As we approach the winter solstice, things are not as dark as they seem. More sunlight is on the way. As I noted the other day:
I’m assembling mailing lists for the 5th Ed of For The Win right now. Two years ago 40% of Idaho’s counties either had no functioning Democratic committees (or no sign of them on the Net). Today all do. Two years ago an even higher percentage of Iowa’s counties were MIA. Today only 5 [of 99] are. Sure, it’s red Idaho and Iowa, but it’s dramatic progress in two short years. Nobody knows about that. Now you do.
Candidate filing closed at noon on Friday in North Carolina and I was thrilled:
Chided for absences across more than 25% the General Assembly races in 2022, Friday’s final half-day of election filing for the 2024 cycle brought a resounding end to the fortnight. All 50 Senate districts have a Democratic candidate, and 118 of 120 House of Representatives districts have one.
That’s a far cry from nobody in 15 Senate and 29 House races.
But let former Ohio Democratic Party chair David Pepper tell it:
The new North Carolina Democratic Party Chairwoman, in her mid-20s, didn’t just believe in running everywhere.
@abreezeclayton gave the candidates running in the toughest districts a name:
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“Champion Candidates.”
Because, as she says, by running in those tough districts, these heroes are championing the Democratic cause and values.
And from my standpoint, they’re championing democracy itself.
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Now THAT is how you show that you value running in these tough districts—which means you value running everywhere.
Well, Chairwoman Clayton got to work finding those champion candidates, in a state that’s seen a non-stop attack on democracy as brutal as any state.
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Chairwoman Clayton has been tirelessly circling the state recruiting ever since, and yesterday was the filing deadline.
And…WOW did she succeed!
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Only 2 years ago, North Carolina Dems didn’t field a candidate in 29 statehouse districts. That left about 40% of GOP members without opposition.
And THAT is an unacceptably high number of politicians feeling zero accountability to the people—exerting power with no democracy
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Well, here’s the headline in North Carolina after yesterday…
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That’s right, for 2024, Chairwoman Clayton and her colleagues now have a candidate in all but 2 districts!
From 29 to 2!!
And all 50 Senate districts have a Democratic candidate—in 2022, 15 seats went unopposed!
From 15 to zero!
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Incredibly, as a brand new chair, Chairwoman Clayton bested the Republicans in recruiting in a state THEY gerrymandered.
Republicans are leaving far more districts uncontested (25 statehouse, 8 senate) than she is!
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How is this success being treated in North Carolina?
“NC Dems have reversed the narrative…Chided for absences across more than 25% the General Assembly races in 2022, Friday’s final half-day of election filing for the 2024 cycle brought a resounding end to the fortnight.”
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This is how you go on offense in states, where democracy is most directly under attack!
Kudos to @abreezeclayton , all the other leaders and activists who recruited so vigorously, and especially to the many Champion Candidates for stepping up and providing this invaluable…
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and patriotic public service.
Your service has already begun!
For more on recruiting success elsewhere, and what we need to do next, go here:
The lead organizer from RuralOrganizing.org e-introduced me to Anderson Clayton in August 2021. Like David Pepper, I knew with our first phone call Clayton was going places. By October, she was electing Democrats in a red county. When she ran for state chair last February, I may have been the only one on her campaign Slack over 35. The level of organization I witnessed there was super-impressive. Same-old was not going to cut it. Clayton won handily on reversing the the underperformance in 2022. Since then, she’s won over skeptics, including one close to home. Her team is bringing back the fight.
He’s stepped up to run in a county that’s R+20, and he knows it’s an uphill battle. But he’s ready to get out there and talk to voters about the REAL issues that matter to folks in our own backyard. #RuralMatters
Yes, I’m a fan. My generation can still be footsoldiers and advisers, but it will be this young cohort that will save democracy. Help yourselves by helping them. Stay hydrated, get good sleep.
David Hogg at the far end on the left, along with other GenZ activists at Netroots Nation-Chicago. Including Leaders We Deserve board members TN state Rep. Justin Jones, FL Congressman Maxwell Frost (1st and 2nd on left), and NC Democratic state chair Anderson Clayton (4th on right).
