In the fall of 2020, Laurie Pohutsky ran for re-election in Michigan’s 19th State House district. Pohutsky had narrowly won her first term in 2018 by only 224 votes! So in 2020, working closely with our Michigan partners, we knew helping drive voter turnout to protect this seat would be vital.
Important 2021 State + Local Elections
In 2021, The Hometown Project is expanding our electoral work to more hometowns across the country. We’re returning to Virginia to support candidates in the House of Delegates who will help defend and grow the progressive majority. The gubernatorial race for the primary and general is already underway, and will certainly be highly competitive. There is also a ton of important progressive legislation at stake, including gun reform, voting rights, increasing the minimum wage, legalizing cannabis, and continuing efforts to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic from a healthcare and economic recovery perspective.
We also are exploring expanding our involvement in New Jersey, Kentucky, Mississippi and possibly Louisiana. There are so many artists and activists that hail from these regions that are eager to energize their hometown communities.
In 2021 we will also actively begin to fundraise for 2022 initiatives with the hopes of building on our work and partnerships in Michigan, Arizona, Minnesota, Missouri, Texas, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, as well as explore involvement in states like New Hampshire, Colorado, and Nevada in the crucial 2022 midterm election year.
Want to know the latest news on how we’re supporting important 2021 races? Sign up for our monthly newsletter.
We’re Reading All Politics Is Local by Meaghan Winter
Too often after a presidential victory, political parties, activists and national organizers can lose momentum until the next presidential election comes around. We saw how detrimental that was following the 2008 election with the loss of power in dozens of statehouses and governorships, so it’s crucial that while we take a breath we also keep focused on each and every election at the state and local level.
Meaghan Winter is a journalist, whose work has been featured in the New York Times, the Guardian, Bloomberg Businessweek, and many other publications. In her book All Politics Is Local: Why Progressives Must Fight for the States, she captures the importance of prioritizing state and local leadership and politics over federal races-- and why local engagement is so crucial to a more inclusive democracy. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the nuances of state and local politics and why investing in this effort is so important, and should not be an afterthought but a critical priority.
Watch Our Clean Virginia Collaboration Featuring Wanda Sykes
Issues-Based Stories
Also during 2020, we began to reach beyond the ballot to become more involved in issues-based stories. This works in tandem with long-term goals of electing progressive leaders, because it tells the story of how these important issues directly impact our daily lives and ultimately connect to policy and the leaders who make change. Check out ourcollaboration with Clean Virginia: “Beyond the Vampire Squid” featuring Wanda Sykes. It’s a story about power in Virginia- who has it and who doesn’t. You can also find out more about energy reform here.
Mark Ruffalo and Tracey Scott Wilson Join The Hometown Project Advisory Board
Tracey Scott Wilson and Mark Ruffalo join an already esteemed group on the Advisory Board of The Hometown Project, which includes Edward Norton, Chris Lu, Connie Britton and Jason George, as well as industry executives and activist leaders from the LGBTQ and environmental communities. We are grateful to have Tracey and Mark’s continued dedication and expertise, and look forward to having them as members of our Advisory Board.