The Downballot: The right way to fundraise online (transcript)

The Downballot for Daily Kos Elections

Daily Kos Staff

Thursday March 16, 2023 · 8:59 AM PDT

2023/03/16 · 08:59

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry.

Everyone is beyond tired of sucky fundraising emails foretelling doom, but there's a better way. Joshua Karp and Jane Hughes join us on this week's episode of The Downballot to tell us how their new firm, Liftoff Campaigns, is breaking down the traditional silo between communications and digital outreach so that donors are treated like people, not piggybanks. Our guests explain why it's important for every candidate to establish their brand and earn the trust of their supporters rather than pummel them straight away with requests for money, and how best to do so.

Co-hosts David Nir and David Beard also discuss a new effort in Ohio to qualify an amendment for the November ballot that would guarantee abortion rights; the astonishing spending ratio between the two candidates running in Wisconsin's April 4 election for state Supreme Court; why GOP donors in Louisiana are desperately trying to boost an alternative candidate for governor to nutbar Attorney General Jeff Landry; and a brand-new data set from Daily Kos Elections that lets you see how every congressional and legislative district overlaps with one another and with every county in the country.

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New episodes of The Downballot come out every Thursday morning. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts to make sure you never miss a show.

Daily Kos Elections for Daily Kos Liveblogs

Daily Kos Staff

Thursday March 16, 2023 · 6:00 AM PDT

2023/03/16 · 06:00

View of postal employees as they hand-sort mail on table, March 1, 1966.

Welcome to the Daily Kos Elections Live Digest, your liveblog of all of today's campaign news. You can find our collection of public data at dailykosdata.com.

Please note: The Live Digest is a Democratic presidential primary-free space. It’s also a place to discuss elections, not policy.

Subscribe to our podcast, The Downballot! New episodes every Thursday morning.

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Daily Kos Elections for Daily Kos Elections

Daily Kos Staff

Thursday March 16, 2023 · 5:00 AM PDT

2023/03/16 · 05:00

no image description available — Wisconsin Judge Janet Protasiewicz, the progressive running in Wisconsin's April 4 Supreme Court election.

_{The Daily Kos Elections Morning Digest is compiled by David Nir, Jeff Singer, Stephen Wolf, Daniel Donner, and Cara Zelaya, with additional contributions from David Jarman, Steve Singiser, James Lambert, David Beard, and Arjun Jaikumar.}

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● WI Supreme Court: We're a little more than halfway through the six-week general election that will decide control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the New York Times' Reid Epstein reports that progressive Janet Protasiewicz has outspent her conservative foe, former Justice Dan Kelly, on TV by a margin of $9.1 million to $0.00.

Outside groups are helping Kelly's side avoid getting infinitely outspent ahead of the April 4 general election: The Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce has deployed $3.4 million so far, while Fair Courts America has spent another $2.3 million on television. These commercials have accused Protasiewicz of not issuing harsh enough sentences, though they haven't mentioned Kelly.

Jeff Singer for Daily Kos Elections

Daily Kos Staff

Wednesday March 15, 2023 · 1:01 PM PDT

2023/03/15 · 13:01

Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Daniel Kelly speaks at a primary election night watch party Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, at Smoke on the Water BBQ Okauchee in Okauchee, Wis. Kelly will face Janet Protasiewicz in the general election. (Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP) — former Justice Daniel Kelly

We’re a little more than halfway through the six-week general election that will decide control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and the New York Times’ Reid Epstein reports that progressive Janet Protasiewicz has outspent her conservative foe, former Justice Daniel Kelly, on TV by a margin of $9.1 million to $0.00.

Outside groups are helping Kelly’s side avoid getting infinitely outspent ahead of the April 4 general election: The Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce has deployed $3.4 million so far, while Fair Courts America has spent another $2.3 million on television. These commercials have accused Protasiewicz of not issuing harsh enough sentences, though they haven’t mentioned Kelly.

Daily Kos Elections for Daily Kos Liveblogs

Daily Kos Staff

Wednesday March 15, 2023 · 12:44 PM PDT

2023/03/15 · 12:44

People in Manhattan's Chinatown read updates on the Sino-Japanese war from newspapers posted on the wall of an insurance building. New York, January 01, 1938

Welcome to the Daily Kos Elections Live Digest, your liveblog of all of today's campaign news. You can find our collection of public data at dailykosdata.com.

Please note: The Live Digest is a Democratic presidential primary-free space. It’s also a place to discuss elections, not policy.

Subscribe to our podcast, The Downballot! New episodes every Thursday morning.

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Jeff Singer for Daily Kos Elections

Daily Kos Staff

Wednesday March 15, 2023 · 12:44 PM PDT

2023/03/15 · 12:44

(Original Caption) Washington, D. C.: Close up of Patricia Schroeder, U. S. Representative testifying before House Budget Committee on drafting women. — Former Rep. Pat Schroeder.

Former Colorado Rep. Pat Schroeder, a Democrat who was one of the most prominent voices for women’s rights in Congress during her service from 1973 to 1997, died Monday at the age of 82. Schroeder, who was just one of just 14 women in the House when she first arrived, was instrumental in passing legislation like the 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act and Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. However, she acknowledged how much work still needed to be done in the title of her 1998 memoir, 24 Years of House Work … and the Place Is Still a Mess.

Schroeder, who got her pilot license as a teenager, was one of only 15 women in her 1964 class of more than 500 at Harvard Law School. She recounted that after the dean had told the small group, “Do you realize you have taken this position from a man?” another woman responded, “Well, I am only here because I could not get in at Yale.” Schroeder and her husband relocated to Denver after they both graduated, and at first it looked like Jim Schroeder would be the one who would have a political career.

Jeff Singer for Daily Kos Elections

Daily Kos Staff

Wednesday March 15, 2023 · 12:39 PM PDT

2023/03/15 · 12:39

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 01: Sheriff David Clarke attends the DC premiere of the film, "Death of a Nation," at E Street Cinema on August 1, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images) — Former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke

Former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, who was a far-right favorite early in the Trump era, has not ruled out taking on Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in this swing state. A Clarke spokesperson told The Daily Beast’s Sam Brodey, “Clarke would never take anything off the table as it relates to his future.” A Democratic operative told Brodey in response, “Could it be a grift and he’s trying to make a buck? Absolutely,” before acknowledging, “It doesn’t mean he’s not considering running. It’s as real as anyone else.”

Clarke, who’d won four terms as sheriff as a nominal Democrat, decided not to challenge Baldwin as a Republican six years ago, though only after he’d spent months keeping everyone guessing about his plans. Clarke, who was mired in lawsuits and investigations over his abusive, if not murderous, treatment of prisoners, instead resigned from office later in the year before taking over as head of a pro-Trump super PAC. He was out of that role by 2019, when the family of an inmate who’d died of “profound dehydration” in one of his jails reached a $6.75 million settlement with Milwaukee County and a health care company.

Daily Kos Elections for Daily Kos Elections

Daily Kos Staff

Wednesday March 15, 2023 · 12:01 PM PDT

2023/03/15 · 12:01

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD - FEBRUARY 23: Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke speaks as part of a pannel discussion titled "When did World War III Begin? Part A: Threats at Home" during the Conservative Political Action Conference at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center February 23, 2017 in National Harbor, Maryland. Hosted by the American Conservative Union, CPAC is an annual gathering of right wing politicians, commentators and their supporters. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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● WI-Sen: Former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, who was a far-right favorite early in the Trump era, has not ruled out taking on Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in this swing state. A Clarke spokesperson told The Daily Beast’s Sam Brodey, “Clarke would never take anything off the table as it relates to his future.” A Democratic operative told Brodey in response, “Could it be a grift and he’s trying to make a buck? Absolutely,” before acknowledging, “It doesn’t mean he’s not considering running. It’s as real as anyone else.”

Clarke, who’d won four terms as sheriff as a nominal Democrat, decided not to challenge Baldwin as a Republican six years ago, though only after he’d spent months keeping everyone guessing about his plans. Clarke, who was mired in lawsuits and investigations over his abusive if not murderous treatment of prisoners, instead resigned from office later in the year before taking over as head of a pro-Trump super PAC. He was out of that role by 2019 when the family of an inmate who’d died of “profound dehydration” in one of his jails reached a $6.75 million settlement with Milwaukee County and a healthcare company.

Daily Kos Elections for Daily Kos Elections

Daily Kos Staff

Tuesday March 14, 2023 · 5:54 PM PDT

2023/03/14 · 17:54

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● OH Ballot: Ohio election officials on Monday gave activists the go-ahead to begin collecting signatures to put a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot this November that would guarantee abortion rights in the state as advocates look to extend a streak of six straight victories on abortion that began last summer. However, the campaign to pass the measure, known as the Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety, first needs to focus on the logistically difficult task of gathering petitions before it can turn its attention to winning what would be an expensive fall battle.

Daily Kos Elections for Daily Kos Elections

Daily Kos Staff

Tuesday March 14, 2023 · 5:54 PM PDT

2023/03/14 · 17:54

Marconi wireless school, New York. Operators copying messages transmitted from ships at sea, 1912

Welcome to the Daily Kos Elections Live Digest, your liveblog of all of today's campaign news. You can find our collection of public data at dailykosdata.com.

Please note: The Live Digest is a Democratic presidential primary-free space. It’s also a place to discuss elections, not policy.

Subscribe to our podcast, The Downballot! New episodes every Thursday morning.

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Jeff Singer for Daily Kos Elections

Daily Kos Staff

Monday March 13, 2023 · 1:56 PM PDT

2023/03/13 · 13:56

The Republican firm Victory Research shows former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas beating Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson 45-39 in the April 4 nonpartisan primary for mayor of Chicago, which falls right between what two other recent surveys have found. 1983 Labs had Vallas ahead by a wide 44-32 margin last week, while a Lake Research Partners internal for Johnson had its sponsor up 45-40.

Both candidates are also airing their first negative TV ad of the general election, and the spot takes aim at their rival’s most obvious weakness. Johnson’s spot begins by accusing Vallas of having “wrecked Chicago’s schools finances, leaving us with billions in higher property taxes,” a statement that’s followed up with the narrator saying he “was just caught spreading racist and homophobic tweets.” It follows up with 2009 footage of Vallas saying, “I’m more of a Republican than a Democrat.” Vallas has repeatedly maintained he’s a “lifelong Democrat” and that that clip was taken out of context.

Jeff Singer for Daily Kos Elections

Daily Kos Staff

Monday March 13, 2023 · 1:09 PM PDT

2023/03/13 · 13:09

WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 03: Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano speaks before an appearance by former president Donald Trump to endorse local candidates at the Mohegan Sun Arena on September 03, 2022 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Trump still denies that he lost the election against President Joe Biden and has encouraged his supporters to doubt the election process. Trump has backed Senate candidate Mehmet Oz and gubernatorial hopeful Doug Mastriano. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) — State Sen. Doug Mastriano.

Rich guy Dave McCormick finally confirmed this weekend that he’s considering challenging Democratic Sen. Bob Casey in Pennsylvania, but a new poll indicates that McCormick and his GOP establishment allies would first need to put in some real work to stop the party from nominating the toxic Doug Mastriano again. The Democratic firm Public Policy Polling (PPP) shows Mastriano, who was the GOP’s disastrous nominee for governor last year, leading McCormick 42-28 in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup.

PPP also tests out a scenario where Kathy Barnette, a far-right figure who took third in last year’s Senate primary, is included, but she doesn’t change much: Mastriano edges out McCormick 39-21, with Barnette at 11%. Barnette hasn’t shown any obvious interest in another Senate bid since she earned 25% in the primary for Pennsylvania’s other seat in a contest where Mehmet Oz defeated McCormick 31.2-31.1; Oz went on to lose to Democrat John Fetterman.

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The Downballot: The right way to fundraise online (transcript)

Daily Kos Elections Live Digest: 3/16

Morning Digest: The campaign spending ratio for Wisconsin's Supreme Court race: ∞

Wisconsin conservative has spent $0 in general election ads three weeks ahead of Election Day

Daily Kos Elections Live Digest: 3/15

Former Rep. Pat Schroeder, a key women's rights advocate who won huge 1972 upset, dies at 82

Disgraced former Sheriff David Clarke could try to resurrect career though a Wisconsin Senate run

Morning Digest: One of the worst ex-sheriffs in America might run for Senate in Wisconsin

Morning Digest: Abortion rights advocates look to extend winning streak with new Ohio amendment

Daily Kos Elections Live Digest: 3/14

Chicago mayoral foes target one another's weaknesses as poll gives Paul Vallas a small lead

New poll shows Pennsylvania Republicans could give Doug Mastriano another shot to tank their chances