Baltimore’s campaign donors lack diversity across race, gender, and socioeconomic status. The Baltimore Fair Election Fund, designed with equity and community engagement at the forefront, can change that.
Women of color are generally underrepresented as campaign donors even though they vote at high rates, according to research by progressive think tank Demos.
“If you compare this to some of the other gifts given in higher education, it’s incredibly stark, and I would hope points us to a smarter, better model of philanthropy where people’s lives are genuinely being transformed.”
Our current system of campaign finance reform suppresses the political power of people of color and that lack of political power has had proven, lasting consequences.
A system of Fair Elections for New York State will not only allow for candidates from diverse communities to compete, but it will help build lasting political power for communities of color.
The New York State Senate and Assembly heard arguments for public financing of elections, the best policy tool we have to push back against the presence of big money in politics and to push forward on the march toward racial equity.
In testimony before the Committee on House Administration Thursday morning, Demos will express strong support of H.R.1 – the For the People Act – a bold bill that addresses systemic racial, political, and economic inequities that continue to restrict full participation in American democracy.
Generations of black women have learned to be solution-oriented and resourceful, often ‘making a way out of no way,’ and their political participation is part of a history of survival.
Yesterday’s election results were a major step forward for inclusive, multi-racial democracy in America. The country voted in candidates who look like America: Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland, the first Native American congresswomen; Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, the first Muslim congresswomen; Ayanna Pressley, the first black member of Congress from Massachusetts; Jared Polis, the first openly gay governor; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest female member of Congress; and at least 98 women were elected to the House of Representatives.
Our elections are fairer—and our democracy works better—when politicians listen to the entire public instead of only to big donors. A review of donations from individuals to Mayoral and City Council races in 2015 and 2016 shows that those who contribute to campaigns—and therefore are more likely to have their voices heard—do not reflect Baltimore City’s diverse population. Instead, the donor class is largely white and rich.
