The Critical Importance of Governors in 2022

Support the Democratic Governors Association

by Barbara Head, January 9, 2022 (Updated January 26, 2022)

Governors may end up being the star players of the 2022 election! Often hidden from view behind state and federal legislators, governors play increasingly important roles that extend well beyond their states. The failure of federal voting legislation emphasizes the critical importance of democratic governors as our next, essential line of defense against radical GOP policies.

Look at how abortion rights were gutted by Republican governor Greg Abbott in Texas. Consider the anti-Covid policies of Ron DeSantis in Florida, which has the third highest number (right behind Texas) of Covid-19 cases in the country. Their extremist policies affect all of us. It is crucial that we replace these toxic governors with Democrats who will uphold rational policies that will benefit all Americans.

Democratic Governors serve as firewalls against Republican extremism in state legislatures. In 2021, more than 440 bills restricting voter access were introduced across the country. What blocks these bills from passing? Democratic governors and their veto powers.  

  • Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has vetoed anti-choice, pro-gun, anti-vax, and election overhaul legislation introduced by a radical Republican state legislature.
  • Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has vetoed legislation to limit abortion and voting rights. He is the major political force opposing Senator Ron Johnson’s call to the state legislature to seize control of federal elections in Wisconsin.
  • Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has vetoed bills aimed at making it harder for people of color and young people to cast their ballots. For her rational anti-Covid policies, she was the target of a kidnapping attempt in 2020 by domestic terrorists. 

We must elect and support Democratic governors! With the GOP moving full steam ahead to suppress the vote and obstruct President Biden’s agenda, the 36 governor’s races in 2022 will determine the future of our health care, our jobs, our schools, and American democracy itself. 

The only organization that exists solely for this purpose is the Democratic Governors Association, which is led by the governors themselves. From their website: “The DGA participates at all levels of gubernatorial campaigns, from providing resources to fund operations to helping articulate and deliver campaign messages. The DGA also helps governors lead their states. It serves as a clearinghouse of best practices to help governors and their staff share their policy successes and learn from each other.” The DGA is a unique organization with a critically important mission and deserves our strongest support. 

Take Action! – Please support the Democratic Governors Association with your donations! You can also donate to 2022 re-election races for incumbent governors, such as WI Gov Tony Evers and MI Gov Gretchen Whitmer. Want to flip states blue? Support TX Gov Dem candidate Beto O’Rourke and GA Gov Dem candidate Stacy Abrams. The Pennsylvania race will heat up later in 2022, as Gov. Tom Wolf is term-limited and cannot run again. The Democratic front-runner to succeed Wolf, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, could continue to hold the fractious Republican state legislature at bay, and he needs our support. We promise to keep you posted with intel on all the key races! 

Support the Democratic Governors Association

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Don’t see the type of action you’re looking for? Watch this space for frequent updates. In the mean time, use the dropdown menu to check out our other actions for ways to make a difference now.

Activism in December – Donations

By Barbara Head, December 5, 2021

Is your inbox clogged with desperate appeals from candidates and groups you’ve never heard of to donate before a deadline? Don’t Click! Put your money where it will work hard for the candidates, organizations, and issues you care about. Here’s how to make smart donations that give the most bang for your buck.

To be most effective, make your donations now. The end of 2021 could be the best time, for multiple reasons:  

1. Political campaigns – For candidates, “early money” is worth 4x that which is obtained later in the election cycle. Candidates running in 2022 need to raise money now to hire staff, build their infrastructure, plan budgets and implement research programs.                  

But who to support? Which of us has the time or resources to research the best choices? Fortunately, there are organizations that can come to your rescue by curating good places to donate. For instance,

  • Swing Left’s research-based Blueprint, where a single donation endows a personalized portfolio, focuses on the most impactful Senate, House, and gubernatorial races.
Swing Left Blueprint
  • Force Multiplier, an independent, nationSwide, all-volunteer fundraising organization based in Boston, offers targeted funds to ensure that your donations are strategic and effective. Force Multiplier’s US Senate Early Impact and US House Early Impact slates provide early money to political campaigns according to financial need and political weight of their races. 
FM Early Impact: Senate
FM Early Impact: House

2. Tax-deductions – Looking for a year-end tax deduction for your political giving? While contributions to political candidates are not tax-deductible, many progressive organizations may be– if they are nonpartisan and perform public-service activities such as voter education or empowerment. A tax-deductible example from Force Multiplier: 

FM Tax-Deductible Democracy in Action

In general, groups organized as 501(c)(3) charities are tax-deductible, while 501(c)(4) charities are not, so check websites for designations. Political action committees (PACS), or other groups that seek to influence legislation, are not tax-deductible. 

After making your donations in 2021, get ready for action in 2022 – writing, phoning, texting, canvassing, whatever it takes to save our democracy! 

Bring Back the Blue Wall

By Christine Brown, December 1, 2021

Traditionally the Blue Wall referred to Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin because the union votes of these demographically white states overwhelmingly voted Blue.  But with the demise of unions, the devastating impact of globalization, and overt racist messaging, Trump was able to break through and win the electoral college.  In 2020, Biden won Wisconsin by only 0.6% and Pennsylvania by 1.2% in two cliffhangers.

The graph above shows the partisan shift in Wisconsin, especially in Latinos and non-college whites. Even though Biden won, there still is a significant shift Republican in their voting patterns.  

But as many have remarked, these groups would greatly benefit from Democratic policies and a government that is responsive to them instead of wealthy donors.  Why are they voting Republican?  Is it conservative media constantly spewing destructive rhetoric?  Is it the absence of Democratic messaging?  Likely both.

Focus 4 Democracy has singled out Working America as the most important group to fund early.  “Working America unites working people who don’t have a union on the job.  Founded in 2003, Working America, the community affiliate of the AFL-CIO, makes sure that the priorities of working people, their families and communities are heard from state houses to the White House, from city councils and school boards to the halls of Congress.

How do they do it?  By building a strong relationship with their membership.  Because they are there day in and day out, they are able to be heard through the partisan flames.”

Donations now will fund local offices, train canvassers and pay for recurring outreach to “non-college” members.  This is something we can do NOW to open people’s minds to policies and governments that can help them live better lives.  As Working America recruits more members and strengthens the bonds with their current members, they are growing an electorate that is engaged and ready to participate.  This is an investment for both 2022 and 2024. Consider making an early donation to Working America – remember small amounts add up!

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Run for Something

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Run for Something:

Since launching in January 2017, Run for Something has recruited 70,000+ young people across all 50 states who want to run for local office.

We provide a safety net for new and exciting progressive candidates — at all stages of their journey — to help them run efficient, grassroots & voter-contact driven campaigns and not feel alone in the process.

Don’t just take our word for it. Hear about how we help directly from Run for Something candidates, partners, mentors, volunteers, and alumni

Turn PA Blue

The goal at Turn PA Blue is to elect more Democrats to state and local offices in Pennsylvania by working on the ground every year, in every election.

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2024 Election Results: Democrats will stay in control of the Pennsylvania House after holding off strong GOP challenges in Northeast Philadelphia, the city’s suburbs, and the heart of Trump country.

In the state Senate, Republicans easily maintained their majority after Tuesday’s election. That means the uneasy relationship between the chambers that has slowed policymaking to a crawl will continue in 2025.

Democrats flipped the state House in 2022 after more than a decade of GOP control. The party’s one-seat majority will remain the same next year.

Despite its size, majority control gives Democrats the power to set the agenda and block Republicans from unilaterally sending proposed constitutional amendments to the voters on issues like expanded voter ID.

Turn PA Blue is a valued partner of MAflipPA and Indivisible Acton Area.

Special Fund:
Take Back School Boards

Donate to School Board Fund

Book bans, dead naming trans youth, whitewashing history, and discriminating against marginalized students cannot be tolerated!

School boards across the state are brazenly harming students and suppressing fact-based teachings. Our kids deserve better! We have to take back our school boards!

11/21/22 UPDATE – All eyes again are on the GA Senate race! In the 2022 midterm election, neither incumbent Rafael Warnock (with a 1-point lead) nor Trump-backed Herschel Walker gained a majority of 0.50. The lack of a majority win triggers a runoff election in GA (12/6/22), and whoever gets the better turnout will likely win. Stacy Abrams and Bee Nguyen were unable to upset Republican incumbent for Governor and Secretary of State, so for now, we must pin our hopes on Warnock. Stay posted for further updates, and do what you can to help Warnock win!

11/14/22 Update: It’s official, Warnock and Walker advanced to a December 6 runoff election. This seat would take Democrats from the current shared power arrangement to actual control of the senate. Let’s make this happen!

11/9/22 Update: Warnock is one point ahead of Walker, but it seems like he will be unable to break the 50% barrier (he has 49.42%) So onward to the Run-off election Dec 6, 2022.

5/30/22 Update: All eyes are on Stacey Abrams in the gubernatorial race and Raphael Warnock in the senatorial race. Both of these crucial races in this must-win state are rated as toss-ups, so every donation and volunteer effort makes a difference. Progressive Lucy McBath easily unseated centrist Carolyn Bourdeaux in the GA 07 primary on May 24, receiving about twice as many votes. GA 07 is considered a solidly Democratic district.

3/12/22 Update: In the new redistricting maps (still being litigated), Republicans have redistricted Lucy McBath out of her seat in the 6th, forcing her to run against centrist Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux. Bourdeaux was part of a small group of Democrats refusing to pass Build Back Better simultaneousely with the “bipartisan” infrastructure bill. The primary is scheduled for May 24th. The new 6th District will be R+24 so Republicans effectively stole a house seat. We’ll see how the litigation plays out.

11/2/21 Senator Raphael Warnock is running for a full six year term.  We must hold this Senate Seat!  In addition, Georgia is a key state in the fight for the house.  Their Republican state legislature is in charge of redistricting.  They will likely redraw either the 6th District (currently represented by Democrat Lucy McBath) or the 7th (held by Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux) to be firmly Democratic and the other district to either be more competitive or even Republican-leaning. That would give Republicans a potential net of at least one seat, in an environment in which every seat matters. Governor Kemp is also running for reelection, Trump is threatening to primary him.  Stay tuned.

2/10/24 UPDATE: Presidential primaries, March 19, 2024. Primaries for other offices, Aug 6, 2024. Races to watch: Rep. Ruben Gallego is running for the US Senate seat currently held by Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic Party to become an independent. His likely opponent is MAGA Republican Kari Lake, and this is one of the handful of races determining which party will control the Senate. Kirsten Engel is running for US Representative in one of the few House Districts won by Biden/Harris in 2020 but now represented by a Republican. This race is currently rated a toss-up.

11/22/22 UPDATE: Katie Hobbs defeated Kari Lake to become Arizona’s Governor-Elect. As Arizona’s secretary of state, Hobbs upheld 2020 election results while Trump-backed Lake went all in on the Big Lie.

11/14/22 UPDATE: AZ – Good news in Arizona with Mark Kelly’s senate victory and a big win for democracy with Adrian Fontes slated to be secretary of state for the 2024 election. We’re still waiting for the new governor to be announced, as Katie Hobbs maintains a one-point lead over MAGA extremist Kari Lake. Our efforts made a real difference in these very close races.

7/11/22 UPDATE: Focus on Arizona for a great investment in Democracy! We can win a Senate Seat and a House Seat on the Federal level. At the state level, we need to win the Secretary of State, Attorney General and Democrats are within 1 seat each of tying both chambers of the AZ State House. The ultraconservative Republicans in the Arizona State House introduce outrageous legislation nearly every day, making work in this state not only a good bang for the buck but also a way to cauterize an artery in our hemorrhaging democracy. We are doing the work on the ground, let’s keep the momentum up these last four months!

3/14/22 UPDATE – The AZ Secretary of State seat, key to combatting election subversion, is open due to Katie Hobbs’ gubernatorial bid. The Governor’s race is still rated a tossup. Democrats are within 1 seat each of tying both chambers of the AZ State House. The once-Democratic AZ 06 congressional seat is now open and leans Republican, so holding Mark Kelly’s US Senate seat becomes even more vital for Democratic power on the federal level. Nearly every day, extremist Republican legislation and litigation advance in AZ, and making progress in this state is key to holding our democracy.

11/1/21 – Arizona is an important battleground state:  We must save this Senate Seat, currently held by Mark Kelly.  In 2020, Mark Kelly won the election to complete John McCain’s term. Kelly has strong Republican opposition, so this race is rated as a toss-up. The Federal Representatives are currently split 5 Democrats to 4 Republicans – look for Republicans to leverage redistricting to gain a seat.  Also up for grabs is the Governorship.  Radical Republican Gov. Ducey will be term limited out.

11/14/22 UPDATE: Beasley made a very good showing, but couldn’t quite overcome Budd to flip the senate seat in North Carolina.  This state does continue to have potential for Democrats, and our investments may well pay off in future elections.

5/23/22 UPDATE: Cheri Beasley has overwelmingly won her Democratic primary for US Senate! She is a strong candidate to flip the seat (Republican Incumbent is retiring). She is a former Chief Justice of the NC Supreme court, and is an experienced, well known candidate. For the US House, State Senator Don Davis handily won his primary for NC-01. He is also an experienced candidate, having served in the State Senate for 6 terms. State Senator Jeff Jackson was the winner in the newly created NC-14 district. He is a young veteran and former assisant district attorney. He also currently serves in the National Guard. This district leans Democratic, so this is a good one to get over the finish line to keep our US House majority. These three candidates will help us keep our razor thin majorities in the US Senate and House.

3/7/22 UPDATE – GREAT NEWS!! Last week, we reported (in What’s Happening in North Carolina) that the Republican-led legislature appealed to the US Supreme Court for relief of what they claimed was overreach by the state courts. This appeal to the US Supreme Court was a last-ditch effort by the NC legislature to reinstate their gerrymandered maps, which had been rejected by the state Supreme Court. Well, great news – just a few minutes ago, the US Supreme Court refused to hear the appeal, making the fair Congressional map final! So the redistricting case ends here, and equity and constitutionality won out for North Carolina.

10/19/21 – North Carolina’s Republican Senator, Richard Burr, is retiring and the Republican primary field is large and contentious, giving Democrats a possible opening.  As for the House, NC gained a seat in reapportionment, and the Republican state legislature is in control of the mapmaking.  The court forced the maps to be redrawn more fairly for the 2020 elections, so there is a possibility that the maps might not change drastically. More likely is that the Republicans try to push 2-3 more seats into their column. The Democratic governor is not up for re-election.