Local Democrats with two years worth of pent-up energy are eager to make a difference this November. And one way to do that, they’ve decided, is to look outside the county.
Santa Cruz Indivisible has set its sights on two districts, California’s 21st Congressional District, home to Republican Congressmember David Valadao and its 22nd, home to Congressmember Devin Nunes.
The forecasting website FiveThirtyEight gives Democrats the edge to take back the House, and it gives the Democratic Party anywhere from a 26-71 percent chance of unseating Valadao. The same experts give Democrats between a 3 and 13 percent chance of unseating Nunes, who has earned special ire from liberals over his acrobatic contortions, bending over backwards to defend President Donald Trump.
Winning Nunes’ seat may sound like a long shot for challenger Andrew Janz, but Communications Director Amanda Harris Altice says that Indivisible has picked its districts based mostly on geography, and, given Democratic feelings about Nunes, the challenge of taking him on might be more of a blessing than a curse. Altice, who has already started canvassing the Central Valley district, says that Nunes doesn’t talk to his constituents, and that the voters she’s talked to—including Republicans—have been listening.
“If you reach people that way, who knows? We ended up with Trump. We didn’t think that would happen,” says Harris Altice, who helped organize a volunteer recruitment event at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium on Saturday, Sept. 8. The summit included canvassing workshops, and it got about 150 people through the door, but there’s still plenty of time to sign up and help.
Chris Bowman, who manages merchandise for Santa Cruz Indivisible, says, that by pooling the zeal of its various teams, Indivisible can fill areas that may not fall into purview of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
“A lot of people are putting in their free energy, and nobody’s getting paid or anything like that, just working hard and smart,” Bowman says, lugging a box of shirts to her car after Saturday’s event. “A lot of people are ready to go because we need to fix things and save our country, basically.”
For more information, including upcoming events, visit santacruzindivisible.org.
Why don’t people deal with who they have to elect rather than travelling to other districts? We know how much they would like outsiders coming here to try to sway our elections. But, being typical hypocrites they will go and try to “convert” people who don’t live here.
Are you really that naive?
Whichever party has the majority in either house of Congress, even by just one seat, controls that house. They set the agenda, hold majorities on committees, and vote for their party’s positions. Look at the devastation the GOP has wrought even though they hold only a one seat majority in the Senate.
Both parties try to pick up seats in any districts they think are competitive. It’s been that way since the beginning of the USA.
You’re welcome for the civics lesson.
Why?
Because this district is safe.
Go get em.
Because what Nunes does has national impact. He is not just a local alderman. If you guys took care of business yourselves we would not have to waste our time doing it for you.
Devin Nunes is a scab on the face of California. Take his ass down!
For what reason? Do you want to bury the TRUTH?
You are working to make taxes higher and free medical for illegal aliens?
Without Nunes we would have never known that our DOJ leaked FAKE news to NY Times, etc
to start investigating American citizens like Carter Page with ZERO evidence of breaking any laws!
That is scary! Don’t you want to stop this corruption that obama, clinton and holder and lynch
put into place? That is what Nunes is working on? Do you want the TRUTH buried again?