Laura Gottsman
lauragottsman.bsky.social
Laura Gottsman
@lauragottsman.bsky.social
Working to crowdfund Democracy all across the country.
⬇️So true. And "actually campaign" means candidates have a minimal amount of funding to put up a website; print yard signs; buy voter data; drive around their district.

Funding an ecosystem of candidates, as we just did in Virginia, is efficient and effective for candidates AND donors.
The Democrats won several VA House seats where winning looked like a pipe dream going into the election. The Dems won these seats because they recruited candidates and actually campaigned. Important lesson for 26--the electorate is pissed--but you can only win when you run. Run everywhere!
Democrats contested all 100 Virginia House of Delegates races. Part of the party’s statewide success is due to the synergies between the legislative and statewide campaigns—even the losing ones. This is a big reason why Jay Jones won comfortably. This is a model the Dems should emulate everywhere
November 5, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Reposted by Laura Gottsman
Last night, Democrats flipped 3 seats in MISSISSIPPI, breaking the supermajority in their state legislature. Democrats showed up and made massive gains in red districts all over the country.

If you want to help do that in Missouri, HI! 👋👋 That is literally why we exist!

1/
November 5, 2025 at 3:21 PM
We've run through the tape on today's races. Now keep on running to the next races! There are 23 more special elections coming right up. Support them all with one click, courtesy of @charlesgaba.com.

Remember, 96% goes to Dem candidates, 4% goes to credit card fees, and 0% goes to Charles.
Believe it or not, even with ~2 dozen special legislative elections being held today, there's STILL nearly 2 dozen MORE already on the calendar.

9 more in 2025
14 in 2026

secure.actblue.com/donate/speci...
Chip in!
Show your support with a contribution.
secure.actblue.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:55 AM
Reposted by Laura Gottsman
If we can mirror this in 2026, it takes away almost any advantage the GOP can gain from gerrymandering while adding some resilience to democracy by activating the maximum number of people around the cause of freedom.
Virginia shows how it's done!

1. Dems running in ALL 100 VA House districts
2. Strong grassroots funding for EVERY race
3. Volunteers writing postcards, door knocking, and phone banking all over

Our roadmap for 2026, per @davidpepperoh.bsky.social
Thanks @charlesgaba.com & @90for90.bsky.social!
The Virginia Case Study
Strong Top of Ticket + Contesting All Districts =
open.substack.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Virginia shows how it's done!

1. Dems running in ALL 100 VA House districts
2. Strong grassroots funding for EVERY race
3. Volunteers writing postcards, door knocking, and phone banking all over

Our roadmap for 2026, per @davidpepperoh.bsky.social
Thanks @charlesgaba.com & @90for90.bsky.social!
The Virginia Case Study
Strong Top of Ticket + Contesting All Districts =
open.substack.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:38 PM
By crowdfunding state legislative candidates, Blue Ohio @everystateblueoh.bsky.social has steadily grown the number of Dems running. They spread pro-democracy energy; raise statewide turnout for the top of the ticket; & force the GOP to defend their extremism.

Join the community: www.blueohio.org
Home
Ohio needs you. Join the movement.
www.blueohio.org
November 1, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Tireless democracy defender @davidpepperoh.bsky.social previews very encouraging election prospects in Ohio, one of the most GOP-rigged states in the country.

We must expand our competitive electoral map and Ohio is a prime target.
Winning These November Elections, David Pepper Previews 2026 In Ohio, A Declining Trump Goes All In On "More For Me, Less For All Of You"
Let's leave it all out there on the playing field these next four days everyone!
www.hopiumchronicles.com
November 1, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Tennessee refuses to act to keep kids, seniors, disabled people and working poor people from going hungry by funding SNAP.

Join Blue Tennessee @everystatebluetn.bsky.social to crowdfund state legislative candidates who will protect SNAP--small recurring donations add up to big change.
With the Republican shutdown, the 1 out of 10 Tennesseans that rely on SNAP are going to be really struggling come November.

We have a $2 BILLION surplus that could be used to feed hungry Tennesseans that Gov. Lee won't use. Absolutely shameful.

www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...
Gov. Lee will not use state reserves for SNAP food aid if shutdown holds, GOP officials open
Gov. Bill Lee says he "shares frustration" of poor families that won't see federal SNAP benefits but won't use state funds to keep food on their tables.
www.tennessean.com
October 28, 2025 at 5:05 PM
This short🧵from @matthew.flux.community lays out as clearly and succinctly as I've ever seen how Democrats, writ large, waste much of the money we raise on late-in-the-cycle ad spending rather than the ongoing 24/7 capacity building required to win elections in the information age.
By contrast, Democrats spend most of their money on TV ads. This failure to build capacity means that the money on failed campaigns has a net zero return on investment. Democrats could easily divert $200 million every cycle to invest in advocacy media and have plenty more than Republicans.
October 28, 2025 at 4:07 AM
Defend democracy right now--there are 52,000 elections in 2 weeks, in 2025. Voting rules for 2026 in Maine; PA Supreme Court makeup; NJ and VA Gov and state legislatures; and lots more. Off-year elections are all about turnout. Wherever you live, help get out the vote. @hcrichardson.bsky.social
October 24, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Ohio, where the GOP excels at cheating, will nonetheless have a competitive Senate race in 2026. What's a really cheap way to boost Dem turnout statewide? Run for every state legislative seat and crowdfund every candidate with @everystateblueoh.bsky.social.

Pro tip: You don't have to live in Ohio.
October 21, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Join @everystatebluemo.bsky.social to crowdfund state legislative candidates running all over the state, including the ruby red parts. There are lots of Dems in MO--small recurring donations add up to lots of pro-democracy fight.
Hi friends! We should introduce ourselves...

We crowdfund for underfunded Dem nominees for MO state leg – who run in some of the reddest parts of MO.

We've been at this since 2017, supporting Dems in every corner of the state.

If you believe Dems should fight everywhere, we should be friends. 💙
October 21, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Another reason why sustained support of pro-democracy efforts in the most GOP-rigged states, such as Missouri and Tennessee, is critical even if you don't live there? As @jvl.bsky.social details here, those states are now trying to impose their (extremist) will on other states.
No Kings and the Laws of Power
Understanding the Republican will to power and what Democrats must do to counter it.
open.substack.com
October 21, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Crowdfund Dem infrastructure in 5 expansion states NOW to win in 2025, 2026 and beyond: Maine, Iowa, Alaska, Florida, and Texas. $60k raised already towards a $250k goal.

Learn more and donate:
secure.actblue.com/donate/hopiu...

@hopiumchronicles.bsky.social
October 16, 2025 at 2:44 PM
⬇️So true. The rules for 2026 in Maine are being set in 3 weeks, in 2025. If GOP succeeds in making voting more difficult this year, it will be that much harder to win next year.
There’s 1,000 times more chatter about the Maine senate race in a year than about Maine’s ballot measure in 3 weeks that’d bring voter ID and crack down on mail voting… maybe let’s start there??? boltsmag.org/maine-questi...
A Ballot Measure Targets Mail Voting in Maine - Bolts
Question 1, on the November ballot, would set up a barrage of new restrictions on absentee ballots that would considerably affect older voters and people with disabilities.
boltsmag.org
October 16, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Elect more Dems in Tennessee to keep @aftynbehn.bsky.social company! Join @everystatebluetn.bsky.social to crowd fund state legislative candidates in Tennessee.
NO Republican should ever go unopposed & with our giving community's help, we'll support every underfunded Democratic candidate running for TN state gov in 2026.

We grow the pot with small donations over time, ie $10/m goes a long way! Come join us 🔽
contribute.bluetennessee.org/join_tenness...
The best thing to do is start organizing at the local level and make sure you have candidates running in every race, at every level in every election. Nothing is more demoralizing than seeing a ballot with 8 Republicans running unopposed. Also the local county party has to be visible 24/7/365
October 16, 2025 at 2:25 PM
A US House seat in Tennessee will be decided in a Dec 2 special election. Aftyn Behn is an experienced Dem fighter.

#FlipTN07 #Aftyn4TN
@aftynbehn.bsky.social
On Tuesday, we showed what was possible for Democrats in the Deep South.💙
I'm honored & humbled to be the Democratic nominee for Congress in TN-07. Now, let's take this fight national.

We've got 53 days until the election – you can power our work here: http://bit.ly/4q2FYF8
October 15, 2025 at 5:25 PM
No need to wait until next year to get to work on elections or to donate. Choose a race coming up this fall from @taniel.bsky.social's guide.

Prop 50 in California (creates 5 new Dem-leaning US House seats in response to Texas creating 5 new GOP-leaning seats) is the starting gun for 2026.
NEW: November general elections are around the corner, so it’s time to launch my cheat sheet of what’s on the ballot this fall!

I guide you thru the *185* elections I'm watching, & why: lawmakers, governors, judges, DAs, mayors, school boards, & dozens of ballot measures.

Explore, share, save:
Your Cheat Sheet to the 2025 General Elections - Bolts
Four contests have come to largely define the 2025 elections: the elections to lead New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City, plus California’s redistricting measure. But there’s so much else... Read M...
boltsmag.org
October 2, 2025 at 9:06 PM
We will not finance a war against Americans--our health care; our neighbors; our cities; our kids. No dollars for dictatorship.

Where are we in this fight and how did we get here--A must-read thread from @simonwdc.bsky.social
A central reason we're in this mess is that the final GOP budget is going to be full of ugly, deeply unpopular stuff - exploding deficits, destructive tariffs, cuts to health care/clear energy/food, supersizing ICE, tax cuts for billionaires - that Rs simply don't want to take responsibility for. 1/
October 1, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Amazing work in Virginia by @90for90.bsky.social and @charlesgaba.com.
🚨“…Jennifer Boysko donated $5,000…bringing the total to over $6,500.

This was followed by contributions by…other…legislators.
…Senator Warner made a contribution…

…this created the momentum for us to reach $116,000 in less than a month.”🌟🔥
www.dailykos.com/stories/2025...
This is What a Hero Looks Like
Jennifer Boysko is a Virginia State Senator whose story embodies what we are trying to do here with the Virginia Value Pack 27 (now up to over $116,000, just $19,000 short of the $135,000 goal). Here’...
www.dailykos.com
September 30, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Local ABC stations that refused to air Jimmy Kimmel's return are owned by Sinclair and Nexstar. These networks are the less-obvious local versions of Fox news, and want to buy many more local stations.

@emptywheel.bsky.social explains how to push back on the stations and oppose new acquisitions.
Sinclair Makes Itself Visible - emptywheel
Yesterday's return of Jimmy Kimmel to ABC is not a time to declare victory. Now is the time to use the notoriety that the censoring screeds have acquired to push back on their efforts to extort contro...
www.emptywheel.net
September 25, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Reposted by Laura Gottsman
Dear Ds in CA, NJ and VA - please vote on Day 1, or as early as you. When you vote early your names comes off GOTV rolls for the campaigns allowing them to move on to lower propensity voters, which increases D turnout and makes it more likely we win. Voting early = another way to help us win.
September 23, 2025 at 6:17 PM
You know what entices great Dem candidates to run? A big pot of grassroots gold (aka "hard" money) waiting for them at the end of the primary. Give NOW to the eventual Dem nominee in these U.S. House races.

96% to Dem nominees. 4% to credit card fees. None to @charlesgaba.com or "overhead."
REMINDER: You can help flip #MI10 (and other GOP-held House seats in Michigan & other states) by donating to WHOEVER the Democratic nominee ends up being TODAY!

secure.actblue.com/donate/house...
September 23, 2025 at 9:19 PM
NJ Voters! Get those mail-in ballots sent in TODAY! Voting early boosts overall turnout.

@mikiesherrill.bsky.social will skip over you and GOTV others that need a nudge to get their ballot in, driving turnout through the roof.
Let’s do this #NJ #NJPol

Get them in ASAP so they have it and your name gets crossed off any follow up list.

So @mikiesherrill.bsky.social and the team can concentrate on those that need a knock, txt, or call.
September 23, 2025 at 1:34 AM
Reposted by Laura Gottsman
Suggestion: Instead of restoring your Disney+ subscription, how about if everyone signs up to donate $10/month (or whatever) to Democratic candidates the moment Kimmel’s show comes on tomorrow night?

Blue26.org
September 22, 2025 at 8:12 PM