Swing Left

Last updated
Swing Left
EstablishedJanuary 19, 2017;8 years ago (2017-01-19)
FoundersEthan Todras-Whitehill
Miriam Stone
Josh Krafchin
Michelle Finocchi
Matt Ewing
Legal status Hybrid PAC
Purpose Democratic Party victories
HeadquartersWashington, DC
Website swingleft.org

Swing Left is a progressive political group with Hybrid PAC status in the United States that was created following the election of Donald Trump in 2016 with a goal of gaining a Democratic majority in United States legislatures. The group was founded by Ethan Todras-Whitehill, Miriam Stone, Josh Krafchin, Michelle Finocchi, and Matt Ewing to create ways for Democrats to volunteer in their nearest swing district. Its initial mission was to win a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives in 2018 by building a network of volunteers and donors in targeted swing districts across the U.S. Swing Left uses a margin of fifteen points to determine which seats are considered "swing seats", and then concentrates their efforts there. [1] Swing Left cast a broader net in 2019, when they began putting effort toward maintaining a Democratic majority in United States State Legislatures after merging with another organization, Flippable. [2] Swing Left focuses on training volunteers to register voters, phone bank, fundraise, and engage in door-to-door campaigning for Democratic candidates. [3]

Contents

History

Swing Left was the idea of Ethan Todras-Whitehill, a long-time Democrat who gained interest in starting the platform after being "flabbergasted and devastated" following the results of the 2016 United States presidential election. [1] Todras-Whitehill urged his friends Josh Krafchin, a developer, and Josh's wife, Miriam Stone, a brand strategist, to reach out to developers and designers to help get the organization get off the ground. [1] The group ended up finding marketing strategist Michelle Finocchi and advisor Matt Ewing to focus on outreach and community organization. [4] Todras-Whitehill initially decided to focus on gaining a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives which, at the time of Swing Left's founding, was controlled by the Republican Party, because it seemed "tangible". Swing Left determines seats to be "swinging" by seeing which congressional districts were decided within a margin of fifteen points in the previous election. [1]

Political action

Swing Left Organizing Event for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District Swing Left House Party, NJ 7th Congressional District.jpg
Swing Left Organizing Event for New Jersey's 7th Congressional District

Since its launch on January 19, 2017, Swing Left has recruited 300,000 volunteers and raised millions of dollars in donations. [5] It has partnered with the Daily Kos and ActBlue with the goal of raising $100,000 for each of its targeted swing districts. [6] Swing Left has created sub-chapters, including 31st Street Swing Left, which focuses on the Maryland, Virginia, and D.C area; [7] 31st Street Swing Left focuses on funding campaigns of swing-candidates in their jurisdiction. [8] In May 2017, Onward Together named Swing Left as one of the groups whose work it would support. [9] In December 2017, Crooked Media announced a joint fundraising initiative with Swing Left called the Crooked Seven, to raise money for the eventual Democratic challengers of seven Republican-controlled House districts that Hillary Clinton won in 2016. [10] Swing Left engages in phone banking, town halls, organizing events, and voter registration drives. [11]

Fundraising

Swing Left gathers donations from both organizations and individuals. Some notable donors of Swing Left include George Soros, Chris Sacca, and Tom Ford as well as organizations like Onward Together and Majority Forward. [12] In 2020, days after Michael Bloomberg dropped out of the Democratic campaign for president, he donated $2 million to the organization, saying that the organization would help with the ultimate goal of "defeating Donald Trump". [13] During the 2020 election cycle, Swing Left raised over $15 million, which was donated to different Democratic candidates in swing districts. [14]

Vote Forward

Vote Forward is a 501(c)(4) affiliate of Swing Left. [15] [16] that encourages voting through volunteer hand-written letters. [17] Scott Forman started Vote Forward in 2017 experimenting with 1,000 handwritten letters to inconsistent registered voters in Alabama. Turnout was 3.4% higher than the control group. [18] Over 200,000 volunteers wrote letters in 2020. Letters could be written over months and sent at a strategic moment [19] called the Big Send. [20] 17.6 million letters boosted targeted voters' turnout by 0.8 percentage points. [19]

Flippable merge

In 2019, Swing Left merged with Flippable, a group with a similar mission focused on flipping state legislatures from Republican to Democratic control. The groups stated that their joint goal was to better strategize and prepare volunteers and donors for the 2020 election. One of their first initiatives as a group was to raise money for "competitive state-level districts". [2] After the merger, Swing Left shifted focus on the Virginia state elections, in which their team raised $863,000 for Democratic candidates. [3] The merger with Flippable shifted Swing Left from their original goal of focusing on maintaining a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives to also maintaining Democratic majority in state legislatures. [2]

Other activities

In 2018, Swing Left launched a campaign titled "The Last Weekend", where they partnered with Mandy Patinkin, Tracee Ellis Ross, Elizabeth Warren, Anna Wintour, and Kerry Washington, to encourage people to get out and vote through a series of videos. [21] "The Last Weekend" also hosted a variety fundraising events in which they hosted performers Beck, David Grohl, and Karen O. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMILY's List</span> American political organization

EMILYs List is an American political action committee (PAC) that aims to help elect Democratic female candidates in favor of abortion rights to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1985. The group's name is an acronym for "Early Money Is Like Yeast". Malcolm commented that "it makes the dough rise". The saying refers to a convention of political fundraising: receiving many donations early in a race helps attract subsequent donors. EMILYs List bundles contributions to the campaigns of Democratic women in favor of abortion rights running in targeted races.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States Senate. Its purpose is to elect Democrats to the United States Senate. The DSCC's current Chair is Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York who succeeded Gary Peters of Michigan, after the 2024 Senate elections. DSCC's current executive director is Christie Roberts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee</span> Democratic Partys committee to support Congressional candidates

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. The DCCC recruits candidates, raises funds and organizes races in districts expected to yield politically notable or close elections. The committee consists of the Chairperson, their staff, and other Democratic members of Congress in various executive roles.

In the United States, a political party committee is an organization, officially affiliated with a political party and registered with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC), which raises and spends money for political campaigning. Political party committees are distinct from political action committees, which are formally independent of political parties and subject to different rules.

The National Ballot Security Task Force (BSTF) was founded in 1981 in New Jersey, United States by the Republican National Committee (RNC) to discourage voter turnout among likely Democratic voters in the gubernatorial election.

New Jersey is one of the fifty U.S. states. The state is considered a stronghold of the Democratic Party and has supported the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1992. Democrats have also controlled both chambers of the state legislature since 2004. New Jersey currently has two Democratic United States senators. New Jersey's Class I Senate seat has been Democratic since 1959. New Jersey's Class II Senate seat has been Democratic since 1979. In addition, New Jersey's House congressional delegation has had a Democratic majority since 1965, except for a period between 1995-1999 and 2013-2017. As of July 1, 2020, there were more registered Democrats than unaffiliated voters for the first time in history, as there are more Democrats than Republicans as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 United States presidential election in Minnesota</span>

The 2004 United States presidential election in Minnesota took place on November 2, 2004, as part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose ten representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 United States presidential election in Michigan</span>

The 2004 United States presidential election in Michigan took place on November 2, 2004, and was part of the 2004 United States presidential election. Voters chose 17 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Electoral reform in the United States refers to the efforts of change for American elections and the electoral system used in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States presidential election in South Dakota</span>

The 2016 United States presidential election in South Dakota was held on November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. South Dakota voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting the Republican nominee, celebrity Donald Trump, and running mate Indiana Governor Mike Pence against Democratic nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her running mate, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Delaware's 10th state senate district special election</span>

On February 25, 2017, voters in the 10th district of the Delaware Senate voted in a special election to fill the seat left vacant by Democrat Bethany Hall-Long, the previous incumbent, who had resigned at the beginning of the year after having been elected lieutenant governor the preceding November. Democrat Stephanie Hansen, an environmental lawyer from Middletown who had in the past served a term as New Castle County Council President, won with 58.1 percent of the vote, defeating Republican opponent John Marino, who finished with 40.8 percent. Libertarian John Lanzendorfer, the only other candidate in the race, claimed the other 1.1 percent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karla Jurvetson</span> American psychiatrist, philanthropist, and political organizer (born 1966)

Karla Jurvetson is an American physician, philanthropist, and major Democratic donor. She has particularly focused on supporting candidates who are women, people of color, and from underrepresented communities, and she is a prominent activist in the movement to protect voting rights and American democracy. Jurvetson is vice chair of EMILY's List, which supports Democratic pro-choice women and has more than five million members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States presidential election in Alabama</span>

The 2020 United States presidential election in Alabama took place on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 states and the District of Columbia participated. Alabama voters chose nine electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Republican President Donald Trump and his running mate, incumbent Vice President Mike Pence, against Democratic challenger and former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate, United States Senator Kamala Harris of California. Also on the ballot was the Libertarian nominee, psychology lecturer Jo Jorgensen and her running mate, entrepreneur and podcaster Spike Cohen. Write-in candidates were permitted without registration, and their results were not individually counted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States presidential election in Washington (state)</span>

The 2020 United States presidential election in Washington was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia participated. Washington voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, incumbent President Donald Trump, and running mate Vice President Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his running mate California Senator Kamala Harris. Washington has 12 electoral votes in the Electoral College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States presidential election in Nebraska</span>

The 2020 United States presidential election in Nebraska was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Nebraska voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, incumbent President Donald Trump, and running mate Vice President Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his running mate California Senator Kamala Harris. Nebraska has five electoral votes in the Electoral College, two from the state at large, and one each from the three congressional districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States presidential election in Montana</span>

The 2020 United States presidential election in Montana was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Montana voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, incumbent President Donald Trump and running mate Vice President Mike Pence, against Democratic Party nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his running mate California Senator Kamala Harris. Montana had three electoral votes in the Electoral College for the 2020 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States presidential election in Rhode Island</span>

The 2020 United States presidential election in Rhode Island was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Rhode Island voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, incumbent President Donald Trump, and running mate Vice President Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his running mate California Senator Kamala Harris. Rhode Island has four electoral votes in the Electoral College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States presidential election in South Dakota</span>

The 2020 United States presidential election in South Dakota was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. South Dakota voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, incumbent President Donald Trump, and running mate Vice President Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his running mate California Senator Kamala Harris. South Dakota has three electoral votes in the Electoral College.

Courier Newsroom is a digital media company that operates news outlets and sponsors political content intended to support Democratic candidates. It microtargets voters via social media advertising with the intention to both inform and persuade.

Arabella Advisors is a Washington, D.C.–based for-profit consulting company that advises left-leaning donors and nonprofits about where to give money and serves as the hub of a politically liberal "dark money" network. It was founded by former Clinton administration appointee Eric Kessler. The Arabella network spent nearly $1.2 billion in 2020 and raised $1.6 billion that same year. In 2022, Arabella raised $1.3 billion and spent $900 million. In 2023, Arabella raised more than $1.3 billion in anonymous donations and sent nearly $1.5 billion to other organizations. Between Arabella's founding in 2005 and 2021, Arabella took in $6.5 billion, the vast majority of which flowed to policy and litigation groups on the left.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Swing Left and the Post-Election Surge of Progressive Activism". The New Yorker. 2017-01-26. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  2. 1 2 3 Resnick, Gideon (2019-05-22). "Two Groups That Helped Dems Win Back the House Are Joining Forces for 2020". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  3. 1 2 "Swing Left: What Donors Need to Know". Blue Tent. 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  4. ↑ Pappu, Sridhar (2018-07-20). "Trying to Flip the House, ZIP Code by ZIP Code". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  5. ↑ "'Swing Left' takes aim at Herrera Beutler in Washington's 3rd Congressional District". The Reflector . December 19, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  6. ↑ Baumann, Nick; Blumenthal, Paul (May 9, 2017). "Democrats Are So Riled Up, They're Contributing To Races With Unknown Candidates". Huffington Post . Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  7. ↑ Lewis-Kraus, Gideon (2017-11-13). "How the 'Resistance' Helped Democrats Dominate Virginia". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  8. ↑ Walsh, Joan (2018-01-12). "In Elections, Every Small Group Can Make a Big Difference". ISSN   0027-8378 . Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  9. ↑ Palmer, Anna (May 15, 2017). "Clinton launches new political group: 'Onward Together'". Politico . Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  10. ↑ Garofoli, Joe (December 9, 2017). "'Pod Save America' about to take its next step". San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Take Action with Swing Left! · Swing Left on Mobilize". Mobilize. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
  12. ↑ "Swing Left PAC Donors". Open Secrets.
  13. ↑ "Bloomberg gives $2 million to grassroots organization Swing Left". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  14. ↑ "Swing Left PAC Summary". Open Secrets.
  15. ↑ Battaglia, Danielle. "Biden administration hires UNC Charlotte grad and NC native".
  16. ↑ "Playbook: Spending talks go off the rails".
  17. ↑ "How Old-Fashioned Letter-Writing Became 2020's Campaign Innovation". TIME. 2020-10-09. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  18. ↑ Castle, Shay (2020-10-28). "A Cutting-Edge Tactic to Get Out the Vote in 2020: Handwritten Letters". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  19. 1 2 "Surprising Data Shows Political Letter-Writing Still Gets Out the Vote". TIME. 2021-10-01. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  20. ↑ Berman, Russell (2020-04-30). "A Throwback Way to Win a Pandemic Election". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  21. ↑ "Swing Left's Most Famous Volunteers Want You to Get Out the Vote". Vogue. 2018-10-03. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
  22. ↑ Aniftos, Rania (2018-11-03). "Beck Performs 'Where It's At' With Dave Grohl as Drummer at Swing Left's The Last Weekend". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-09-27.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.