nebraska: apparently, he is running as an “Independent” because the state Democrats – for whatever reason – never qualified a formal D candidate for the November ballot.
Maybe a long shot, but definitely worth pushing.
Trapped Lurker
@rikyrah: thanks, rikyrah. It’s a bit anomalous—Maryland is usually reliable about sending democrats to the senate, but this time it really could be Hogan, and that would be really bad.
Sure Lurkalot
So many important tight races but generically, I think taking back state legislatures is one key to a better future. Laboratories of democracy, most of them are most emphatically NOT. When the game rules are set so that candidates pick their voters, democracy gets run off a cliff.
Here’s a link that illustrates the partisanship of state legislative bodies:
https://ballotpedia.org/Historical_partisan_composition_of_state_legislatures
And a fundraising link that outlines the state races:
https://blue24.org/state-leg
Another Scott
Good, good. Thanks for all you do, WG.
ICYMI, Long RParloff (Lawfare) thread on events in Chutkan’s court today.
Cheers,
Scott.
Mai Naem mobile
@TaMara: the Nebraska senate seat can end up being a twofer helping defeat Rep Don Bacon.
I want to suggest Tim Stringham https://timstringham.com/meet-tim. He’s running for the Maricopa County Recorder. That’s the office that runs elections in Maricopa County(metro Phoenix, by far the most populous county in Arizona.) The current office holder is a republican but he’s not an election denier but he lost his primary. Current GOP opponent is an election denier. It’s a very winnable race. Current SOS Adrian Fontes used to be Maricopa County recorder.
Jackie
BREAKING: Hunter Biden is changing his tax fraud plea to guilty:
WaterGirl
@Trapped Lurker: Polling is tight, that’s the prerequisite.
What’s the funding like, do you know? Is everybody throwing one to that race?
Anyone here willing to look into the financial aspect and report back to us?
WaterGirl
@Another Scott: I saw that while I was waiting at the DmV and had thought I might do a post.
Jackie
Also, Judge Chutkan is badass!!!
I ♥️ Judge Chutkan!!!
Trapped Lurker
@WaterGirl: I don’t know how to do that research. There was a recent article in the post saying that she had “edged ahead” a bit, but that Hogan has worked to cut into that excitement [from her speech at the convention] by continually reminding voters of his independent streak. The race is being closely watched across the country, and drawing donations from national groups, because if Republicans capture the seat, it could tip control of the closely divided U.S. Senate.
i don’t know how to find out who’s contributing what—maybe someone else could do that? Hogan is working to overcome his republican bonafides; Alsobrooks’ challenge is lack of name recognition.
Trapped Lurker
@WaterGirl: well, I just gave a long answer and it went poof when I clicked “post.” I don’t know how to research contributions, thought the latest in the Washington Post says polling is very tight and outside republican pacs are targeting the race because of hogan’s anomalous popularity as a republican in Maryland. It’s a strong possible republican pickup opportunity. Hogan is running negative ads about Alsobrooks’s inexperience. His challenge is weaseling out of his republican history ; hers is name recognition outside of Prince George’s county.
H.E.Wolf
Adding my plaudits (great word!) for WaterGirl.
I’ve got a down-ballot candidate to recommend: Maria Beltran, a Latina LGBTQA+ community activist who is running for a State Senate seat in a newly re-drawn Central WA district which may be D+0.
Beltran won the Democratic primary, and will be facing the white male Republican incumbent in November.
https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2024/07/senate-hopeful-maria-beltran-is-working-to-put-a-legislative-district-in-central-washington-in-play-for-democrats.html
piratedan
depending upon how far we wish to micro manage, here’s some data and information on what is taking place in Arizona, in Maricopa County, where the underpinnings of keeping things fair, rests in th hands of the voters.
https://www.noblepredictiveinsights.com/post/balancing-on-the-razors-edge-maricopa-county-s-political-tightrope?
the link is free, but gets granular into who is running for what position and we know that money in down ballot races means ever so much more.
I get the free downballot newsletter and they turned me on to the other link.
Another Scott
@Jackie: Yeah, she’s pushing back on the “if VP conversation, you must throw EVERYTHING out!!11ONE” stuff. She’s not having it.
Still, as I understand it, she won’t be able to issue the schedule (as she planned to do today) until a few of the things brought up are addressed. So, yet more delays (as TCFFG’s lawyers want), but maybe it won’t affect the full schedule.
Forward!!
Cheers,
Scott.
lowtechcyclist
@Trapped Lurker:
A fact that Hogan’s signs deliberately omit, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.
I need to touch base with my county Dems to find out what I can do to help other than $$.
Gwangung
@Jay C: Not only posts, but buzz among regular voters. I think the Osborn/Bacon race is the definition of a BJ fundraiser.
JMS
I already gave money to Janelle Stelson in the Pa 10th congressional race. Perry is an odious stop the steal type, the polling is quite close, and anything that brings out more Democrats in Pa, in any part of the state, is important.
Trapped Lurker
@lowtechcyclist: yes, Hogan is a real republican (so many veto overrides to let good legislation through!). He’s just not so visibly odious as most of the current crop. He will caucus with the republicans & give them the power, in spite of all the ads touting his “independence.” He was a trump supporter (tho lukewarm) last time. And he used to brag he was a staunch republican. We need the senate to stay blue!!
ETA: I’ve donated what I can. I wish I had an idea of something else I could do!
Marleedog
Late to this but here is a link to comparison between Alsobrooks and Hogan at OpenSecrets.org
https://www.opensecrets.org/races/candidates?cycle=2024&id=MDS1&spec=N
I do not know how up to date this is, but Alsobrooks has about $3.6 million cash on hand, compared to Hogan at $2.7 million. Lots of other info at the link.
Hogan is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
TaMara
@Gwangung:
@Jay C:
I’ve put my pitch into WG – but more voices are always helpful for her, especially for those on the ground. I’m going to start pushing my NE family members to check both out – Vargas being a State Sen shouldn’t hurt. Looks like he lost by just a few votes to Bacon last time.
Bacon didn’t get the backing of the party? He was too moderate? JFC
Trapped Lurker
@Marleedog: thank you! He really is a wolf in sheep’s clothing
TooTallTom
@Sure Lurkalot:
Very helpful link, thank you. In the state house comparisons, it shows Minnesota state senate with currently a 50/50 split. Opportunity this fall for a state senate majority. MN residents: Are there any MN state senate candidates that need a boost?
Big Mango
imho this is a must hold and we helped her win last time.
Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez U.S. House WA
She is a blue dog type running against a maga with deep pockets.
Mousebumples
@Trivia Man: yes! I think WI-01 and WI-03 are also flip targets. Can’t remember the Dem candidates off hand. 03 is probably closer than 01, and both have a GOP incumbent running.
Plus, if Lyerly wins, I’d have a Dem Rep for the first time in a loooong time. She’s slay involved with the WI SC case to overturn the 1849 abortion ban.
Mousebumples
@SiubhanDuinne: https://linktr.ee/getup_GOTV2024
Lots of postcarding options there (and some more detail on some under 2024 Activism in the menu bar here at Balloon Juice). https://www.etsy.com/shop/To Voters is a great Etsy shop for blank postcards.
Also, Postcards to Voters has addresses for Tony Vargas in Nebraska, right now. May help with the Senate race and/or 1EV for Harris/Walz.
Steve in the ATL
@Mousebumples:
That happened to me when Lucy McBath won. It was a glorious feeling!
Freemark
@JMS: was going to mention Stelson vs. Perry. She probably has enough money but meets all the other criteria. And not having Perry representing me would be fucking awesome.
Westyny
Josh Riley in NY-19. Close but winnable. A good guy. A victory here would go a good distance towards making up for the feckless NY Democratic reapportionment failures in 2022.
Redshift
@WaterGirl:
I was going to suggest Alsobrooks too. I saw in the recently news about ad reservations that Hogan has many times as much reserved, which has me worried about Alsobrooks’ fundraising, though I haven’t read anything about that directly. Hogan is pretty rich on his own (real estate development business.)
Geminid
@Big Mango: Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez is the real deal, an actual Blue Dog Caucus member. There are only 10 Blue Dogs now, down from 25 after the 2018 midterms. The Caucus suffered election losses in 2020 and 2022, and six members including Reps. Case (HI), Sherrill (NJ), Spanberger (VA) and Correa (CA) left at the beginning of this Congress. Reps. Gluesenkamp and Mary Peltola (AK) were the only new members.
Gluesenkamp Perez is an interesting (to me) politician. She’s a Reed College grad who projects a roughneck image. I keep expecting her to spit tobacco juice during interviews just to make reporters’ eyes bug out. Gluesenkamp Perez is 35 years old, and she would be a “star” if she were on the other, more liberal end of the party.
Her district’s population center is Clark County, just across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon. She flipped it in 2022 after Republican incumbent Jaime Herrera Butler finished third in a jungle primary. The opposite occured across the river in the Oregon 5th CD. There, Blue Dog Curt “Fucking” Schrader lost his primary to a more liberal Democrat who then lost a close race that November.
Now Republicans are trying to hold the Oregon district and knock Gluesenkamp Perez out of the Washington district while Democrat try to do the opposite. The two races could indicate political trends in the Pacific Northwest.
WaterGirl
@Jackie:
Love that.
WaterGirl
@Trapped Lurker: I fished your comment out of moderation, so it’s there now.
Uncle Cosmo
Keep in mind MD is a very expensive state mediawise, with two multimillion-inhabitant centers (DC & Bawlmer). As the population thins out away from the media centers and the I-95 corridor it gets redder and redder – Harford, Cecil and Carroll counties, not to mention the Eastern Shore, might as well be in the Deep Dark Benighted Say-Owth.
TBH, IMO, if BJ sent every penny it collected for all efforts to Alsobrooks it wouldn’t be enough to make much of a difference. We need to pick less pricey states/CDs where our limited funds might mean something.
WaterGirl
New Deal Democrat in a different thread:
WaterGirl
Geminid in a different thread:
WaterGirl
pabadger in a different thread:
WaterGirl
Betty in a different thread:
WaterGirl
BR in another thread: