Common Power Wins
At Common Power, “Winning” starts with the community we’ve built with each other through our work, the development of our next-generation leaders, and our individual commitments to a more just and inclusive society. With these are our most important goals, we’ve already “won” before an election is decided.
Getting candidates on the left elected progressive initiatitives passed is how we cement change, so below is a comprehensive breakdown of our electoral wins.
Click a state to see our detailed wins across elections, voting rights advocacy, and voter turnout in 2018 - 2020.
ALABAMA
2020 Team Leads: Paul Bloom, Sherri Wolson
In a state where President Trump won by 28 points in 2016, Democratic Senator Doug Jones lost to former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville. Our special Project: Deep Red tackled this race along with many other longshot elections in an effort to defend Democratic seats and make Republicans defend their areas. This will continue to be a part of CP strategy in future elections.
CP Work in State: 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: No-excuse absentee for 2020 Elections
GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 9.4% vs 2016
2020 Partner Organizations: Alabama Dems, Doug Jones for Senate
ALASKA
2020 Team Leads: Emily Carmichael, Abby Merritt
Two compelling Democratic candidates, for Senate (Dr. Al Gross) and for the House (Alyse Galvin) inspired us to invest in independent-y Alaska in 2020. Their seats stayed red, unfortunately, by 13% (Gross) and by 9% (Galvin). This is a state we will keep on our radar, including 2022’s Senate election with Republican incumbent Lisa Murkowski.
CP work in state: 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: Witness requirement waived for absentee for '20
GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 12.8% vs 2016
2020 Partner Organizations: Al Gross for Senate, Alyse Galvin for Congress
ARIZONA
2020 Team Leads: Luke Michener; Brandon Rodriguez
This is a state turning politically purple, and we’re invested in Arizona for the long run. We’ve registered voters and we worked to flip two Senate seats (the first Democrats to win in Arizona in decades!), a seat in the House, and the electorally vital Secretary of State’s office. We plan to work with Arizona partners yearly.
CP work in state: 2018, 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: Ballots in multiple languages permanently
Elections
2020: Joe Biden/Kamala Harris for President/Vice President (flip)2020: Mark Kelly for Senate (flip)
2018: Kyrsten Sinema for Senate (flip)
2018: Katie Hobbs for Secretary of State (flip)
2018: Ann Kirkpatrick for CD2 (flip)
2018: Tom O’Halleran for CD1
Voter Registration and GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 31.6% vs 2016
2018: Voter turnout increase of 56.7% vs 2014
2020 Partner Organizations: Arizona DLCC, The Arizona Ground Game, Mission for Arizona, Mi Familia Vota, Ballot Proposition 208
COLORADO
2020 Team Leads: Larcy Douglas, Mary Ruckelshaus
Colorado has become a statewide blue state, and we joined in the work with registering voters and doing GOTV in 2020. We helped Biden and Harris to win big and for the Democrats to flip a Senate seat. We will keep our eye on Colorado, particular for the Senate race in 2022 with Democratic incumbent Michael Bennett and the CD3 election with Republican incumbent Lauren Boebert.
CP work in state: 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: Electoral College popular vote initiative
Elections
2020: Joe Biden/Kamala Harris for President/Vice President
2020: John Hickenlooper for Senate (flip)
Voter Registration and GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 17.1% vs 2016
2020 Partner Organizations: Colorado Dems
FLORIDA
2020 Team Leads: Bert Greenwood, Maria “MJ” Jimenez
In 2018 we helped to pass Amendment 4, which restores voting rights to most citizens formerly incarcerated for felony offenses. This is a great thing for democracy. That year and then in 2019 and 2020, we have done extensive voter registration. The Republican legislature has made Amendment 4 difficult to implement, and in 2020 we invested in two state legislative races plus the presidential. Disappointment ensued. We will be back.
CP work in state: 2018, 2019, 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2018: Amendment 4 ending voter disenfranchisement for most felony convictions permanently
Voter Registration and GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 17.5% vs 2016
2018: Voter turnout increase of 23.5% vs 2014
2020 Partner Organizations: Jessica Harrington Campaign, Javier Fernandez Campaign
GEORGIA
2020 Team Leads: Shelley Morrison, Wole Akinlosotu, Ellen Shagene
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2020 Georgia Run-off Project Manager: Maggie Rittenhouse
This is a state that turned purple this January with the election of Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. We registered voters and we worked to flip a House seat in 2018 and another House seat and the presidential election in 2020. Then we worked directly with Georgia Dems to host phone banks on their behalf from November through runoff election day on January 5th. We will be working with Georgia partners yearly.
CP work in state: 2018, 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: Absentee ballot dropboxes
2020: Online absentee requests
Elections
2020: Joe Biden/Kamala Harris for President/Vice President (flip)
2020: Raphael Warnock for Senate (flip)
2020: Jon Ossoff for Senate (flip)
2020: Carolyn Bourdeaux for CD7 (flip)
2020: Lucy McBath for CD6
2018: Lucy McBath for CD6 (flip)
Voter Registration and GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 22.1% vs 2016
2018: Voter turnout increase of 53.7% vs 2014
2020 Partner Organizations: New Georgia Project, Georgia Dems, Warnock for Georgia, Jon Ossoff for US Senate
IOWA
2020 Team Leads: Maria Abando, Mary Figel
We invested in Iowa with GOTV work in the US Senate race and in a uber-competitive US House race, CD2. These seats stayed red, unfortunately. But along the way we helped push the Republican governor to restore voting rights to most citizens formerly incarcerated for felony offenses. We will keep Iowa on our radar, including in 2022 the Senate election with Republican incumbent Charles Grassley and the House races, which will be close.
CP work in state: 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: Governor Executive Order ending voter disenfranchisement for most felony convictions permanently
2020: Absentee ballot applications mailed to registered voters for '20
Voter Registration and GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 8.0% vs 2016
2020 Partner Organizations: Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (Iowa CCI) Battleground Iowa, Rita Hart for Iowa
KANSAS
2020 Team Leads: Emily Carmichael, Abby Merritt
After the 2018 elections of Democrats for Governor and in CD3, we invested in Kansas in 2020 in support of Dr. Barbara Bollier for Senate. She was a great candidate, but Kansas stayed red, unfortunately.
CP work in state: 2020
GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 15.9% vs 2016
2020 Partner Organizations: Kansas Dems, Bollier for Senate
KENTUCKY
2020 Team Leads: Emily Carmichael, Abby Merritt
Our GOTV work in 2019 in the gubernatorial election helped Democrat Andy Beshear to a nail biter victory over Republican incumbent Matt Bevin. Upon taking office, Beshear fulfilled a campaign promise to restore voting rights to most citizens formerly incarcerated for felony offenses. In 2020, our GOTV work for the Senate election fell short, and oh we wish it had turned out otherwise.
CP work in state: 2019 , 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: Covid-excuse absentee for '20
2020: Early in-person for '20
2019: Governor Executive Order ending voter disenfranchisement for most felony convictions permanently
Elections
2019: Andy Beshear for Governor (flip)
GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 11.1% vs 2016
2019: Voter turnout increase of 37.3% vs 2015
2020 Partner Organizations: Kentucky Dems
MAINE
Team Leads: Anita Verna Crofts, Amina Ibrahim
We invested in Maine with voter registration and in GOTV in 2020 with one goal: to defeat incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins. It didn’t happen, unfortunately, but we have built great partnerships in the state and we will be back for elections in 2022 and 2024.
CP work in state: 2020
GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 9.6% vs 2016
2020 Partner Organizations: League of Women Voters, Immigrant Welcome Center
MICHIGAN
2020 Team Leads: Ron Posthuma, Paul Taub
Michigan has been a bullseye electoral battleground state, and we have significantly mobilized there. We’ve registered voters, gathered petition signatures, and worked to flip the presidency in 2020, to hold two close Senate seats, to flip two seats in the House, to flip the Governorship, and to flip the electorally vital Secretary of State’s office and a State Supreme Court seat. We will be back in strength in 2022.
CP work in state: 2018, 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: Absentee ballot applications mailed to registered voters for '20
2018: Independent redistricting commission permanently
2018: No-excuse absentee permanently
2018: Automatic Voter Registration permanently
2018: Election-day registration permanently
Elections
2020: Joe Biden/Kamala Harris for President/Vice President (flip)
2020: Gary Peters for Senate
2018: Elissa Slotkin for CD8
2020: Elizabeth Welch for State Supreme Court (flip)
2020: Mary McCormack for State Supreme Court
2018: Debbie Stabenow for Senate
2018: Gretchen Whitmer for Governor (flip)
2018: Jocelyn Benson for Secretary of State (flip)
2018: Elissa Slotkin for CD8 (flip)
2018: Haley Stevens for CD11 (flip)
Voter Registration and GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 15.4% vs 2016
2018: Voter turnout increase of 33.1% vs 2014
2020 Partner Orgs: Elissa Slotkin for Congress, Michigan Democratic Party
MINNESOTA
2020 Team Lead: Maggie Rittenhouse
This is a traditionally blue state and we’re working to make it more so. We’ve registered voters and we worked to flip a House seat in 2018 and came very close to flipping some state legislative seats in 2020. We will keep our eye on Minnesota, particularly for Senate and Gubernatorial and state legislative races in 2022.
CP work in state: 2018, 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: Witness requirements waived for absentee for '20
Elections
2020: Joe Biden/Kamala Harris for President/Vice President
2020: Tina Smith for Senate
2020: Emma Greenman for State House LD63B
2018: Tina Smith for Senate
2018: Dean Phillips for CD3 (flip)
2018: Tim Walz for Governor
Voter Registration and GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 11.3% vs 2016
2018: Voter turnout increase of 27.2% vs 2014
2020 Partner Orgs: Minnesota Democratic-Farm-Labor Party; Emma Greenman for State House
MONTANA
2020 Team Leads: Kaetlyn Cordingley, Teigan Avery
Montana is a purple state, with Democratic governors 2005-2021 and a string of Democratic Senators. In 2020, we mobilized in the Senate, Governor, House, and Attorney General elections, but came up short in all of them, unfortunately. We will be back.
CP work in state: 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: Absentee ballots mailed to registered voters for '20
Voter Registration and GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 21.4% on 2016
2020 Partner Orgs: Montana Democratic Party
NEVADA
2018 Team Lead: Maria Abando
This is a state rapidly turning blue and we’re invested in Nevada for the long run. We’ve registered voters and we worked to flip a Senate seat and the Governorship in 2018, as well as to pass a ballot initiative for Automatic Voter Registration and to help elect the first majority-female state legislature in US history.
CP work in state: 2018
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: Absentee ballots mailed to registered voters for '20
2018: Automatic Voter Registration permanently
Elections
2018: Jacky Rosen for Senate (flip)
2018: Steve Sisolak for Governor (flip)
2018: Dina Titus for CD1
2018: Susie Lee for CD3
Election of first female-majority state legislature in US history
Voter Registration and GOTV
2018: Voter turnout increase of 37.2% vs 2014
2018 Partner Orgs: Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, Rosen for Nevada
NORTH CAROLINA
2020 Team Leads: Jordan Goldwarg, Kylie Knowles
We have been registering voters in North Carolina since spring 2018. Electorally, we’ve unfortunately hit a lot of disappointment so far: in 2019 we did GOTV in a special congressional seat that stayed narrowly red, and in 2020 our GOTV work for the presidency and Senate came up short. We did, however, help to elect a state legislator. We are undaunted about the political future of NC; we will be working with partners there yearly.
CP work in state: 2018, 2019, 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: Online absentee requests for ‘20
2020: Reduction of witness signature requirements for ‘20
2020: Postmarking of ballots by election day for '20
Elections
2020: Brian Farkas for State House LD9 (flip)
Voter Registration and GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 16.5% vs 2016
2018: Voter turnout increase of 20.4% vs 2014
2020 Partner Orgs: You Can Vote, Advance Carolina, Cal Cunningham for Senate
OHIO
2020 Team Leads: Simon Tran, Shelby Wilson, Terry Tazioli
Ohio is a traditionally purple state that is increasingly becoming redder in statewide races. But it’s still competitive. We registered voters and did GOTV work for Senator Sherrod Brown in 2018, and we have flipped three State Supreme Court seats across 2018 and 2020. We will be back in 2022 for the Senate race and for the three State Supreme Court elections.
CP work in state: 2018, 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: Absentee ballots mailed to registered voters for '20
Elections
2020: Jennifer Brunner for State Supreme Court (flip)
2018: Sherrod Brown for Senate
2018: Melody Stewart for State Supreme Court (flip)
2018: Michael Donnelly for State Supreme Court (flip)
Voter Registration and GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 7.7% vs 2016
2018: Voter turnout increase of 37.0% vs 2014
2020 Partner Orgs: Kate Schroder for Congress
OKLAHOMA
2020 Team Leads: Paul Bloom, Sherri Wolson
Oklahoma is a ruby-red state, ideal for our Deep Red team. They mobilized mightily to help re-elect Democrat Kendra Horn in CD5, but we came up just short. We will keep our eye on the state.
CP work in state: 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: Replaced notary requirement for absentee with ID photocopy permanently
GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase in CD5 of 8.2% on 2016
2020 Partner Orgs: Kendra Horn for Congress
PENNSYLVANIA
2020 Team Leads: Sly Cann, Russ Goychayev, Nancy Lorusso
Pennsylvania has been a bullseye electoral battleground state, and we have significantly invested. We’ve registered voters and we worked in 2018 to hold a Senate seat and to flip a seat in the House, and in 2020 we flipped the presidential vote. We will be back in strength in 2022.
CP work in state: 2018, 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: Absentee ballot dropboxes for '20
2020: Postmarking of ballots by election day for '20
2018: No-excuse absentee permanently
Elections
2020: Joe Biden/Kamala Harris for President/Vice President (flip)
2018: Bob Casey for Senate
2018: Tom Wolf for Governor
2018: Susan Wild in CD7 (flip)
Voter Registration and GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 13.1% vs 2016
2018: Voter turnout increase of 32.5% vs 2014
2020 Partner Orgs: Pennsylvania United, Kristy Gnibus for Congress
South Carolina
2020 Team Leads: Paul Bloom, Sherri Wolson
South Carolina is pink-red state, and our Deep Red team mobilized significantly there in 2020. They worked mightily to help re-elect Democrat Joe Cunningham in CD1, but we came up just short, and we worked in the Senate race as well as CD7. We will keep our eye on this state.
CP work in state: 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: No-excuse absentee for '20
2020: Prepaid postage for absentee for '20
GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 19.5% vs 2016
2020 Partner Orgs: Jaime Harrison for Senate, Melissa Watson for Congress, Cunningham for Congress, South Carolina Democratic Party
TEXAS
2020 Team Leads: Daniel Kaseberg, Channing Nesbitt
This is a traditionally red state and we’re working to make it purple. We’ve done GOTV work to flip a House seat in 2018 and came close in the Senate election that year. In 2020, the state moved overall more purple but we did not hit the electoral successes we sought, in the state legislature, the House, Senate, or presidency. Nonetheless, we are optimistic about the political future of Texas; we will be working with partners there yearly.
CP work in state: 2018, 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: Increased early in-person for '20
Elections
2018: Colin Allred for CD32 (flip)
2018: Eddie Bernice Johnson for CD30
GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 26.2% vs 2016
2020 Partner Orgs: Gina Ortiz Jones for Congress, Candace Valenzuela for Congress, Powered by People PAC
UTAH
2020 Team Leads: Paul Bloom, Sherri Wolson
Utah is a ruby red state, and our Deep Red team mobilized significantly in support of the re-election campaign of Democrat Ben McAdams in CD4. This was a narrow loss. We will keep our eye on this congressional district.
CP work in state: 2020
GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase in CD4 of 37.2% vs 2016
2020 Partner Orgs: Ben McAdams for Congress
VIRGINIA
2019 Team Leads: Maggie Rittenhouse, AJ Musewe
Virginia is getting bluer by the year, and we are doing all we can to help this trajectory. In 2019 we sent two teams to do GOTV work, and we helped to flip both chambers of the state legislature, making them Democratic for the first time since 1994. This legislature promptly passed a slew of positive voting justice laws. In 2020 we made calls against a problematic redistricting initiative. We are fully invested in Virginia, and will be there in strength in 2021 and for years beyond.
CP work in state: 2019, 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: No-excuse absentee permanently
2020: Increased early in-person permanently
2020: Absentee ballot dropboxes for '20
2020: Prepaid postage for absentee for '20
Elections
2019: Democrats gained both chambers of state legislature (flips)
2019: Ghzala Hashmi for for State House LD10 (flip)
GOTV
2019: Voter turnout increase of 45.7% vs 2015
2020 Partner Orgs: New Virginia Majority
WASHINGTON
2020 Team Lead: Daniel Kaseberg
Washington is our home state, and we have done much: registered voters, mobilized voters, engaged in advocacy with elected officials, and had electoral successes, from helping to flip a House seat to supporting two victorious City Council candidates to supporting a slate of state legislative candidates. We will always be active in Washington state.
CP work in state: 2018, 2019, 2020
Elections
2020: Dr. Kim Schrier for CD8
2020: T’wina Nobles for State Senate LD28 (flip)
2020: April Berg for State House LD44
2020: Jamila Taylor for State House LD30
2019: Takele Gobena for SeaTac City Council (flip)
2019: Senayet Negusse for SeaTac City Council (flip)
2018: Dr. Kim Schrier for CD8 (flip)
GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase in CD8 of 28.4% vs 2016
2019: Voter turnout increase in SeaTac City Council of 49.3% vs 2015
2018: Voter turnout increase in CD4 of 57.5% vs 2014
2019: Voter turnout increase of 45.7% vs 2015
2020 Partner Orgs: Dr. Kim Schrier for Congress, Various other candidates, WA Dems, Goodwill (voter registration)
WISCONSIN
2020 Team Leads: Carrie George, Frida Kumar, Kate Boris-Brown, Mary Casey Goldstein, Steve Goldstein, Lynda Olson, Virginia Anderson
Wisconsin has been a bullseye electoral battleground state, and we have significantly invested. We’ve registered voters, and we’ve done GOTV work to flip the Governorship and hold a Senate seat in 2018, and then in 2020 to flip a State Supreme Court seat and to flip the presidency. We will be back in 2019, and in full strength in 2022.
CP work in state: 2018, 2020
Voting Rights Advocacy
2020: Absentee ballot applications mailed to registered voters for '20
Elections
2020: Joe Biden/Kamala Harris for President/Vice President (flip)
2020: Jill Karofsky for State Supreme Court (flip)
2018: Tammy Baldwin for Senate
2018: Tony Evers for Governor (flip)
2018: Gwen Moore for CD4
Voter Registration and GOTV
2020: Voter turnout increase of 10.8% vs 2016
2018: Voter turnout increase of 11.2% vs 2014
2020 Partner Orgs: Wisconsin Democratic Party
