The $30 million plan represents the group’s largest midterm pledge yet, and is a welcome boost for Democrats in the face of large midterm investments from leading Republican groups. But MoveOn isn’t focusing precisely on the usual kitchen table issues that might normally dominate midterm races.
Instead, MoveOn’s approach harmonizes with President Joe Biden, who spent last week decrying the GOP’s “ultra MAGA” turn. Epting said tying midterm elections to out-of-power former President Donald Trump is a vital political issue: “We need to come together across the political spectrum to defeat this dangerous ideology that is taking hold in the Republican Party.”
MoveOn is taking a targeted approach, making initial endorsements of a dozen candidates in statewide races and key House battles with plans to roll out more later, after primary races conclude. The group is also planning to bundle $1 million each to a handful of gubernatorial candidates and secretary of state hopefuls, a reflection of the increased focus on top election officials after the still-unfolding fight against false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.
“Our members have been really hot on the secretary of state work,” Epting said. “That is indicative of just how much people understand that our democracy is at stake right now.”
MoveOn is backing two high-profile Democratic gubernatorial candidates thus far: Stacey Abrams in Georgia and Beto O’Rourke in Texas. And the group is supporting secretary of state candidates Bee Nguyen in Georgia and Reginald Bolding in Arizona.
In Senate races, MoveOn is endorsing Mandela Barnes in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary to take on Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) as well as incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). They’re also backing six battleground House members: Reps. Katie Porter and Mike Levin of California, Jahana Hayes of Connecticut, Colin Allred of Texas, Lauren Underwood of Illinois and Sharice Davids of Kansas.
And in the states, MoveOn is targeting increased turnout in two main voting blocs: “Surge voters” who voted in 2018 and 2020 but might not normally vote in midterms and Democrats angry about the draft Supreme Court opinion and the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. MoveOn also plans to run digital, TV and radio ads to help with voter mobilization as part of its fall plans.
But even as it expends its most resources ever for a midterm election cycle, Epting said the group is planning to be strategic on where it deploys its money and organizing might. With the Senate majority evenly split and Democrats holding only a narrow edge in the House, Epting said MoveOn is “going for depth over breadth.”
“Our theory is we know we have a shot at winning, maintaining our Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, which will be hard, but it’s possible,” she said.
eldenringstabbyguy on May 17th, 2022 at 14:44 UTC »
The only thing that could prevent fascism is we win midterms and all local elections at this point.
So there are: "A total of 469 seats in the U.S. Congress (34 Senate seats and all 435 House seats) are up for election on November 8, 2022."
If Democrats gain enough of these seats ( in red states as well) we can save our democracy, and have enough Dems to pass legislation, add sane judges to the Supreme Court, and more.
Please help, as we need poll workers to protect elections and keep an eye on elections: https://workelections.org/
Don't forget your local elections, like school boards!
Voter information of all types by location, what's on the ballot, dates to vote in your area, elections in your area: www.vote411.org
State primary elections dates: https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/2022-state-primary-election-dates-and-filing-deadlines.aspx Local election dates: https://ballotpedia.org/Local_elections_calendar
In red states, the GOP may try to stop legitimate elections by pretending Dems didn't win if they do. We must be prepared to fight this as it's a very huge characteristic of fascism.
Contact the ACLU and DOJ. They may have ideas of how to sue to stop it if it happens:
https://www.aclu.org/contact-us https://www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section
Other ways to help: Inform people on Twitter and other social media by countering disinformation tactics by the GOP with good information. Volunteer as a poll worker, run for elections/secretary of state elections security offices, or volunteer! You can copy some of this if it suits you, or you can change it or add to it.
BeaverMissed on May 17th, 2022 at 11:57 UTC »
30 million seems like a drop in the bucket. Hoping that there are other organizations who care about democratic processes and about how the US is slowly loosing them.
BoosterRead78 on May 17th, 2022 at 11:05 UTC »
I like that: “move on”. What MAGA has been saying since 2016 when Trump won, yet they can’t after 2020 after Trump lost.