On the heels of New Mexico’s June 1st Primary Election, Tomás Garduño, SWOP’s Director of Mass Base Political Organizing and Michael Montoya, SWOP’s Mass Base Political Organizer hopped on a plane to head out to Oakland, California to lend a hand in getting our communities out to vote for California’s Primary Election on Tuesday, June 8th.
Oakland Rising (OR), a collaborative of 4 community organizations (APEN-Asian Pacific Environmental Network, EBASE-East Bay Alliance for an Sustainable Environment, Causa Justa/Just Cause, and the Ella Baker Center), hosted SWOP. Esperanza Tervalon-Daumont, OR’s Executive Director and Jessamyn Sabbag , OR’s Field Director exposed SWOP’s reps to their model, their GOTV field strategy and most importantly to “the Town” as Oaklanders call it.
All day Friday was spent cutting turf and prepping the California Alliance’s field packets for the Saturday Door Knock Day. SWOP learned about how Oakland Rising coordinates with the broader California Alliance, how voters are targeted and how local organizations engage in the process. Particularly, how local campaigns are uplifted through the broad-based civic engagement campaign’s use of a “local question”. Something SWOP will be incorporating into it’s broad-based campaigns from now on. SWOP reps weren’t just there to build relationships and discuss strategy. Tomas and Michael were there to pound the pavement! All day Saturday was spent contacting voters. The morning was spent using the California Alliance’s predictive dialer system with the “daily team”, the Oakland Rising’s paid canvassers. After the phones, we hit the doors for the rest of the morning and early afternoon reminding Oaklanders to make their voice heard and power felt by getting out and voting!
Oakland Rising and our collaborative partners are united in our vision for a city that embodies health, happiness, safety, and equal opportunities for all. Our goal is to create a model of progress and sustainability that showcases the possibilities for American cities in the 21st century. We are committed to dismantling the barriers of racial, economic, political, environmental, and educational inequities that have divided us, and instead, embracing the collective strength found in our city’s diversity. We firmly believe that Oakland can achieve its full potential when every resident, student, and bus rider has the ability to shape our city’s future. This vision is attainable and we are determined to realize it through our collective actions, whether it’s through voting, meetings, or call to actions.
Every year, we release a Vision, Issues, and Policy Platform (VIPP) which outlines the annual policies that we and our eight partner organizations prioritize in order to advance racial, economic, and environmental justice in the Town. Our collaborative’s agenda encompasses a range of critical initiatives, from expanding affordable housing to creating a more equitable democracy through campaign finance reforms. These priorities are designed to provide vital protections and innovative solutions for the most vulnerable members of our community. As we continue our efforts to promote these policies, we hold conversations with thousands of voters, lead and co-host impactful town hall meetings, educate and mobilize residents and voters, and undertake various other initiatives.
To gain a deeper understanding of our commitment to resist, protect, and advance in this political moment, we invite you to explore our 2023 Vision, Issues, and Policy Platform. Together, we are making strides towards a more equitable and just Oakland, and we remain steadfast in our pursuit of change, one vote, one meeting, one march at a time.
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