Pennsylvania Capital-Star: DNC, launches major Pennsylvania blitz ahead of Nov. 2 election

*ICYMI**

Key Point: “In a statement, DNC Chairperson Jaime Harrison said the national party is ‘invested in ensuring help for Democrats to win in these crucial races. Pennsylvania Democrats have fielded a diverse and visionary group of candidates, and we’re excited to help them make history on November 2.’ With that kind of mobilization and cash in play, this year might well be the year that these races finally shed the dread ‘off-year’ election tag.”

Pennsylvania Capital-Star: DNC, Planned Parenthood launch major Pa. blitz ahead of Nov. 2 election | Friday Morning Coffee
By John Micek
October 21, 2021


With just weeks to go before the Nov. 2 election, and even as thousands of Pennsylvanians start casting their mail-in ballots, two of the major forces in progressive politics are reminding those voters — especially Democratic ones — of what’s at stake this campaign season.

In addition to voting for local school boards, township commissioners and borough councils, among other local offices, Keystone State voters also will be casting their ballots in county Courts of Common Pleas races, and in consequential elections for Pennsylvania’s three appellate courts.

It’s safe to say the results in these races are the canary in the coal mine for 2022, when Pennsylvanians will choose a replacement for retiring U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, who will be finishing up the constitutional maximum of two, four-year terms.

With an eye on that long game, both the Democratic National Committee and the political wing of Planned Parenthood are respectively out this week with six-figure campaigns to focus voters’ attention as they fill out their ballots at home or get ready to walk into the voting booth, the Capital-Star can exclusively report.

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The campaign by the DNC similarly has its eye on the long game — but wants to start by getting voters motivated for next month’s municipal and statewide contests.

In a statement provided to the Capital-Star, the DNC said it’s pouring its energy and cash into mobilization efforts for races across the state, notably the race for Pennsylvania Supreme Court, where one seat is up for grabs, and four county-level races across the commonwealth.

The funds, the DNC said, come on top of preexisting efforts to help the state Democratic Party’s own organizing efforts, and also will “begin to build out crucial infrastructure in every corner of the state in advance of next year’s midterm elections,” the DNC said in its statement. The money also will pay for digital advertising to boost statewide turnout in these notoriously low-turnout contests.

Next month’s elections also will mark the first time the national party will put its expanded “I Will Vote” initiative to work in the Keystone State. It includes statewide analytics and polling look-up tools for voters.

In a statement, DNC Chairperson Jaime Harrison said the national party is “invested in ensuring help for Democrats to win in these crucial races. Pennsylvania Democrats have fielded a diverse and visionary group of candidates, and we’re excited to help them make history on November 2.” With that kind of mobilization and cash in play, this year might well be the year that these races finally shed the dread “off-year” election tag.
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