Joy, Enthusiasm, and the Work Ahead
We are taking a moment to celebrate the joy and incredible momentum of the past week following Vice-President Kamala Harris' successful transition to the likely Democratic Party nominee in the 2024 Presidential Election. Following her endorsement by President Joe Biden, Harris wasted no time in securing the commitment of enough delegates to the Democratic National Convention to unite the party and lock-up the nomination in August. Her campaign brought in record donations -- 60% from small donors -- and record numbers of volunteers, including more than 7,000 in Florida. Efforts to coalesce support for her candidacy broke Zoom. New voter registrations soared 700%, bringing in an impressive number of young voters. And last but not least, she became a social media phenom!
We had a chance to experience the renewed commitment, optimism, and energy firsthand in last weekend's Florida for Harris phone bank in Jacksonville. It was a capacity crowd in-person and virtually with a broad representation of our entire community. The voters we reached were strongly supportive of Harris' candidacy too. Despite a few naysayers, Florida Dems are enthusiastic about her chances and the synergy between her candidacy and Amendment 4, the November ballot measure restoring abortion rights in the state. We take delight in the Trump campaign's response to this surge in popularity and the GOP's feeble efforts to recapture the spotlight. They will figure it out, but right now there is no oxygen in their room -- the last bit consumed by purring childless cat ladies.
Now it's up to us to get to work. Sign up and get involved next week --- phonebank, knock on doors, text voters or postcard --- there is a voter outreach effort for everyone. If you still need inspiration, try this quote from Harris' 2019 political autobiography The Truths We Hold:
Years from now, our children and our grandchildren will look up and lock eyes with us. They will ask us where we were when the stakes were so high. They will ask us what it was like. I don’t want us to just tell them how we felt. I want us to tell them what we did.
We've got 99 days until November 5th. Let's win this!
This You Can Do!
Postcard to GOTV in the August School Board race: Attend the BAM meeting August 8th at 7 p.m. at Adele Grage Community Center and help stop Moms for Liberty! To RSVP and get more info, see below.
Saturday Brunch Phone-Bank: Join the Beaches Dems & BAM as we call Duval Democrats and encourage them to vote! New to phone banking? Don’t worry - we are EXPERTS and will train and support you the whole time! Get ready to brew the coffee, toast the bagel, and make calls with us on Saturday. RSVP here.
Canvass for Rachel Grage in Atlantic Beach: Help flip State House District 16! Sign up to canvass for Rachel Grage tomorrow (Tuesday, July 30) at 4:30 p.m. in Atlantic Beach.
Canvass at the Beach: Help the Beaches Dems & BAM reach out to Democratic voters who tend to show up for the General Election but are inconsistent voters in other elections. No experience necessary. We'll be canvassing August 3 and 10 from 3:30 - 5 p.m. Sign up and join us.
Voter Outreach for School Board Races: Candidates that support public education need our help with voter outreach in key School Board races with Moms for Liberty candidates. While the Beaches don't have a School Board race in the 2024 election, the entire board votes on issues that affect us. Contact Katie Hathaway, Voters for Strong Public Schools, for information about candidate phone banks.
Over the Fence: Sign-up for Neighbor 2 Neighbor and talk to 10 like-minded people who live near you! Contact Nancy Staats if you have questions. N2N, a proven tactic for increasing voter turnout, launched in June.
VOTE: If you received your VBM ballot, fill it out and mail back now. Need help figuring out who to vote for? Check out the BAM Election Guide.
BAM Meeting Thursday August 8th!
With all the excitement about the presidential race, we can't forget that Moms for Liberty-backed candidates could become a majority on the school board if they are elected in August. While we don't have a race on our ballot at the Beach, the school board makes decisions that affect all of us and our schools. Join us for the BAM meeting on August 8 at 7 p.m. at Adele Grage Community Center to hear what's at stake from public education advocates Katie Hathaway and Elizabeth Andersen. We are planning to postcard after their presentation to GOTV for this critical school board race in August! Postcards, stamps & mailing labels will be provided, although we welcome donations for our stamp fund!
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