Be a 2020 Election Hero: Vanquish the Villains!
Make a difference in this election from the comfort of home as part of SOMA Action’s biggest get-out-the-vote effort yet.
Illustrations by Pete Cascio
By Rose Maura Lorre
The 2020 election is less than 100 days away, and you may be wondering how you can help, especially during this pandemic. We here at SOMA Action are ready with some ideas, and the action starts now!
Since we’re in a safely Democratic congressional district in a safely Democratic state, we get to turn our energy and attention to other places and races where we can make a difference. Specifically, SOMA Action has decided to focus our efforts on three Democratic Senate challengers in swing states who are ready to “vanquish” a trio of the GOP’s most “villainous” incumbents:
Democrat Sara Gideon vs. Republican Sen. Susan Collins (Maine)
Democrat Mark Kelly vs. Republican Sen. Martha McSally (Arizona)
Democrat Cal Cunningham vs. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis (North Carolina)
This months-long effort begins on Sunday, August 9, from 4-5 PM at SOMA Action’s Vanquish the Villains Campaign Kickoff Event!
If you know anything about Collins, McSally and Tillis, you know just how harmful their stands have been to our country, and how closely they’ve clung to the wishes of Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump. If you haven’t been following that closely, the August 9th Kickoff will fill you in on some low-lights of their respective records.
At our Kickoff, our Team Co-Captains will give an overview of each race and how easy it will be to help (even if you’re a volunteer newbie!), as well as compelling reasons why these villains need to be vanquished. But most importantly, you’ll learn how SOMA Action’s planning the best strategies to get the job done. (Just one example: Villains were chosen in part because they represent places where Biden could also take the top of the ticket if we turn out enough left-leaning voters.) Best of all, there’s room for everyone who wants to work for change, even if you can only spend an hour a week on it.
“The win in 2020 has to be BIG and decisive, and it can’t just be the White House,” says Amy Higer, chair of SOMA Action’s Vanquish the Villains planning committee. “Democrats need to flip four seats to gain a majority -- and gaining a majority means that Mitch McConnell would lose his power as Senate Majority Leader.”
Need more incentive? No problem! Vanquish the Villains is all about built-in motivation. Says Higer, “Signing up for a ‘team’ will mean participating together in designated activities like phone-banking, texting, sending postcards and fundraising. Co-captains will coordinate weekly actions that team members can do together, or in smaller sub-groups, for motivation and support. We know it’s hard to sustain actions when you’re home alone, but if we share a target and a goal -- like, ‘How many postcards did our team write this week to voters in our state?’ -- we can do this!”
The Kickoff Event also promises a few, ahem, sur-prize-es, and Higer notes there will be even more in store for the winning team with a secret grand prize.
Of course, the real prize is the friends you’re sure to make along the way. “Part of what SOMA Action does so well is build local community. Some of us have met our closest friends through our work with SOMA Action,” Higer notes. “Strengthening our community and building a progressive movement from the grassroots up is what will change this country, in 2020 and beyond.”
Or, as SOMA Action President Ritu Pancholy puts it, “We know that now more than ever, people have a lot on their plates and our anxiety levels are high… Building connections in your community, focusing on what you can control, and avoiding paralysis is key. We want to throw you a big summer kick off that is both fun and interactive. We know that this is the most consequential election of our lifetimes. If not now, then when?”
Ready to find out more about how you can easily help make a difference? Register for our Vanquish the Villains Campaign Kickoff Event HERE.