What an incredible weekend! Not only did so many of you show up to help stuff, sticker, and address nearly 600 envelopes to announce my campaign to Monroe County Democratic Committee Members— but you RALLIED when I had the opportunity for an incredible early donor match. Needless to say we crushed our online fundraising goal! THANK YOU!
I wish the fundraising part of the campaign was over and done with- but we still need to raise at least 55k more over the duration of the primary in order to reach voters across the city. I’d rather focus on these moments where we’re sitting around the table, putting work in over time to build real community power!
I’m genuinely grateful that our first donations will help us to officially launch my campaign to the general public and get us started on our way. I hope you’ll join in the fun and volunteer!
BTW: I’ll be blogging throughout this process to help folks better understand how things work. The more we know, the more we can make sure our voices are heard and our community has a real say.
SO WHATS NEXT?
This year there are five seats on city council that are up all at once. So it’s not like a traditional head-to-head race, likely a dozen or more candidates will be vying to get one of those five available seats. The pool of candidates will get smaller over time. It’s why early support is so crucial for campaigns to be successful.
The first step is the Democratic Committee Designations. Those letters you helped me send out went to committee members who will vote on who gets the Monroe County Democratic Committee’s endorsement. While you don’t have to be endorsed to keep running, it does come with perks like a built-in pool of volunteers, plus extra financial and technical support. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a committee member doing your homework on the candidates—so thank you!
ON DECK: BALLOT ACCESS
One of the biggest hurdles, aside from fundraising, is collecting enough valid signatures to get on the ballot for the Democratic Primary. That means I can’t collect signatures from just anyone. Among some other technicalities, folks who sign the petition have to:
- Be eligible to vote
- Be registered as a Democrat
- Be registered as a Dem at their current address in the City of Rochester
- Sign and date the form properly (You’d be surprised, it happens!)
Failing to reach the required number of signatures, after they have been reviewed means that your name won’t be listed on the ballot. It can be challenging for folks to gather the more than 1,000 signatures during the cold winter and early spring. But many hands make light work!
Running for office is definitely a marathon, not a sprint. Over the years, I’ve supported other progressive campaigns, been an Emily’s List fellow, and am currently an LGBTQ+ Woman Out to Win fellow. These experiences have given me the tools and guidance to run a strong campaign. The road ahead is long, but I’m ready to take it on—together with you.
Let’s do this!