WITH ELECTION DAY ON NOVEMBER 7th 2017, RACE FOR DEMOCRACY HAS BEEN COMPLETED. AND WITH GREAT SUCCESS. WE RAN TWO PHASES OF RACE FOR DEMOCRACY WHICH RAISED AND GAVE $52,396 TO ELEVEN CANDIDATES, ALMOST ALL OF WHOM WON. PHASE 1 RAISED $36,890 AND HERE'S THE LINK - WWW.RFDVA2017.CAUSEVOX.COM. THE DETAILS FOR PHASE 2 ($15,710) FOLLOW. THE PAGES LOOK THE SAME, BUT THE GOAL AND DEADLINE WERE DIFFERENT. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RACE FOR DEMOCRACY AND HOW YOU MIGHT USE IT FOR YOUR CAMPAIGN SEND A NOTE TO [email protected] (WWW.NOPENEIGHBORS.ORG).
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No sneakers required. This is a fundraising “race” to support Virginia House of Delegate candidates who are running hard, day in and day out, to uphold our democracy.
Why Virginia Matters? Virginia is one of the two states with states elections this year (the other is NJ). Currently, VA has a Democratic Governor, but the GOP controls the State Senate and House of Delegates. In national and statewide elections, VA votes Blue for Hillary Clinton, Gov. McAuliffe, and Sens. Warner and Kaine, but in Congressional and state legislative races VA runs Red. This November all eyes turn to VA, a Purple state that could be Blue with enough strategic attention and dollars. Winning in VA this November sends a strong message to Trump and Congress about what will happen in 2018. Learn more about Why VA Matters here.
Generously supporting VA delegate candidates NOW will help flip the state legislature, which helps to flip Congress -- state legislatures draw Congressional district lines after the 2020 census. This will allow progressive values to determine Federal policy and how the $4.1 trillion federal budget is spent. It starts here, now, and with you.
How Much Should I Give? Think about why you supported Obama or Hillary or Bernie and how much you gave to them. While this is not a presidential election year, the VA Delegate races can have a comparable impact. So, consider how much you might give based on national impact, not just the state legislature. These are the races where we begin to take back our democracy. It starts with electing progressive, Democratic candidates in VA in November. Here's how:
Where Will My Donation Go? You can make a contribution to our Pooled Fund for VA Delegate candidates. Your contribution will be given to 5 or more well-vetted candidates who are most electable and running for contested seats. Or you can give directly to one of the 25 Democratic, progressive candidates running in 2017. On October 15th, we will donate $5000 to each of the candidates we select based on targeting criteria. All those individuals or groups that raise $1000 or more will have a seat at the table to select which candidates receive those funds. Race for Democracy VA 2017 was first launched on August 1st and ended on September 10th and raised over $35,000. On that day, we gave $5000 to 7 candidates and $2500 to 1 candidate. The candidates we supported are pictured below. This is phase 2 of Race of Democracy VA 2017 because our candidates still need our support. Our progressive candidates are being out raised by their Republican opponents who are being flooded with corporate and dark-money support.
To donate by check, please download the form linked here and return by mail with your check made out to EveryDistrict to: EveryDistrict, PO Box 596, Arlington, VA 22216. Please include the name of your fundraiser on the form or the check.
*Candidates, from top left to bottom right: Donte Tanner, Hala Ayala, Debra Rodman, Elizabeth Guzman, David Reid, Kelly Fowler, Dawn Adams
Donte Tanner: Donte’s father served in the Navy, and later in the police force with Donte’s mom. A product of Newport News public schools, Donte was accepted into the United States Air Force Academy in 1997. He became an Air Force Captain at the age of 25, where he served four years, leading a team working on Space and Missile systems. For the past decade, Donte has worked as a government contractor serving his country. Donte founded his own small business in 2015.
Hala Ayala: Hala is the founder and president of the Prince William County chapter of the National Organization for Women. She’s a single mother who worked her way from retail at a gas station to cybersecurity specialist with the Department of Homeland Security. Medicaid saved her son’s life. She notes that, “You don’t feel proud to be on Medicaid, you feel grateful. You feel that there’s something out there that will help you get a foot up, that you will have an opportunity,”
Debra Rodman: Rodman is a Professor of Anthropology and Women's Studies and Director of Women's Studies at Randolph-Macon College. She serves as an expert witness for U.S. Federal immigration courts for families fleeing violence and persecution, mostly women, children, and LGBT individuals. Named as one of Richmond Style Weekly's Top 40 Under 40, Dr. Rodman is a former Fulbright Scholar and fluent Spanish speaker.
Elizabeth Guzman: Elizabeth immigrated to America from Peru as a single mother looking for a better future for her daughter Pamela. At first, she juggled three jobs. But through hard work she put herself through college and graduate school. She knows first-hand the importance of public education and challenges for immigrants. Elizabeth would be the first Latina in the Virginia General Assembly.
David Reid: For the first ten years of his life, his family lived without healthcare. Once he and his siblings moved to the Children’s Home and then to foster homes, they finally had health care. He knows personally the challenges of living without health-care. As the first person in his family to earn a college degree, he understands how important a college education is to breaking the cycle of poverty. He was a US Naval Intelligence Officer for 23 years until 2011, when he honorably retired as Commander and now owns his own small business.
Kelly Fowler: Kelly is a lifelong resident of the 21st District of VA. Her grandfathers were from the Philippines and served the U.S. Navy, which allowed them to become U.S. citizens. Kelly was the first member of her family to attend college and graduated from Virginia Wesleyan in Virginia Beach. She then obtained her Masters in Education from Old Dominion University and taught school in Virginia Beach for several years. Kelly now runs a successful small business assisting military families relocate to the Virginia Beach area. She and her husband, Dave – a deputy in the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Department – are raising two daughters.
Dawn Adams: Adams has worked with and advocated for healthy communities for over 30 years as a nurse, a nurse practitioner and an educator. She currently serves as the Director for the Office of Integrated Health for the Virginia Department for Behavioral Health & Developmental Services. She manages a multi-million-dollar state budget directed at creating new services for the developmentally disabled. Dr. Adams also serves as adjunct professor teaching Health Policy to Doctoral students at Old Dominion University.
John Bell: Delegate Bell is a retired U.S. Air Force Major and MBA who served almost 26 years as a Finance Officer, including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He served in the U.S. Air Force while attending college at night. He was the first person in his family to graduate from a four-year college. The GI Bill helped him achieve his dream in return for his service. This inspired John to make it easier for more people to go to college. As a Delegate he’s working to find a state solution to the college debt crisis by forgiving some student loan debt in exchange for community service.
Paid for by EveryDistrict. Not authorized by a candidate or candidate's committee.
