We did it! We showed up in so many ways for democracy and human dignity this election season. Our victories wouldn’t have been possible without rural folks across the nation talking with their neighbors across the fence, phone banking at home and in swing states, and mailing stacks of handwritten postcards and letters.
And we made sure that the voters we worked hard to turn out would be able to vote without intimidation or harassment. Our Defend Democracy hotline helped connect folks to resources they needed to vote safely, and groups across the ROP network worked creatively to make sure Black, Indigenous, and people of color community members felt less isolated and able to vote without fear.
Not only did we uphold democracy, we proved once again what we’re capable of when we organize together across county and state lines and in multiracial solidarity for the future we want. Here are just a few of the victories won by folks around the state:
All 3 of the Oregon ballot measures our network endorsed passed! From creating campaign donation limits and greater transparency, to becoming the first state to legalize psilocybin treatment and decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of certain drugs, Oregonians voted for historic measures that will support our entire communities in thriving.
Todd McKinley beat out Glenn Palmer for Grant County Sheriff in his second attempt to unseat Palmer, who was well known for his corruption and being a “Constitutional Sheriff.” McKinley won the seat by 600 votes this year after people came together around a shared concern for public safety over the course of two election cycles!
Bend elected a slate of 4 progressive city councilors, who are committed to tackling the issues that matter most to our communities including housing, racial justice and providing public resources in all the languages that people speak in Bend.
Rural communities also elected city councilors, county commissioners, and state legislators like Doris Gonzalez Gomez, Angeles Gondiez-Valencia, Phil Chang, and Deb Patterson, who are committed to making our communities safe and welcoming for all. We’re celebrating all these wins (and so many more!) and the power we have built along the way. Do you have good news to share from your town? Let us know what you’re celebrating by emailing hannah@rop.org!
We’ve taken a moment to dance and to breathe while we prepare for what’s coming next. We know that we will have to push the new Biden-Harris Administration for the things our communities need. Ending the detention and deportation of immigrant community members and ensuring every person has what they need to get through this pandemic and the economic recession are not given, but they are winnable. We also know that this long-haul work is what our network of human dignity groups across the state was built for and that we have each other’s backs as we map out our path forward together.