It’s been a season of disappointments with our elected leaders.
Grand legislative efforts – whether to update our infrastructure, provide better social services, protect our communities from gun violence, or make climate progress – have all failed. Critical protections for healthcare, including women’s healthcare, are getting skewered. You wouldn’t be alone if you’re wondering: can our elected leaders actually lead?
Or maybe you’re tempted to tune out. After reaching a historic high level of engagement in 2020, news consumption has taken a dip. As a nation, we’ve grown exhausted from a barrage of negative headlines about gun violence, abortion rights, war, market turmoil, insurrection, and more. We’re ready for a change.
However — now is the moment to tune in, not tune out.
Moments of great turmoil and disappointment are often the very ones where the seeds of something better sprout. In our experience at Incite, these are the times to double down and look for the future around the bend. To pay attention to the ideas, and especially the people, who are heads down working to forge a new and better path forward.
That’s why we’re eager to tell you about three candidates we like who are on the ballot this November. These public servants represent the future of American leadership and the diversity of our country. Many of them are running for important regional and state-level office – not high profile national positions. And that’s why we want to help you pay more attention to them.
We’re proud to be longtime supporters of each of their campaigns, through our work with Arena and here at Incite. We hope you’ll consider becoming one too.
1. Lina Hidalgo
Lina is running for re-election to Harris County Judge, the Chief Executive of the county home to Houston and over five million residents. Judge Hidalgo oversees a budget of over $5 billion which funds critical government services and infrastructure. She also serves as Harris County’s Director of Emergency Management – and has overseen the response to floods, fires, the winter storm, and the pandemic.
When Lina was elected in 2018, she became the first Democrat to run Harris County in thirty years. She beat the Republican incumbent who’d held the office for over a decade. We’re proud to back Lina again and watch her continue to serve the Houston community.
2. Lauren Underwood
Lauren is running for re-election to Congress in Illinois’ 14th District, a suburban, exurban, and rural district in northern Illinois. She flipped this seat from red to blue in a historic fashion in 2018, defeating a four-term Republican incumbent, and in 2020 became the first Democrat to ever be re-elected in the district.
In 2018, Congresswoman Underwood was the first person of color, first woman, and first millennial elected to represent her district. When she was sworn into office in 2019, she became the youngest Black woman to ever serve in Congress. We’re proud to continue to support Lauren on her nascent political journey.
3. Stacey Abrams
Stacey is running to be the next Governor of Georgia. While Stacey didn’t win her groundbreaking 2018 campaign for Governor, she has spent the time since working to serve the people of Georgia. In the time between her two campaigns, Stacey’s list of accomplishments includes:
We’re proud to support Stacey’s campaign and are eager to watch her bring a fresh perspective and win-win solutions to the governor’s office.
Are there other candidates out there who you love? Let us know who, and why!
