19 Days. A Whole Lot of Good Trouble.
19 Days. A Whole Lot of Good Trouble.
Hi Friends of the Fund,
Early voting starts TODAY in North Carolina. Election Day is just 19 days away. And while everyone else is obsessing over which races will be won, we've been busy investing in the people and places everyone else wrote off.
Here's what your support has helped us build:
Candidates running in districts drawn to be unwinnable.
Scrappier campaigns doing more with less.
A growing network of Southern creators making down-ballot races impossible to ignore.
A few unconventional collaborations. Because apparently we contain multitudes.
All part of one bigger plan: build community, build political power, and build the bench we'll need to win the fight for fair maps.
They said these districts couldn't be won. Our candidates showed up anyway.
Earlier this cycle, CWVF helped recruit 61 candidates to run in North Carolina's toughest legislative districts.
Why? Because communities deserve a choice, uncontested races shouldn't be normal, and every voter who shows up matters.
And we took our scrappy approach on the road:
Virginia: Trained candidates at Network NOVA's Women's Summit to run smarter campaigns on smaller budgets.
South Carolina: Partnered with Run for Something, ActBlue, Sway, and Stew Strategies to connect candidates with creators and share practical campaign tools.
North Carolina: Helped candidates sharpen their messaging, stretch their resources, and build campaigns designed to leave something behind.
The goal isn't just November 3. It's building something that lasts.
YALLvote is making some noise.
Turns out, the South has plenty to say.
What started as a response to the Louisiana v. Callais decision has grown into a coalition of Southern creators making democracy, voting rights, and down-ballot races part of everyday conversations.
650+ creators.
Over $340,000 raised directly for down-ballot candidates in the South.
And we're just getting started.
Our merch store is LIVE, with more ways than ever to wear your Southern pride and your politics loudly.
When Heather Cox Richardson calls, you answer.
Historian, author, and Substack superstar Heather Cox Richardson invited CWVF co-founder Kate Barr to participate in 250 to 250, her series celebrating the stories of people, places and events that have built our country and remind us of the power of each person to make history.
Kate spotlighted Betty Ford, the outspoken First Lady who helped bring conversations about breast cancer and addiction into the public square and refused to let anyone else define what a First Lady should be.
Some of you first discovered Kate and CWVF through our conversations with Heather, so getting to be part of this project was especially meaningful.
We've been trying some things.
And some of them smell incredible.
Who says fighting gerrymandering can't be a little fun?
We've been experimenting with new ways to bring people together, get people talking, and make the Good Fight Club a little bigger.
We teamed up with the wonderful humans at Bell's Box Collective to create Candles for Candidates, a collection that supports CWVF and a small business.
They smell amazing, make excellent gifts, and require absolutely zero political arguments at Thanksgiving.
Our Justice League has some actual judicial fans.
Our Justice League: NC Edition tee has been making its way across North Carolina, and yes, most of the actual judges featured on the shirt have bought one (or two) 😉
Turns out, superheroes really do wear robes (and our T-shirts)!
A little bling for the ballot box.
Our friends at Kenda Kist Jewelry are using their talents for good, too.
Their gorgeous VOTE jewelry makes a statement, and 100% of net proceeds of every Vote Necklace or Charm purchase supports YALLvote.
Because building a movement takes all kinds of people. Candidates, creators, small businesses, artists, and the people who support them.
And honestly? We love that for us.
November 3 isn't the finish line.
Will every one of our candidates win? LOL, no. That's literally in our name.
But here's what we've already built:
New candidates and future community leaders.
New relationships, volunteers, and organizing tools.
Hundreds of creators making down-ballot races louder.
More attention on gerrymandering and the communities it hurts.
That doesn't disappear on November 4.
We're playing the long game, and your support makes it possible.
NC friends: Early voting runs October 15–31.
Eligible voters can register and vote during early voting.
We're losing forward and building something truly special.
Thanks for being part of the Good Fight Club.
The CWVF Team
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