Contest Every Race is working to end GOP dominance in rural America by making sure that no Republican runs for office unopposed. In states like Oklahoma, Democrats don’t run in up to 75% of local elections. The result is lower turnout, which means that congressional and statewide candidates get crushed – even when there are plenty of registered Democrats.
Join the Contest Every Race research team! Do some sleuthing and have a big impact.
by Jenny Silberman
Do you like solving puzzles and finding answers to important questions? Put those skills to good use by helping the Contest Every Race research team uncover hidden opportunities to recruit progressive candidates for down-ballot offices across the country. Much like the “Bletchley Girls” helping to crack the code of intercepted Nazi messages, the Contest Every Race (CER) research team scours the internet searching for crucial data that enables CER to build progressive power from the grassroots. They use this data to recruit Democrats to run for down-ballot races, such as school board and city council positions.
And it’s working! Contest Every Race has recruited thousands of Democrats to run in previously uncontested races in Republican strongholds, and most of their recruits have won their elections! Plus, when more Democrats are on the ballot locally, Democrats in other races benefit. In counties that CER targeted in Virginia, Democrats received a 7% higher vote share than control counties did.
As a member of the research team, you’ll make a tangible impact, and you can choose your assignments and schedule. CER staff are readily available to answer questions and provide support. More researchers are needed for this important work. With the midterm elections fast approaching, there’s no time to lose. Please sign up here for a training session.
5 reasons to join the Contest Every Race research team
- The need is great. There are about 520,000 elected offices, and Democrats don’t compete in up to 75% of the races in some states. CER needs more researchers to reach its goal of 50,000 targeted races this year.
- CER is effective. So far, an impressive 53% of CER’s recruits win their races! And 70% are women or people of color.
- CER scheduling is flexible. You can do most of the research online from your home, at any time of day.
- You can choose your assignments. Research areas include:.
- Incumbent: Identify which races are uncontested.
- “How to file”: Find information needed on how to run for each office.
- Effectiveness: Document how many candidates CER recruited and how many won their races.
- Audit: Double-check team members’ work. These assignments are especially “beginner-friendly.”
- You can make history. “Contest Every Race is an unprecedented coalition of organizations working to transform this moment of crisis into long-term change. Our aim is to move local and national politics towards a democracy that works for everyone.” (CER website)
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