Election Day is Every Tuesday 4/13-4/19
After 5.2m people protested with Hands Off last Saturday, I expect turnout to skyrocket. Protesting one day is great, but it has to lead to consistent action, and one of those consistent actions is voting.
This week mostly consists of special elections, but there’s some annual municipal races as well. Remember, every single races matters. Republicans started their takeover in School Board races and City Council races. This is where we’re going to take our power back.
So don’t think for a second “oh, it’s just a small office, it’s not worth it, it doesn’t matter.”
Every
Single
Race
Matters
This week we have elections in MA, and Registration in CA on Mon, CA, DE, FL, MA, MS and NJ on Tues, TN on Wed, and DE on Sat.
But also please remember, I miss things. There is no national database, so I can’t guarantee that I covered every election. Please check your county board of election website or your town website to no matter where you live. And, Blue Voter Guide is one of the best resources out there. They don’t cover every election, but they do cover most of them.
On that note, let’s begin!
Mon April 14
California
neighborhood council Region 6 (Request ballot by April 14, vote by April 22)
Arts District Little Tokyo
Downtown Los Angeles
Historic Cultural North
Olympic Park
Westlake North
Westlake South
Wilshire Center-Koreatown
If you’ve been reading the election guide every week, you know where this is going. Monday is the last day to register to vote in the neighborhood council elections that get a turnout of maybe 1%. The rules are different than other local elections. You can vote as young as 16 and you just have to be a resident or work in the district, and still the turnout is 1%. Just cause you’re registered for other elections does not mean you are for this one, blame LA city for that decision. You register here.
Massachusetts
Somerset
Selectman
Todd Costa (Friend said “you’re the perfect candidate to make Somerset Great Again…)
Thomas Mello (attorney, self professed IND, advocate for workers, elderly)
School Committee (no more than 2)
Christine Courville (Incumbent)
Carlton Medeiros x (construction craft labor teacher)
John Ventura (retired police officer, director of safety and security in the school district, anti bullying program)
Swansea
Selectman (vote for 1)
Robert Medeiros (incumbent, very transparent, explains why taxes are important)
Gary Lund (former coastguard)
School Committee (vote for 1)
Geraldine Mullaly (Retired math teacher)
Kristin Barkett Pettey
Ware
School committee (chose 2)
Diane Reopell
Kevin Slattery
Melissa Whitham
Brian Winslow (incumbent, shut down public comment on a Teacher’s union vote of no confidence against the superintendent)
Tues April 15
California
Irvine
City Council District 5
Dana Cornelius (LIKELY R thinks people should buy teslas cause they’re made in america)
Betty Martinez Franco (DEM, endorsed by Dave Min, Planned Parenthood, Local Dem parties)
Anthony Kuo x (LIKELY R got a supportive comment from someone running for office in Newport Beach saying “make america newport”)
Los Angeles
Neighborhood council region 5
Central Hollywood
East Hollywood
Greater Wilshire (Streets for All endorsed Tony Gittleson x)
Hollywood Hills West (Streets for All endorsed Graham Rossmore)
Hollywood Studio District
Hollywood United
Mid City West
P.I.C.O.
You can mail in your ballot, but I wouldn’t. I’d turn it into one of the listed drop boxes
Oakland
Mayor
Barbara Lee
Loren Taylor
City Council District 2
Kenneth Anderson (Housing, public safety, Supporting local church and businesses)
Harold Lowe (making Oakland a destination again, homelessness, better leadership, fixing infrastructure)
Kanitha Matoury (first generation cambodian American, restauranteur)
Kara Murray-Badal x (currently works for a company creating affordable housing)
Paula Thomas (former progressive talk show host, focus on climate and housing)
Charlene Wang (worked in biden-harris admin on the bipartisan infrastructure act)
Delaware
Dover
City Council
at large
Andre M. Boggerty x (incumbent, works in federal govt labor relations, Founder of The Life Source foundation, but I can’t find any evidence that it exists. priorities: smart growth that leaves no one behind)
Shereen L. Woodard Onyekachi x x (likely Dem, works for a Black Women owned production company)
First district
Justina Brinkley x x (likely Dem, rising costs)
Anthony Floyd, Jr (likely Dem priorities: civil rights, vets and underserved communities)
Gerald L. Rocha, Sr. x (incumbent, cofounder of Delaware youth leadership academy, priorities: public safety, workforce development, affordable housing)
Second district
Donyale Hall (REPUBLICAN)
Donna S. Mitchell x (CPA policies: accessible healthcare services, affordable housing, supporting local businesses
Stephan D. Pierce x x (19 years old, indie film maker, policies: affordable housing, youth engagement, better community policing)
Faye D. White (incumbent)
Third district
Jo Ann Mather
Fred A. Neil (91 years old incumbent)
Fourth District
David L. Anderson
Leroy Bradshaw, Jr. (policies: affordability and neighborhood safety
Florida
McIntosh
You have a special election for mayor. You are also a town of around 400 people, so if you live there you likely already know who’s running. There’s nothing available online.
Massachusetts
State House 6th Essex District Dem Primary
Hannah Bowen (current Beverly city council member, endorsed by Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, Beverly Teachers Assc, and more)
Todd Rotando (current Beverly city council member)
Mississippi
State Senate District 18 (non-partisan primary)
Mark Forsman (REPUBLICAN, Christian conservative)
Lindsey Kidd (DEM, former police) THE ONLY DEM
Jackson Melton (Likely R, farmer, construction and building trades teacher
Marty Sistrunk (REPUBLICAN, ran for supervisor as one in 2023)
Lane Taylor (REPUBLICAN)
New Jersey
Newark
Public School Board x (chose 3)
16 and 17 year olds get to vote
Kanileah Anderson x (Likely DEM, Incumbent, moving Newarks schools forward slate, former HIV clinic substance abuse councilor in the 90s, worked with foster children)
Elaine Asyah Aquil (Consultant at Nubian family wellness and chiro center, one of the first Black chiropractors in NJ, advocate against gun violence)
Nathanael Barthelemy (REPUBLICAN Newark Freedom Caucus slate)
DeWayne Bush (can’t find much info)
David Daughety (Likely DEM Moving Newark Schools forward slate, works in restorative justice)
Latoya Jackson (Founder of Through Obstacles You Adapt, district mom, policies: special ed)
Yolanda Johnson (mother of 6, volunteers in the district, started the PTA at her child’s school that didn’t have one)
Ade’Kamil Kelly (REPUBLICAN Newark Freedom Caucus slate)
Louis Maisonave Jr. (Likely DEM, Moving Newark Schools forward slate, president of Hispanic firefighters association)
Shana Melius (REPUBLICAN Newark Freedom Caucus slate)
Wed April 16
Tennessee
Rhea
City Council
McKenzie Boling (Likely Republican, doesn’t want politics in schools, son of public school teacher, dentist and small business owner, would give his city council stipend to local charities)
Bill Graham (incumbent)
Bailey Hufstetler (likely republican, very christian)
Sat April 19
Delaware
Seaford
Council Member
Orlando Holland (incumbent)
Jose Santos (realtor, strong belief in education, both formal and self taught, strong belief in the importance of libraries, his faith is very important to him)
And that’s all she wrote. Not too overwhelming this week. I hope this helps at least one person vote who would have been too overwhelmed or not known about it otherwise.
If this is something you’d be interested in helping out with in the future, let me know, I can always use the help.
Remember, your vote is your voice and that voice is your superpower, but ONLY when you use it!
I am part of a Pennsylvania stands up group where we focus on action at the local level. This is excellent!
Great job! Just stumbled upon you. Awesome detailed work here.