Hey there – Welcome to the first edition of our Build Blue Digest! This is your weekly, central source for all things Build Blue Week. Every Wednesday, look forward to hearing about new speakers, campaign insights, and resources to get you prepared for the various events taking place throughout the week.
So what is Build Blue Week?
Build Blue Week brings together a diverse and representative lineup of elected officials, top campaign experts, and leaders of Democratic organizations to provide tools and insight to further Democratic values in your community.
Learn more about the events, coming to you October 2nd through 5th.
Welcome to the State of Campaigns section! Here, we will take a deep dive into the broader context for our Build Blue Week events and topics.
You might be wondering why we decided to theme our events around the idea of Down Ballot Up Ticket, especially considering the U.S. trails many other countries in terms of turnout in elections that are not Presidential ones.
We believe that the state, local, and municipal races are some of the most critical, but overlooked elections. Heading into 2024, that energy has already started to ramp up. For example, the spotlight on school districts and libraries that have become victims of Republican censorship efforts are showing how important local elected leaders are.
It’s not only that local elections matter (that might seem obvious enough), but they truly boost candidates at the top of the ticket. This will be instrumental in the re-election of President Biden. Analysts call this the “reverse coattails effect”, where gains are reflected up-ballot when investments are made into down-ballot races. These gains may go even further for Democrats as reflected by recent statewide victories in enshrining abortion protections.
This is all to say that investment – whether it’s money or time – into local races are going to be key for those national victories we’re all rooting for.
Relevant Resources will be your hub for learning guides to supplement the week’s events! Learning guides include guiding questions, links to other relevant coursework, and more.
This guide features guiding questions to help frame the discussion. Consider your immediate community; what issues or elected offices could be better addressed? How does your community typically vote, and have there been any significant changes since 2020?
In the Sponsor Corner, learn more about our biggest, bluest supporters and the work they’re doing to strengthen Democratic progress across the country.
This week, we’re thrilled to highlight the amazing platform ActBlue! Since launching in 2004, ActBlue has led the charge in the meteoric rise of online, small-dollar fundraising for progressive campaigns and causes. The largest web platform for digital fundraising, ActBlue supports progressive initiatives across the country. We are so grateful for their support!