I recently moved from Washington State to northern Mississippi. I knew it would be challenging to live in a red state but I never imagined how challenging it would actually be.
I have been trying to find/connect with the Democratic Party here. If they have a presence here they hide it well. The posts in the Facebook group consist of someone trying to sell athletic shoes.
We have a Democrat candidate for the state legislature in our district. I sent her a $100 donation. I received a hand written thank you note. I fear this is because she has so few donations that mine seemed exceptional. I hope that isn’t the case.
Long story short, we could use some help getting organized here.
Unfortunately, what you're describing isn't unique. Democrats running in red states (and especially those running in red districts within red states) are typically underfunded – so $100 would be quite exceptional.
Take the 2020 election for example (which I just happen to know, because it's the election before we launched Blue Ohio – https://blueohio.org/). In that election, 13 Democratic nominees for state legislature in Ohio had less than $5,000 for their whole campaign. In the same election year, eight Democratic nominees for state leg in Missouri had less than $1,000. It's a consistent story across other states, and in other cycles, too. Last cycle in Tennessee, 13 Democratic nominees for state leg had less than $5,000.
This funding disparity – and some data we have that shows the efficiency and effectiveness of running everywhere – is why we (at Every State Blue – https://everystateblue.org/) changed our funding model for our state projects after 2020: we distribute funds first to those who have the least. We create a funding floor, so that nominees can spend their time talking to voters and organizing their community. So this cycle (because of Blue Ohio), no Democratic nominee for state leg in Ohio has less than $7,300. We'll have a similar story in Missouri because of Blue Missouri. And we're just getting going in Tennessee.
Your $100 made a huge difference for that nominee – and you're seeing just how much these folks appreciate and need all the help we can give. I'm dedicated to making sure these nominees – and voters like you – aren't left behind. 💙
Katrina Christiansen is North Dakota’s US senate dem candidate running to flip ND back! She’s up against Kevin Cramer and corporate money. She’s working hard to take back the seat previously held by Dems for 6 decades!
35+ percent of the Mississippi population is Black and the vast majority of Black Mississippians are Democratic as are about 1/3 of white Mississippians.
Western Mississippi has a more concentrated Black population (north and south) while Eastern Mississippi has a more concentrated white population.
Because Mississippi has an extreme history of criminalizing Black Mississippians and because Mississippi has an extreme lifetime disenfranchisement of people convicted of felonies, a full sixteen percent of Black adult Mississippians are not legally permitted to vote. Mississippi also does not only have anti-Black gerrymandered districts for the US Congress, but also for the state legislature.
In sum, the overall population of Mississippi is not as red as one might think, but the red part of the population has used the machinery of the state to dilute the power of the blue part of the population as much as possible.
A Tuesday action suggestion/request: I wear a Biden T-Shirt on EVERY Grocery Run in Florida. It started as a New Years resolution. My hope was (and still is) that it would become a thing and grocery stores become a place where Biden Fans show their true colors. Why grocery stores? 1. Safety. They are brightly lit and populated. 2. Visibility. They are brightly lit and populated.
Shopping while Blue is a perfect way to turn a $30 T-Shirt into a ray of hope for fellow Dems in Red States. I agree we need to fight for and fund every election. Shopping while Blue is a way to rally the troops and to show our numbers in a way that voting alone fails to do.
After this idea was mentioned by Robert Hubbell, Shirt Sales Boomed. The ACTION that is needed though is a concerted, united effort to wear Biden Shirts Grocery Shopping. Three Biden Tees in a Kroger will make it seem like EVERYONE is wearing Biden gear. Enthusiasm builds enthusiasm.
It's an act of volunteering that can happen on YOUR schedule while doing errands. It's $30 to reach potentially 100s of people. I've done this 48 times since 1/1/24 and have received ZERO negative comments IN FLORIDA. Trust me, this will renew your faith in humanity. And it feels so good to DO SOMETHING for 11/5/24
Awesome. Thanks you a much. Great newsletter by the way. This effort is my pro-bono volunteer mission and I truly appreciate the help. I’m happy to report I’ve befriended a lot of people in the process.
Thank you so much for posting those links! I have wanted a decent Biden/Harris t-shirt for a while. Though I wholeheartedly support the campaign, dog help them - their merch is both boring and UGLY! Honestly, they should just adopt the one from DemsMakeLifeBetter (which I just purchased one from). Thanks again and see you at the grocery store!
They are a threat to all of us. Not just those in their state. Because of gerrymandering and voter suppression, the US House is easily apportioned in a manner that doesn’t truly represent the will of the people. And that’s a big deal. Congress holds the purse strings. They make the laws. As glacially as they seem to work some days, it’s nothing compared to the Courts. We need a US House that truly reflects what the people of this country look like and what values we hold. That is critical for blue states and red states because we are still the United States.
Lucas Kunce is a well qualified candidate to replace Josh Hawley with reasonableness for the benefit of Missouri and the nation.
In our NW Missouri district the current representative votes against items that can benefit our area. Then when a major project takes place he's there for the shoveling and celebration at finish.
Pam May is a sensible candidate to replace him. She'll listen to district citizens not PACs.
The nerve of these MO Republicans is really something isn’t it? That’s why we need candidates like Pam to hold him accountable - not give him a free pass. 💙
It’s a week of Fox News in 45 minutes hosted by the damn funny Missouri native Juliet Jeske.
When you hear what MAGA hears, you'll realize they don't disagree with Democrats... they know nothing about us. All they hear is that we WANT to destroy the country. And once Dems know what message we are fighting... it'll be easier to fight.
Engaging in local politics, especially in red states, can have a significant impact on shaping policies that directly affect communities. It's encouraging to see your advocacy for candidates who prioritize community needs and seek to bridge gap
So so true. WV is a perfect example of Democrats not even trying. Republicans have super majorities in the legislature and all the state wide offices, partly because Dems gave up at the first hurdle and often don’t even run candidates. And the party ignores candidates that have the audacity to run without their permission. It is sickening
The Party’s policy of putting the money where they think it will do the most good, I.e., borderline districts, is a tired and unsuccessful model. They should be investing in grassroots movements in every single state. The power of people will outmaneuver the power of tv ads if someone invests in it.
I applaud your efforts to strengthen blue states and Missouri; I can't disagree with a word you wrote.
We've come to a horrific point in our political system and possibly our country's existence, in my opinion, because the Democratic party has been asleep at the switch. As much as I hate to admit it, for decades Republicans have been brilliant strategists seeding state offices with their ilk. Democrats and the DNC have been short sited on planning, working at the grass roots level while overlooking the need to promote and mentor future Democratic leaders. That Is what underlines the importance of your work today.
You are fighting the good fight. As a native Missourian, I wish you success. Good luck. Break a leg!
As a fellow Banks constituent, completely agree. Given that Fort Wayne has been blue for years, I don't understand how we haven't had a good challenger for him.
He's such a terrible representative and he would be an even more useless senator. It's not just his politics. He's just not good at his job. It's so frustrating.
And I was surrounded by Banks voters when I lived and taught in Fort Wayne. There are still plenty of conservatives in the area, even if they aren't in the city.
Yours is a clear, actionable voice in a sea of cacophony! I love the grocery shirt idea, and your action items. In 3 weeks I retire from work. My game plan is to do more.
I agree! Everyone should be paying close attention to their local elections and voting in them! I live in Florida and my district lines change so often I have whiplash trying to keep up. I know young voters who went to the wrong polling places and were turned away and unable to vote because they weren’t paying attention! We all need to talk to younger folks and make sure they understand the logistics of voting in person.
Yours is a clear, actionable voice in a sea of cacophony! I love the grocery shirt idea, and your action items. In 3 weeks I retire from work. My game plan is to do more.
Washington state is considered blue, because of King County, but maps show a sea of red when looking at county and LD results. I wish we’d stop being overlooked because we’re far more purple than blue.
I do live in a blue state — Illinois— but in a red area. If not for Chicago, Illinois would be much redder. I’m in central Illinois. Even here, in a small town full of Trump signs, I know many wonderful libs. We are good at finding each other! We do exist.
This is also true for Red districts within Blue states. Our district was recently redrawn so it went from purple or slightly Blue to deep Red. Yet many Blue districts in the state have an abundance of funding and yet I don't see funding being sent to flip our district Blue. It's like the party has already conceded.
I recently moved from Washington State to northern Mississippi. I knew it would be challenging to live in a red state but I never imagined how challenging it would actually be.
I have been trying to find/connect with the Democratic Party here. If they have a presence here they hide it well. The posts in the Facebook group consist of someone trying to sell athletic shoes.
We have a Democrat candidate for the state legislature in our district. I sent her a $100 donation. I received a hand written thank you note. I fear this is because she has so few donations that mine seemed exceptional. I hope that isn’t the case.
Long story short, we could use some help getting organized here.
Unfortunately, what you're describing isn't unique. Democrats running in red states (and especially those running in red districts within red states) are typically underfunded – so $100 would be quite exceptional.
Take the 2020 election for example (which I just happen to know, because it's the election before we launched Blue Ohio – https://blueohio.org/). In that election, 13 Democratic nominees for state legislature in Ohio had less than $5,000 for their whole campaign. In the same election year, eight Democratic nominees for state leg in Missouri had less than $1,000. It's a consistent story across other states, and in other cycles, too. Last cycle in Tennessee, 13 Democratic nominees for state leg had less than $5,000.
This funding disparity – and some data we have that shows the efficiency and effectiveness of running everywhere – is why we (at Every State Blue – https://everystateblue.org/) changed our funding model for our state projects after 2020: we distribute funds first to those who have the least. We create a funding floor, so that nominees can spend their time talking to voters and organizing their community. So this cycle (because of Blue Ohio), no Democratic nominee for state leg in Ohio has less than $7,300. We'll have a similar story in Missouri because of Blue Missouri. And we're just getting going in Tennessee.
Your $100 made a huge difference for that nominee – and you're seeing just how much these folks appreciate and need all the help we can give. I'm dedicated to making sure these nominees – and voters like you – aren't left behind. 💙
Katrina Christiansen is North Dakota’s US senate dem candidate running to flip ND back! She’s up against Kevin Cramer and corporate money. She’s working hard to take back the seat previously held by Dems for 6 decades!
Dems need to realize the power we have!
35+ percent of the Mississippi population is Black and the vast majority of Black Mississippians are Democratic as are about 1/3 of white Mississippians.
Western Mississippi has a more concentrated Black population (north and south) while Eastern Mississippi has a more concentrated white population.
Because Mississippi has an extreme history of criminalizing Black Mississippians and because Mississippi has an extreme lifetime disenfranchisement of people convicted of felonies, a full sixteen percent of Black adult Mississippians are not legally permitted to vote. Mississippi also does not only have anti-Black gerrymandered districts for the US Congress, but also for the state legislature.
In sum, the overall population of Mississippi is not as red as one might think, but the red part of the population has used the machinery of the state to dilute the power of the blue part of the population as much as possible.
Northeast or northwest? I’m originally from Tupelo and know some folks who could set you in the right direction in the area.
I’m going to guess Northwest, I’m not far from Tupelo.
Contact Melanie at Link Centre. Before I left the area, the Democrats met there.
A Tuesday action suggestion/request: I wear a Biden T-Shirt on EVERY Grocery Run in Florida. It started as a New Years resolution. My hope was (and still is) that it would become a thing and grocery stores become a place where Biden Fans show their true colors. Why grocery stores? 1. Safety. They are brightly lit and populated. 2. Visibility. They are brightly lit and populated.
My two favorite T-shirt sites:
DemsMakeLifeBetter.org
BeantownStrong.org
Shopping while Blue is a perfect way to turn a $30 T-Shirt into a ray of hope for fellow Dems in Red States. I agree we need to fight for and fund every election. Shopping while Blue is a way to rally the troops and to show our numbers in a way that voting alone fails to do.
After this idea was mentioned by Robert Hubbell, Shirt Sales Boomed. The ACTION that is needed though is a concerted, united effort to wear Biden Shirts Grocery Shopping. Three Biden Tees in a Kroger will make it seem like EVERYONE is wearing Biden gear. Enthusiasm builds enthusiasm.
It's an act of volunteering that can happen on YOUR schedule while doing errands. It's $30 to reach potentially 100s of people. I've done this 48 times since 1/1/24 and have received ZERO negative comments IN FLORIDA. Trust me, this will renew your faith in humanity. And it feels so good to DO SOMETHING for 11/5/24
I love this! Excellent idea – and I have just the shirt in mind for my next grocery run … Thank you! (Def. going in this week’s Tuesday actions!)
Awesome. Thanks you a much. Great newsletter by the way. This effort is my pro-bono volunteer mission and I truly appreciate the help. I’m happy to report I’ve befriended a lot of people in the process.
Thank you so much for posting those links! I have wanted a decent Biden/Harris t-shirt for a while. Though I wholeheartedly support the campaign, dog help them - their merch is both boring and UGLY! Honestly, they should just adopt the one from DemsMakeLifeBetter (which I just purchased one from). Thanks again and see you at the grocery store!
I’m on board. Ordering my t-shirts now.
Glad to hear it Semorine. Wear it in good health!
I have an anti-fascist t-shirt I strategically wear and I have a friend who does something similar. Yay!
They are a threat to all of us. Not just those in their state. Because of gerrymandering and voter suppression, the US House is easily apportioned in a manner that doesn’t truly represent the will of the people. And that’s a big deal. Congress holds the purse strings. They make the laws. As glacially as they seem to work some days, it’s nothing compared to the Courts. We need a US House that truly reflects what the people of this country look like and what values we hold. That is critical for blue states and red states because we are still the United States.
Here, here! I couldn't agree more.
Please support candidates in red states.
Lucas Kunce is a well qualified candidate to replace Josh Hawley with reasonableness for the benefit of Missouri and the nation.
In our NW Missouri district the current representative votes against items that can benefit our area. Then when a major project takes place he's there for the shoveling and celebration at finish.
Pam May is a sensible candidate to replace him. She'll listen to district citizens not PACs.
The nerve of these MO Republicans is really something isn’t it? That’s why we need candidates like Pam to hold him accountable - not give him a free pass. 💙
Listen to Decoding Fox News on Substack. https://decodingfoxnews.substack.com?r=4j5a4
It’s a week of Fox News in 45 minutes hosted by the damn funny Missouri native Juliet Jeske.
When you hear what MAGA hears, you'll realize they don't disagree with Democrats... they know nothing about us. All they hear is that we WANT to destroy the country. And once Dems know what message we are fighting... it'll be easier to fight.
Engaging in local politics, especially in red states, can have a significant impact on shaping policies that directly affect communities. It's encouraging to see your advocacy for candidates who prioritize community needs and seek to bridge gap
So so true. WV is a perfect example of Democrats not even trying. Republicans have super majorities in the legislature and all the state wide offices, partly because Dems gave up at the first hurdle and often don’t even run candidates. And the party ignores candidates that have the audacity to run without their permission. It is sickening
The Party’s policy of putting the money where they think it will do the most good, I.e., borderline districts, is a tired and unsuccessful model. They should be investing in grassroots movements in every single state. The power of people will outmaneuver the power of tv ads if someone invests in it.
I applaud your efforts to strengthen blue states and Missouri; I can't disagree with a word you wrote.
We've come to a horrific point in our political system and possibly our country's existence, in my opinion, because the Democratic party has been asleep at the switch. As much as I hate to admit it, for decades Republicans have been brilliant strategists seeding state offices with their ilk. Democrats and the DNC have been short sited on planning, working at the grass roots level while overlooking the need to promote and mentor future Democratic leaders. That Is what underlines the importance of your work today.
You are fighting the good fight. As a native Missourian, I wish you success. Good luck. Break a leg!
As an Indiana resident (who lived in Texas for six years) who doesn't want Jim Banks to be my senator, thank you.
As a frustrated red-state resident, I wrote this last year: https://sarahstyf.substack.com/p/states-are-not-a-color-on-the-electoral?r=jbxzo
As a fellow Banks constituent, completely agree. Given that Fort Wayne has been blue for years, I don't understand how we haven't had a good challenger for him.
He's such a terrible representative and he would be an even more useless senator. It's not just his politics. He's just not good at his job. It's so frustrating.
And I was surrounded by Banks voters when I lived and taught in Fort Wayne. There are still plenty of conservatives in the area, even if they aren't in the city.
Yours is a clear, actionable voice in a sea of cacophony! I love the grocery shirt idea, and your action items. In 3 weeks I retire from work. My game plan is to do more.
Now is the time to act, not November 6!
Exactly! And you know the old campaign saying- that the two things you never enough of are time and money. Using time wisely now will pay off in Nov…
Hopefully so!
I agree! Everyone should be paying close attention to their local elections and voting in them! I live in Florida and my district lines change so often I have whiplash trying to keep up. I know young voters who went to the wrong polling places and were turned away and unable to vote because they weren’t paying attention! We all need to talk to younger folks and make sure they understand the logistics of voting in person.
They will try everything to keep people from voting. Regular folks voting, scares the red people. Keep up the good work and Vote.
Ordered my shirt!!
Yours is a clear, actionable voice in a sea of cacophony! I love the grocery shirt idea, and your action items. In 3 weeks I retire from work. My game plan is to do more.
A friend just shared your column with me. Thank you (me, hanging on for dear life in a red state)
Washington state is considered blue, because of King County, but maps show a sea of red when looking at county and LD results. I wish we’d stop being overlooked because we’re far more purple than blue.
I do live in a blue state — Illinois— but in a red area. If not for Chicago, Illinois would be much redder. I’m in central Illinois. Even here, in a small town full of Trump signs, I know many wonderful libs. We are good at finding each other! We do exist.
This is also true for Red districts within Blue states. Our district was recently redrawn so it went from purple or slightly Blue to deep Red. Yet many Blue districts in the state have an abundance of funding and yet I don't see funding being sent to flip our district Blue. It's like the party has already conceded.