It’s shocking. But, in a twisted way, fitting.
Thanks to Donald Trump, the US Supreme Court, the Arizona Supreme Court and the Arizona legislature (even yesterday), women in Arizona are being forced to endure the lack of freedom they endured in the year 1864.
1864!
Before Arizona was even a state (by almost fifty years!).
Before women could vote.
And at a time when bloodletting, blistering and injection of poisonous minerals were common medical treatments!
How horribly symbolic.
Because all across America, basic GOP policy is to send women back in time—to an era where they were, at best, second class citizens. With little freedom. Few rights.
That’s the terrible news and sobering reality.
But there’s a glimmer of hope amid all of this.
And it’s that they can’t hide their extremism anymore. They can’t run from it, as hard as they (even Donald Trump) might try.
Which means we can fight back. And stop it. This year!
In 2024, in Arizona, we can enshrine reproductive freedom into the Constitution. We can bring Arizona law back to modern-day notions of freedom and equality.
And we can do the same in other states where reproductive freedom will be on the ballot, like Florida. And Missouri.
Just like we did in Ohio, Kansas and Michigan in 2022 and 2023.
But…most important of all…we can go even further than that.
In fact, we must.
How?
By going on offense.
You see, defense is protecting freedoms women enjoyed only two years ago. Of course, that’s essential.
But playing defense is no longer good enough in our broader battle for democracy. Defense is how we hold ground.
Offense is how we win.
But what’s offense look like?
It means running against—and holding accountable—all the statehouse extremists who’ve voted to take women (and their freedom) back in time.
Arizona’s statehouse voted to do so just yesterday. Just like Missouri’s and Florida’s did in recent years. And in doing so, all those legislators are embracing toxic positions. Positions that will appall many of their voters. Positions that can cost them seats this year, and going forward.
But if we don’t run against them everywhere (because we only play defense), they are free to just keep doing all they’re doing going forward. They pay no price at all, so of course they keep going.
So what must our response be, alongside amending these Constitutions?
It’s to run against all of them! And support those who do.
Hold them all accountable. Make them answer for their votes and words and actions every day between now and November. And again in the future.
Vote them out….this year! Run robust campaigns so they finally face some accountability for wanting to send women back to 1864. And have to answer for their extremism.
And the best news is that in all three of these states, with abortion referenda motivating a spirited pro-reproductive freedom turnout, we will have an opportunity to do just that.
And wherever you live, you have an opportunity to help. Specifically. Strategically.
So let’s get to work:
How You Can Help….
Here are the stakes and opportunities to help in each of these states, where an abortion ban is now in place but where a referendum is or will likely be on the ballot, leading to spirited turnout and opportunity at all levels:
Arizona:
The stakes: Arizona can play a pivotal role in keeping Trump out of the White House and Democrats in control of the Senate; but also, by flipping only two seats in each body, Arizona Democrats can flip the Arizona statehouse and senate. Arizona voters can also unseat two of the state Justices who just imposed 1864 law on them. For more on what that would mean, go HERE.
What you can do? The States Project helps groups of people all over the country come together into “Giving Circles” and adopt statehouses like Arizona’s to focus on and support. They’ll help you find the candidates in the best position to flip Arizona’s legislature from red to blue, and make it easy (and fun) for you to support them. Arizona is the perfect state to “adopt” this year. To sign up to an already existing Arizona Giving Circle, go HERE. To start your own Giving Circle with a group of activists you’re already involved in, go HERE.
Help get the Arizona statehouse and senate out of the hands of 1864-abortion-ban champions as fast as we can. And by doing this, you’re also helping boost turnout and energy to enshrine reproductive freedom in Arizona, and lift Biden and Ruben Gallego to keep Arizona blue at the federal level. I think they call this a quadfecta!
Missouri:
The stakes: Missouri is saddled with an abortion ban and an ongoing attack on direct democracy, but advocates are gathering signatures to place an amendment on the ballot to protect reproductive freedom. Missouri Democrats and activists also did a great job of recruiting candidates for the Missouri statehouse across the state — competing in 135 districts this year (leaving 17% uncontested, versus almost 50% in 2022). Not only will these candidates have a chance to hold abortion ban extremists accountable everywhere, but by flipping three seats among these contests, Missouri can eliminate the gerrymandered GOP supermajority and slow its unending attack on women.
What you can do? Blue Missouri is a community that raises and sends support to statehouse candidates across Missouri—the ones running against the very extremists who vote for abortion bans without exceptions, but too often face no opponent after they do so. Well….now most do face an opponent, and we need to support them. Consider joining Blue Missouri HERE, where you’ll meet inspiring candidates (like Ashley Cossins and Leslie Johnson, who I wrote about here…
…taking on these extremists, and where your dollars help support these champions of democracy running in tough places. By helping these candidates across the state, you’re also helping create energy and turnout to enshrine reproductive freedom in the Missouri Constitution (and potentially, defeating the latest attack on direct democracy), while lifting Lucas Kunce, the US Senate candidate taking on Josh Hawley. A trifecta of benefit!
Florida
The stakes: Last week, the Supreme Court of Florida both locked in that state’s abortion ban, but also allowed a ballot measure to move forward so that Florida voters have a chance to enshrine reproductive freedom into their Constitution. The energy from this effort could place Florida in play for the presidential and Senate races. But it also opens up a huge opportunity to win back statehouse seats by taking on the extremists who voted in Florida’s abortion ban in the first place.
What you can do? Like Missouri, Tennessee, North Carolina and other states, we want far more candidates running for the Florida statehouse this year than in the past (40% of the GOP seats were uncontested in 2022). With the referendum on the ballot, there’s a huge opportunity to pick up statehouse seats while holding extremists accountable. The party and activists in Florida are working hard to recruit candidates in all Florida districts. And you can help them—if you know Florida, or people in Florida, take a look HERE at the districts that are currently uncontested (you’ll see a number remain so). If you have any opportunity to help find people to run in any of these districts/communities, please reply to this email.
We have more than a month to fill all these seats. Let’s do it!
To 2024, and Beyond…
What Trump, the GOP and gerrymandered statehouses are doing to women’s freedom is stomach-churning. But this year in particular, we have an opportunity to do something about it.
From Missouri, to Florida to Arizona, to so many other states, we’re all on the front lines.
Let’s get to work—let’s go on offense!
Back to 1864 (the Days of Bloodletting)...