As the most consequential election of our lifetimes races towards us, Contest Every race is not slowing down.
From growing our program to around 300 counties this year, to launching our first ever slate of endorsements, to deploying our staff into rural counties in swing states across the county, we are keeping our foot on the gas in these final months to make sure we stop the spread of extremism in this country and elect Democrats up and down the ballot on November 5th!
And our grantees are matching our energy! Through the grants program, participating counties receive $500 per quarter, training, free texting, and support from a designated Contest Every Race Organizer. Take a look at the grassroots voter outreach our partnering counties completed just this month alone:
Much of this voter outreach was concentrated in the key battleground states. CER chose to hone in our efforts because we know the support we give to rural counties has the power to flip entire states at the Presidential level. Just take a look at this data:
In Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, the number of voters contacted by Contest Every Race grantees in September alone exceeds the margin that decided the 2020 election in the states. The work our grantees are doing could be the difference between a Harris presidency and a Trump presidency. So while we understand that the next month will be full of long days and hard work, we know that hard work is good work, because when we fight, we win!
Let’s take a deeper look at what some of our teams were up to in September.
The team in Benzie County worked to capitalize off the distribution of mail-in-ballots in Michigan. They gathered a dozen of their existing volunteers to stuff 350 bags filled with their county candidate slate, Project 2025 info cards, "I Voted!" stickers, blue candies (of course), and personalized hand-written notes. The team turned what could have been a basic, and even boring, literature drop into a goodie-bag extravaganza, making GOTV efforts fun for the volunteers and the voters! Here’s the team with (just some!) of their stuffed blue bags:
The Benzie County Dems then recruited an astounding 20 new volunteers and 10 current ones to deliver the stuffed blue bags to Leaning Dems/Independents vote by mail. For the hard-to-reach rural voters (or those in “hinterlands,” as Chair Jim Dulzo refers to them), the team problem-solved and developed a mailing strategy that ensured everyone received their goodies. Jim says the effort was a “smashing success;” the stuffed bags arrive the same day as the mail-in-ballots! So when voters opened their mailbox, not only did they find their ballot, but a goodie-bag chalk full of enthusiasm and helpful resources.
In Madison County, Georgia this month, the team held a massive GOTV rally for not only Madison residents, but also neighboring counties of Baldwin, Macon-Bibbs, Monroe, Upson, and more. The event was a massive success, with over 550 attendees from across central Georgia, and all of it was made possible by the CER grant program. The day was filled with good food, joyous music, and empowering speeches. Senator Ossoff spoke about his and Senator Warnock’s historic election in 2021, and how history can once again be made this November. Senator Kelly and Gabby Giffords spoke about how with hard work and determination, anything is possible, especially in this country.
But, maybe most importantly, the day was full of work! Pictured above is one of our CER organizers, Tee (center), with Democratic party leaders from our teams across the state of Georgia. Tee also sat down with the Middle GA Coalition Meeting of Baldwin County, Macon-Bibbs, Monroe, and Upson County to devise GOTV efforts for the final weeks of this campaign. Tee says “[CER has] to have helped expand collaborative work across all regions of Georgia, adding three other partner counties to the Central GA Coalition.” When we organize, we win!
The Brown County Dems in Wisconsin had a special guest in “The Office” this month! Governor Gretchen Whitmer stopped by to help launch a canvass for the team. As part of the reproductive freedom bus tour, the Governor visited more rural areas like Brown county, and stressed the need to organize everywhere across the state. The Wisconsin Democrats certainly did just that this cycle: they recruited candidates for every single Senate seat in the state, and 97/99 assembly districts!
While Governor Whitmer’s visit was full of fun, it also inspired Brown County to get right back to work. This month alone, with the help of the energy the Governor harnessed, the Brown County Dems made 8,263 phone calls and knocked well over 10,000 doors.
