The last of the major runoffs of the 2018 election season is not in Georgia on Tuesday, but in Louisiana 4 days later, where Democrat Gwen Collins-Greenup is in a runoff for Louisiana Secretary of State. Gwen turned Louisiana’s political world upside down on November 6 by finishing a strong second in a field of 9, beating well known and and much better funded candidates. Gwen was not even invited to many of the candidate forums, since she had no name recognition and a campaign budget of about $1600. But her brilliant use of social media and her shoe leather politics worked, helped no doubt in some part by the Blue and Pink waves on November 6.
Gwen has now gotten an ActBlue page and as of November 18 has raised $22,400, mostly in small donations from all over the country (thank you Kossaks). Her opponent, the charisma-challenged Kyle Ardoin, has $136,000 in the bank, mostly in high dollar contributions. Gwen has the endorsement of the Louisiana Democratic Party and she has been barnstorming the state in her typical, high-energy fashion, talking to small groups in malls, schools, and churches.
If elected, Gwen would be the first African-American woman elected to statewide office in Louisiana since Reconstruction. She is a bright and charismatic and a breath of fresh air in the byzantine politics of Louisiana.
Turnout is perenially abysmal in Louisiana for state offices, and predictions are that it may fall off the cliff in this runoff --even go as low as 8%. Right now, early voting is at ….. 2% of registered voters, with women voting in significantly higher numbers than men (36,373 to 30,687). All of which presents an awesome opportunity for a stealth pickup by Democrats.
The new Secretary of State will not just have to figure out how to increase turnout. She or he will also oversee the purchase of new and hopefully hack-proof voting machines, since the contract to replace the state’s decade-old voting machines was tossed three days ago in a mini-scandal that has somewhat tainted Ardoin.
Early voting runs through this Saturday, December 2, and the runoff is Saturday December 8.
How we can help:
Donate some scrilla to Gwen - her ActBlue page is here.
Texting: Resistance Labs is partnering with the Louisiana Coalition for Equity and Justice to text 100,000 Black Louisiana voters. In a really low turnout election, this could make the difference! The link is here.
Send a postcard: Postcards to Voters and Postcard Patriots have addresses; the mailing deadline is this Saturday, December 2. So hurry!
There is no remote phone banking that I am aware of; I will keep you posted.
Use social media to promote Gwen! I’m too old to understand exactly what that entails, but Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are a good idea. Gwen has her social media game going on her website.
AND if you live in Louisiana or know anyone who does, spread the word! Tell people to vote and bring along 3 friends. Since I don’t know anyone in Louisiana, I have written to Every Famous Person I have heard is from Louisiana, including Ellen DeGeneres and James Carville. You never know.
