Annual Report from the Civic Engagement Committee's at General Meeting, November 17th
The Civic Engagement Committee has carried out a two-pronged approach this past year: 1. voting rights and voter turnout and 2. The States Project Giving Circle. Several of the committee and SF Unity Coalition members did regular phone-banking, texting, postcard writing and attended voter registration events. Our Unity Coalition's Giving Circle raised $20,047 in support of the States Project candidates in North Carolina, the state we voted to support this election. Thanks to so many our Coalition members, friends and supporters, our funds were able to prevent a super-majority from taking over in the NC House — and by 425 votes! Our work is focusing on the states because so many of our laws and policies are determined in the state legislatures and court houses. In addition, the money we raise can go much further than in national races. Here are some results from the important work that the Giving Circles did to fund and win victories for many candidates in 12 states:
ALASKA
We won’t know whether the Alaska bipartisan coalition will be rebuilt until 2023, when state lawmakers negotiate around the all-important chamber vote for Speaker of the House.
ARIZONA
In both the Senate and the House we have successfully held ground! This means we have successfully given democracy a fighting shot in Arizona – keeping just a one seat margin means that a coalition to protect the will of the voters is within reach.
COLORADO
Democrats successfully defended majorities in both the House and Senate, preserving a pro-democracy trifecta with the re-election of Gov. Jared Polis. TSP partnered with the National Democratic Redistricting Committee to make investments here down the stretch.
MAINE
We successfully protected both the Senate and House majorities, preserving a critical pro-democracy trifecta and defending governing power that has improved millions of lives since we first helped to flip the Senate in 2018.
MICHIGAN
As the top funder for the Senate and the House – we powered a Democratic trifecta in Michigan for the first time since 1983! Champions of good jobs, protecting democracy, and reproductive freedom, the new majorities are poised to start making progress on the issues Michiganders care about most. We gained three seats in the House and four in the Senate, for two outright majorities!
MINNESOTA
This legislature was the rightwing’s best opportunity to flip a chamber and achieve unified control. Instead of giving in to despair, our investment and tactics helped to hold the House and flip the Senate, creating a new, unlikely trifecta. With Governor Walz’s re-election, these new majorities can get to work improving lives.
To defend the Minnesota House we held every seat (we could only afford to lose two!), and in the Senate, we gained the three seats we needed to win the chamber.
NEBRASKA
Vote counts are tight. Preventing a supermajority is still possible.
NEVADA
The States Project helped to defend both chambers!
NEW HAMPSHIRE
The House could still flip – a goal we were hoping to achieve by 2024. There are 7 races in New Hampshire that are within 10 votes. The margins in the House are extremely close, and we are headed into recounts for some seats that lost by five votes or less! Stay tuned and help fuel recount efforts here.
NORTH CAROLINA
In the North Carolina House, we helped prevent a supermajority by under 500 votes! This impact will safeguard Governor Cooper’s veto power to protect North Carolinians from the rightwing’s most extreme policies.
PENNSYLVANIA
We’ve flipped the House! We were the only group to seriously invest in flipping the PA House. We flipped 12 seats to secure the new majority that will protect democracy and improve lives.
WISCONSIN
Governor Evers’ veto power was preserved! By providing support down the stretch, we prevented a rightwing supermajority with an extreme anti-democracy agenda — an outcome that was decided by just 2,499 votes across two districts!
Special thanks to Zanne Mrlik and Bonnie Lindauer for their leadership!