First published on Blue Virginia

Hey!  Democrats and activists!  The results from Georgia and South Carolina may be in, but don’t take that nap you’ve been aching for since November just yet.  Nate Silver said, anticipating the results, that “a half-dozen special elections taken together are a useful sign; any one of them is less so.”

With Virginia’s races, we’ll get something much better than any special election:  We’ll get the chance to rebuke the Republican party at a massive, policy-making level, and a more cutting symbolic one, as well.

Virginia’s elections in November will alter the real political currents in many ways Georgia's couldn’t.  We’re a swing state, the 12th largest in population and 12th largest economy in the Union.  We host enormous military bases and occupy crucial committees in Washington.  That gives our state’s policymakers real weight in pushing for policies in DC.

So how do we make the most of the tremendous opportunity Virginia’s state elections in November 2017 give us?

• We concentrate on the bellwether counties such as Henrico, just outside of Richmond. Henrico’s enormous and increasingly diverse population is one of the richest sources of votes and political capital for Democrats in Virginia.  Henrico has gone blue in the last 3 presidential elections, outperforming the state as a whole for Democrats.
• We find effective ways to help candidates in specific races in those bellwether counties: donate money and time, spread the word about them on social media - and, hey, in good old-fashioned conversations.

In Henrico, we are fortunate to have these three candidates, all of them running in districts that Hillary won:

Schuyler VanValkenburg (VA-72) - Website - Donate - Facebook - Twitter

Debra Rodman (VA-73) -Website - Donate - Facebook - Twitter

Courtney Lynch (Henrico Board of Supervisors) - Website - Donate - Facebook

SCHUYLER VanVALKENBURG(VA-72) is running for a district that Hillary won.  Did I mention that?  Schuyler is a public school teacher and advocate for progressive jobs training policies, public school funding, and gerrymandering reform.  Schuyler’s early performance was so strong that the incumbent he was facing chose not to run rather than face a competitive race.  Among his endorsers are: Run For Something, an organization founded by Obama alumni; the Sierra Club; Bold Progressives, which is backed by Elizabeth Warren; Only If You Run, an anti-gerrymandering PAC.

DEBRA RODMAN (VA-73) is running (as I may have said) for a district Hillary won.  Debra is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Women’s Studies and Director of Women’s Studies at Randolph-Macon College.  She is an advocate for jobs programs, Medicaid expansion, women’s reproductive rights, and funding for education.  She regularly serves as an expert witness for U.S. Federal immigration courts for families seeking political asylum, mostly women and children, and LGBT individuals. Named as one of Richmond Style Weekly's Top 40 Under 40, Debra is a former Fulbright Scholar and fluent Spanish speaker. See my article on this race here.

COURTNEY LYNCH (Henrico Board of Supervisors) is running (by the way) for a district that Hillary won.  Courtney is a successful author with her own consulting firm.  She is a Marine who has served two tours of duty.  Courtney advocates for economic development to benefit all Henrico citizens and to narrow the economic gap between eastern and western Henrico.  She understands that economic growth does not have to entail urban sprawl and will work for sensible zoning.   Aware that excellent schools are critical both for their own sake and to attract business, she will be a voice on the Board for children and teachers. See my article on this race here.

Please learn more about these terrific candidates and contribute to their campaigns:

Schuyler VanValkenburg (VA-72) - Website - Donate - Facebook - Twitter

Debra Rodman (VA-73) - Website - Donate - Facebook - Twitter

Courtney Lynch (Henrico Board of Supervisors) - Website - Donate - Facebook

Here’s an analysis of the vote in Fulton County, one of the three counties in GA-6 & the largest one.

First of all, turnout:

Comparing the turnout map above with map of Clinton support in 2016 below shows that the high-Clinton, Democratic precincts had relatively low turnout yesterday:

Finally, to explore the idea that never-Trump Republicans who stayed home or didn’t make a presidential selection last November reverted to type yesterday with the more classic Republican Handel, here a map of, call it, the “Handel bounce” yesterday relative to Trump’s performance last November:

So some precincts showed a positive bounce for Handel, and some negative, broadly corresponding to red and blue areas in the 2016 presidential map above, with some exceptions probably corresponding to demographics other than party registration. For example, there were some 2016 strong blue precincts where Ossoff’s margin was even greater than Clinton’s. That could be a reflection of the mobilized resistance and Ossoff GOTV efforts.

A good number of precincts showed a bounce for Handel, supporting the idea that never-Trumpers were fine with her. Backing up this assertion is the relatively large vote for Gary Johnson in these precincts in 2016—4.7%. Johnson could be seen as an escape valve for never-Trumpers.

Latest news out of Virginia today courtesy of Quinnipiac:

Wide gender and racial gaps mark the first post-primary survey of the Virginia governor's race, as Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam leads Republican Ed Gillespie 47 - 39 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. 
 

The Democrat leads 54 - 33 percent among women, while the Republican leads 47 - 39 percent among men, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University Poll finds. White voters back Gillespie 48 - 40 percent, while non-white voters back Northam 65 - 20 percent. 
 

Gillespie leads 91 - 4 percent among Republicans while Northam takes Democrats 94 - 1 percent. Independent voters are divided with 40 percent for Gillespie and 38 percent for Northam. 
 

Northam gets a 36 - 24 percent favorability rating, with 39 percent who haven't heard enough about him to form an opinion of him. Gillespie gets a split 29 - 29 percent favorability rating, with 39 percent who haven't heard enough to form an opinion. 
 

In another boost for Democrats, Virginia voters say 48 - 41 percent that they would like to see the Democrats in control of the State Legislature. 
 

The economy is the most important issue in deciding their vote for governor, 31 percent of voters say, while 30 percent list health care; 15 percent list education, with 10 percent each for taxes and immigration. 
 

"Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam begins the general election as the favorite to become the Old Dominion's next governor. But not an overwhelming one," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. 
 

"The Democrat's margin over Republican Ed Gillespie is a product of national and Virginia factors." 
 

"Northam is certainly benefiting from the unpopularity of President Donald Trump. He also is getting a bump from his ties to fellow Democrat, Gov. Terry McAuliffe," Brown added. 
 

"Although Northam's lead is just 47 - 39 percent, other data indicates the difficulty of the job facing Gillespie. Voters have a mixed view of Gillespie. By a three-two margin, they see Northam favorably. And, voters say they would prefer that the Democrats control the State Legislature." 
 

By a narrow 42 - 38 percent, Virginia voters say Gillespie would do a better job handling the economy. Looking at how candidates handle other issues:

• Northam tops Gillespie on handling health care, 46 - 33 percent;
• The Democrat leads on handling education 45 - 32 percent;
• 40 percent say Gillespie is better on taxes, while 37 percent pick Northam;
• Northam is better handling immigration, 40 percent say, while 37 percent pick Gillespie.

Only 25 percent of Virginia voters are more likely to vote for a candidate for governor who supports President Donald Trump, while 46 percent are less likely to vote for a Trump supporter and 28 percent say Trump support will have no impact on their vote for governor. 

From June 15 - 20, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,145 Virginia voters with a margin of error of +/- 3.8 percentage points, including design effect. Live interviewers call landlines and cell phones. 
 

Let’s win this damn thing! Click here to donate and get involved with Northam’s campaign.

How paranoid can you get? The Dutch had national elections in March, and they really wigged out:

"Dutch will count all election ballots by hand to thwart hacking"

"Ministers want no repeat of US-Russia controversy in the March poll that could see Geert Wilders’ far-right party win power"
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/02/dutch-will-count-all-election-ballots-by-hand-to-thwart-cyber-hacking

"Dutch authorities will count by hand all the votes cast in next month’s general elections, ditching “vulnerable” computer software to thwart any cyber hacking bid, a senior minister has said…

...Plasterk told parliament that fears over “the vulnerabilities of the software” used by the country’s election committee “had raised questions about whether the upcoming elections could be manipulated”.

He insisted in a letter to MPs that “no shadow of a doubt should hang over the results” of the parliamentary polls, which some analysts predict could result in a five-party coalition."

As it turns out Dutch voters rejected Geert Wilders’ far-right party. Just another false alarm. Those Dutch just get so darned nervous about elections. Fortunately, here in the U.S., we stay so much more relaxed about them. In the words of a Great American:

What, me worry?
 

Received this e-mail today from U.S. Senator Jon Tester’s (D. MT) re-election campaign:

The New York Times features a whole lotta Democrats wringing their hands and realizing after Jon Ossoff’s loss in “winnable” red GA-06, mebbe they really DON’T get how to win elections in the post-Obama era (and mind you, it was mostly Obama who knew how to win them). Do Dems have a damaged brand with the electorate? Heck yeah, that’s a no-brainer, and still the same old-tired leaders in Washington pump out the same self-righteous explanations about why their strategies fail again, and again, and again.

As I read Amie Parnes and Jonathan Allen’s book Shatteredon the 2016 Clinton election debacle, it seems clear that Jon Ossoff was a good candidate with a fighting chance to win in an incredibly red district — and was sunk in part by the Democratic Party’s failure to develop, curate, and distribute a cultural narrative that average know-nothing voters will see as their own story. 

Bernie Sanders was a flawed candidate in many ways, but he got the cultural narrative part of his campaign reasonably right. Fight the big guys (you know, the ones that hire all of those college-educated people in blue states to tell them how to lose their jobs to overseas workers). It’s okay to be an American if you’re not a rainbow-multicultural kinda person (and no, that’s not the same thing as racist. It just isn’t). 

The very fact that Dem leaders complain about their “brand” is a telltale sign that they don’t really connect with average Americans on a cultural level very deeply. The subtext of it is that if they had just come up with the right buzzwords, their tens of millions in TV ads would have done something. In GA-06, they didn’t — because all it took was a fairly easy twist of the deeply established Republican cultural narrative to highlight Republican Congresspeople being shot and a Britain terrorist attack to allow the Ossoff margin to disappear. 

There is no American narrative for the Democratic party. There is no us-against-them narrative that catches the average American at the gut level that pulls on the heartstrings of pride, loyalty, and tribal identity that embraces the average rural or family-oriented suburban voter at a level of something more than often brainy and non-gut global concepts. There is no line-in-the-stand, “here I stand, I can do no other” heart to the Democratic Party that reaches out beyond bands of constituencies that puts out a vision for a truly united nation that respects local cultures as a part of that vision. 

Obama got that narrative honed down to the point where people bought it, and kept on buying it, but the narrative never worked its way into the marrow of the Democratic Party. There is no institutional investment in developing and maintaining such a widely adoptable and easily understood values and cultural narrative — only a technobcatic lurch from one issue group’s turn at the mike to another, issues that benefit largely the global economy at the expense of the U.S. economy. Mind you, the Republicans claim to defend American values but pull the plug on the American economy moreso, but it doesn’t matter — they own the cultural narrative that wins elections, and they’ve invested in it heavily, so, hey, what do you expect.

Now that narrative has become fairly vulnerable, but I doubt that Democrats will take advantage of that vulnerability to invest in a uniting narrative that will get people to vote for Dems reflexively, outside of racial minorities who understand what it’s like to be thrown under the bus of another culture’s narrative, and educated white folks who want to leave their rural and working class roots behind them as rapidly as possible.

Republicans have invested heavily in their cultural narrative for decades. It will only be in the likes of an FDR-like landslide that the ossified Democratic Party leaders will step aside and let someone else have a shot at things, because they will have no choice but to do so. Until Dems get a hold of a deeply embedded cultural narrative, and invest in it heavily, no billions spent on TV ads will persuade voters to jump ranks with their cultural identity. We’ll probably be lucky in 2018, but we’ll need more than luck to enact fundamental change in Washington.

Received this e-mail today from U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich’s (D. NM) re-election campaign:

Because of supporters like you, my campaign reached our fundraising goal just before midnight. I cannot thank you enough for your support as we fight together to move New Mexico and our progressive values forward.

And right now we’re in a critical time where we must stand together. Senate Republican leadership is crafting their version of Trumpcare in secret. Even many Republican senators do not know what is in this bill.

They are playing politics with people’s lives and putting one-sixth of our economy at risk.
 

That’s why we must stand together now and raise our voices to demand Senate Republicans show us the bill and allow proper time for debate. Sign my petition and tell the Senate Republicans: Show us the bill!

Senate Republicans have promised President Trump that they would pass their bill before July 4. That leaves NO time to properly review, debate, and add amendments to their plan -- all of which Republicans have taken off the table.

Their bumper sticker slogans have led to this disgraceful effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, regardless of the lives it will hurt.
 

We must stand united against the Republican plan and demand they release the bill and allow proper debate. Sign my petition and raise your voice against the Republican health care plan!

Thanks,

Martin

Click here to add your name.

Received this e-mail today from U.S. Senator Bill Nelson’s (D. FL) re-election campaign:

Right now, Republican leaders are preparing to ram a secret health care bill through the Senate – and they still haven't told the American people what's in it.

They want to completely overhaul our nation's health care system with no hearings, no debates and no amendments. No matter how many people it hurts.And the vote could come as soon as next week.

That's why I need your help right now –before the vote– to make it clear we won't let these extremists take away our health care in secret. Add your name today to tell Republicans: Stop this secret health care plan!

The Affordable Care Act isn't perfect, but taking health care coverage away from 23 million people is not the solution.

We should be focused on finding ways to improve our nation's health care system – not make it worse.

I'm going to do everything I can to fight this secrecy and protect people's health care, but I need you to speak out with me before it's too late:

Tell Senate Republicans: Stop this secret health care plan!

Thanks,
Bill

Click here to add your name.

Better safe than sorry:

A progressive activist group has erected billboards targeting three vulnerable Democratic senators, urging them not to comply with Senate Republicans’ secretive process to rush through an Obamacare replacement bill.

CREDO Action’s billboards take aim at Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) for their involvement in Republican health care discussions. The group is placing the billboards where the lawmakers and their constituents can easily see them, near airports in their home states that the senators use to fly to Washington, D.C.

All three Democrats represent states that voted for President Donald Trump in November. They are up for re-election in 2018 and have drawn CREDO’s ire for engaging in preliminary discussions on health care with Republicans in May.

Many Democrats have expressed outrage that GOP senators are drafting a health care bill they hope to bring directly to the floor for a vote before the July 4 recess without public hearings or deliberations. Without the votes to stop the bill outright, Democrats say they’re determined to slow the legislation’s progress in the Senate.

“The Republicans are writing their health care bill under the cover of darkness because they’re ashamed of it, plain and simple,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on the Senate floor on Monday.

But Manchin said Schumer was aware of the talks and defended them as an attempt to find common ground. “I said, ‘I don’t think there’s a Democrat that would vote for any type of a repeal. But I think there would be 48 Democrats who are willing to work on some repairing or fixing,’” he told Politico last month.

I urge you to contact all three of these Senators and apply pressure to urge them not to work with the GOP on Trumpcare. Click below to contact their offices:

Joe Donnelly (D. IN)

Heidi Heitkamp (D. ND)

Joe Manchin (D. WV)

Received this e-mail today from Connie Pillich’s (D. OH) gubernatorial campaign:

 I believe that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. And I’m tired of insurance company lobbyists and giant corporations trying to convince us otherwise.

 That’s why, earlier this morning, I unveiled a new health care proposal as part of my campaign for governor that would allow all Ohioans to opt-into Medicaid.

 That means finally bringing affordable and accessible healthcare to every Ohioan.

Add your name to stand with me and say that healthcare is a right not a privilege.

 Insurance companies are currently fleeing the Ohio exchange, meaning people in Appalachia and rural communities might not be able to get insurance. And rather than address the problem, Washington D.C. Republicans are planning to cut the Affordable Care Act and force millions of Americans off their health care.

That’s just wrong.

 Ohioans deserve bold leadership that protects patients -- not insurance company profits. My plan grants all Ohio families access to Medicaid and let's them buy into the same health insurance plan that state employees and state lawmakers currently enjoy.

Will you sign your name to say every Ohioan deserves access to affordable health care?

Thanks for standing with me,

 Connie

Click here to add your name.

Received this e-mail today from U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D. MA) in support of U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin’s (D. WI) re-election campaign:

 “Republicans already training sights on Tammy Baldwin re-election race”
 -Wisconsin State Journal, 1/25/17

 “GOP aims at Tammy Baldwin of Wis. in ‘18 race [...] The race against Baldwin is expected to be among the fiercest in the next election cycle.” -Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/27/16

 “GOP mega-donor Richard Uihlein has contributed $2 million to Solutions for Wisconsin, a newly formed super PAC” -Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/6/17

My friend Tammy Baldwin is a progressive champion in the Senate -- the first openly gay Senator in American history, and a fighter for good jobs, affordable health care, and a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.

Maybe that’s why Republicans want her gone.

Well, they’re welcome to try, but Tammy can count on her friends. That’s why I’m joining with other progressives to launch a Tammy Baldwin Cheddarbomb -- make a contribution and give Tammy’s team the resources they’ll need to fight back.

A "Cheddarbomb" is an online day of action in which we gather as many grassroots supporters like you Samuel to give Tammy a boost.

And Tammy needs our help. Outside groups spent more than $15 million against her during her last election. They’re going to come after her with everything they’ve got, and we all need to stand together to beat back the right-wing billionaires.

So let’s make this Cheddarbomb one to remember -- give $5, $10, more if you can, and help send Tammy Baldwin back to the Senate.

Thank you,

Ed

Click here to donate to Baldwin ‘s campaign.

We might have a fifth defector:

Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) said Thursday that he has yet to make a decision on his support for the Senate’s bill to repeal Obamacare, but he said in a statement that he has “serious concerns” about how the legislation will impact those on Medicaid.

“Throughout the health care debate, I have made clear that I want to make sure the rug is not pulled out from under Nevada or the more than 200,000 Nevadans who received insurance for the first time under Medicaid expansion. At first glance, I have serious concerns about the bill’s impact on the Nevadans who depend on Medicaid,” he said in a statement.

“I will read it, share it with Governor Sandoval, and continue to listen to Nevadans to determine the bill’s impact on our state,” he added. “I will also post it to my website so that any Nevadans who wish to review it can do so. As I have consistently stated, if the bill is good for Nevada, I’ll vote for it and if it’s not – I won’t.”

Heller’s likely opponent, Rep. Jacky Rosen (D. NV-03), has made her stance very clear:

Heller told Politico on Tuesday that he will vote for a secretive GOP health care bill and risk his seat, if the policy changes are good for Nevada. He could not yet say if they would be.

Rosen has opposed the effort by Republicans.

Last month, Rosen said it was shameful that House Republicans passed a health care bill before seeing a revised budget report on its impacts. Congressional analysts found that bill would kick about 23 million Americans off health insurance.

Time to apply some more pressure on Heller. Click below to contact one or all of his offices and tell him to reject Trumpcare:

Received this e-mail today from U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell’s (D. WA) re-election campaign:

House Republicans passed a mean, reckless bill that would leave the most vulnerable Americans' health care coverage in the dust. And now, Senate Republicans are following suit with an even meaner and more reckless bill.

Building the Affordable Care Act was an enormous undertaking. It took collaboration between Democrats and Republicans. The mark-up period was one of the longest in congressional history. But Republicans are tearing all of that down to push a new health care law without a public hearing, without a single Democratic amendment, and no public debate.

That's right. 13 GOP Senators rushed to craft a new health care policy that will affect every life in the United States -- and they didn't collaborate with anyone. Not one Democrat, and not one woman.

Join me in rejecting Republicans' Trumpcare bill that would be devastating to poor Americans, increase costs on working families, and deny medical coverage to those with pre-existing conditions.

We know why Senate Republicans were so secretive about their bill -- it will hurt everyday Americans. And in no way will it be an improvement on the Affordable Care Act!

More than 1.7 million veterans rely on Medicaid for their treatment and care. Many are not able to access Department of Veterans Affairs clinics, or are not eligible for VA health coverage -- so Medicaid is their only choice.

I refuse to let Senate Republicans break our promise to our veterans by cutting Medicaid. And I will not sit idly by while the Republicans' Trumpcare bill destroys our health care system.

Stand with me against Senate Republicans' Trumpcare bill today.

Thank you,

MariaCantwell
U.S. Senator

Click here to add your name.

Get pumped!

Having lost a series of tantalizingly close congressional elections, the Democratic Party has now placed the fate of its collective psyche in the hands of an unassuming, soft-spoken pediatric neurologist.

Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam says he feels no enhanced pressure to win his gubernatorial race this fall, even though his will be most high-profile contest since Democrats lost the much-watched special election in Georgia’s 6th District.

“You always feel pressure,” he told HuffPost in an interview. “If you’re not feeling pressure then you’re not out there to win. And we plan to win in November.”

But while Northam may be playing it cool, he’s not being complacent. His campaign has plans to canvass the state, from the wealthy northern suburbs to coal country in the southwest. And they’re bringing along the big guns, too. Former President Barack Obama is expected to make his return to electoral politics this fall to join him on the trail, both Northam and Obama’s office confirmed.   

We can’t take anything for granted and having Obama back on the campaign trail is what we need. More details to come. Until then, click here to donate and get involved with Northam’s campaign.

Received this e-mail today from former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D. WI) and his group, Legit PAC, in support of U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin’s (D. WI) re-election campaign:

Friend,

I hope you saw our message this morning about Tammy Baldwin’s Cheddarbomb.

This is an important opportunity to support someone on the front lines of the fight for our democratic legitimacy, and there’s still a few hours left to make your contribution.

Contribute $3 now to help meet Tammy Baldwin’s $30,000 Cheddarbomb goal by midnighttonight.

Thank you for standing up for democratic legitimacy today,

Russ Feingold

  

      ------Original Message------
      From: LegitPAC Team
      Subject: TODAY: Fierce defender of legitimacy

Friend,

Tammy Baldwin has been one of the fiercest defenders of our democratic legitimacy in the Senate this cycle. And she’s got something big going on today.

Senator Baldwin fought tenaciously against confirming Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court after Barack Obama -- and the majority of voters who elected him -- were denied the rightful opportunity to fill that seat. She’s fighting for lower drug prices, for Buy American rules, and lots of other priorities that faithfully reflect the needs of the voters that elected her.

But shadowy out-of-state attack groups are fighting to deny Wisconsin voters an equal say in Senator Baldwin’s reelection campaign. By one count, 85% of all nationwide third party attacks on Senate candidates have targeted Baldwin this year.

Help supporters across the country combat these attacks designed to delegitimize Tammy Baldwin. Contribute $3 to today’s special, one-day “Cheddarbomb” to reach $30,000 in one day.

A Cheddarbomb is a special type of “moneybomb” event where people throughout the country who support a good Wisconsin Democrat like Tammy Baldwin all come together to make contributions on the same day.

By driving up a one-day fundraising total for Senator Baldwin, we’ll make a powerful statement. Despite all the outside money pouring in to attack Senator Baldwin and drown out the legitimate voices of everyday Americans, we’ll show that we are strong and we are loud when we work together.

To maximize the power of this statement, we need to reach at least $30,000 today -- and to reach that goal, everyone needs to chip in.

Contribute $3 to reach $30,000 in one day and make a powerful statement about our power when we come together.

Thank you for standing up to support Senator Baldwin today,

LegitPAC Team

Click here to donate to Baldwin’s campaign.

Received this e-mail today from Gretchen Whitmer’s (D. MI) gubernatorial campaign:

I just saw the Senate health care repeal bill that was crafted behind closed doors, and it is truly heartless.

I’m so proud of my work helping to expand health care to 630,000 people in our state through Healthy Michigan -- and I can tell you one thing, I’m not going to stand quietly by as Washington tries to drive up the cost of our care and eliminate it for tens of thousands.

Our families deserve better.

Let’s tell our leaders in Washington that we fought too hard for them to raise our costs and take health care away from the hard-working people of Michigan.

This bill will drive up costs, hit Michigan’s rural communities hard, and rip health care away from the people who need it the most. It’ll threaten the thousands of jobs that Healthy Michigan brought to our state, and even undermine our work to address the opioid crisis that’s attacking our neighborhoods.

And of course, those with pre-existing conditions will struggle to find affordable care that will cover them. This will cost Michigan big.

As a mom, a prosecutor, and a former legislator, I’ve never backed down from some of our toughest challenges.

And it’s clear neither Lansing or Washington are looking out for us, so it’s up to all of us to fight for Michigan together.

Add your name to stand up to Washington DC’s attempts to take health care away from thousands of Michiganders.

Thank you,

Gretchen

Click here to add your name.

Received this e-mail today from U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D. CA) in support of U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin’s (D. WI) re-election campaign:

Friends,

As a child, my friend and colleague Tammy Baldwin was diagnosed with a serious illness, and for much of her life struggled to gain access to health insurance because of her “pre-existing condition.”

That’s why she has fought throughout her entire career to champion protections for those with pre-existing conditions. Like me, she believes health care is a right and has done everything in her power to fight the GOP’s disastrous plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

And as we expect a vote on Trumpcare next week, I wanted to let you know that Tammy is facing intense attacks from an out-of-state multi-millionaire who has invested $2 million to defeat her.

It’s why we’re participating in today’s “Cheddarbomb” to support her campaign, and help them fight back by raising $30,000 online today. So I’m asking:

Can you make a contribution of $3, or whatever is meaningful to you, to help Tammy Baldwin fight back and build a winning campaign in 2018?

It’s been estimated that 85% of outside attacks against 2018 Senate candidates have been directed at Tammy.

That’s outrageous.

But it’s an example of just how effective an advocate she’s been for those who are being targeted by Trumpcare. Knowing the struggle of health care firsthand gives Tammy remarkable insight and compassion that has informed her work in the Senate.

I’ve seen it throughout this fight — Tammy is not going to fall silent. She is going to stand with us to ensure no one is denied coverage for having a pre-existing condition and that everyone in America has the right to access quality and affordable health insurance.

Team — Can you rush an urgent contribution of $3 to Tammy’s campaign to make sure that she’s not silenced by outside money for standing up for health care access?

If we raise $30,000 online today for Tammy’s campaign, we will send a powerful message to the Republicans and the billionaire super PACs that we will not be silenced when people’s lives are on the line.

Thanks for all you do.

KamalaHarris
U.S. Senator, California

Click here to donate to Baldwin’s campaign.

Received this e-mail today from former NAACP Chairman Ben Jealous’ (D. MD) gubernatorial campaign:

After weeks of closed-door meetings with Washington lobbyists, today Senate Republicans finally released their version of Trumpcare, and it's devastating.

Instead of standing up for Maryland's most vulnerable families, Republicans have decided to put tax cuts for the rich ahead of protecting common sense priorities like Medicaid and women's healthcare.

We can’t let the GOP get away with stripping health care coverage from working Americans to give tax breaks to billionaires. Add your name, and stand with me in holding Republicans accountable.

At a time when right-wing extremists control all branches of the federal government, it's more important than ever to have bold and courageous leadership in Maryland willing to protect healthcare and stand up for our families in need.

Governor Hogan has shown time and again he's not willing to be that leader - choosing instead to bow to President Trump and Republican efforts to hold our state back.

Enough is enough. It's time we come together and stand up for our state, our families and our children.

I've spent my life as a community organizer and civil rights activist, leading and winning the big fights to make our government more accountable and responsive to the needs of everyday people.

Together we can do big things again in Maryland, and move our state forward no matter what happens in Washington.

I'm ready to stand up. Join me in saying Maryland can do better than the Republican Trump-Hogan healthcare agenda.

In power,

Ben

Click here to add your name.

Received this e-mail today from U.S. Senator Jon Tester’s (D. MT) re-election campaign:

The health care plan that a handful of Senators wrote in secret is finally out. And it's no wonder they didn't want anyone to see this plan.

It's a real blow to seniors and anyone with pre-existing conditions. The 77,000 Montanans who got their health care through bipartisan Medicaid expansion are at risk.

I'm all for fixing the Affordable Care Act. But repealing it completely and replacing it with this plan, which will likely kick millions off insurance, is a no-go for me.
 

Stand against this health care plan. Add your name >>

I've heard from folks all over Montana. I've heard from people in all walks of life. No matter who I talk to, I hear the same concerns: I need my health care. I cannot afford to let Congress take it away.

I firmly believe that we in the Senate can work together to make the ACA better. But this plan is like fixing a leaky roof by ripping off the whole thing: You're making a big mess for no good reason.
 

Let Washington politicians know you're against this plan. Add your name.

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Jon

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Republicans are and should be running scared

They had to cheat to Win

Despite their spin and congratulations Republicans are running scared after the South Carolina and Georgia elections.  In red states the Democrats moved within single digits in both elections. Republicans had to call in Donald Trump to win in Georgia, a state known for voter suppression laws and tactics , to win. And that is the lesson that the Democrats should take from these elections. To win the Republicans must cheat by  engaging in voter suppression

So, what does this really mean if Progressives, Democrats want to take back the House in 2018 ?

It means that Democrats must develop a strong anti-voter suppression ground game. Which means that they should invest money in anti-voter suppression organizers and organizations;

• Continue to fight voter suppression laws in court
• Have organizers on the ground getting any ID required by voter suppression laws starting now
• Take the fight international, go to the United Nations on a regular basis with facts and figures about voter suppression.  

Democrats must step up their marketing, public relations game. It criminal that the world did not know about the voter suppression efforts made by the Republicans in the Georgia election . If you listen to the mass media you’d think that Republicans won that election fair and square instead of stealing the election via voter suppression.

Greg Palest: It's ugly in the Sixth. One of the worst parts is the systematic disenfranchisement of the Asian American community. For years, I’ve followed the work of the Asian-American Legal Advocacy Center, a group running a campaign to register new Americans to vote. When the group complained about thousands of the collected names missing from the voter rolls, the Secretary of State, a Republican, retaliated against them. According to attorney Nse Ufot:

They were doing a campaign to register 10,000 Korean-Americans to vote, and had quite a bit of success. At some point during the campaign, they noticed that many of the folks that they were registering were not showing up on the voter rolls. So, they reached out to the Secretary of State to say, "Hey, where are our folks? Why aren't they showing up on the rolls?" They never got an official response. What they did get was the GBI kicking in the door and requesting all of their files.

While no charges were brought, the terrifying raid was enough to at least temporarily derail the "10,000 Korean Votes" campaign. According to a written statement sent to me yesterday by Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta, the "10,000 Korean Votes" campaign ended in 2015. Since that time, the Asian American Legal Advocacy Center has ceased to exist as such, though at least some of its work is being carried on by the group that replaced it: the Atlanta branch of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, which continues to engage in voter registration efforts, according to its website.

Ufot's own group, New Georgia Project, has also seen the registrations of new voters of color suspiciously vanish.

Ufot told me, "We submitted 86,419 voter registration forms. There are 46,000 of the folks that we've registered who have made it, and 40,000 of them are missing."

So, New Georgia Project contacted the Republican Secretary of State's office.

"You know what they told us?" Ufot asked. "'We don't know what you're talking about. What forms?' They did not disappear. We intentionally registered voters on paper forms so that we could make copies. We knew who they were. They were not on the voter rolls."

When African American activists raised a ruckus over the disappearance, they got the same treatment as the Korean Americans: a Gestapo-style raid on their offices, threats of criminal charges and jail term. (1)

Because voter suppression takes many forms Democrats should demand proof that voting machines have been tested and make certain that there are hundreds, yes hundreds of Democrat poll watchers around the country on election day in 2018.

Progressives must step up their marketing, public relations game. They need to stop being afraid to state the facts. Its time Republican voters look in the mirror and see the kind of people they are supporting, the kind of people they have become.

The voter suppression that Republicans engage in must be exposed nationally, international;y  daily. When political pundits talk about the Georgia win, a progressive should bring up voter suppression. They should say “Well political analyst, AB do you think they would have won without voter suppression?”

Because Republicans are running scared they will step up using voting suppression laws and methods. They have already proven that they do not believe in one man one vote. They believe in one thing getting power to create a world that ignores and hurts poor people.  So, to all the pundits who are helping the Republicans by supporting their spin The Republicans are and should be scared to death. They won Georgia because of voter suppression something Karen Handel has been working on a long time. But they will lose in 2018 because between now and the election of 2018 progressives are going to negate their voter suppression efforts without which they cannot win.

References

1. Karlin, Mark. [Online] June 2017. http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/41009-greg-palast-jim-crow-scam-threatens-to-tip-georgia-s-ossoff-handel-race.