Building Up
Hello, I hope that your December is going well!
Kyrsten Sinema made headlines this past week in becoming an Independent. It wasn’t a total surprise to us. Arizona will be a big hotbed for Forward as a ballot initiative to shift to non-partisan primaries and Ranked Choice Voting (“Final Five Voting”) similar to Nevada’s is gearing up for 2024. The same is true in up to 5 other states.
Also this past week, a number of Forward state leads from Michigan, Florida, Connecticut, Arizona, and Utah gathered in New York City to help us improve our processes. It was phenomenal and inspiring to meet them – they are the people who will deliver change around the country.
They are not alone.
In Colorado, Forward state leaders are kicking off signature gathering for party status right now. Nevada will be filing a certificate this week to start a registration drive. Maine, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and others are similarly launching. We have already achieved minor party status in Texas thanks to the awesome state leads and volunteers there.
In Connecticut, the newly re-elected governor Ned Lamont recently endorsed Ranked Choice Voting and is expected to make it a top priority in his state-of-the-state address in January. Click here for an account of how this happened – it’s worth a read to understand the background. Forward Party leaders are set to support a legislative push to support legislation that should take place in Connecticut in February or March.
All over the country, we have big opportunities and a lot of work to do. Now that the midterms are behind us, we will focus on building up in states, getting on the ballot around the country, helping municipal candidates in 2023 and prepping for ballot initiatives.
I interview David Jolly, former member of Congress and head of the SAM Party on the podcast this week. As David puts it, "What we are seeing at Forward is this catalyzing of the movement . . . the success is in the organizing at the state level, where hundreds and thousands of people are signing up and saying, 'I want to do the things under state law that allow us to achieve ballot access, party recognition, that allow us to run candidates' . . . all of that happens without the notice of the pundits or the newspapers. That's where the success of the movement happens . . . people can go to their local Forward Party chapter and get involved and create the success . . . at Forward you have the people who are smart enough to take on the rigged system in a dozen different places and over time transform American politics."
How can you help? Join your state’s Forward Party here. Tell your friends that they can help. Donate to support our efforts or buy some merch. Sign up for one of the efforts described above. We have a bright path in front of us, but we need to roll up our sleeves and get stuff done.
Meeting some of the state leads was a blast – with them leading the way there’s no limit to what we can accomplish. But they need our help. Let’s build. Happy Holidays!
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Forward is holding a free webinar on Wednesday night with me, former NJ Governor Christine Todd Whitman, Miles Taylor and David Jolly. Then on Thursday I am heading to Philadelphia for an Ideas Festival run by the Philadelphia Citizen to talk about Forward. See you online or in Philly!
