Local campaign season & anecdotes

[stuffandthings]

Anyone else doing donations? My spouse and I agreed that I can donate $100/month until after the election, and I got paid on Saturday so it was donating time today. I gave to Sherrod Brown, Tammy Baldwin, the Wisconsin Dems, and the Harris campaign.

[heygrey]

Canada has an election in October and I really need to dedicate more brain space to that than I am to the US election. I mostly dislike everyone and have to pick the least bad option which isn't as fun as rallying behind someone with full support and enthusiasm.

[Pom]

We are newly retired and so we cut back our regular donations a little this year but it’s so important, I will end up donating the same or more anyway. lol.
We’ve also spent over $150 in postage writing Vote Forward letters. My husband is actually all “let’s do some more”! He’s freaked out too by all the GOP crazies.

[underwaterrhymes]

I have donated $76 and $77 and also purchased a mug with Harris in three suits that represent the bisexual flag, and also a yard sign.

I’ll donate probably once or twice more.

H canvassed on Saturday and didn’t have the best experience, so probably we won’t do that again.

My postcards don’t go out until the end of October, so I’m trying to do several every day between now and then.

[eb777888]

I've donated $200 and bought a bunch of merch from her shop. During the height of all the excitement, H asked what we've donated so far. I was adding it up in my head and said "two........hundred?" And he laughed and said "I thought you were going to say two thousand." I was like, oh..no. He said "let's donate two thousand." And was serious. But ugh. That is a lot of money and

@@@@@@@
we have a kid to put through college in a few years. It's funny because he's typically the more conservative spender but he's fired up. I'm thinking we'll do $500? We need to spread it around to other places, though. I'm open to see how others donate and their POV.

We donated quite awhile ago and I kept getting texts from the campaign saying "our records show you haven't donated yet.." and I was so annoyed because I did, lol. I know it's not a big deal but I FINALLY got a text just now that acknowledged the amount and thanked me. I get that they are inundated with donations so the system is far behind.

[ksun]

I've donated several times to her campaign, and bought a Cat People for Harris Walz lawn sign and a Swifties for Harris t-shirt that donated 20% to her campaign. I'll buy another yard sign directly from her campaign.

[fernweh]

Sept 2, 2024 10:43:58 GMT -5 heygrey said:

Canada has an election in October and I really need to dedicate more brain space to that than I am to the US election. I mostly dislike everyone and have to pick the least bad option which isn't as fun as rallying behind someone with full support and enthusiasm.

Is it for PM? I live near the border so work with many Canadians. I was talking elections the other day and he said there was a couple more years before there was a PM election. He wasn’t sure though since there was a snap election not long ago that threw off the regular cadence…

[heygrey]

Sept 2, 2024 14:54:02 GMT -5 fernweh said:

Sept 2, 2024 10:43:58 GMT -5 heygrey said:

Canada has an election in October and I really need to dedicate more brain space to that than I am to the US election. I mostly dislike everyone and have to pick the least bad option which isn't as fun as rallying behind someone with full support and enthusiasm.

Is it for PM? I live near the border so work with many Canadians. I was talking elections the other day and he said there was a couple more years before there was a PM election. He wasn’t sure though since there was a snap election not long ago that threw off the regular cadence…

No, just provincial (and maybe local? see how much I'm paying attention?) elections. Which for H and I have way more impact on our daily lives than federal elections. Unfortunately we work in competing sectors - forestry and education - so the party that benefits one of us is usually trying to destroy the other and vice versa. H and I vote based on social justice issues anyway and right now I feel like everyone sucks. Even the parties that say they will prioritize access for mental health support, affordable housing, medical care in rural communities, work with indigenous leaders in their local communities, etc. etc.  suck at actually doing those things. 

We still actively choose to live in Canada over the US, but it's not a shining utopia up here. 

[tcu2003]

I’m excited about my local house race for my rep to the statehouse. I’m in northeast Kansas, so more blue than most of the rest of the state. Our current terrible Trumper local rep won by very tiny margins two years ago. This time around, a former teacher (current lawyer) and mom of 2 elementary kids is the democratic candidate running against her, and I think she has a real shot at winning. I’m definitely biased as our youngest kids are the same age and friends, but she’s so much better than our current rep. I made my first ever political donation to her campaign, and DH will likely make one as well. I haven’t canvassed for her yet, but planning to do that this fall. In the meantime, I’m picking up some extra carpool duties and kid hangout times so the younger kid doesn’t have to tag along to older kid’s practices and whatnot.

Also planning to write postcards for the first time. A friend is going to host a postcard party, so I’m excited to participate.

[Vespasia]

Alsobrooks is ahead of Hogan in latest polls:
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/09/04/alsobrooks-hogan-senate-race-poll/

[eport]

Aug 30, 2024 16:17:56 GMT -5 eport said:

Thinking very local and beyond November. There is a diversity initiative in town and next week, they are putting together a program at the Library about city offices that we are having elections for in the spring (such as school board, library board, city council, etc). Since it is not for a specific candidate but informational, this is allowed at the Library. The goal is to get people (and more diverse people) to run for office. Especially since (save school board) many offices end up being uncontested (3 people running for 4 openings, etc) They are doing the program now as people can pick up packets to file to run and they are due in November.

The agenda for each local office on the ballot is:
What is the office and what do they do/are responsible for
How often do they meet (such like 1 board monthly meeting and 1 committee of the whole meeting on these dates each month)
Do they get paid (mostly no)
Have someone who holds (or did hold) the office available to answer questions
What does it take to run (paperwork required, how many signatures-example I needed 50 minimum for Library Board but city council could be as little at 15)
General answer questions about running for office (do you need social, yard signs, etc)

I love that they are doing this and hope they get a great turn out.

Update on this guy since the event was last night. Over 20 people attended in person and some more online. They recorded the session so people can watch later. Also, 2 teens offered to be babysitters in youth services while parents attended the event.

1 or 2 attendees were believed to be more there to ensure there wasn't pushes for particular candidates/parties/ideals and agitate a bit but even they said they event was nice. The organizers and city people who have held or do hold the offices spoke on what they do, how often they meet and how local government works.

Many spoke also on how rarely these offices are contested in elections and that sometimes less people run than offices available (3 open slots, 2 candidates) and that for government to work, we need to run and yes you are qualified.

Knew a couple of people there who were thinking of running (parks board and library board respectively) and I hope it got them fired up.

I really respect the president of this group and the work he is doing. Even if people don't run now, they know know more about local government and maybe will run in the future.

[terpsfan]

Sept 4, 2024 14:36:10 GMT -5 Vespasia said:

Alsobrooks is ahead of Hogan in latest polls:
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/09/04/alsobrooks-hogan-senate-race-poll/

I really really hope this is where polls are right. I just have this pit in my stomach feeling that the people that have nostalgia about “not that bad Hogan” who really don’t pay attention to politics or policies will pick him on Election Day. I hope I’m wrong.