Citizen Action Weekend ’24 Newsletter, Primary Election GOTV
Friday, August 9th
Join Citizen Action Today!
Vote in the Fall Primary Election by Tuesday, August 13th.
You can register to vote at your polling location.
See list of Citizen Action’s early endorsed candidates.
Citizen Action of Wisconsin Endorses Kamala Harris for President.
By Robert Kraig, Executive Director
On August 2, Citizen Action’s Board of Directors endorsed Kamala Harris for President. This followed the endorsement a week earlier by our national network, People’s Action, which includes state organizing groups like us in 29 states.
As the Executive Director of Citizen Action and a leader in People’s Action, I had the opportunity to participate in both endorsement processes. As social justice organizers we think about endorsements differently than purely political groups. To win the scale of reform we need to make health care a human right, meet the climate emergency, radically reduce racial inequality, and bridge the urban/rural divide, we “play the long game” and think beyond any one election.
This presidential election is one of the most important in modern American history because it is a stark choice of two futures: one were our highly imperfect but still functioning democracy still exists, and we have the ability to continue to organize for system-level reform, and a darker future under MAGA Republicans where the the remaining structures of democracy will be a risk, progress towards the sweeping reforms we need will be closed off, and progressive groups like ours may be targeted by the IRS, in effect a national Act 10 for social justice groups.
As organizers we have a nuanced view of the performance of the Biden-Harris Administration over the past four years.
On the plus side of the ledger, it made the biggest investments to address the climate crisis in American history, which Citizen Action organizers and members are working to capture for Wisconsin communities. The Administration also made great strides on health care, making the Affordable Care Act more affordable, taking on Big Pharma’s price gouging, and beginning to challenge the monopolization of the hospital sector, the largest driver of skyrocketing health care costs. Vice President Harris has pledged to build on these climate and health care advances, and fight for new reforms: canceling medical debt, guaranteeing paid family leave, restoring the child tax credit which cut poverty by 45%, and capping rent increases.
We are radical pragmatists, and the reality of a two party system is that each party is a broad coalition, and that there has never been a major party presidential nominee who is progressive on every issue. Our role as grassroots progressives is to push presidents to go further, the way the Civil Rights movement pushed Roosevelt and Johnson.
On the down side of the ledger for the Biden-Harris Administration, Citizen Action and our national affiliate People’s Action disagree strongly with the administration on Gaza, immigration, and other issues. Despite this, we and other progressive groups will have influence with the Harris Administration, and if we can build enough grassroots pressure have the opportunity to change these policies. That’s how democracy works.
MAGA rule not only will progress be impossible, and our 50 year old experiment in multiracial democracy will be at risk. Donald Trump’s partners in the MAGA movement have already drafted a 900-page plan called “Project 2025.” It’s an agenda designed to divide, attack, and control poor and working class people to enrich Trump, billionaires, and greedy corporations. This agenda would double down on dirty fossil fuel, virtually guaranteeing runaway global warming, unleashing an unimaginable climate genocide. Defeating Trump and his MAGA movement and electing Kamala Harris as the next U.S. President is a political necessity, but it’s not our final destination.
Citizen Action’s Robert Kraig was on the Earl Ingram radio show for the full hour to discuss the impact of the Tim Walz pick as Kamala Harris’ running mate on the prospects for a Democratic victory.
Sign up to volunteer with People’s Action and Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s virtual phone bank to help elect Kamala Harris.
VOLUNTEER to Get Out The Vote with Citizen Action’s Phone Bank for State Legislative Candidates the final 4 days!
Volunteer to make phone calls from home with Citizen Action to Get Out The Vote!
- Saturday, 10am; Amillia Heredia, Assembly District 11 (Milwaukee)
- Sunday, Noon; Tara Johnson, Assembly District 96 (La Crosse area)
- Monday, 10am; Amillia Heredia, Assembly District 11 (Milwaukee)
- Monday, 5pm; Christian Phelps, Assembly District 93 (Eau Claire area)
- Tuesday, 10am; Tara Johnson, Assembly District 96 (La Crosse area)
- Tuesday, 5pm; Ryan Clancy and Deisy España (Milwaukee)
Volunteer with Citizen Action to Get Out The Vote by knocking doors!
Contact an organizer any day during GOTV (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday)
- Help elect Christian Phelps contact: [email protected]
- Help elect Amillia Heredia, contact: [email protected]
- Help elect Deisy España, contact: [email protected]
- Help re-elect Ryan Clancy, contact: [email protected]
- Help elect Tara Johnson with Citizen Action, contact: [email protected]
- In Wausau area contact: [email protected]
Citizen Action North Side Rising members knock doors for endorsed State Legislative Amillia Heredia.
North Side Rising is building people’s power. Our members are canvassing door to door with candidate and issue information. In addition, we offer information on voter registration for the unregistered. Members are also phone banking in support of Amillia Heredia, who is running for Assembly District 11 and has a primary election next Tuesday, August 13th.
We are attending community events and holding our own events. We are meeting with people in the community and following up with one on one meetings to better understand community concerns and encourage people to get involved in North Side Rising as a member.
Join us and organize our community to improve our healthcare system. Organize with us to build a strong response to WE Energy’s ongoing rate hikes (see photo below from this week’s Racine media event where Keviea Guiden spoke.) Organize with us to create safe and greener streets in Milwaukee. Organize with us to demand good paying green jobs to rebuild our neighborhoods.
There is still time to join our GOTV phone bank for Amillia Heredia. RSVP here to join Citizen Action’s phone bank
To get involved in North Side Rising, contact:
Keviea Guiden: [email protected]
Maletha Jones: [email protected]
Valeria Ricks: [email protected]
Maximize Your Home’s Potential By Leveraging IRA Benefits.
Join the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County in partnership with Citizen Action of Wisconsin and Green Homeowners United for “Maximize Your Home’s Potential: Leveraging IRA Benefits for a Greener Wisconsin.” This event will help homeowners take full advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to save money and fight climate change. Learn how to access up to $10,000 in rebates for home upgrades, including insulation, efficient heating systems, electric appliances, solar panels, and more.
Date: Saturday, August 24th
Time: 10 AM-Noon
Location: League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County (6737 W Washington St, West Allis)
Please register by August 21st to secure your spot. Lunch will be provided!
Attend Southeast Wisconsin Climate Teach In, Thursday, August 22, 5:30pm
Join Wisconsin Climate Action Group for the “Teach-In for Power: Combat We Energies & Climate Change” on Thursday, August 22, from 5:30 to 8:00 PM at 2821 N Vel R. Phillips Ave #115.
This event, organized by the WI Climate Action Group, will address the urgent issue of We Energies’ planned new gas plant in Oak Creek. Learn about the significant environmental damage this project will cause and discover actionable steps we can take to prevent it.
Don’t miss this opportunity to stand up for clean energy and protect our environment.
Citizen Action in the News
Citizen Action Robert Kraig was quoted in a radio news story that appeared in over 40 media outlets about rising economic inequality in Wisconsin.
Citizen Action’s Kat Klawes penned a column for Up North News on the hidden toll of medical debt.
Listen to “GOTV challenge” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast
Before turning to the big political news, we challenge our listeners to get active talking to voters this weekend. This primary is critical to electing movement progressives to the state legislature and defeating the 2 damaging constitutional amendment questions on the primary ballot next Tuesday, August 13th. We have 6 phone banks the final 4 days of the election where you can call from home and door canvass opportunities in areas we have organizers.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was selected this week by Kamala Harris as her Vice Presidential running mate. We analyze the pick and discuss the choice of Eau Claire to stage an early rally for the pair. As the new Democratic ticket takes off, Trump is caught red handed with fingerprints all over Project 2025, We close with a dissection of latest MU Law Poll, where the presidential race in Wisconsin is tied, Senator Baldwin is still up 5 points, and the Republican State Legislature remains wildly unpopular, with an approval rating at an abysmal 33%!
Listen to the show.
Social media post of the week
