This Is Something I Really Believe In
Join me in giving to The States Project to support progressives in North Carolina
I want to share a few things about me that you may not know. I care so deeply about what happens in this election and the future of our country. And I’m not sitting this one out. Acting in my personal capacity, and not for anyone who employs me, I plan to knock on doors this fall, write postcards, and drive people to the polls to elect Democrats up and down the ballot. Unfortunately, I’m not a Billionaire or a Millionaire. I am a self-employed mom who does what I can to change how the world sees care from the shed in my North Carolina backyard. Since I have limited funds to give, I really want to make sure my political giving is strategic. That’s why I’m amped to start a giving circle with The States Project. I’ve found a way to focus my resources where they can have a real impact — in the states where shifting power in the legislature is within reach. The States Project does the research and the targeting and gives winnable candidates the support they need to win, all for a fraction of the cost that it takes to run a congressional or senate campaign.
So much of what the Double Shift is about is talking about how life is better when we break out of our isolation, connect, and do things together. And that includes political giving. I’m so excited to share that
, from the wonderful newsletter , and I are teaming up to launch a giving circle through The States Project focused on the North Carolina state legislature. And we are thrilled to invite our communities to be a part of making a meaningful difference in our politics. We are even more excited to do it together, with you, our readers.Here’s an FAQ about what this is all about, why we are doing it, and why you should give.
Why are we teaming up?
Neither of us have ever done a political fundraiser like this. Rather than launching our own separate efforts, we are interested in reaching more people with our combined readership of over 15,000 people. Hopefully, we’ll reach more people, generate more enthusiasm, and raise more money together than we would separately.
We've been inspired by other newsletter writers who have used The States Project to successfully make a difference like
, , and . We’re here to do our part.Why state legislatures?
Being a parent of small children, especially during the pandemic years, has conditioned me to always have a plan B, C, and D. Nothing is certain about the 2024 election, so it’s important to not put all of our eggs in the national basket and hope for the best. Some of us may be feeling confident that Kamala won the debate last night, but that in no way remotely guarantees she’ll win the election. (Hillary Clinton was widely seen as winning all three debates against Trump.) 2024 is going to be a high-stakes nail-biter. Investing in state legislatures is a firewall, and it’s also an incremental investment in more progressive state governing in the long term. If you want to know what a strong, progressive, state governing trifecta can do, look at all that Tim Walz accomplished with a Democratic House and Senate in Minnesota. Paid Leave! Expanded child tax credit! Free school lunches!
Also, a lot of the extreme Project 2025 MAGA agenda can be thwarted by state legislatures because they drive the issues that impact our daily lives. From education to healthcare to voting rights to abortion access — all of this and more starts in state capitals, not in Washington DC.
Why North Carolina?
This couldn’t be more personal for me. I live here! And 336 of you do, too, which is a strong over-index of readership.
Even if our smart, progressive governor candidate, Attorney General Josh Stein wins, if the Republicans keep a veto-proof supermajority in the state legislature, he has minimal power to pass good legislation or even stop bad legislation.
Here’s how NC’s state legislature impacts three issues I’m really passionate about:
Education: Our state legislature controls the budget for public schools and the Republicans are strategically trying to destroy this vital institution through starvation. We’re 48th in per-student spending despite having a billion-dollar budget surplus. The supermajority also passed a welfare subsidy that will mostly help wealthy private school families, diverting $4 billion over 10 years towards a voucher program. Statewide public school enrollment is plummeting, just as they’ve planned. My kids go to public school, and these spending decisions impact them every day.
Abortion: The supermajority is also the reason we have a 12-week abortion ban here in NC, and there are more serious threats to reproductive rights coming if the extremist Republican candidate Mark Robinson is elected governor. He wants to ban all abortions, and there won’t be much resistance to stop him if we don’t break the supermajority.
Childcare: The Republican-controlled legislature has let our childcare stabilization funds needlessly expire which is sending the industry into freefall. How dare they!!! Families and providers everywhere deserve better!
(Related: Here’s a great NYTimes overview on how control of the North Carolina legislature hangs in the balance of one seat, and how the States Project is working to break the supermajority)
I don’t live in North Carolina. How does this impact me?
The NC Republican supermajority impacts who’s in Congress and the presidential election by their constant and extreme gerrymandering. For years they’ve been attempting to suppress voting rights through limits on early voting and voter ID laws. You’ll be making the world better for your fellow Americans who live in North Carolina, while also impacting how Washington works for years to come.
I’ve already given (or plan to give) to Kamala. Isn’t that enough?
God bless Kamala and her fundraising, but a $100 or $1000 contribution to her campaign is basically symbolic peanuts. Those amounts of money can REALLY impact these state legislature races. They can come down to a few thousand votes, and giving these candidates access to skilled consultants, sophisticated message testing, and money to spend on mailers and ads can make a HUGE difference.
I hope you will join me in being part of this. I’m constantly surprised and touched by the thoughtfulness of Double Shift readers, and I hope you will give what you can to make a difference that will impact North Carolina and the whole country. I will of course keep you posted on how the NC races shake out.
Help us reach our goal of $5000! No amount is too small to be a part of this.
Let’s gooooooo
So excited for this, Katherine!