Results of Deep Democracy with Maria's List
Prepared by: Wilnelia Rivera (Rivera Consulting Inc.), & Diana Hwang (AAWPI)
Intergenerational politics of compassion, justice, and healing became the hallmark of movement building campaigns led by Stacy Abrams (Georgia), Lucy McBath (GA-6), and Ayanna Pressley (MA-7). They left behind transactional politics and shattered myths by leading with their hearts and backing it up with multiracial campaign teams that executed the science of igniting the base and expanding the electorate.The 2020 Presidential primary cycle is informally kicking off next February, and it’s important that we take stock of where and how we invested and what was the return on that investment.
Democrats should never primary each other, it will lose us the House majority and voters hate it. Primaries made Democrats more competitive, win or lose, we activated more voters by expanding the participation of American Rising Electorate (ARE are known as millennial, unmarried women, and people of color) while igniting the base of traditional democrats..
Democrats of color cannot win in the suburbs or South, we need Blue dog Democrats that appeal to everyone. Lauren Underwood (IL-14), not only won in a crowded Democratic primary, she defeated her Republican opponent, and out raised the entire field. Her victory was buoyed by college educated white women. Similarly, in New Mexico and Michigan, women and women of color won the majority of statewide constitutional offices and/or Congressional seats.
Young voters and people of color do not vote, especially in Midterms and primaries. The primary and general cycle was chalk full of ground shattering voting such as Stacey Abrams, Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Lucy McBath, (GA-06), Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-06) and Colin Allred (TX-32).
Broad messaging focused on health care, tax bill, and Trump's divisiveness did not sway white working class voters or Trump conservatives to Democratic candidates. White working class voters doubled down their commitment to Trump in the South and Southwest, but in Maria's List Deep Democracy (Framework & Analysis for Giving) states like Georgia, Texas, and Florida, effective movement building campaigns led by Stacey Abrams, Beto O'Rourke, and Andrew Gillum, respectively, resulted in down ballot pickups across the board for District Attorney, US Congress, Secretary of State, and district level races . All these races were buoyed by a dramatic increase in ARE turnout, especially among millennials (except white men)and Black voters.
First time Democratic candidates, especially women and people of color, cannot raise the money or build the campaign teams to win. By promoting new movement building playbooks, which also proved to be cost effective, this challenge was overcome in the short term for those that won. Yet many of these new elected officials and movement building organizations will face fundraising challenges for this coming year.
The most important lesson from this cycle is that supporting deep democracy means igniting the traditional base of Democratic voters and expanding the participation of the ARE and non-voters. It also means that in places where we lost or won, we must continue this investment as early as possible in 2019. It also means to hold onto these tenous wins, we have to win policy and keep the community groups connecting with their base. With funding, that is. Let's invest in movement building organizations led especially by women of color like Domestic Workers Alliance (Georgia), Texas Organizing Project (Texas), Chinese Progressive Association (Boston, MA) and Center for Civic Policy (Nevada).
For updates visit www.mariaslist.net.