PRESS RELEASE from America Votes


For Immediate Release                                                    

5 November 2008

Contact: Kate Snyder, 202-962-7258

America Votes Coalition’s Grassroots Field Campaigns Fuel Historic Progressive Gains in 2008

The America Votes partners, over 40 of the most powerful progressive organizations in the country, led an unprecedented grassroots campaign throughout 2008 that helped achieve historic progressive gains from the White House to Congress to key gubernatorial and state legislative races and ballot initiatives.
 
“The America Votes partners played a vital role in achieving our historic victories in 2008. AV partners’ grassroots campaigns reached millions of targeted voters thru door knocks, mailings and phone calls,” said America Votes President Martin Frost. “The progressive organizations in the AV coalition built a foundation this year that will work to advance a progressive agenda over the next two years that will solidify and expand our majorities in 2010 and beyond.”
 
The following table details the cumulative impact of independent progressive campaigns in America Vote’s 14 states to persuade and turnout targeted voters. 

States

Doors Knocked

Phone

Calls

Mail Contacts

Total Contacts

AZ

164,010

114,988

1,045,000

1,323,998

CO

619,144

1,872,449

2,418,600

4,910,193

FL

2,402,164

297,975

930,865

3,631,004

MI

956,158

558,634

2,133,141

3,647,933

MN

422,653

710,870

5,350,641

6,484,164

MO

56,309

257,857

870,098

1,184,264

NV

77,394

488,300

523,337

1,089,031

NH

692,638

318,843

2,171,139

3,182,620

NM

170,415

830,726

1,110,440

2,111,581

OH

2,235,206

499,772

7,973,968

10,708,946

OR

2,215,100

882,900

10,019,879

13,117,879

PA

1,301,245

839,336

967,435

3,108,016

VA

63,322

562,812

1,352,889

1,979,023

WI

740,676

2,229,235

3,003,124

5,973,035

Total

12,116,434

10,464,697

39,870,556

62,451,687

Important note: AV’s labor partners and Working America conducted hundreds of millions of additional contacts to their members that were essential to progressive victories across the country and in many key states. Those member contacts are not included in the table.

America Votes State Highlights:

Obama won 12 of 14 states (exceptions-Arizona, Missouri) where there are America Votes partners engaging in coordinated electoral activity;

Democrats won Senate seats in four states where America Votes partners engaged in coordinated activity- Virginia, New Mexico, Colorado and New Hampshire; Oregon and Minnesota are too close to call;

In several key states, AV partners focused heavily on successful down-ballot priorities. Progressives recaptured control of legislative chambers in Nevada, Ohio and Wisconsin, and expanded majorities in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Progressive backed initiatives were approved by voters in Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Washington, and Wisconsin and AV partners beat back right-wing efforts in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, and South Dakota.

Choice: Initiatives that attacked a women’s right to choice were rejected by voters in Colorado, California and South Dakota.

Labor Rights: Attacks on workers rights appear likely to go down to defeat in Colorado, Oregon and North Dakota.

Affirmative Action: Colorado became the first state to reject an anti-affirmative action measure.

Predatory Lending: Ohio and Arizona voters defeated measures pushed by the predatory lending industry that sought roll back pay day loan reforms in both states.

Progressive policy solutions advanced at the ballot box included stem cell research in Michigan, clean energy and home health care reform in Missouri, children’s health care in Montana, health care reform (long term care) and a “Death with Dignity” initiative in Washington, and paid sick leave in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In Michigan, the right-wing chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court was defeated;

In Missouri, Democrats won the Gubernatorial race, picked up three seats in the state senate, and passed a clean energy initiative;

In New Hampshire, progressives retained control of the State Senate, which now will be the first majority-female legislative body.

 

###

 

For specific state or organization information please contact Kate Snyder at 202-962-7258.


 

America Votes national coalition partners:  21st Century Democrats, ACORN, AFL-CIO, AFSCME, Alliance for Retired Americans, American Association for Justice, American Federation of Teachers, American Hunters and Shooters Association, Americans United for Change, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence United with the Million Mom March, Campaign for America's Future, Campaign for Community Change, Change to Win, Civic Participation Campaign, Clean Water Action, Communities for Quality Education, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, Democracy for America, EMILY's List, Human Rights Campaign, INDN’s List, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, League of Conservation Voters, League of Education Voters, League of Young Voters, LULAC, MoveOn.org Political Action, My Rural America, NAACP National Voter Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Association of Social Workers, National Education Association, National Jewish Democratic Council, NDN, People For the American Way, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Progressive Majority, Progressive Future, ProgressNow Action, SEIU, Sierra Club, USAction, VoteVets Action Fund, Women's Campaign Forum, Women's Voices. Women Vote, Working America, Young Democrats of America.