Exciting Training for Activists

The Green Dog group is planning some exciting trainings for progressive activists this summer and fall.  If you are involved in protecting wetlands or open space, fighting for rent control in your town, or just trying to get a stop sign at a dangerous corner, this is for you. Learn the techniques for lobbying your elected officials, building a coalition of neighbors and other concerned citizens in your town. And consider running for office yourself. 

Remember, this is an off year in California, but it's the right time to plan your run in 2024.  We can help with all of that, including fundraising tips, the one thing all candidates hate to do, but the one that is most crucial to any successful campaign.

If your grassroots organizing campaign involves meeting with State legislators, holding large rallies, or even making signs to wave at the meetings, you can benefit from these tips too. We've created petition drives, lobbying expeditions to Sacramento in caravans of buses, and sent out informative mailers for our clients and our own passion projects. And we've helped progressive candidates get elected to office all over California.

Learn the techniques that gain the right kind of attention and that work. Topics to include:

Building your coalition and naming your group

Fundraising for change

Honing your message

Lobbying techniques for State and local officials

Running a petition drive

Recalls and referendums

More fundraising

Running for office (yikes!)

And more! (Stay tuned for further information)

Start by Getting Involved

Some more advice for getting started on your political campaign. If you care about your community, but aren't sure which office you might want to run for, (and there are no elections this year, with California's new even year only elections) you should start by getting involved in an issue that you care about. Is it climate change, housing, creating more parks and open space, better education for kids? Figure out what excites you and see what you can do to get involved. 

If it's education, and you have kids in school, you probably know the issues well. Are there some committees with openings you can join, like site council or curriculum? Start going to school board meetings, join the PTA, see what seats might be up in the next cycle or two. In the case of most school boards, races are by district, so know what district you are in first. Then see if you approve of the job the incumbent is doing. It may be all is well, and there will no place for you this time. 

Even so, stay involved and be ready for a new opening or you might find you are excited about some other position on a non-profit, in local Party organization, or other club, ad hoc committee or maybe volunteer on another candidate's committee.  Who knows, you may get a rewarding job offer as staff when your candidate gets elected.

So, You Want to Run for Office?

So, You Want to Run for Office? Or you are just thinking about it. Someday. Well, someday is now. Why? Even though it's an off year in California, if you want to make a difference in 2024, when the actual races are, you need to be thinking about it now.

This is because you need to be able to hit the ground running. You need to show you know the issues facing your district, whether it's a large office, like Assembly or Congress, or a smaller office, like a local school board or City Council race. Know that your opposition has thought about it, is garnering support and getting pledges for funding.  

If you were paying attention in 2022, you know there are well organized forces who geared up early for school board races with the aim of building the "bench" for future elections. Yes, I am talking about the Republican Party and some non-partisan groups in alignment with much of the Republican platform or, in some cases, even more extreme. 

We saw anti-vaxxers, anti maskers in the most recent races for small school boards, several in my county alone. Luckily they lost. But they will return. If you are a progressive Democrat or Independent, start doing your research. Now is the time.

Watch these pages for more info. We are here to help our progressive friends win elections all over the State and beyond.

 

If You Wanna be President:Some tips

If you wanna be president, think down the line. Be between 25-35 years old and run for City Council, preferably in a medium sized city in the Midwest, or South. Be a Democrat for sure. Run and win, then serve two terms and run for Supervisor, win. Serve two terms, run for Assembly, maybe State Senate, win. One term there and think about Congress. Run and maybe win, if not run again, it's only two terms. If you are really really popular the the sitting Congressperson is not, or there's an open seat, you might skip from steps 2 and go straight for Congress after your Supe. gig. You are now 55 or 60.

Are you good at what you do; have you proven you can raise millions, yes, millions of dollars. Does the grass roots in your state love you, and those in other states getting to know you? Are you mentioned pm MSNBC and Fox News?

Now you might think about that Presidential run. Don't forget there is always Mayor of your City if it's a big one, Governor of your State, other Constitutional offices, and U.S. Senator. All great offices and ways to get things done, assuming your purpose in all this running is to get things done, for your District, State and Country. Good things, important things. Fixing the roads, building bridges, making sure there is universal healthcare and education, an end to income inequality. Those are goals, and lofty ones, but the ones Democrats need to keep in mind and aim for.

Run baby run. But not for President, not this year.

Unless you really are a Buddha Judge. Then all bets are off.

California Dem Party Chair Race Heats Up

So now there are five in the race for Chair of the California Democratic Party, and already the rumors are flying. Someone is intimidating delegates to get them to vote for a certain candidate. Someone else is being held hostage by the Legislature. Another candidate is too hot to handle, and two are just a footnote.

For the record, I'm all in for current vice-chair Daraka Larimore-Hall, an unabashed Democratic Socialist from Santa Barbara, a professor and progressive activist, who has moved up through the ranks, not got there through cronyism or privilege. If anyone can unify the Party, he can. He's been elected twice as Secretary and as Vice Chair. He knows his way around Party politics and the grassroots. He's smart and accessible. He will listen.

Folks, if you are being pressured or threatened to vote a certain way, you need to speak out now. No more hiding in the shadows, allowing rumor and innuendo to grow. This is how we got where we are today. A new chair was elected last year, amid rumors that he bullied and harassed people into voting for him. If those rumors were true, taking a stance and telling the truth would have made a difference. As it happened, that Chair lasted only a short time before he was forced to resign because even worse stories came to light. We would likely have a different chair today, instead of an acting one, holding office only until the June election. We would be focusing on winning races, raising our credibility among voters and recruiting new Democratic voters.

People who are bullied, harassed or threatened must always speak up. It's not easy, but it's right. You may lose your position (probably not, if you are truthful), but you will gain respect, your own and others.

Madame Speaker at the State of the Union Speech

No words needed:

Never Too Early

That's right. It's never too early to start thinking about 2020. City Council race coming up? School Board? Certainly Assembly, County Supervisor, and Congress. 

You may want to launch your campaign for water board, sewer board or Community Services District. Find out now what seats are coming up and when you find the one that seems right for you, get the answers to these questions before you make a final decision:

1. Is the incumbent likely to run? You may not know yet, because they may not have decided, but at least know who the incumbent is, what their track record is and what has been written about them and their votes on the board. This information can help you decide if it's worth challenging the incumbent. If they are not doing a good job, or you have some better ideas and  will to take on the challenge, don't let the fact that someone else is sitting there now stop you.

2. When is the election? In March, when the California primaries take place or in November, along with the General election? Or both. Is there a primary to whittle down the field to the top two? This is important because it will make a difference in your fundraising and endorsement seeking schedule. If it's in March, filing is in the fall. You need to be  cognizant of the holiday season and plan accordingly.

3. How much does this race normally cost? If you're running against the incumbent, it will probably cost you more, to get yourself known and up to speed, and get your message out to the voters on why they should fire the incumbent and hire you, instead. You can get the information on past election costs either at Cal-Access the State site with campaign disclosures or at the City or County where the election takes place. Sometimes you have to go physically into the office of the Board to get hard copies of the disclosure statements.

Now that you're armed with some basic information about the race, make sure you are up to speed on the decisions made by this board, the scope of the duties and how you can contribute to the quality of the work done.

Whatever you run for, the most important question is one to ask yourself: Do i have the "Fire in the belly" for this job?

If the answer is Yes, go for it. Just do your homework, make sure you can raise the funds and get the support needed and you are off and running.