Dear Colleagues,
Many of you have asked how you can help in the two U.S. Senate run-off races in Georgia. Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are challenging incumbent Republican Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, respectively. The election will be held on January 5, 2021.
These runoff elections are critical because they would give Democrats and Republicans 50 votes each in the U.S. Senate. In the case of a tie, the tie breaking vote is cast by the Vice President, in this case our new VP Kamala Harris. With Joe Biden claiming a historic victory in Georgia during this year’s Presidential election (he’s the first Democrat to win the state in 28 years), there is a real chance to win both of these seats.
With the unfortunate failure of Proposition 15, our state is in dire need of a significant federal stimulus package. If we don’t win these two seats, the likelihood of a significant federal stimulus package passing the U.S. Senate is small.
All the polls show that both of these races are in a virtual tie. It’s all going to come down to turn-out. The side that turns out the most voters will win. It’s that simple at this point in time.
Here are several ways you can help make a difference in these two races:
1) You can sign up for phone and text banks here: https://www.aftvotes.org/volunteer-GA
2) You can take part in a super easy letter writing campaign by clicking here .
3) You can contribute directly through Act Blue to both the Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock campaigns.
4) You can make a donation to one or more of the following voter participation organizations:
Founded by former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacy Abrams in 2018, Fair Fight promotes fair elections in Georgia and around the country, encourages voter participation in elections, and educates voters about elections and their voting rights.
The New Georgia Project is a nonpartisan effort to register and civically engage Georgians. Georgia’s population is growing and becoming increasingly diverse and they believe registration efforts should reflect that reality.
Georgia Equality’s mission is to advance fairness, safety and opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities and their allies throughout the state. To support their voter registration and education efforts, you should contribute to the “Equality Foundation of Georgia” arm of their organization, which you will find at the link above.
Georgia Shift gives marginalized young people a seat at the table through electoral action and hands-on education. They will be running a program focused on turning out and engaging young people of color.
Many thanks in advance for anything you can do to help us win these two critical seats!
In Solidarity,
Jim
Jim Mahler, President
AFT Guild, Local 1931
