REACTIONS
Democrats and
Allies |
Republicans
and Allies
DEMOCRATS AND ALLIES
SEIU California
September 15, 2021
Sacramento, CA – The day after Governor Gavin Newsom’s decisive victory over the Republican recall, SEIU California and labor and community allies who led the sweeping ground campaign behind the victory outlined their winning tactics for news reporters. The coalition of labor and more than 90 community organizations powered the largest ground campaign since the landmark Yes on Prop 30/No on Prop 32 victories in 2012. Their defeat of the recall not only protects important gains for working people in California, it serves as a national model for building a winning coalition of Black, Brown, white, and API voters in 2022 and beyond.
“We showed the nation that the right-wing extremists and billionaires who wanted to undermine our state’s democracy cannot overcome the power of working people,” said Max Arias, Executive Director of SEIU Local 99 and Executive Board Member of SEIU California.
SEIU California led the largest, coordinated ground campaign of labor and community allies since 2012 in order to beat back the Republican recall. The statewide voter contact and Get Out the Vote Campaign had unprecedented results for an off-year special election:
GOTV
25,000 GOTV shifts between doors, phones, and texting
Over 500k doors knocked
Over 3 million calls made
Overall
Over 31 million calls made
1.5 million doors knocked
Of these, SEIU members knocked on over 412,000 doors, over 250,000 doors over the last four days of GOTV alone, and made over 4.8 million calls. SEIU members collectively contributed more than $6 million of their dollars to the anti-recall campaign and field efforts to turn out communities of color.
Oscar Lopez, Political Director for SEIU California, said: “This victory is the fruit of more than a decade of time and significant investment of members’ dollars into growing our political muscle as a coalition of labor and community organizations.”
“At the outset of this campaign, we set a goal of 10,000 volunteers, ambitious considering the truncated nature of this election. We blew past that goal, more than doubling that number in volunteer shifts,” said Steve Smith, communications director with the California Labor Federation. “What that means in terms of real-world impact can’t be overstated. Millions of personal contacts with voters helped turn the tide of this election.”
“Along with our labor allies, MVP is proud to have run one of the largest get out the vote operations in the state to make sure our communities’ voices were heard and to protect the progress we have made to make California a more inclusive, just, and equitable state,” said Amado Uno, Director of the Million Voters Project, a coalition of community-based civic engagement organizations that has been working for more than a decade to build political power in communities of color and lower-income communities throughout California. “Because we are rooted in local communities, because we are trusted local messengers and because we have invested in organizing, we were able to stand up a large-scale GOTV program in a matter of weeks.”
Labor and community leaders hailed the defeat of the recall as a turning point and a clear signpost for the nation as we head into another very divisive election year.
“We’ve demonstrated it is possible to build an effective, energized, multi-racial coalition rooted in the concerns and priorities of working communities – Black, Brown, white, and API. When workers and communities come together to focus on the problems we face, we can overcome the politics of hate and division,” Arias concluded.
View the press conference held this morning here:
View the press conference held this morning here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/5n9dTwSOaWp7bd1JRCguUNfbjxxLN5CD53u-OZtkcYqtwNIiis-QvaxXnP_rL2VM.rh2sz3eNLb4kZ7HaPasscode: ks19$Lvz
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 14, 2021
CONTACT Brandon Richards, Director of Communications
SEIU California
September 15, 2021
WORKER-LED GROUND CAMPAIGN PIVOTAL TO GOVERNOR NEWSOM’S VICTORY OVER RECALL
Working people and
community allies mounted the state’s
largest ground campaign in nearly a
decade & created a winning playbook
for Democrats nationally.
Sacramento, CA – The day after Governor Gavin Newsom’s decisive victory over the Republican recall, SEIU California and labor and community allies who led the sweeping ground campaign behind the victory outlined their winning tactics for news reporters. The coalition of labor and more than 90 community organizations powered the largest ground campaign since the landmark Yes on Prop 30/No on Prop 32 victories in 2012. Their defeat of the recall not only protects important gains for working people in California, it serves as a national model for building a winning coalition of Black, Brown, white, and API voters in 2022 and beyond.
“We showed the nation that the right-wing extremists and billionaires who wanted to undermine our state’s democracy cannot overcome the power of working people,” said Max Arias, Executive Director of SEIU Local 99 and Executive Board Member of SEIU California.
SEIU California led the largest, coordinated ground campaign of labor and community allies since 2012 in order to beat back the Republican recall. The statewide voter contact and Get Out the Vote Campaign had unprecedented results for an off-year special election:
GOTV
25,000 GOTV shifts between doors, phones, and texting
Over 500k doors knocked
Over 3 million calls made
Overall
Over 31 million calls made
1.5 million doors knocked
Of these, SEIU members knocked on over 412,000 doors, over 250,000 doors over the last four days of GOTV alone, and made over 4.8 million calls. SEIU members collectively contributed more than $6 million of their dollars to the anti-recall campaign and field efforts to turn out communities of color.
Oscar Lopez, Political Director for SEIU California, said: “This victory is the fruit of more than a decade of time and significant investment of members’ dollars into growing our political muscle as a coalition of labor and community organizations.”
“At the outset of this campaign, we set a goal of 10,000 volunteers, ambitious considering the truncated nature of this election. We blew past that goal, more than doubling that number in volunteer shifts,” said Steve Smith, communications director with the California Labor Federation. “What that means in terms of real-world impact can’t be overstated. Millions of personal contacts with voters helped turn the tide of this election.”
“Along with our labor allies, MVP is proud to have run one of the largest get out the vote operations in the state to make sure our communities’ voices were heard and to protect the progress we have made to make California a more inclusive, just, and equitable state,” said Amado Uno, Director of the Million Voters Project, a coalition of community-based civic engagement organizations that has been working for more than a decade to build political power in communities of color and lower-income communities throughout California. “Because we are rooted in local communities, because we are trusted local messengers and because we have invested in organizing, we were able to stand up a large-scale GOTV program in a matter of weeks.”
Labor and community leaders hailed the defeat of the recall as a turning point and a clear signpost for the nation as we head into another very divisive election year.
“We’ve demonstrated it is possible to build an effective, energized, multi-racial coalition rooted in the concerns and priorities of working communities – Black, Brown, white, and API. When workers and communities come together to focus on the problems we face, we can overcome the politics of hate and division,” Arias concluded.
View the press conference held this morning here:
View the press conference held this morning here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/5n9dTwSOaWp7bd1JRCguUNfbjxxLN5CD53u-OZtkcYqtwNIiis-QvaxXnP_rL2VM.rh2sz3eNLb4kZ7HaPasscode: ks19$Lvz
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 14, 2021
CONTACT Brandon Richards, Director of Communications
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California Statement on Resounding Defeat of Republican-led Recall Attempt
PPAC Proudly Opposed the Recall Attempt and Supported Reproductive Rights Champion Gavin Newsom in March
SACRAMENTO— Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC) released the following statement from President/CEO Jodi Hicks regarding the resounding defeat of the Republican-led recall attempt of Governor Gavin Newsom, a staunch supporter of sexual and reproductive health care and Reproductive Freedom leader:
“Planned Parenthood is proud to have stood by Governor Gavin Newsom and worked to defeat this extreme and politically motivated recall attempt that would have taken California backwards if successful. This was nothing more than an attempt to grab power from a Governor who has a stellar track record on some of the most critical issues facing our state – and in the process waste millions of taxpayer dollars and avert much needed attention from the real work our state is doing.”
“With the Republican-led recall attempt easily behind us, we are ready to once again fully focus on building upon California’s leadership as a Reproductive Freedom state. As more states move to restrict and ban care, even enacting unconstitutional bans on abortion, we look forward to continuing to work with Governor Newsom, his administration, legislative leaders, allied organizations, and advocates to fight for health equity and reproductive freedom in every corner of California – for those living here and for those who may be forced to seek care from out-of-state.”
Over the course of the campaign, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC) was heavily involved in the efforts to oppose the Republican-led recall attempt of Governor Gavin Newsom. In March 2021, PPAC issued a statement officially opposing the politically motivated attempt. As the polls showed a closer race, PPAC activated its supporters, allies, and networks to sound the alarm regarding what is at stake for sexual and reproductive health care – including abortion. Efforts included:
- A press conference with NARAL Pro-Choice CA, Senator Sydney Kamlager and Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo.
- A livestream conversation with Governor Gavin Newsom and Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Alexis McGill Johnson highlighting Governor Newsom’s leadership on reproductive rights and the dangers of a Republican Governor in California.
- Activation of its 1+ Million email list to educate voters and advocate they vote NO on Question 1.
- Digital ads with voting information, and mailers to 100,000+ key voters throughout the state.
- A joint “Day of Action” with NARAL Pro-Choice CA and Black Women for Wellness Action Project centered around sexual and reproductive health care.
- The seven affiliates across California also conducted additional phone banks, advocacy nights, and GOTV activities.
KEY ARTICLES
Associated Press: Newsom campaign theme: Don’t let California become Texas
POLITICO: Abortion becomes a ‘huge motivator’ in governor races
POLITICO: Democrats spotlight abortion in bid to save Newsom
The Independent: Why Texas’s abortion law could be a deciding factor in California and Virginia elections – and even the midterms
Sacramento Bee: Recall candidate Larry Elder under fire for comments on women, allegations from former fiancée
Los Angeles Times: How the state of abortion could change in California with a new governor
FOX 40: Planned Parenthood CEO explains why pro-choice groups are against Newsom recall
FOX 40: Planned Parenthood, pro-choice advocates show support for Newsom in recall
###Grassroots
Democrats HQ
September 15, 2021
email to activists [minus photos, fundraising]
Last night, Californians proved once again that Trumpism does not belong in our state, or in our country. California voters delivered a resounding NO on the Recall -- a message that was heard loud and clear across the country. The election wasn't even close. The Blue Tsunami hit California's shores with such force that the election was called within an hour of the polls closing.
It's clear: when Democrats organize and mobilize, Democrats win!
Our NO votes gifted us a Governor that says YES to science, YES to vaccines, YES to fighting climate change, YES to reproductive rights, YES to criminal justice reform, YES to ending gun violence, and YES to creating a California for All.
This victory is all thanks to you. Your phone calls, postcards, canvassing, relational organizing, donations, tabling, and voting ensured that we Defended the Blue in California and kept Governor Newsom in office. Together, we contacted thousands of voters across the state and made sure that they understood why we must join together and VOTE NO.
Thanks to your efforts, we shattered records and spurred historic voter turnout in a special election in September. We would not have the outstanding victory we did last night if it weren't for you.
Thanks to the Super Volunteers who helped us scale up our efforts to defeat the recall!
Together, we brought volunteers across the nation together to help lead phone banks; assist in Zoom rooms; lead canvasses; package, deliver, and ship postcards; create and amplify social media content; distribute canvassing materials; recruit volunteers; and more crucial actions that helped the Grassroots Democrats HQ mobilize the volunteers needed to stop the recall.
Amanda Rykoff
Amber Valdez
Andrea Morgan-Chun
Andrew Munson
Andrew Taban
Arthur Calloway
Barrie Levy
Bonnie Ellman
Branton Juan
Chef Basil & Lizet Angulo
Danah Ezekiel Clark
David Vinson
Deborah Shishko
Emiliana Guereca
Emma Goode
Hattie Herring
Heidi White
Jacintha Knapp
Jackie Thomas
James Crawford
James Lieberfarb
Jed Pauker
Jessica Craven
JoAnn Smith
Jonathan Zasloff
Karl Sonnenberg & Kerry O'Malley
Kathy Schaffer
Kathy Karlin
Kelley Dockery
Kimble Deleon
Lore Hilburg
Marley Powell
Melanie Havelin
Michelle Fowle
Nancy Snyder
Naomi Goldman
Niraj Mehta
Pastor William D. Smart
Patti Crane
Rebecca Gundzik
Rebecca Hartman
Rebecca Ninburg
Richard Vaughn
Susan & Doug Osborne
Susan Given
Sue Oh
Susan Wilder
Suzanne Goldberg
Terry Herkner
Tiffany Countryman
Tony Hale
Troy Takaki
The HQ Fellows from across the country stepped up-- big time!
Though most of them are back in school, the following HQ Fellows went above and beyond their expectations as fellows to ensure that we can soundly beat the recall. From distributing postcard addresses, to leading Zoom rooms, and packaging materials, the fellows were committed to getting the job done. Thank you to Alexandra Sarkis (CA), Apsara Mitra (TX), Charlotte Siegel (CA), Eliana Reiter (DC), Emma Preston (CA), Graham Miller (CA), Joshua Jones (LA), Julian Andreone (CA), Kaliyah Thompson (CA), Kendall McCaskill (MI), Milan Wilkerson (CA), Naomi Eguavoen (CA), Pratyush Mallick (TX), Sofia Borin (CA), Sophia Yuditsky (NY), Willa Pope Robbins (CA), and the rest of the HQ Fellows for being incredible examples of what youth organizing looks like.
100 organizations, including Democratic clubs, Democratic Party caucuses, and grassroots groups across the country partnered with us during this campaign. Thanks to their support, we were able to build the volunteer force needed for a campaign of this scale.
Women's March Action went above and beyond by partnering for our postcard program. Together, we were able to send 223,000 postcards informing California voters how to vote NO on the Recall.
The crew at Crooked Media helped us amplify our phone banking efforts by sending Jon Lovett, Jon Favreau, and Dan Pfeiffer to speak at our phone banks! Thank you to the "Pod Guys" and the staff of Crooked Media for always being great partners to the HQ.
The Los Angeles County Democratic Party and Democratic Party of Orange County were also extraordinary partners. Their amplification and partnership for phone banks and canvasses helped us get more phones ringing and doors knocked.
A HUGE thank you must go to the California Democratic Party Organizing Department. Lizzie Heyboer, Andrea Guzman, Karen May, Nick Vanausdoll, Johnathan Burrows, and Alex Sarti were the organizing dream team that worked with the Grassroots Democrats HQ every step of the way. Thank you.
If your organization was inadvertently missed, please send an email to mana@grassrootsdems.org to ensure that we add you to our partnering organizations list!
Take a Trip Down Memory Lane!
Thanks
to the extraordinary talent and generosity
of James Crawford, the Grassroots Democrats
HQ has beautiful videos of each guest who
spoke at a Stop the Recall phone bank and
canvass. Please take a moment to enjoy the
motivating words of each guest.
To watch a video, click on the speaker's photo, and you will be redirected to the respective YouTube video.
More videos will be coming soon! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to be the first to know when they're posted.
Our Volunteers shared some incredible stories as they connected with voters!
During
the debriefing period after an event, we had
the privilege of hearing some truly
incredible stories and feedback from
volunteers. Here are just some of our
favorite stories and pieces of feedback that
were emailed to us!
Some stories have been edited for clarity and conciseness.
“I helped someone vote on the spot. He said ‘OK, I'm going to do this right now’ and got his ballot and a regular pen. I helped him get to Question 1 and fill in the oval for ‘No.’ Then he signed & dated the envelope and sealed it and said he'd mail it the next day. Yay!” -Bev, CA
“The last person I spoke to today was the mother of the voter on my list. The daughter had graduated this year in California, but kept her mother's number in New York. I had a great conversation with the mother in New York. She told me that she had called her three daughters, now living in LA, and told me that all of them voted no on the recall.” -Tom
"Grassroots Dems have been absolutely wonderful to work with. You guys have totally got your **** together and make it easy for us to do the work plus your tools and toolkits are excellent. I am very proud to have worked with your group.” - Kimberly, CA
“Today I had the good fortune to connect with a 95-year-old man in the Bay Area who is so enthusiastic about defeating the recall that he kept asking me what he could do to help. I told him 'just get your ballot mailed in and get some of your family who are also supporting Gov. Newsom to do the same.
'Ok,' he said. 'But what else can I do? I'd like to talk to people and do my part to defeat this!' After I told him that he would be making calls through the computer, he told me that his wife was better with computers but that he was up for doing it. I took down his name and number and told him that I would have someone follow up with him. 'I'm looking forward to hearing from your boss,' he said as we said goodbye.
That call gave me hope that we can win this!” -Brett, CA
“Thursday night, I met a voter who was undecided but interested in learning more about Governor Newsom. Education and health were important to him. I told him I had a list of things the governor had done for both, but that I needed time to translate it into Spanish. He suggested I call the next night. So, my friend, her daughter, and I stayed up late translating the sections on education and health in the Gavin Newsom Information Library. I phoned him the next night. However, the voter hung up after one or two sentences. I was discouraged.
Monday night I took to heart and tried again. He listened quietly while I read the 14 points in Spanish. After that, there was no discussion, he just said, ‘I’ll vote No on the recall.’ We then discussed how he was going to vote. The experience was deeply satisfying.” -Ruth Ann, CA
Over the next week, we will be launching phone banks for the Virginia House of Delegates and various statewide elections. This will be another all-hands-on-deck campaign. We need you to help us make phone calls, send texts, and write postcards. If you're interested in keeping the momentum going, please fill out this form to be the first to know about our Virginia efforts!
Ready to jump in? Join us for text banking in partnership with the Environmental Voter Project this week to get started!
Democratic National Committee
SEPTEMBER 15, 2021
“Once again, voters rejected the Republican Party’s denial of the pandemic sweeping our country and their subsequent refusal to address it, rejected Republicans’ disproved conspiracy theories about our elections, and rejected Republicans’ unwavering loyalty to the man who caused it all —Donald Trump.
“Tonight is a win for the bold agenda put forth by President Biden, Governor Newsom, and Democrats in Congress to build our country back better, deliver on their promises, and get our country back on track. I am confident we will continue to do so in 2021, 2022, and beyond.
“Governor Newsom provides the smart, capable and focused leadership necessary to keep Californians safe and build the state’s economy back better amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He has a strong record of delivering for the people of California and I look forward to watching him continue that critical work as governor.”
Background on the DNC’s work in support of Governor Newsom:
This race was a major priority for the DNC. Chair Harrison was an early endorser of the “Stop the Republican Recall” effort and worked hard to make sure the Newsom campaign had the support it needed to be successful.
Throughout the campaign, the DNC leveraged our distributed organizing program to make calls urging California voters to vote no on the recall and our digital organizing infrastructure to get out the vote.
This work included a weekend of action with volunteers across the country to get out the vote and specific phone banks designed to reach and turn out voters of color.
President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and DNC Chair Jaime Harrison campaigned against the Republican Recall in the final week of the race.
The White House
September 15, 2020
MS. PSAKI: Sure. Well, obviously, we would note, since you gave me the opportunity -- and I'll say there's a statement coming from the President shortly -- he has not yet spoken with Governor Newsom, but I expect he will either later today or sometime soon, just in case that was another question.
But, of course, this was a resounding victory for Governor Newsom but also for a science-based approach to fighting the pandemic -- for vaccines, for testing, for steps that will protect more people and save more lives.
And there's extensive data from last night that shows that Californians were overwhelmingly in favor of a leader who's willing to take strong steps to defeat COVID and get the economy up and running.
Governor Newsom has been one of the leading governors in the nation protecting his people and vaccinating his state. And in our view, this was a resounding support of victory -- and victory for that.
Office of the Vice President
September 15, 2021
REPUBLICANS AND ALLIES
Save America PAC
September 14, 2021 [a.m.]
California Republican Party
September 14, 2021
"Gavin Newsom was rescued by two presidents, radical left-wing Washington, D.C. politicians, and campaign spending in excess of $50 million. None of it was used to defend Newsom's numerous failures, but instead to create ridiculous and false narratives to protect him. However, Newsom and his allies can no longer ignore the millions of Californians - Democrat, Republican and Decline to State - who voted yes and recognize that state government has failed to deliver on its core responsibilities. While Democrats crow and celebrate, theirs is a hollow victory; California remains a state where surging crime, raging wildfires, crippling drought, a broken unemployment department, shuttered businesses, lost jobs, unaffordable housing and suffocating taxes are a sobering reality. They will face voters in 2022 and be held accountable for their policies that have left too many Californians behind."
Elder for Governor 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2021
"We may have lost the battle, but we will win the war. We received 2.3 million votes (47%) and among the replacement candidates, won 57 of the 58 counties excluding San Francisco by a razor thin margin. Our message resonated over all other candidates in the race, and our campaign was the impetus for a new movement.
"Ordinary Californians from all walks of life responded with roaring enthusiasm because so many of them have been ill-served by Gavin Newsom’s policies. There are the farmers in Fresno who confront severe water shortages, firefighters who will face unemployment because they refuse to abide by the state’s new vaccine mandates, victims of violent crime whose voices are not represented by soft-on-crime district attorneys, small business owners whose livelihoods were destroyed due to repressive COVID restrictions, and many others.
"Our campaign offered commonsense solutions meant for them and all Californians, whether Republican, Democrat, or independent. Though the recall came up short, I am gratified that voters expressed a preference for the ideas that we advanced. I am not going anywhere. Stay tuned!"
Contact:
Stephanie Marshall
Press Secretary
Cindy Northon
Deputy Press Secretary
September 15, 2021
email to activists [minus photos, fundraising]
Last night, Californians proved once again that Trumpism does not belong in our state, or in our country. California voters delivered a resounding NO on the Recall -- a message that was heard loud and clear across the country. The election wasn't even close. The Blue Tsunami hit California's shores with such force that the election was called within an hour of the polls closing.
It's clear: when Democrats organize and mobilize, Democrats win!
Our NO votes gifted us a Governor that says YES to science, YES to vaccines, YES to fighting climate change, YES to reproductive rights, YES to criminal justice reform, YES to ending gun violence, and YES to creating a California for All.
This victory is all thanks to you. Your phone calls, postcards, canvassing, relational organizing, donations, tabling, and voting ensured that we Defended the Blue in California and kept Governor Newsom in office. Together, we contacted thousands of voters across the state and made sure that they understood why we must join together and VOTE NO.
Thanks to your efforts, we shattered records and spurred historic voter turnout in a special election in September. We would not have the outstanding victory we did last night if it weren't for you.
Thanks to the Super Volunteers who helped us scale up our efforts to defeat the recall!
Together, we brought volunteers across the nation together to help lead phone banks; assist in Zoom rooms; lead canvasses; package, deliver, and ship postcards; create and amplify social media content; distribute canvassing materials; recruit volunteers; and more crucial actions that helped the Grassroots Democrats HQ mobilize the volunteers needed to stop the recall.
GDHQ
Board and Staff
| Melissa
Grant Brian Colker Tamara Melzer Levenson Ingrid van Eckert Barry Rosenbaum Mana Shooshtari Andy Linden Davis Han Eve Levenson Zennon Ulyate-Crow |
President CFO Executive Director Events Coordinator Senior Staff Field and Communications Coordinator Recruitment Coordinator Campaigns Consultant National Youth Advisor Field Organizer |
Thank You to the Zoom Room
Trainers, Canvass Leaders, and
Postcard Crew, and Recruitment Leads!
Alex
SkinnerAmanda Rykoff
Amber Valdez
Andrea Morgan-Chun
Andrew Munson
Andrew Taban
Arthur Calloway
Barrie Levy
Bonnie Ellman
Branton Juan
Chef Basil & Lizet Angulo
Danah Ezekiel Clark
David Vinson
Deborah Shishko
Emiliana Guereca
Emma Goode
Hattie Herring
Heidi White
Jacintha Knapp
Jackie Thomas
James Crawford
James Lieberfarb
Jed Pauker
Jessica Craven
JoAnn Smith
Jonathan Zasloff
Karl Sonnenberg & Kerry O'Malley
Kathy Schaffer
Kathy Karlin
Kelley Dockery
Kimble Deleon
Lore Hilburg
Marley Powell
Melanie Havelin
Michelle Fowle
Nancy Snyder
Naomi Goldman
Niraj Mehta
Pastor William D. Smart
Patti Crane
Rebecca Gundzik
Rebecca Hartman
Rebecca Ninburg
Richard Vaughn
Susan & Doug Osborne
Susan Given
Sue Oh
Susan Wilder
Suzanne Goldberg
Terry Herkner
Tiffany Countryman
Tony Hale
Troy Takaki
The HQ Fellows from across the country stepped up-- big time!
Though most of them are back in school, the following HQ Fellows went above and beyond their expectations as fellows to ensure that we can soundly beat the recall. From distributing postcard addresses, to leading Zoom rooms, and packaging materials, the fellows were committed to getting the job done. Thank you to Alexandra Sarkis (CA), Apsara Mitra (TX), Charlotte Siegel (CA), Eliana Reiter (DC), Emma Preston (CA), Graham Miller (CA), Joshua Jones (LA), Julian Andreone (CA), Kaliyah Thompson (CA), Kendall McCaskill (MI), Milan Wilkerson (CA), Naomi Eguavoen (CA), Pratyush Mallick (TX), Sofia Borin (CA), Sophia Yuditsky (NY), Willa Pope Robbins (CA), and the rest of the HQ Fellows for being incredible examples of what youth organizing looks like.
Thank you to the 100 HQ
Affiliates and Partners who wrote
postcards, co-sponsored phone banks,
partnered for canvasses, and promoted
our events.
100 organizations, including Democratic clubs, Democratic Party caucuses, and grassroots groups across the country partnered with us during this campaign. Thanks to their support, we were able to build the volunteer force needed for a campaign of this scale.
Women's March Action went above and beyond by partnering for our postcard program. Together, we were able to send 223,000 postcards informing California voters how to vote NO on the Recall.
The crew at Crooked Media helped us amplify our phone banking efforts by sending Jon Lovett, Jon Favreau, and Dan Pfeiffer to speak at our phone banks! Thank you to the "Pod Guys" and the staff of Crooked Media for always being great partners to the HQ.
The Los Angeles County Democratic Party and Democratic Party of Orange County were also extraordinary partners. Their amplification and partnership for phone banks and canvasses helped us get more phones ringing and doors knocked.
A HUGE thank you must go to the California Democratic Party Organizing Department. Lizzie Heyboer, Andrea Guzman, Karen May, Nick Vanausdoll, Johnathan Burrows, and Alex Sarti were the organizing dream team that worked with the Grassroots Democrats HQ every step of the way. Thank you.
| Activate
America All Rise Alameda Antelope Valley Progressive Democrats Bay Area Iranian American Democrats Beach Cities Democratic Club Blue Future Brooklyn Democrats CA Dem Filipino American Democratic Caucus CA Dem LGBTQ Caucus CA Dem Party Chicano Latino Caucus CA Dem Party The Rural Caucus CA Dem Progressive Caucus CA Dem Veteran Caucus California High School Democrats CBFD Indivisible Change Begins With Me (Indivisible) Civic Sundays Coachella Valley Postcarders Coastside United for Action Code Blue Code Blue Washington Conejo Cardwriters DAA of Santa Clarita Democratic Club of the Conejo Valley Democratic Party of Orange County Democratic Women of Kern Democrats for Israel - LA East Valley Indivisible Eastside Gladiators Feminists in Action Los Angeles Field Team 6 Future Coalition George Washington College Democrats Georgia Action Group Grandparents for Democracy Grassroots Santa Monicans Greater Oxnard Organization of Democrats Heart of LA Democratic Club HODG Huddle La Crescenta Valley Postcard Warriors Indivisible 33 Indivisible 49 Indivisible Antelope Valley Indivisible Antelope Valley Indivisible CA-33 Indivisible Manteca Indivisible OC-48 Indivisible of San Fernando Valley |
Indivisible
San Jose Indivisible Simi Valley Indivisible Sonoma County Indivisible South Bay LA Indivisible South Penisula Iranian American Democrats of California Jane's Postcard Crew Jewish Democratic Council of America Los Angeles County Democratic Party Los Angeles County Young Democrats Malibu Democratic Club Miracle Mile Democratic Muslim Democratic Club Pacific Palisades Democratic Club Palos Verdes Democrats Penn Dems Resister Sisters San Pedro Democratic Club San Pedro Democratic Club Santa Barbara Progressive Coalition Santa Clarita Valley Democrats SeaChange Sister District Coastal LA Sister District LA Eastside Sister District South Bay SoCal Blue SoCal Postcards to Voters Sonoma County Democratic Party Sonoma Valley Resistance Students Against the Republican Recall Swing Left East Bay Swing Left Inland Valley Swing Left Los Felíz Swing Left San Diego Swing Left Sonoma County Texas High School Democrats The Resistance Northridge-Indivisible Together We Will Albany Berkeley Torrance Democratic Club Trojan College Democrats Untitled America Venice Postcardistas Voters of Tomorrow WAVE Westchester Playa Democratic Club Westside Young Dems Women of Wisdom Women's March Action Young Dems of San Joaquin Young Jews 4 Joe |
If your organization was inadvertently missed, please send an email to mana@grassrootsdems.org to ensure that we add you to our partnering organizations list!
Become
an Affiliate
Take a Trip Down Memory Lane!
To watch a video, click on the speaker's photo, and you will be redirected to the respective YouTube video.
More videos will be coming soon! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to be the first to know when they're posted.
Our Volunteers shared some incredible stories as they connected with voters!
Some stories have been edited for clarity and conciseness.
“I helped someone vote on the spot. He said ‘OK, I'm going to do this right now’ and got his ballot and a regular pen. I helped him get to Question 1 and fill in the oval for ‘No.’ Then he signed & dated the envelope and sealed it and said he'd mail it the next day. Yay!” -Bev, CA
“The last person I spoke to today was the mother of the voter on my list. The daughter had graduated this year in California, but kept her mother's number in New York. I had a great conversation with the mother in New York. She told me that she had called her three daughters, now living in LA, and told me that all of them voted no on the recall.” -Tom
"Grassroots Dems have been absolutely wonderful to work with. You guys have totally got your **** together and make it easy for us to do the work plus your tools and toolkits are excellent. I am very proud to have worked with your group.” - Kimberly, CA
“Today I had the good fortune to connect with a 95-year-old man in the Bay Area who is so enthusiastic about defeating the recall that he kept asking me what he could do to help. I told him 'just get your ballot mailed in and get some of your family who are also supporting Gov. Newsom to do the same.
'Ok,' he said. 'But what else can I do? I'd like to talk to people and do my part to defeat this!' After I told him that he would be making calls through the computer, he told me that his wife was better with computers but that he was up for doing it. I took down his name and number and told him that I would have someone follow up with him. 'I'm looking forward to hearing from your boss,' he said as we said goodbye.
That call gave me hope that we can win this!” -Brett, CA
“Thursday night, I met a voter who was undecided but interested in learning more about Governor Newsom. Education and health were important to him. I told him I had a list of things the governor had done for both, but that I needed time to translate it into Spanish. He suggested I call the next night. So, my friend, her daughter, and I stayed up late translating the sections on education and health in the Gavin Newsom Information Library. I phoned him the next night. However, the voter hung up after one or two sentences. I was discouraged.
Monday night I took to heart and tried again. He listened quietly while I read the 14 points in Spanish. After that, there was no discussion, he just said, ‘I’ll vote No on the recall.’ We then discussed how he was going to vote. The experience was deeply satisfying.” -Ruth Ann, CA
So... Now What?
Thanks
to you, we stopped the Republican Recall in
its tracks. But the work to elect Democrats
and defeat Trumpism continues. We're back to
our core mission: Defending the Blue by
expanding our House and Senate majorities,
defending the White House, and
turning/keeping key state legislatures Blue.Over the next week, we will be launching phone banks for the Virginia House of Delegates and various statewide elections. This will be another all-hands-on-deck campaign. We need you to help us make phone calls, send texts, and write postcards. If you're interested in keeping the momentum going, please fill out this form to be the first to know about our Virginia efforts!
Ready to jump in? Join us for text banking in partnership with the Environmental Voter Project this week to get started!
Democratic National Committee
SEPTEMBER 15, 2021
DNC Statement on Failed Republican Recall in California
Today, California voters overwhelmingly rejected the Republican attempt to recall Governor Gavin Newsom and approved of his strong leadership. In response, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison released the following statement:“Once again, voters rejected the Republican Party’s denial of the pandemic sweeping our country and their subsequent refusal to address it, rejected Republicans’ disproved conspiracy theories about our elections, and rejected Republicans’ unwavering loyalty to the man who caused it all —Donald Trump.
“Tonight is a win for the bold agenda put forth by President Biden, Governor Newsom, and Democrats in Congress to build our country back better, deliver on their promises, and get our country back on track. I am confident we will continue to do so in 2021, 2022, and beyond.
“Governor Newsom provides the smart, capable and focused leadership necessary to keep Californians safe and build the state’s economy back better amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He has a strong record of delivering for the people of California and I look forward to watching him continue that critical work as governor.”
Background on the DNC’s work in support of Governor Newsom:
This race was a major priority for the DNC. Chair Harrison was an early endorser of the “Stop the Republican Recall” effort and worked hard to make sure the Newsom campaign had the support it needed to be successful.
Throughout the campaign, the DNC leveraged our distributed organizing program to make calls urging California voters to vote no on the recall and our digital organizing infrastructure to get out the vote.
This work included a weekend of action with volunteers across the country to get out the vote and specific phone banks designed to reach and turn out voters of color.
President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and DNC Chair Jaime Harrison campaigned against the Republican Recall in the final week of the race.
###
The White House
September 15, 2020
Excerpt from Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, September 15, 2021
Q What are the lessons that the White House draws from the outcome of the Californiarecall election, in terms of mandates and vaccines and masking?MS. PSAKI: Sure. Well, obviously, we would note, since you gave me the opportunity -- and I'll say there's a statement coming from the President shortly -- he has not yet spoken with Governor Newsom, but I expect he will either later today or sometime soon, just in case that was another question.
But, of course, this was a resounding victory for Governor Newsom but also for a science-based approach to fighting the pandemic -- for vaccines, for testing, for steps that will protect more people and save more lives.
And there's extensive data from last night that shows that Californians were overwhelmingly in favor of a leader who's willing to take strong steps to defeat COVID and get the economy up and running.
Governor Newsom has been one of the leading governors in the nation protecting his people and vaccinating his state. And in our view, this was a resounding support of victory -- and victory for that.
Office of the Vice President
September 15, 2021
Statement by Vice President Kamala Harris on California Governor Gavin Newsom's Recall Election Victory
Congratulations to my
friend, Governor Gavin Newsom. The
pandemic has reminded us who we can count
on, and Californians know they can count
on Governor Newsom. He is focused on
beating back COVID-19, and helping the
state make a big comeback. In resoundingly
rejecting this recall attempt,
California’s voters made it clear that the
American people want leaders who stand for
women’s rights, voting rights, and
workers’ rights.
REPUBLICANS AND ALLIES
Save America PAC
September 14, 2021 [a.m.]
Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America
People don’t realize that, despite the Rigged voting in California (I call it the “Swarming Ballots”), I got 1.5 Million more votes in 2020 than I did in 2016. The place is so Rigged, however, that a guy who can’t even bring water into their State, which I got federal approval to do (that is the hard part), will probably win. Billions of gallons of water coming to California from the North is being sent out to sea, rather than being spread throughout the State. This is to protect the tiny delta smelt, which is doing far worse now without the water. In any event, it all doesn’t matter because the California Election is totally Rigged. Many people are already complaining that when they go to vote they are told, “I’m sorry, you already voted” (Just like 2020, among many other things). They then leave angry, but fortunately, even the Fake News Media has been reporting it.California Republican Party
September 14, 2021
CAGOP Statement on California's Recall Election Results
SACRAMENTO - Tonight California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson released the following statement in response to California's gubernatorial recall election results:
"Gavin Newsom was rescued by two presidents, radical left-wing Washington, D.C. politicians, and campaign spending in excess of $50 million. None of it was used to defend Newsom's numerous failures, but instead to create ridiculous and false narratives to protect him. However, Newsom and his allies can no longer ignore the millions of Californians - Democrat, Republican and Decline to State - who voted yes and recognize that state government has failed to deliver on its core responsibilities. While Democrats crow and celebrate, theirs is a hollow victory; California remains a state where surging crime, raging wildfires, crippling drought, a broken unemployment department, shuttered businesses, lost jobs, unaffordable housing and suffocating taxes are a sobering reality. They will face voters in 2022 and be held accountable for their policies that have left too many Californians behind."
Elder for Governor 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2021
Larry Elder Discusses California Recall Election Results
Los Angeles, CA – September 15, 2021 – Larry Elder, nationally syndicated radio host and newspaper columnist, bestselling author, and award-winning documentary filmmaker, and former candidate for governor of California, today issued the following statement regarding the results of the special recall election in California."We may have lost the battle, but we will win the war. We received 2.3 million votes (47%) and among the replacement candidates, won 57 of the 58 counties excluding San Francisco by a razor thin margin. Our message resonated over all other candidates in the race, and our campaign was the impetus for a new movement.
"Ordinary Californians from all walks of life responded with roaring enthusiasm because so many of them have been ill-served by Gavin Newsom’s policies. There are the farmers in Fresno who confront severe water shortages, firefighters who will face unemployment because they refuse to abide by the state’s new vaccine mandates, victims of violent crime whose voices are not represented by soft-on-crime district attorneys, small business owners whose livelihoods were destroyed due to repressive COVID restrictions, and many others.
"Our campaign offered commonsense solutions meant for them and all Californians, whether Republican, Democrat, or independent. Though the recall came up short, I am gratified that voters expressed a preference for the ideas that we advanced. I am not going anywhere. Stay tuned!"
Contact:
Stephanie Marshall
Press Secretary
Cindy Northon
Deputy Press Secretary
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