Blue Beginning

Golden Opportunities

Early voting is underway in Chicago and Wisconsin for what national media are calling the most consequential elections of the year. With your help we have a chance to cash in two golden opportunities on April 4:

In Wisconsin, we can flip the state Supreme Court from a conservative to a liberal majority by electing Judge Janet Protasiewicz to a ten-year term. That would mean a chance to strike down the state’s barbaric abortion law, enacted in 1849; undo the worst excesses of Wisconsin’s unconscionable Republican gerrymandering; protect the rest of the country from extreme MAGA meddling in the 2024 elections; and much more.

In Chicago, we have a chance to get our city off the treadmill it’s been on since the death of Harold Washington. We’ve endured a string of mayors—Richie Daley, Rahm Emanuel, and (to our grave disappointment) Lori Lightfoot— who have governed for the well-off and the short term, limping along from one downtown dream project to the next, one policing fad at a time, one school emergency after another. It’s time to try addressing the long term, the fundamental policies that will invest in the whole city. That’s how we’ll make Chicago safer— by creating jobs, strengthening our schools, and restoring a semblance of fairness and equity across the city. And that’s why we have endorsed Brandon Johnson for mayor: to build a Chicago for the many.

Over the next seven days we have many ways you can help:

Judge Janet Protasiewicz for Wisconsin
Supreme Court

Wednesday March 29:Indivisible Chicago Phone Bank to Flip the WI Supreme Court
Thursday, March 30: Text Party for Judge Janet 6-8pm

Saturday, April 1: Hop on the bus to canvass in Milwaukee
Saturdays and Sundays: Milwaukee Canvass with WisDems and Bay View Indivisible
Multiple Days: WisDems Phone Banks for Judge Janet
Milwaukee DMV Voter Registration Project
Multiple Days: Register voters with Field Team 6 Phone Banks and “Texting Arcades”

Brandon Johnson for Mayor

Citywide phone banks—Monday through Thursday 5-8 pm, Sunday 1-4 pm
Canvassing–Tuesday through Saturday, locations across the city
Rally with Bernie March 30:Join this Get Out the Vote Rally at the UIC Forum, 1213 S. Halsted, with Senator Bernie Sanders, Vic Mensa, and other special guests. This citywide rally will be a critical show of force before Election Day. Plan to be there, with friends and family. Doors open 6pm, Event begins 7pm. Register here.
Save the date April 1: Details coming soon on this grassroots GOTV rally to boost voter turnout. Location and timing TBD.
Vote tripling: Who do you know who shares our values but might not feel it’s important to vote? Maximize your impact by taking responsibility for getting at least three other Johnson supporters to the polls.
Not registered to vote? No problem! Registration is open at the polls on election day so we can go, register, and vote all at once. Anyone not already registered will just need to bring two forms of ID.

Pick a shift. Sign up to Do Something. A little work this week will change a lot for years to come.

Mark your calendar: Our next Blue Thursday is on a Wednesday

Wednesday April 12, to be specific. We changed the schedule to accommodate a special postelection program you won’t want to miss. Details soon, but save the date. As usual we’ll meet at the Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia. The talk will be smart, the crowd will be fun, the bar will be open. Do come!

Visit us at bluebeginning.org. Email us at b luebeginning2017@gmail.com. Check in with our Facebook group for news, events, and action opportunities posted by our members.