The race that sets the stage for November + rural America in a pandemic
For the socially conscious and politically curious
Election Day countdown: 200 days
The lowdown
The take: Omnipresence wins elections.
What you can do: Join us for an intimate, free virtual conversation on rural politics in a pandemic on Monday, April 20th with State Rep. Tom Winter (D-MT).
Candidate of the Week: Christy Smith (D-CA)– special House election on May 12th
What you should know: Young voters are critical to victory on the left, but the right invests more in them and they have a digital advantage to show for it.
What we are reading: Making sense of Mitch (The New Yorker); Millennial misfortune (The Atlantic); Delaying the election: what the Constitution says (Bloomberg); Rural repercussions of the virus (Politico); The Coronavirus Generation (The Atlantic)
What we are up to: Going virtual with Senator Mark Warner.
The take
Omnipresence wins elections. Reach out to everyone like Dr. Fauci has been, while encouraging social distancing. That’s how you build awareness, name recognition, and ultimately support. Campaigns should also identify micro-influencers (see: NextGen America). To win young voters, target influencers with young followings. Just don’t pay to get our support. Instead, give the influencers your time and they’ll return the favor with the loyalty of their followers. This tactic fueled the unexpected rise of Andrew Yang and Pete Buttigieg, and propelled Trump’s brand to the presidency in 2016.
What you can do
Join us for an intimate virtual conversation on rural politics in a pandemic on Monday, April 20th with State Rep. Tom Winter (D-MT). We’ll discuss why the pandemic will disproportionately affect rural America, how they are containing the virus, and the state of Montana politics.
Candidate of the Week
About the candidate: Christy Smith flipped her California Assembly district from red to blue in 2018. Before Congress, she served as a policy analyst at the U.S. Department of Education and on her local school board. Former Rep. Katie Hill called her “the mom of [local] Democratic politics.”
About this contested election: This seat had been held for decades by Republicans until Katie Hill won the seat by nine points in 2018. Hill resigned in 2019, which resulted in a special election on May 12th. It’s a toss-up race that will set the stage for November and needs your support.
Learn more on her website.
Check out other races and organizations that you can support here.
What you should know
In 2020, Millennials and Gen Z will account for the largest voting bloc at 37.5 percent. But there are strong signs that their enthusiasm is waning.
While young voters are critical to the Democratic coalition, conservatives invest more in their young voters than their liberal counterparts. Between 2008 and 2014, they spent $500 million more on young voter groups. Turning Point USA, one of the right’s strongest young voter organizing groups, is a product of that investment with their $8.2M budgetand President Trump's speeches at their annual conference. This underinvestment puts the left at a digital disadvantage. Turning Point USA’s 2.35M combined followers on Facebook and Instagram surpasses the combined 1.8M followers for a dozen of the most high profile young voter groups on the left.
What we are reading
Making sense of Mitch: “In those days, McConnell opposed the war himself. Nevertheless, in 1967, after graduating from the University of Kentucky’s law school, he began serving in the Army Reserve, because, he acknowledges, it was smart politically. Five weeks later, he obtained a medical discharge, for an eye condition.” (The New Yorker)
Millennial misfortune: “Going into the 2008 financial crisis, Gen Xers had twice the assets that Millennials have today; right now, Gen Xers have four times the assets and double the savings of younger adults.” (The Atlantic)
Delaying the election: “It’s true that Congress could change the date that it enacted. Because Democrats control the House of Representatives, however, that isn’t very likely (unless circumstances get a lot worse).” (Bloomberg)
Rural repercussions: “Unlike city-based finance, software and media jobs that readily move online, rural jobs tend to be in industries, many of them designated ‘essential,’ that require showing up and working at close quarters: agriculture, manufacturing, fishing, mining, retail, tourism and recreation.” (Politico)
The Coronavirus Generation: “If the broad support among young people for the leftist presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is any indication, the one-two punch of the Great Recession and the coronavirus pandemic—if handled poorly by those in power—might be enough to create a future America with free health care, a reformed justice system, and better labor protections for working people.” (The Atlantic)
What we are up to
After hosting over 50 events across five cities for candidates up and down the ballot in the past year, including 18 presidential candidates, we’ve transitioned to a series of virtual events that began this week with Senator Mark Warner. Stay tuned for future announcements and request candidates in the feedback form.
Stay safe,
Zak
P.S. If you enjoy these newsletters, recommend a friend and provide feedback here.