Virginia -- October 15, 2018 -- The People PAC launched their second state house initiative to elect democrats in six states targeting voters in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina and Virginia. The group's creative use of video storytelling and social media was a winning combination in 2017 when they helped elect 15 Virginia state delegates in a landmark state election.
"In 2017, we armed candidates with the digital tools to compete and win," said Christine Bachman, founder of Why Virginia Matters 2017, and Political Director of The People PAC. "The People PAC produced videos tying key issues impacting voters across the aisle to the personal stories and values of 17 candidates. It worked. 15 seats were flipped, Medicaid was expanded and 400,000 more Virginians have healthcare."
The People PAC is expanding their efforts to flip more state houses from red to blue in November 2018 with the goal of enabling a new generation of non-politicians to serve in office.
"Statehouses are more critical to our democracy than ever,” said Mara Gerstein, Executive Director of The People PAC. “We have until the 2020 census to win back the states, undo gerrymandered districts, and reassert the will of the voters."
State governments also control legislative issues that impact voters on both sides. Republican gerrymandering has helped elect GOP-controlled state governments, which have acted to deny people's rights, healthcare, and safety. The playing field needs to be leveled so that Democrats no longer need more votes to win the same number of seats in the state government and Congress.
The People PAC
The People PAC is a a broad coalition of film makers, creatives and local grassroots activists using the tools of reality TV, movies, pop culture, and social media, combined with next-generation social media targeting, to educate and engage American voters and defend our liberal democracy.
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