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Offender

Name: "Butch" Beauford Charles Elroy
Seat: West Virginia, Class II
Party: Republican
Avatar: Haley Barbour
Major Caucus: Study Committee

Gender: Male

Age: 66, DOB: 5/3/1958 (-5)

Sexuality: Straight, Unmarried, No Children (5)

Race: White/Caucasian (0)

Religion: Methodist (0)

Education History: 0 

- 2x Public University, B.A., Fairmont State University, (Political Science, Economics) (0)

Socioeconomic History: 10

- Working Class (10)

Career: 45

- Blue-collar management, United Coal Company, : (15)
- Blue-collar worker: (10)

- Federal Political Staffer: (10)

- Radio Host (10)

Political: 12

- State Legislature Term, Lower, 4 terms (4)

- State Legislature Term, Upper, 2 terms (8)

EDUCATION HISTORY

Fairmont State University, BA in Political Science, BA in Economics, 1979-1983

CAREER HISTORY

Coal Loader, 1976-1979

Staffer, Deputy Chair, Republican Party of West Virginia, 1983-1990

United Coal Company, Director of Public Affairs for West Virginia, 1990-2000

Host of Butch Talk, WAJR-1440 AM

POLITICAL RECORD

Member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, 2001-2009

State Senator in West Virginia, Senate Majority Leader, 2009-2017

U.S. Senator from West Virginia, 2021-present

KEY VOTES

117th Congress 2021-2023

Nay: American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

Aye: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Aye: Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022

118th Congress 2023-2025

Aye: Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023,

Primary Round #2

BUDGETS

FINANCIAL SHEET

Ad Spending: $15,000,000

Infrastructure Spending: $35,000,000

Remaining Balance: $5,850,000

CAMPAIGN POINTS

Stump Speeches - 24 CPs

Surrogate Speeches - 8 CPs

Targeted Outreach - 8 CPs

INFRASTRUCTURE

Quote

 

Critical Infrastructure

Georgia - Level II ($3,000,000)

North Carolina - Level II ($3,000,000)

Tennessee - Level I ($1,000,000)

Texas - Level II ($4,000,000)

Virginia - Level II ($3,000,000)

 

GOTV

Georgia - Level II ($3,000,000)

North Carolina - Level II ($3,000,000)

Tennessee - Level I ($1,000,000)

Texas - Level III ($8,000,000)

Virginia - Level III ($6,000,000)

 

COSTS: $35,000,000

 

STUMP SPEECHES (24 APs)

Stump Speech #1, 12 CPs

Locations: Harris County, TX, Dallas County, TX, Bexar County, TX

Targets: Hispanic Voters, Black Voters, Traditional Democratic Voters

Quote

 

"Thank you! I am honored to join you all here today. A famous author once said that ‘Texas’ is not just a place but a state of mind. What others call swagger, Texans simply consider it walking. Your warm welcome has been a blessing to my family and me. As soon as we got here, I turned to my wife and quoted from the great Vince Gill. ‘Honey, I'll take Texas every time.’

 

My friends we all know why we are here today. It doesn’t take a Ph.D. to see there is a deficit of hope and trust in America. You look around this state and you see how elected officials have turned away. The highest uninsured rate in America with one in five citizens going without access to the healthcare and medicine they need. The second worst poverty rate with more than four million people living without the means to an earnest living. And a governor more interested in harassing and splitting up undocumented families than actually stopping gun violence and crime. 

 

These shortcomings are not the fault of the people. Rather it is a failure of those in public office to look beyond their pointing fingers and see the human being on the other end. That is not the America we know or were promised. Nor does it represent the best of Texas. It’s the hard-working parents, the immigrant family, the blue-collar Americans who built this land and state. Every day, you get up at the crack of dawn to make breakfast, go to work, and provide for your family. You do so because at the end of the month, you have to pay the bills, afford the rent or mortgage, and do your best to build a better life for your kids. 

 

What we need in our next president is someone who shares your results-first approach and mindset. Someone who truly cares about doing good, not just talking about it. My grandfather used to remind me as a boy of the words from the Apostle Paul. ‘No te niegues a hacer el bien a quien es debido cuando esté en tu mano el hacerlo.’... ‘Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.’ 

 

When it comes to the question of doing right with the power you have, I heard a certain someone in this race has had a lot to say about my record and my home state. I’m sure you all saw that interesting ad from Senator and former Ohio Governor Justin Casanova-Davis. Now, I like Justin. He’s a friend. And I don't mind the back-and-forth tussle of politics. But I do care when the interests of good, regular working families hang in balance.

 

Justin Casanova-Davis was right to say there should be a discussion about our records. You and your loved ones deserve a President you can trust to put you first. So if Justin Casanova-Davis wants to talk about our records, then let's keep with the facts and you can be the judge.

 

As Governor of Illinois, I’ve put working families first by raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, restoring collective bargaining and ending Right to Work laws, creating half a million blue-collar jobs with a $45 billion bipartisan infrastructure bill, and established a statewide job training program for construction workers so more families could find work and security in a good-paying union job. When Justin Casanova-Davis was Governor of Ohio, the Buckeye State was third worst in the nation for job creation. 48th out of 50. Almost 400,000 jobs were lost were lost on his watch, primarily in manufacturing.

 

When Justin Casanova-Davis was in charge of Ohio, he signed into law Ohio’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ law with the Castle Doctrine. The National Rifle Association sure was proud of him. But the good folks here in Texas know just how catastrophic the Casanova-Davis ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws have been for young Black and Hispanic men. For all of his talk about legal cannabis, he apparently forgot to mention that he opposed legalizing even medicinal marijuana when he was governor in 2010. And on his watch, when he could have done something about the death penalty, he stood to the side and did nothing as Ohio executed multiple inmates.

 

Now, let’s look at my record. Not only did we legalize marijuana, but I also pardoned 11,000 individuals who were unjustly convicted for cannabis use,  expunged half of a million criminal records of marijuana offenses, and codified the Obama plan to prevent racial profiling in traffic stops by law enforcement. While Governor Casonova-Davis was doing the bidding of the NRA, I signed the law making sure gun manufacturers could be help accountable in the courts. While Donald Trump was trying to break up families and put kids in cages, I made sure Illinois welcomed in immigrants, blocked the creation of private detention centers, and made sure no aspiring young person was denied their chance at college because they were undocumented. And I sure as hell never tried to exploit the suffering of Black Americans from systemic racism and gun violence as a cheap cudgel against a primary opponent. 

 

Finally, let’s talk about poverty and making sure everyone in America has a fair shot. While Justin Casanova-Davis was closing down hospitals, I tackled poverty head on by expanding food programs for the elderly, veterans, disabled, and homeless residents. While he tried cutting funding for K-12 schools and community health centers, I made it a priority to close the gap of opportunity by delivering real investments in education with more than $40 billion going to our kids. And while he vetoed legislation that would have provided veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan much needed financial support, I made sure we took care of our heroes by delivering over half of a billion dollars to veterans homes.  

 

My friends, you deserve a president whose record and word you can trust. We have a lot to do and little time to waste. And if you believe in a Commander in Chief who will do good when he has the power to act, I’m here. I’m ready. I offer you record and vision, and I ask for your vote.

 

When we get to Washington, we are going to implement the same common sense progressive principles and solutions we did in Illinois. First, we are going to reverse the wave of poverty and health insecurity in Texas. I will restore and expand the Biden-Harris Child Tax Credit to $4,600 and $4,000 per child. We will guarantee every mother and father here today universal childcare, Pre-K, daycare, and paid medical and family leave. Any American without health insurance or dissatisfied with their private plan will have the freedom to enroll in Medicare with dental, vision, and hearing coverage included. We are going to expand School Lunch programs, boost SNAP assistance, and ease the scourge of hunger in our schools. Finally, we are going to make sure every family, especially those who have never owned a home, can finally have peace of mind when it comes to affordable housing. Not only are we going to lift the Faircloth Amendment, we are going to boost the supply of housing and condominiums while providing every first-time homebuyer a $5,000 downpayment grant. Real financial security centered around pro-family policies.

 

Second, we have to restore the dignity of work in America. No more putting business before our brothers and sisters. For working-class Texans, we are going to protect you from exploitation by corporations. Not only are we going to pass the national Employee Free Choice Act, but we’re going to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and tie it to the cost of living index. On top of that, we are going to oversee the largest expansion of education in American history. Free community college, vocational schools, job training for everyone combined with an end to legacy admissions and prioritizing lower and working-class households for scholarship grants. Let’s make K-12 education a success story in Texas again. And let’s make sure everyone truly has the tools to succeed again.

 

And finally, we are going to stand for the promise of the American dream for everyone. As Governor, I fought for the rights of every earnest and law-abiding person to live freely in the United States. When I am President, we will pass the DREAM Act, and establish a pathway to citizenship for all individuals without any criminal violations on their record. I will personally see to it that Governor Abbott and every other executive in America respect and honor the rights of immigrant families hoping to come into America. No more throwing innocent women and children on buses or tossing buoys into the Rio Grande. This is America, a land built by immigrants. And MAGA Republicans are not about to change that on my watch. 

My friends, from the start of this campaign, I have committed to a mission of national renewal: To bring back good-paying jobs. To invest in working families and protect the dignity and place of every person in this country. To make healthcare a right and not a privilege. To produce generational wealth and financial security. To stand for the rights of minorities and immigrants. And to defeat inflation by embracing progressive principles and solutions that make life easier for regular folk. That is why I am in this race. That is why I ask for you vote. With your vote, America and Texas have hope for the future. It’s time to do good with the power we have to act. And the power you have is to get out there and vote this Tuesday. Thank you! God bless you all. And God bless the great state of Texas!”

 

Stump Speech #2, 4 CPs

Locations: Fairfax County, Virginia

Targets: Young College-Educated Democrats, Black Voters, Traditional Democratic Voters

Quote

 

"Thank you!  It is great to be here in northern Virginia! I am honored by your warm welcome. Driving in today, we passed by the memorial to the U.S. Marines who served at Iwo Jima. All across the Commonwealth, you are reminded of the immense sacrifices and heartfelt commitment from prior generations of Americans to the cause of freedom and liberty for all. and that same spirit of perseverance and patriotism lives on here with you.

 

 The great tragedy in America today is that while the people maintain their faith in this country, the politicians have lost the vision and courage needed to lead. We saw it here just two and a half years ago. The lack of a progressive vision in the face of MAGA conservatism led to a catastrophic upset in the gubernatorial race. 

 

When we progressives fail to stand up for what we know is right, we suffer backsliding as a nation. What sort of backsliding am I talking about? The kind where politicians spend more time taking books out of schools than making sure every child can get into one. What sort of regression have we seen? The type where Voter ID laws, mass incarceration, and gun violence threaten the fabric of our society and disenfranchise millions. And what kind of country are we becoming? The type where working people, everyday citizens, are forced to get by with less and less while paying more for the most basic of goods. 

 

The good people of the Commonwealth don't want any of that. But they know that the only thing that is going to stop that are results and action. What we need in our next president is someone who shares your results-first approach and mindset. That is what this race comes down to. Too many Americans are suffering for us to drag our feet, too many earnest hardworking Americans are being left without a voice. It is time for a change. 

 

When it comes to the question of change, your record matters. Now, I've heard Senator and former Governor Casanova-Davis agrees with me. And I'm glad to hear that because he’s a friend. Justin Casanova-Davis was right to say there should be a discussion about our records. And it's those records that should inform you who to trust at the ballot box.

 

As Governor of Illinois, I made sure working families finally got the investment they deserved by raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, restoring collective bargaining and ending Right to Work laws, creating half a million blue-collar jobs with a $45 billion bipartisan infrastructure bill, and established a statewide job training program for construction workers so more families could find work and security in a good-paying union job. I tackled poverty head-on by expanding food programs for the elderly, veterans, disabled, and homeless residents. We closed the gap for education inequality by delivering more than $40 billion for our schools. And for the veterans coming home from war, like the many who live here in northern Virginia, I made sure we took care of our heroes by delivering over half of a billion dollars to veterans' homes. 

 

But we didn't stop there. We took on systemic racism and bigotry in our state by getting to the root. Not only did we legalize marijuana, but I also pardoned 11,000 individuals who were unjustly convicted for cannabis use,  expunged half of a million criminal records of marijuana offenses, and codified the Obama plan to prevent racial profiling in traffic stops by law enforcement. While Donald Trump was trying to break up families and put kids in cages, I made sure Illinois welcomed in immigrants, blocked the creation of private detention centers, and made sure no aspiring young person was denied their chance at college because they were undocumented. Finally, I signed the law making sure gun manufacturers could be help accountable in the courts.

 

I did all this because that is the sort of change and results you should be able to expect from your leaders. Now, let's look at my friend Justin's resume.

 

When Justin Casanova-Davis was in charge of Ohio, he signed into law Ohio’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ law with the Castle Doctrine. If Casanova-Davis was not closing down hospitals, he was busy trying to defund K-12 schools and community health centers, For all of his talk about legal cannabis, he forgot to mention that he opposed legalizing even medicinal marijuana when he was governor in 2010. He vetoed legislation that would have provided veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan much-needed financial support. And on his watch, when he could have done something about the death penalty, he stood to the side and did nothing as Ohio executed multiple inmates.

 

My friends, you deserve a president whose record and word you can trust. We have a lot to do and little time to waste. And if you believe in a Commander in Chief who will do good when he has the power to act, I’m here. I’m ready. I stand on my record, and I am ask for your vote.

 

As president, we are going to apply the common sense progressive principles to Washington D.C. that we did in Illinois. 

 

First, we are going to reverse the wave of poverty and health insecurity in Virginia. I will restore and expand the Biden-Harris Child Tax Credit to $4,600 and $4,000 per child. We will guarantee every mother and father here today universal childcare, Pre-K, daycare, and paid medical and family leave. Any American without health insurance or dissatisfied with their private plan will have the freedom to enroll in Medicare with dental, vision, and hearing coverage included. We are going to expand School Lunch programs, boost SNAP assistance, and ease the scourge of hunger in our schools. Finally, we are going to make sure every family, especially those who have never owned a home, can finally have peace of mind when it comes to affordable housing. I've seen how much it costs to buy a home in Virginia and it's ridiculous. Someone needs to tell Glenn Youngkin not everyone is carrying around $100 million in spare change. Not only are we going to lift the Faircloth Amendment, we are going to boost the supply of housing and condominiums while providing every first-time homebuyer a $5,000 downpayment grant. Real financial security centered around pro-family policies.

 

Second, we have to give back young people their power when it comes to their education. The student loan crisis has saddled millions of young people, especially here in Fairfax County, with mountains of debt. That has to change. College must be affordable for everyone, but unnecessary to earn an honest and dignified living. The first thing I'll do is erase an additional $50,000 in student loan debt combined with a national student loan refinancing period. Every single person with student loans will be able to take whatever is left and renegotiate to a lower interest rate with the freedom of opting into an income-based repayment plan. No more scrounging to make it by. You pay on the terms that work for you, not the lender. Next, we are going to oversee the largest expansion of education in American history. Free community college, vocational schools, and job training for everyone combined with an end to legacy admissions and prioritizing lower and working-class households for scholarship grants. And finally, we are going to stop this anti-education witchhunt from Republicans. We will pass an education civil rights bill to make sure no politician can ever deny our kids access to great books again. 

 

Finally, we need to take a stand for equality and civil rights again. For too long, we have been playing defense as MAGA Republicans take away your voting rights and drag us backward to a Nixonian style legal system. I say no more. When I am president, we are going to begin a new era of civil rights. We are going to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, take on and defeat Voter ID laws, and protect your say in democracy by ending racist gerrymandering. We are going to end the era of mass incarceration by legalizing marijuana, eliminating sentencing disparities in our drug laws, and implementing true policing reform to make sure law enforcement protects and serves you. We are going to expand Black homeownership, prevent lenders from discriminating against you when it comes to your FICO score. And we are going to end this endless cycle of violence in our streets by getting weapons of war out of our communities. We will ban assault weapons, require background checks for everyone, close the gunshow loopholes, and reinstate the Brady bill so no son or daughter of America lives in a neighborhood too dangerous to go outslide and play. 

My friends, from the start of this campaign, I have committed us to a mission of national renewal: To bring back good-paying jobs. To invest in working families and protect the dignity and place of every person in this country. To make healthcare a right and not a privilege. To produce generational wealth and financial security. To stand for the rights of every citizen. And to defeat inflation by embracing progressive principles and solutions that make life easier for regular folk. That is why I am in this race. That is why I ask for your vote. With your vote, America and Virginia have hope for the future. It’s time to do good with the power we have to act. And the power you have is to get out there and vote this Tuesday. Thank you! God bless you all. And God bless America!”

 

Stump Speech #3, 8 CPs

Locations: Wake County, North Carolina, Mecklenberg County, North Carolina

Targets: Young College-Educated Democrats, Black Voters, Traditional Democratic Voters

Quote

 

"Thank you!  It’s great to be here in the Tar Heel State. Driving along the highway near Randleman, I saw a sign for the Richard Petty Museum that wish my father were still here today. No one would have loved North Carolina more than my father. When I was five years old, he and I watched The King win the ‘81 Daytona 500. And it was at that moment that I knew I wanted to be a racecar driver.

 

Unfortunately, there weren’t many racetracks around the south side of Chicago, nor was I ever quite good enough around those turns to make it to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600. But I did make it to a different race, one all of us have a stake in: a race to restore the American dream for everyone and bring back the spirit of this great country. 

When you watched Richard Petty race, there was a magic in the air not unlike what it means to be an American. The promise we hold and cherish is that no matter who you are or where you come from, you can build an honest and dignified living in America. The great tragedy today is that while the people are still fighting and doing their best to stay in the race, our pit crew, the politicians, have turned their headsets off and wandered away to the concession stand. 

 

Noth Carolina, you deserve better than the same old uninspired politics.What we need in our next president is someone who shares your winning mindset. That is what this race comes down to. Too many Americans are suffering for us to drag our feet, too many earnest hardworking Americans are being left without a voice. It’s time America became a country of winners again. And there is nowhere better to start than right here in the state that gave us Richard Petty and Michael Jordan.

 

When it comes to winning, your record matters. Count up the trophies on The King’s mantle. And as I've heard, Senator and former Governor Casanova-Davis agrees with me. He’s a good man and someone I consider a friend. And you deserve to choose which leader, what pitcrew, you want working for you in the White House. So let’s take a moment and consider our records:

 

As Governor of Illinois, I made sure working families finally got the investment they deserved by raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, restoring collective bargaining and ending Right to Work laws, creating half a million blue-collar jobs with a $45 billion bipartisan infrastructure bill, and established a statewide job training program for construction workers so more families could find work and security in a good-paying union job. I tackled poverty head-on by expanding food programs for the elderly, veterans, disabled, and homeless residents. We closed the gap for education inequality by delivering more than $40 billion for our schools. And for the veterans coming home from war, like the many who live here in northern Virginia, I made sure we took care of our heroes by delivering over half of a billion dollars to veterans' homes. 

 

But we didn't stop there. We took on systemic racism and bigotry in our state by getting to the root. Not only did we legalize marijuana, but I also pardoned 11,000 individuals who were unjustly convicted for cannabis use,  expunged half of a million criminal records of marijuana offenses, and codified the Obama plan to prevent racial profiling in traffic stops by law enforcement. While Donald Trump was trying to break up families and put kids in cages, I made sure Illinois welcomed in immigrants, blocked the creation of private detention centers, and made sure no aspiring young person was denied their chance at college because they were undocumented. Finally, I signed the law making sure gun manufacturers could be help accountable in the courts.

 

I did all this because that is the sort of change and results you should be able to expect from your leaders. When working people win, America wins. So now, let's look at my friend Justin's resume.

 

When Justin Casanova-Davis was in charge of Ohio, he signed into law their ‘Stand Your Ground’ law with the Castle Doctrine. If Casanova-Davis was not closing down hospitals, he was busy trying to defund K-12 schools and community health centers, For all of his talk about legal cannabis, he forgot to mention that he opposed legalizing even medicinal marijuana when he was governor in 2010. He vetoed legislation that would have provided veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan much-needed financial support. And on his watch, when he could have done something about the death penalty, he stood to the side and did nothing as Ohio executed multiple inmates.

 

My friends, you deserve a president whose record and word you can trust. We have a lot to do and little time to waste. And if you believe in a Commander in Chief who will do good when he has the power to act, I’m here. I’m ready. I stand on my record, and I am ask for your vote.

 

As president, we are going to implement the same common sense progressive solutions to Washington D.C. that we did in Illinois. 

 

First, we are going to reverse the wave of poverty and health insecurity in North Carolina. I will restore and expand the Biden-Harris Child Tax Credit to $4,600 and $4,000 per child. We will guarantee every mother and father here today universal childcare, Pre-K, daycare, and paid medical and family leave. Any American without health insurance or dissatisfied with their private plan will have the freedom to enroll in Medicare with dental, vision, and hearing coverage included. We are going to expand School Lunch programs, boost SNAP assistance, and ease the scourge of hunger in our schools. Finally, we are going to make sure every family, especially those who have never owned a home, can finally have peace of mind when it comes to affordable housing. Not only are we going to lift the Faircloth Amendment, we are going to boost the supply of housing and condominiums while providing every first-time homebuyer a $5,000 down payment grant. Real financial security centered around pro-family policies.

 

Second, we have to give back young people their power when it comes to their education. The student loan crisis has saddled millions of young people with mountains of debt. And the only mountains we want to see in North Carolina are the Blue Ridge. That has to change. College must be affordable for everyone, but unnecessary to earn an honest and dignified living. The first thing I'll do is erase an additional $50,000 in student loan debt combined with a national student loan refinancing period. Every single person with student loans will be able to take whatever is left and renegotiate to a lower interest rate with the freedom of opting into an income-based repayment plan. No more scrounging to make it by. You pay on the terms that work for you, not the lender. Next, we are going to oversee the largest expansion of education in American history. Free community college, vocational schools, and job training for everyone combined with an end to legacy admissions and prioritizing lower and working-class households for scholarship grants. And finally, we are going to stop this anti-education witchhunt from Republicans. We will pass an education civil rights bill to make sure no politician can ever deny our kids access to great books again. 

 

Finally, we need to take a stand for equality and civil rights again. For too long, we have been playing defense as MAGA Republicans take away your voting rights and drag us backward to a Jesse Helms style legal system. I say no more. When I am president, we are going to begin a new era of civil rights. We are going to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, take on and defeat Voter ID laws, and protect your say in democracy by ending racist gerrymandering. We are going to end the era of mass incarceration by legalizing marijuana, eliminating sentencing disparities in our drug laws, and implementing true policing reform to make sure law enforcement protects and serves you. We are going to expand Black homeownership, prevent lenders from discriminating against you when it comes to your FICO score. And we are going to end this endless cycle of violence in our streets by getting weapons of war out of our communities. We will ban assault weapons, require background checks for everyone, close the gun show loopholes, and reinstate the Brady bill so no son or daughter of America lives in a neighborhood too dangerous to go outside and play. 

 

My friends, from the start of this campaign, I have committed ourselves to a mission of national renewal: To bring back good-paying jobs. To invest in working families and protect the dignity and place of every person in this country. To make healthcare a right and not a privilege. To produce generational wealth and financial security. To stand for the rights of every citizen. And to defeat inflation by embracing progressive principles and solutions that make life easier for regular folk. That is why I am in this race. That is why I ask for your vote. With your vote, America and North Carolina have hope for the future. It’s time to do good with the power we have to act. And the power you have is to get out there and vote this Tuesday. Thank you! God bless you all. And God bless America!”

 

SURROGATE SPEECHES (8 APs)

Sen. DW Warren (2 APs)
Locations: Dallas County,TX
Target: Working Class Democratic Voters

Quote

 

"Governor Ridgeway is the real deal salt of the earth candidate. He didn’t start his career in Washington or in Hollywood. He grew up just like me and you, watching our parents work in jobs that no longer exist. That experience has informed his judgement. Both faced historic economic challenges - between the Great Recession and the pandemic - and the proof is in the results.

 

Under Governor Ridgeway, the minimum wage has risen 57% since he took office. During Senator Casanova-Davis’ time as Governor of Ohio, it rose only 55 cents. When he left office in January, 2011, unemployment was 9.3%. Today, in Illinois, the unemployment rate is half that. And while Governor Casanova-Davis stopped a scheduled tax cut, Governor Ridgeway delivered $1.8 billion in tax relief to working families across his state.

 

I am proud to work with Senator Casanova-Davis in the Senate. He’s a good man and has the best interests of the country at heart. But when you compare their records as Governors of midwestern states: Governor Ridgeway clearly stands out as the strongest one on creating jobs, raising wages, and leading the country forward by investing in the economy.

 

As President, I know Governor Ridgeway would build an economy that lifts up every American from every forgotten corner across our great nation. He will bring back goodpaying jobs right here to Memphis. He’ll make sure that good paying union jobs aren’t a luxury relic of the past but an opportunity to rebuild the middle class, stronger than ever, for working men and women in every town and state across the United States of America.  Let’s go all the way with Ridgeway!"

 

Sen. Erik Kaberle (2 APs)
Locations: Fairfax County, Virginia
Target: Black Democratic Voters

Quote

 

"The voters have given the message loud and clear; they expect and demand a spirited debate about the issues but will not accept deeply personal, over the topic attacks. South Carolina said no to trash and burn, so will Virginia. One of the things I like and respect about Governor Ridgeway is he deals with the facts, not hyperbolic rhetoric. He has a strong resume and I know there are things he did in Illinois that will benefit each and everyone of you if you make him President. And while Senator Casanova Davis had a lot to say Governor Ridgeway’s record, did you know he was a governor too? You wouldn’t know it if you ever listened to him. And in reviewing his record as Governor of Ohio, oof, no wonder he doesn’t want to talk about it.

 

By any metric you want to pick, it would be nearly impossible to call Justin Casanova Davis’s time as governor “a success”. Unemployment? Skyrocketed. Manufacturing jobs? Disappeared. School funding and teachers? Cuts all around. And what did he do after that one term? Did he face what he knew would be a tough election, put his all into knowing it would an uphill battle? No, he gave up. Since then, Ohio has been ruled by the far right, union rights have been obliterated and Stand Your Ground has become law and we all know who has bore the brunt of that disaster of a law. In short, when Casanova Davis was governor, he failed and bailed.

 

When it comes to looking at past records, we owe it to you to be brutally honest. In 2010, when Senator Casanova Davis decided to not pursue a second term, that was a rough year for us Democrats. When Donald Trump became president in 2017, he inherited one of the most benevolent economic situations you could ask for and that was thanks to the prosperity we experienced under President Obama. But in 2010, we weren’t quit there yet and people were still struggling. So when you enter the voting booth, I implore you to think of a time when you were really struggling, what did you do? Did you fight, work your darndest knowing it was going to be struggle? Or did you just decide to throw in the towel and not work for 2 years? Our next President will have tremendous challenges, do you want a President Ridgeway who will fight endlessly for working Americans regardless of the political or personal cost? Or do you want a President Casanova Davis who will quit when the job gets too tough? Those are the stakes my friends, join me in supporting Governor Patrick Ridgeway!

 

When you look at where the strongest economies are in the US, they are almost all located next to strong universities whether its Silicon Valley, Austin or Atlanta. Atlanta has shown when given the opportunities, you can see an economically booming African American community. But we don’t think you should have to become a Bulldogs fan for that. HBCUs here like Clafin or Allen have the potential to do the same. A President Ridgeway will super charge HBCU funding, more than double. When that happens you will see even more start ups and you will see corporate America set up shop in those communities to take advantage of the local talent. That is just one way we can target the African American community so we can slowly reverse the impact of generations of discrimination.

 

So what do most people do once they get that first job after college? They start looking to buy a home. Unfortunately home ownership has never been more elusive and especially for those who don’t have a family member that can help out with a down payment. Governor Ridgeway has a series of proposals to help bridge that gap including an increase in first time home buyer aid. But what sets Governor Ridgeway apart is he knows that we flat out need to build more houses! We can do that by encouraging multi unit housing in areas that are closest to good paying jobs. The days of huge swaths of residential neighborhoods being off limits to new construction are over. Governor Ridgeway is the only candidate talking about the supply side of the housing crisis and with his comprehensive vision, we will see the greatest increase in African American prosperity ever!"

 

Sen. Arthur J. Callahan (2 APs)
Locations: Harris County, TX
Target: Black Democratic Voters

Quote

 

"Friends, America is facing a crisis today. It's not a new crisis. Not by a long shot. In fact, I was talking with Governor Ridgeway the other day. We talked a bit about his slogan, and I got to thinking, "Patrick... doesn't that sound a bit familiar."

 

Now, a lot of you are probably too young to remember this particular Democratic president. Hell, I was just in diapers myself. But I read this wonderfully comprehensive biography—perhaps one of the most detailed ever written—and, I'm reminded of the humble beginnings. You see, President Lyndon Johnson was a Texan, and he taught at a segregated school for Latino children. He saw poverty so desperate that children were digging through garbage bins and sucking whatever juice was left from the peels just so they'd have something to drink.

 

If I may quote his own words, "The children of Mexican-Americans have been taught that the end of life is a beet row, or a spinach field, or a cotton patch. So to their parents throughout the land this afternoon, we say, help us lift the eyes of our children to a greater vision of what they can do with their lives."

 

He said this during his presidency, and I don't think it's far-fetched to say this shaped his worldview on Civil Rights and The Great Society. Now, Mexicans don't make up the full Latino experience, of course. But, I think, in many ways, the suffering of the Latino community in America has shaped Democratic policy for over 50 years and most of us don't even realize it. Latinos make up nearly a fifth of the American population, and account for over $2 trillion in the American economy. Yet, over 10 million Latinos are living in poverty.

 

If we want to go by specific demographics, the numbers are bleaker. 33% of Mexican-Americans are experiencing hardship paying basic bills, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Nearly 40% of Puerto Ricans. 30% of Cubans. 50% of Salvadorans and Dominicans.

 

When we look back to the words of LBJ, it really makes you think. Not much has changed, has it?

 

All across America, our citizens are working over 40 hours for pennies, and no one feels that pain more than perhaps the Latino community. You are among the most productive of our workers, and yet you are disproportionately affected by chronically-low wages. That is not right.

 

We cannot deny the role racial injustice has played in these outcomes. I'm sure there are people in this very room—people who have probably been Americans all their life—who have been told to, "Go back to their country," just because of their brown skin. People who've been chastised for speaking Spanish in public, the language spoken by 42 million people in the United States. With such hatred against your own identity, is it really that difficult to believe your opportunities are being adversely affected in an economy that's already struggling for the working class?

 

By God! And we haven't even begun to talk about the suffering of Latinos who are truly undocumented. Latinos who are hurled slurs and called leeches, even though they may never be able to cash a Social Security check they're still expected to pay for. We're talking undocumented immigrants that are filling labor shortages that workers would otherwise be uninterested in, and getting exploited in the process. They alone make up 6% of the entire work force and $1.6 trillion of the U.S. GDP.

 

Undocumented immigrant? These workers are as American as apple pie, and they deserve the respect and rights that come with being an American citizen!

 

Now, we've not always done right by the Latino community. I know—next I'm going to say the sky is blue and the Earth is round. But hear me out. It's important to remember the stakes of this election. It's important to remember what Republicans really think of you, calling you "thieves" and "rapists". It's important to remember the wall they so desperately want to build, but couldn't get the check from Mexico—the wall they now want to name after the demagogue who separated untold numbers of parents from their children. The same man responsible for the detention centers where forced sterilizations of Hispanic women took place. It's important to remember that the GOP wants to strip down welfare programs that millions of impoverished Latinos rely on, and immigration problems like DACA the first chance they get. They'd rather spend that money on wars with Venezuela. Hell, they'd rather spend it on a war with Mexico, these days!

 

The GOP's heartless agenda must be defeated in 2024. That's not a question. However, we need to choose a real fighter to do that. Democrat hands have not always been clean either. I'm sure the older among you will remember the anti-immigration mania of the 2000s. I'm sure many on the left will remember the "deporter-in-chief". There is bipartisan guilt to be shared, and just having a 'D' next to your name hasn't always made you a friend to the Latino community.

We have candidates in this race, in fact, who have supported misguided policies. During his time as Governor of Ohio, Senator Casanova-Davis supported the ‘Stand Your Ground’ doctrine, which has been proven to be used as an instrument of racial violence. We don’t need young black and brown boys having a target on their back. We don’t need more stories like Trayvon Martin—stories that add to the already well-known hateful violence against blacks in our country, and to the woefully under-reported violence against Latinos.

This error in judgment alone is damning. Under his tenure, he lost Ohioans near-half a million jobs. Let me reiterate, nearly 4% of Ohioans lost their jobs under Governor Casanova-Davis. He oversaw record numbers of executions, of which 1 of 7 are likely to be Latino and 2 out of 50 are innocent.
 

That's why, after great thought and deliberation, I'm all the way with Governor Ridgeway! Sure, it's easy to talk a big game, and I have the utmost respect for any candidate that will stand up. I have respect for any man or woman that will change their mind when they have erred. But there's talk, there’s consistency and there's delivery. Patrick has consistently delivered!

 

As Governor of Illinois, Patrick stood up to Donald Trump and the profiteers of human suffering by shutting down their private detention center scheme before they could even open their doors. He welcomed immigrants and asylum seekers, and created a vanguard against Donald Trump's inhumane ICE enforcers.

 

But it isn't just the federal government the Governor took on. He changed Illinois's policing policy to combat racial profiling that is so often used to abuse young brown and black people. And thanks to Governor Ridgeway, undocumented immigrants can receive financial aid from the state to go to school, so they can have the better chance their mom and dad would want for them.

 

This isn't milquetoast. This isn't incrementalism. This is real, systemic change. This is what taking the fight back to power looks like.

 

The fight doesn't have to end in Illinois. If you put Patrick Ridgeway in the White House, he will take the fight all across America—to you, right here in California! He'll hit  the issues at the root of the problem.

 

I'm talking about a public option for Medicare. I'm talking about universal pre-K. Universal paid family leave. Student loan forgiveness. Free community college and jobs training.

 

He'll protect the undocumented from deportation with the DREAM Act and give them a pathway to citizenship!

 

He'll destroy the gerrymandering and voter ID nonsense meant to dilute your voice and the voice of black Americans! He'll reform the police just like he did in Illinois.

 

And he'll raise your wage to 15, and put you in a union so you won't have to suffer from scraps!

 

This is what a reckoning sounds like! I'm asking you to join us, my friends. I'm asking you to join us at the ballot box on primary day! I'm asking you to come with us all the way to the convention! I'm asking you to fight with us on Election Day, and to come with us to Washington, D.C. We will fight! We will continue to fight! And we will fight until we win!

 

Sen. Raphael Warnock (2 APs)
Locations: Fulton County, Georgia
Target: Black Churchgoers, Black Democratic voters, Democratic Churchgoers

• “We saw the worst of our politics over the airwaves last week. We saw a candidate come into our state and push the sort of rhetoric and falsehoods that can only divide us. I know Patrick Ridgeway. His record as a Governor of Illinois demonstrates he is committed to the cause of equality and civil rights."
• “It was Governor Ridgeway who implemented the Obama plan to end racial profiling in traffic stops. It was Governor Ridgeway who ended the era of mass incarceration in Illinois, making sure young Black men and women were not thrown in jail for marijuana. He expunged criminal records, pardoned thousands, and demonstrated a clear commitment to the principle of the Good Samaritan. We can trust him to keep his word." 
• “President Ridgeway is going to be our vessel and champion in word and deed. He will finally deliver on the promise of home and land ownership for the Black community with his $5,000 first time homeowner down payment grant and by building new homes and condominiums. He’s going to restore dignity in public housing by repealing the Faircloth Amendment, scrapping One Strike, and making sure every son and daughter of God has a roof over their head.”
• “A Ridgeway Administration will serve as a ministry of Good Samaritans. He is committed to reducing poverty by more than 50% in his first term starting with restoring and expanding the Biden Child Tax Credit to $4,600/$4,000. He will deliver universal childcare, daycare, Pre-K, and family and sick leave for every citizen. And he will expand the school lunch and TANF programs. Just as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians in Chapter 5, Pat Ridgeway understands and believes in God’s calling to serve one another humbly in love and carry each other’s burdens.”
• "The time of empty words and platitudes are over. Governor Ridgeway is someone we can trust. Someone we can believe in. And he is someone who unabashedly marches with us as we stand for civil rights and justice for all."

ADVERTISEMENTS

“A Real Champion”

Location + Cost:

• North Carolina, Morning TV Ad, $3,000,000
• Texas, Morning TV Ad, $4,000,000
• Virginia, Morning TV Ad, $3,000,000

(ad opens with Patrick Ridgeway walking down the aisle of a grocery store)

PATRICK RIDGEWAY: "Inflation is out of control and your share of the economy is shrinking. It doesn't have to be this way. And you deserve better. I'm running for president because it's time we put working families first again."

(screen changes to a montage of clips of Governor Patrick Ridgeway visiting a construction site and shaking hands with workers, visiting a school classroom, and clip of him shaking hands and hugging congregants at an African-American church in South Carolina)

PATRICK RIDGEWAY VOICE-OVER: "As Governor, I worked to create over a half of a million jobs and strengthened collective bargaining. We invested over $40 billion in our education system, prioritizing our kids. And we took a stand against gun violence and for civil rights."

(screen changes to a montage of clips of a family gathering around the kitchen table for dinner, young college students beaming with smiles during a class, and a diverse neighborhood enjoying a picnic together on the front lawn of a home)

PATRICK RIDGEWAY VOICE-OVER: "We need more of that in America. Let's defeat inflation by investing in families again with an expanded Child Tax Credit, universal Pre-K, community college, and paid family and medical leave. Medicare will be available and open to everyone. And we'll expand homeownership to everyone with affordable housing and protections against discrimination in lending."

(screen returns to Ridgeway in the grocery store)

PATRICK RIDGEWAY: "It's time to make Washington work for you again. I'm Pat Ridgeway, candidate for president, and I approve this message." 

Internet Ad, "The Record Left Unspoken"

Money: $5,000,000

(The advertisement appears in the banner or sidebar of the webpage. It features an unflattering image of Justin Casanova-Davis. In the background behind Casanova-Davis are massive logos for the National Rifle Association and American Legislative Exchange Council)

HEADER: "The Real Justin Casanova-Davis”

 Beneath the header is a subheader followed by a short bullet point list:

SUBHEADER: “The Record He Doesn't Want to Talk About”

BULLET POINTS UNDER SUBHEADER

• “Signed ‘Stand Your Ground’ law in Ohio with the support of the NRA.
• Approved multiple executions as Governor of Ohio, refusing pleas to intervene.
• Opposed legalizing even medicinal marijuana while running Ohio.
• Tried defunding K-12 schools.
• Closed multiple hospitals with budget cuts.”

BOLD TEXT AT BOTTOM: “We can’t trust Justin Casanova-Davis”

(at the bottom of the ad is a button reading “Delive Real Change”. If the user clicks the button or any other portion of the ad, it will take them to the Ridgeway campaign website

TARGETED OUTREACH (8 APs) 

Locations: (1) Fulton County, GA, (2) Wake County, NC, (3) Fairfax County, Virginia

Topic: Civil Rights

Target: Black Democratic Voters

"I am committed to protecting and expanding civil rights for Black Americans. I will pass the John Lewis Voting Rights, end racist gerrymandering, ending the era of mass incarceration, taking on discriminatory Voter ID laws, and true police reform."

Locations: (1) Wake County, NC, (2) Mecklenburg County, NC, (3) Dallas County, TX

Topic: Reduce Poverty Now

Target: Lower-income Voters

"I will restore the Biden Child Tax Credit to $4,600 and $4,000 per child, raise the minimum wage to $15, deliver universal paid family sick leave, guarantee childcare, daycare, and Pre-K, I will expand housing by lifting the Fairclotch amendment, establishing a firstime homebuyers down payment grant of $5,000, expanding SNAP and School Lunch programs for children."

Locations: (1) Harris County, TX, (2) Dallas County, TX

Topic: Protect Hispanic Families

Target: Hispanic Voters

"I will pass the DREAM Act and establish a pathway to citizenship for law-abiding undocumented families. I will also protect Hispanic families from economic exploitation through organizations like the United Farm Workers by passing an Employee Free Choice Act, guaranteeing universal healthcare with a Medicare enrollment option, and expanding homeownership by boosting the supply of homes and providing a $5,000 downpayment grant."

FUNDRAISING

Fundraising Targets: Immigration Rights Groups, Environmentalist Groups

Fundraising Methods: Emailing List, High Dollar Galas

Fundraising Focus: 

Environmentalist organizations

• I pledge to oppose passage of the Keystone Pipeline, Dakota Access pipeline, and any additional oil pipelines on federal land. I will work to triple the number of permits for renewable energy on public land.
• I will work with Congress to establish clear cap and trade policies to regulate carbon emissions. I will work to expand funding for carbon offsets, reforestation programs, and cleanup. I will work to expand the EV tax credit along with a federal project to reward businesses that invent an electric Model T, affordable to all Americans.
• I will initiate a national cleanup project for our lakes with Lake Okeechobee and the Great Salt Lake at the top of the list. I will provide $5 billion for such efforts along with waste cleanup and removal.
• I will establish a national renewable energy bank of $10 billion to create permanent and long lasting fuding for renewable projects.

Immigration Groups

• I will pass the DREAM Act, expand DACA, and grant a pathway to citizenship for all individuals who arrived in the US within the last five years.
• I will oppose any border wall. I will overhaul ICE from top to bottom. I will triple the number of immigration courts to process cases. And I will appoint an Attorney General capable and willing to bring charges against any bureaucrat responsible for the child separation policy at the border. 

Boxes

Part

Auto

Grapes

RIDGEWAY WINS SOUTH CAROLINA

— Q1, 2024, Columbia, South Carolina —

Excerpt from victory speech: "My friends, today, South Carolina showed America that the spirit of America is alive and ready for renewal. I want to thank the great Jim Clyburn, Senator Kaberle, and all of you here today for your work on the campaign trail. Without you, I would not have the honor and privilege of standing here today or being in this race. I owe you all my deepest thanks and gratitude. Because this election is about more than one candidate or party. Ours is a march to restore the honor, dignity, and promise of the American dream for all. And the work here is not finished. But the world now knows that sticks and stones will not distract or discourage us. The time has come to restore the spirit of America and the promise of this country for all! Thank you. God bless South Carolina! And God bless the United States!" 

Bowl

PRIMARY ROUND #1

BUDGETS

FINANCIAL SHEET

Ad Spending: $4,000,000

Infrastructure Spending: $14,500,000

Remaining Balance: $5,850,000

CAMPAIGN POINTS

Policy Speech - 10 CPs

Stump Speeches - 8 CPs

Surrogate Speeches - 10 CPs

Targeted Outreach - 12 CPs

INFRASTRUCTURE

Critical Infrastructure
South Carolina - Level IV ($6,000,000)
Georgia - Level I ($1,500,000)
Minnesota - Level I ($1,000,000)

GOTV
South Carolina - Level IV ($6,000,000)
 

POLICY SPEECH

Theme: "The Roadmap Back"

Topic: Economy/Inflation

Location: St. Paul, Minnesota

Quote

 

"Thank you. I am honored to be here tonight in the beautiful city of St. Paul with you. It was Minnesota that gave our party and this country such luminaries as Hubert H. Humphrey and Paul Wellstone. Their conscience and moral purpose made new the character of this nation. And their commitment to the everyday American is one we must look to as a beacon and example in this time in American history.

 

There is a crisis in this country that never makes the front pages of the Wall Street Journal. GDP growth or unemployment alone cannot account for its impact. It may not get the 24/7 news coverage from CNN. But this crisis is the front and center, around-the-clock, inescapable reality for American families. 

 

Just a few miles from here once stood the Twin Cities Assembly Plant. Opened in 1924, the factory was a cornerstone of the community. It meant more to this town than just tens of thousands of union jobs. It represented a guarantee of financial security, dignity, and respect for working families. The Twin Cities plant not only built cars, but it forged friendships that established a community.

 

A little over a decade ago, that factory closed down. Many in Washington only read of its demise in the papers, buried several paragraphs beneath the lede about bank bailouts and CEO bonuses. The story eventually faded away and reporters moved onto the next big scoop. But the Twin Cities assembly never reopened, the community never recovered, and the pain carries on to this day.

 

Washington may have forgotten. But we haven't. 

 

It’s a story all too familiar in the United States. From farm towns to the big cities, the very Americans who work hard, walk the straight and narrow, and raise their kids right end up getting tossed to the curb in an economy that no longer respects them or considers their worth. In my own hometown of Chicago, I saw it firsthand as my neighborhood and countless others suffered as wave after wave of poverty swept in after the bulwarks of opportunity and stability were laid to ruin. 

 

Now, working families are forced to carry yet another burden: the festering plague of inflation, declining wages, and vanishing financial security that has spread itself in every neighborhood of this country. And it is a sobering reminder of our shared destiny and common purpose as Americans.

 

It does not matter whether you are a Republican or a Democrat when you go to the checkout counter or pay your utility bills.

 

It does not matter if you take the metro, drive a car, or own an E.V. 

 

It does not matter if you have private insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare, whether you shop at Whole Foods or Pick-n-Save.

 

And it does not matter if you rent a little apartment, pay a mortgage, or live in public housing. 

 

We're all paying more for less with declining incomes and shrinking opportunity to boot. Fewer citizens enjoy the fundamental right of a dignified living with a secure job. And there is a deficit of trust and commitment from your government in the working family. 

 

That is the central question not just of this campaign but of our era. How do we come together to restore the promise and security of the American dream for the regular American?

Now, there are some in this race who think the solution to this crisis is to rinse and repeat the same old tired habits. Like countless others before them, they are chasing the money trails of Hollywood, the corporate yacht club, and the editorial board, desperately seeking validation at the end of a rainbow. Those are well beaten paths, easy to traverse. But none will lead this nation out of the crater of inequality and despair. 

 

I am not here today to retread those broken roads. Rather, I offer you a new roadmap back to the front doorsteps of the working family. We owe our hope and faith for the future to everyday Americans. And that faith demands action from Washington. 

 

Contrary to what our colleagues across the aisle have argued, the solution to inflation and inequality is not to cut the legs out from under our working and middle class. We tried their method of slash and burn back in the 80s and 90s. 

 

It failed. 

 

It failed when the promise of a home disintegrated into a privilege for the wealthy few. It failed when over six million good paying manufacturing jobs with pensions were shipped overseas. And it failed when Democrats and Republicans alike moved at the behest of Wall Street to dismantle the guardrails of our economy with the Glass-Steagall repeal and Commody Futures bill of 2000, culminating in the Great Recession and subprime mortgage crisis only a few years later. 

 

Inflation did not begin three years ago or eight years ago. Its roots cut back multiple generations to the abandonment of the working class when politicians put basic human worth on the chopping block of profit and power.

 

Mark my words, if we keep electing leaders who remain stuck in the old ways, our working class will suffer. But thankfully, there is a better way and a new course we can take. 

We can defeat inflation by rebuilding our economy the right way. And the right way is to reinvest in the true salt of the earth Americans who have endured decades of abuse and disrespect from Washington. They are the ones who built this nation. 

 

Therefore, I propose to you tonight this fair bargain to defeat inflation and restore the American dream: every citizen who works hard and plays by the rules deserves the dignity of a good paying job, protection from poverty, and long-term financial security for them and their family. To accomplish this, we need to both save Americans money and restore their rightful share of our nation’s prosperity.

 

Priority number one is to reduce costs for working households. To do so, we must first restore and expand the Biden Child Tax Credit to $4,600 for children six years old and under, and $4,000 for those seven and above. On top of that, every single household in America should have the guarantee of Universal Pre-K and childcare as well as family and medical leave. And to bring down the cost of food, the SNAP and School Lunch programs should be expanded to make sure no child goes to bed hungry in America. Just these first few initial steps would not only save the average household upwards of $10,000 per year, it will reduce child poverty by more than 75% and bring down long-term costs for families.

 

Second, we must break the padlock and reopen the doors of homeownership for every American. In the last four years, the median sales price of a home in the United States has risen by more than 25%.. Black homeownership has declined by almost 10% over the last decade. Annual interest payments on a new thirty year mortgage are up $15,000 since 2021. And in the last eighteen years, the monthly cost of rent has doubled.

 

This is a tragedy because home ownership is the best long-term guarantor of financial security and generational wealth. It is imperative that we reverse this trend if we are to defeat inflation. To do so, I will establish a $20 billion annual grant program to invest in states and localities that roll back unnecessary regulations and zoning laws to construct affordable private housing and condominiums for working and middle-class families. We will likewise repeal the Faircloth Amendment to update and modernize public housing units and end the discriminatory, unjust ‘One Strike’ policy that evicted tens of thousands of innocent tenants without due process. And third, we will provide first time homeowners with a grant of $5,000 to cover down payments for a mortgage and new home. Altogether, not only will this plan create tens of thousands of good paying construction jobs, but it will also make sure American families have a real chance again at owning their own homes.

 

The next step in defeating inflation is to finally resolve the healthcare crisis in America. The Affordable Care Act was an enormous leap forward. But America still pays more than any other country in the world per capita on healthcare. 26 million of friends, family, and neighbors remain uninsured while a third of Americans with insurance are still forced to put off necessary treatments and care. It would be immoral for us to pat ourselves on the back and do nothing while medical expenses weigh down the hopes and health of middle-class citizens. 

 

Instead of getting caught up in yet another endless debate about theoreticals, let’s go with what works: Medicare. For more than half of a century, Medicare has delivered quality coverage at a low price for our senior citizens. Our elderly enjoy security and peace of mind thanks to this revolutionary program. To put it simply, we have a successful program. So let's not reinvent the wheel. Let’s make Medicare available to everyone while expanding it to include dental, vision, hearing, and mental care. If you are dissatisfied with your private health insurance or are uninsured, you deserve the right to opt in and enroll in Medicare. After all, it’s your tax dollars paying for it. Not only will opening Medicare to the public guarantee universal coverage, it will introduce true competition into the marketplace to lower prices on everyone’s premiums and copays. Finally, patients deserve a real advocate and bargaining power. Too many hospital executives and drug companies are ripping off the American family with exorbitant prices for necessities of life. Enough is enough. I will expand upon the Inflation Reduction Act’s prescription drug bargaining provision by establishing the Medical Rights Commission. The MRC will have the authority to hammer out fair price ranges on all medications, insurance premiums, and hospital costs across the country for everyone. You ought to know everything you will be paying for when you see your doctor. And you deserve the peace of mind knowing you will not have to choose between saving your home or retirement versus saving your life. 

 

By tackling these three areas, we can immediately save your average American family more than $10,000 a year. But our work cannot stop there. It is not enough to reduce costs. I want you and your loved ones to have more to work with when it comes to your incomes and retirement. And that is why we must restore the right of all to a dignified living. 

Unions are a reliable bulwark for our working class to protect them from exploitation. Now is not the time for us Democrats to nominate someone wobbly in the knees about your right to a dignified living and seat at the negotiating table. And just so we are crystal clear, no candidate can claim to be an ally of blue collar Americans while simultaneously taking millions from corporate interests to fund their campaign. If you think the problem with our economy is that corporate America doesn’t have enough influence, then you are completely out of tune with what real Americans are dealing with. We saw it just this year with the United Auto Workers who were forced to go on strike just to get back a little bit of what was taken away from them and this city more than a decade ago.

 

When I am president, I am going to put working Americans back in the driver’s seat. I will pass the Employee Free Choice Act to reinforce collective bargaining rights for all citizens. For all future trade deals, I will require a representative from the National Labor Relations Board with a union background to be present and involved in all talks with final say on what is agreed to. Under my Administration, I will make sure all trade agreements are amended to include the Brown-Wyden Rapid Response mechanism to give unions real say and authority in how our economic ties with the world are shaped. We will raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and tie it to the cost of living index. And I will appoint a Secretary of Labor with the experience and courage to hold corporate executives accountable for breaches of contract.

 

Restoring collective bargaining is the beginning, but far from the end. Every citizen deserves access to a good-paying job and dignified living. One of the biggest curses of our modern economy is this notion that a college degree should be a prerequisite for success. I support erasing an additional $50,000 in student loans, providing a national refinancing period to ease interest rates and monthly payments, scrapping legacy admissions, and holding colleges accountable for the quality of their education. But a diploma should not dictate your worth and value as an American. And it damn sure should not be the only way to a happy and fulfilling life in this country. 

 

It is time to restore the industrial muscle of America through good paying union jobs where you don’t need a bachelors to earn a real living. To achieve this, I will establish a 50% tax writeoff for the construction and retrofitting of manufacturing plants, factories, and rare earth mines in the United States. If you believe in our workers, we will invest in you. To expedite the process of bringing back jobs, I will. provide a $15 billion per year fund to states and localities who amend zoning laws to assist in building facilities and operations in struggling areas. We will prioritize the forgotten Americans who deserve their share of this economy brought back. And in so doing, we will shorten our supply chains, reduce our dependence on communist China, and bring hundreds of thousands of jobs back to the United States within the next decade and millions more beyond that in related fields.

 

This is our roadmap back to prosperity for all. Instead of simply repaving the one-way street to the Hollywood sign or booking a private plane ride to the Hamptons, this is about rolling up our sleeves and getting every American involved in restoring both the pride of our economy and the promise of this country. The tale of the Twin Cities Assembly plant may indeed be all too familiar. But if there is one even more personal and close to home, it is the consistent and dauntless power of the American will to overcome any obstacle that stands in our way. Many times before, we faced mountains. And each and every time, we climbed that mountain and made it to the otherside. For when we come together and chase that common purpose we share as citizens, there is no limit to what we can achieve. I ask you to join me together in restoring the fair bargain of the American dream for all. Thank you. God bless you all. And God bless the United States of America.”

 

ADVERTISEMENTS

“A Friend We Can Trust”

Location: South Carolina

Type: Evening Television Ad 

Cost: $4,000,000

Quote

 

(ad begins with Representative Jim Clyburn on screen)

CLYBURN: "South Carolina is used to politicians coming to our state and promising us the Moon. But this Tuesday, we have someone you can trust who I call a friend."

(screen changes to Pat Ridgeway and Jim Clyburn visiting a Black church in Charleston. Ridgeway shakes hands with an elder, kneels down to talk to a young Black girl)

CLYBURN VOICE-OVER: "Pat Ridgeway didn't come down here to lecture. He's here because he listens and cares about doing what is right."

(screen changes to Ridgeway shaking hands with a Black family on their front porch in Charleston)

CLYBURN VOICE-OVER: "The Ridgeway plan is clear: invest in Black families by expanding homeownership."

(screen changes to Ridgeway visiting a classroom)

CLYBURN VOICE-OVER: "Protect every family from poverty by expanding the Biden-Harris child tax credit, guaranteeing universal Pre-K, childcare, and family sick leave."

(screen changes to Ridgeway praying with congregants at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church)

CLYBURN VOICE-OVER: "Keeping our communities safe from gun violence and racism."

(screen changes to an image of an elderly Black woman smiling while holding up an "I Voted" sticker)

CLYBURN VOICE-OVER: "And protecting our rights from those who would try and take them away."

(screen returns to Clybrun)

CLYBURN: "When you got the polls, remember there's a friend in this race who I know we can trust. And his name is Pat Ridgeway."

(ad ends)

 

STUMP SPEECHES

Stump Speech

Target: Black Churchgoers, Black Democratic voters, Elderly Black Voters

Locations: (1) Richland County, South Carolina, (2) Charleston County, South Carolina

"Thank you, ________. It is my distinct honor and privilege to join you this morning. How are you all doing? (smiles) I am humbled by your warm welcome. Whenever you come to South Carolina, you are reminded that the well of goodwill runs deep among the good people of this state. And from that well, we find life and a new beginning. Being with you today and experiencing your warmth and courtesy takes me back to when I was fifteen years old in Chicago.  My grandfather took me one Sunday morning to a beautiful old Baptist church on the south side. And it was there I heard the reverend quote from the Apostle Paul in the Book of Acts: That God shows 'no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.' Those words struck a chord in my soul that day. And as i.meet and get to know you and your neighbors here in South Carolina, I feel that verse come to life again.  

Today in America, we face a choice. Will we aspire to be our brother's keeper? Will we continue to march onward and upward to a promised land of charity and goodwill towards all? Or will we succumb to the worst of our impulses and surrender what makes us who are as human beings and Americans? My friends, this election is more than a decision between two parties. We must choose who we are as a country and a people.

For years, Washington D.C. has failed to live up to its promise to you. We have seen it in the decline of Black homeownership, the failures of our legal system, and the endless cycle of systemic inequality and racism. And as we know all too well, injustice breeds only more evil. That evil visited this state in 2015 in the form of Dylann Roof. South Carolina, by God's grace and mercy, came together and overcame. But Washington still failed to act. Now, we as a country are looking at the worst setbacks in civl rights in a generation. Your vote, your voice, and your share in the American dream is under assault. And this election will be an inflection point of history: what will we do in this hour of trial? 

Though the clouds of doubt may be heavy and fear lingers at our doorstep, I know we can overcome. The same American spirit that moved mountains in generations past is here in this room today. And it calls us to take heart and be fearless.

I am running for president because it's high time that race and class no longer held back how far someone can reach in America.. I've had enough of watching young Black men and women endure a different standard of justice under the law than their neighbors. I've had enough of my fellow Americans living without a place they can call their own, without hopes for generational wealth and opportunity. My Bible compels me to not fall silent as 1 in 4 Black men are forced to carry a criminal record because of a broken legal system. It is my duty as an American and human being to stand up to the forces of racism and bigotry that divide us. And as someone who hopes for the honor of serving as your President, I am ready to defend the rights of every American to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness under the Constitution. That is why we are gathered here today.

If we stand together, I promise you that we can reverse the tides of regression and begin marching again as Americans. We can reform our criminal justice system to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenses, restore trust and accountability for police and the communities they serve, and cease the endless cycle of hate and violence by getting dangerous weapons off our streets once and for all. I am committed to passing the John Lewis Voting Rights, ending racist gerrymandering, and bringing an end to the discriminatory Voter I.D. laws that have disenfranchised a generation of young Black voters. We can begin the good work of true economic empowerment by expanding Black homeownership. That means building more affordable homes and condominiums, constructing more public housing, and providing every first time homebuyer a $5,000 downpayment grant. And with faith in one another, we will carry on the good work begun in the civil rights movement by erasing the scourge of poverty from our nation. No child of God should ever be born in America without the means to succeed. I will restore and expand the Biden-Harris Child Tax Credit to $4,600 and $4,000 per child. We will guarantee every mother and father here today universal childcare, Pre-K, daycare, and paid medical and family leave. And mark my words, we will finish what President Obama began with the Affordable Care Act. Any American without health insurance or dissatisfied with their private plan will have the freedom to enroll in Medicare with dental, vision, and hearing coverage included. That is how we can reverse the tide. And that is how we can build the country that was meant to be.

It is time for us as Americans to be our brother's keeper again and doing what is right. South Carolina, it was here four years ago that you helped us rediscover the soul of America. Now, I am asking for your help to reignite the spirit of this land. Join me in bringing hope to the hopeless, rest to the weary, and justice for the broken. Today marks the beginning of our next great march. And with your support and God's blessing, I know we will overcome. Thank you, God bless you all, and God bless America!" 

SURROGATE SPEECHES

Rep. Jim Clyburn (4 APs)
Locations: Richland County, Charleston County
Target: Black Democratic Voters, Elderly Democrats, Elderly Black Voters

• "At this time when our civil rights and economic livelihoods are under attack by MAGA Republicans, America and South Carolina needs someone we can trust. Our vote is a statement of trust. And that trust must be earned. Of everyone in this race, there is one man who is head and shoulders above the rest in his commitment to defending and advancing equality for all in this country. And that man is Patrick Ridgeway."
• "Some in this race say the right things in public, but then scurry away to the corporate boardroom or Hollywood penthouse when it's time to fill in the details. Not Pat Ridgeway. He is here because he is a true believer in of social and economic justice for the Black community. He does come here to lecture. He's here because he listens. And he knows that we need a proactive president who will leave this country a freer and more just society than when he found it." 
• "President Pat Ridgeway will not only stand up to the advance of far-right MAGA extremists. He will reverse the tide so we can march forward again. He will pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, end the era of racial gerrymandering, double federal funding for HBCUs to $15 billion, and end the era of mass incarceration."
• "Above all, Pat Ridgeway has the plan to finally bring about sustainable generational wealth for Black families in South Carolina. His homeownership plan is one we can believe in: not only expand the supply of affordable houses and condominiums here in this state, not only will it guarantee every first time homebuyer a $5,000 downpayment grant, and not only will it expand public housing. President Ridgeway will make sure your good and honest credit score truly counts when you go to get a loan or mortgage. This is a man who knows and understands what has stood in our way. And he is determined to stand with us and overcome these barriers to equality." 

Sen. Erik Kaberle (4 APs)
Locations: Richland County, Charleston County
Target: Black Democratic Voters, Young Black Democratic Voters

"When people think of “generational wealth” they often think of millionaires and billionaires whose children don’t have a financial worry in the world. But that is just one tiny piece of it. What has made the American Dream possible for many are people who had access to good jobs and a good house, they saved a little nest egg. Maybe they could help may for their kids’ schooling or loan them some money for a down payment on the house and when they pass, they leave a little something for their kids. And when Americans works the way it should, the next generation does the same thing and slowly but surely, there is generational wealth. But what happens when people were discriminated against the good jobs and good houses weren’t an option? Well it means their descendants to his day are at a disadvantage. If we removed every discriminatory practice today, and we should, there would still not be a level playing field because African Americans today are still left with the aftermath of generations of intentional discrimination. Governor Ridgeway and I are on the page when it comes this, this nation is at its best when generational wealth grows and we need to take specific and direction action to help reverse those lost years were African Americans were viciously excluded from quality jobs, schools, houses and healthcare.

When you look at where the strongest economies are in the US, they are almost all located next to strong universities whether its Silicon Valley, Austin or Atlanta. Atlanta has shown when given the opportunities, you can see an economically booming African American community. But we don’t think you should have to become a Bulldogs fan for that. HBCUs here like Clafin or Allen have the potential to do the same. A President Ridgeway will super charge HBCU funding, more than double. When that happens you will see even more start ups and you will see corporate America set up shop in those communities to take advantage of the local talent. That is just one way we can target the African American community so we can slowly reverse the impact of generations of discrimination.

So what do most people do once they get that first job after college? They start looking to buy a home. Unfortunately home ownership has never been more elusive and especially for those who don’t have a family member that can help out with a down payment. Governor Ridgeway has a series of proposals to help bridge that gap including an increase in first time home buyer aid. But what sets Governor Ridgeway apart is he knows that we flat out need to build more houses! We can do that by encouraging multi unit housing in areas that are closest to good paying jobs. The days of huge swaths of residential neighborhoods being off limits to new construction are over. Governor Ridgeway is the only candidate talking about the supply side of the housing crisis and with his comprehensive vision, we will see the greatest increase in African American prosperity ever!"

Sen. Raphael Warnock (2 APs)
Locations: Fulton County, Georgia
Target: Black Churchgoers, Black Democratic voters, Democratic Churchgoers

• “One of the greatest honors of my life is to serve as your senior pastor here at Ebenezer Baptist Church, following in the footsteps of the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. From the Poor People’s Campaign to his final sermon in Memphis to the striking sanitation workers, Dr. King reminded us all that the cycle of economic justice is both a civil rights issue and a lingering stain on our nation’s moral character to this day.” 
• “My friend Pat Ridgeway is here today because knows that our work is not done. He knows the march is not over, not while Black home ownership has fallen by almost 10% in the last decade. He sees poverty higher than the national average. He sees crippling prices on the grocery shelves. And he knows all this comes as a result of systemic discrimination and a generational deficit of opportunity.”
• “President Ridgeway is going to be our vessel and champion in word and deed. He will finally deliver on the promise of home and land ownership for the Black community with his $5,000 first time homeowner down payment grant and by building new homes and condominiums. He’s going to restore dignity in public housing by repealing the Faircloth Amendment, scrapping One Strike, and making sure every son and daughter of God has a roof over their head.”
• “A Ridgeway Administration will serve as a ministry of Good Samaritans. He is committed to reducing poverty by more than 50% in his first term starting with restoring and expanding the Biden Child Tax Credit to $4,600/$4,000. He will deliver universal childcare, daycare, Pre-K, and family and sick leave for every citizen. And he will expand the school lunch and TANF programs. Just as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians in Chapter 5, Pat Ridgeway understands and believes in God’s calling to serve one another humbly in love and carry each other’s burdens.”
• “There are many in this race wanting your vote. Most have run off to the Hollywood Hills and the highrises of Manhattan to ask for your support from afar. But as they sit cloistered away behind empty platitudes and canned soundbites, our brother Patrick Ridgeway is here with us in Georgia, ready with compassion and real solutions so we can march onward.”

TARGETED OUTREACH 

Locations: (1) Richald County, SC, (2) Charleston County, SC, (3) Fulton County, GA, (4) Mecklenburg County, NC, (5) Fairfax County, Virginia

Topic: Civil Rights

Target: Black Democratic Voters

"I am committed to protecting and expanding civil rights for Black Americans. I will pass the John Lewis Voting Rights, end racist gerrymandering, ending the era of mass incarceration, taking on discriminatory Voter ID laws, and true police reform. I will also expand Black homeownership by repealing the discriminatory One Strike policy, expanding public housing by repealing the Faircloth amendment, and requiring credit agencies and lenders include positive rent payments in FICO scores."

Locations: (1) Ramsey County, MN, (2) Los Angeles, CA

Topic: Investing in Working Families

Target: Working Class Voters

"Working families deserve a president who will fight for them. I will pass a national Employee Free Choice Act, raise the minimum wage to $15, deliver universal paid family sick leave, guarantee childcare, daycare, and Pre-K, and restore the Biden Child Tax Credit to $4,600 and $4,000 per child. I will also bring back good paying union jobs by allowing writeoffs of factory construction and expansion in the United States. And I will make sure every American has the freedom to enroll in Medicare." 

Locations: (1) Los Angeles County, CA, (2) Riverside County, CA, (3) Harris County, TX, (4) Fort Bend County, TX, (5) Montgomery County, TX, 

Topic: Protect Hispanic Families

Target: Hispanic Voters

"I will pass the DREAM Act and establish a pathway to citizenship for law-abiding undocumented families. I will also protect Hispanic families from economic exploitation through organizations like the United Farm Workers by passing an Employee Free Choice Act, guaranteeing universal healthcare with a Medicare enrollment option, and expanding homeownership by boosting the supply of homes and providing a $5,000 downpayment grant."

FUNDRAISING

Fundraising Targets: Civil Rights organizations, Construction industry, Unions

Fundraising Methods: Emailing List, High Dollar Galas

Fundraising Focus: 

Civil Rights organizations

• I pledge to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights, end racist gerrymandering, ending the era of mass incarceration, taking on discriminatory Voter ID laws, and true police reform.
• I will protect Americans from mass deportation by passing the DREAM Act and establishing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
• I will crack down on discriminatory financial practices by requiring positive rent payments to be included in credit scores and directing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to focus on redlining and unfair lending practices for minorities.

Construction Industry

• I will establish a $20 billion annual grant program to bankroll housing developments and condominium construction throughout the United States. I will also lift the Faircloth Amendment to make new public housing plans a reality again. I will also provide an additional $5 billion to builders per year to expedite worker training and navigation of complicated state and local laws. 
• I plan to expand upon the Biden Infrastructure bill with an additional $100 billion of infrastructure spending. This will be focused primarily on home and facility reconstruction and development.
• I will establish a 50% tax writeoff for the construction and development of new factories and facilities in the United States. This means more demand for builders like you from top businesses located here in America. 

Unions

• I will pass the Employee Free Choice Act, raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and guarantee universal paid family and medical sick leave to all workers in the United States.
• I will require a representative from the National Labor Relations Board to present and involved in all trade talks and disputes. This representative will have a history with a union and will have final say on any trade deal before it is submitted before Congress. 
• I will require the Brown-Wyden Rapid Response mechanism from the USMCA to be included in all future trade deals to guarantee unions are protected and can stop any disastrous policy from being implemented by a future administration. 

Cold

Mafia

Wu-Tang

Just a note, Aftab has a bunch of opposition research and dirt on him from both before and during his tenure as Mayor. 

9 minutes ago, DMH said:

Personally I think the following people should be considered:

 

- Tim Ryan

- Connie Schultz

- Amy Acton

- John Cranley

I second all names except Cranley. 

There is a crisis in this country that never makes the frontpage of the Wall Street Journal. It may not get the 24/7 news coverage from CNN. But it is a front and center, around-the-clock, inescapable burden for American families. Lost behind the macro data is the festering plague of inflation, declining wages, and vanishing financial security.

It does not matter whether you are a Republican or a Democrat when you go to the checkout counter or pay your utility bills.

It does not matter if you take the metro, drive a car, or own an E.V. 

It does not matter if you have private insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare.

It does not matter whether you shop at Whole Foods or Pick-n-Save.

And it does not matter if you rent a little apartment, pay a mortgage, or live in public housing. 

We're all paying more for less with declining incomes and shrinking opportunity to boot. The American dream is slipping away for far too many. 

But contrary to what our colleagues across the aisle have argued, the answer is not to cut their legs out from under our working and middle class. We have tried their method of slash and burn. It failed. The key to America's resurgence is to reform and reinvest in the true salt of the earth Americans who have endured decades of abuse and disrespect from Washington. By restoring the dignity 

It should not matter 

No one asked you whether you wanted your share of the American dream reduced and stake 

There is a gaping deficit in America. 

We will not find that 

Steph. 

Name: Patrick Ridgeway

Media/Outlet: MSNBC

Reason: Promoting Unified Aid Bill

• "With all due respect to my friends across the aisle, this outcry from Republicans about defense waste and fraud smells more of a convenient excuse rather than a sincere concern. No one on the right sounded any alarm when $2.1 trillion of Pentagon assets went unaccounted for. But now when it's time to support an ally, they're complaining about pennies on the dollar for defending democracy?"
• "Parachuting 'military accountants' into combat is a stupid cop out. These are the same accountants already in place who can't prevent fraud. Changing the scenery won't do anything. What we need to do is reinstate the World War II standards for defense contract and materials, loop Congress in with continuous audits, and establish real financial liability for contractors who fail their obligations."
• "Let's put these reforms in place alongside a firm and enduring commitments to our allies. A unified aid bill guarantees Ukraine the resources needed to drive the Russian invading force out. And supporting Israel's efforts to remove Hamas from Gaza is essential for us to finally reopen the door for the two-state peace process and humanitarian aid to the children of Gaza. It's time for real action, not more dumb delays or posturing amendments."

Country.

Silk.

Mini-Game Turn #3

Quote

 

This Round's AP Budget

Fundraising - 8 APs

Endorsements - 12 APs

- Rep. Jim Clyburn

- Stacey Abrams 

- Donald Sussman

News Media - "Spreading the Message" 4 APs

Barnstorming - 6 APs

- SC, Richland County

- SC, Charleston County

- TX, Harris County

APs: 30/30

 

FUNDRAISING

8 APs - Galas, High End Events

Target #1 - NAACP, Civil Rights Organizations, Anti-Defamation League, Southern Poverty Law Center

Focus - As President, I will commute sentences to eliminate all disparities of drug sentencing, pass legislation formally eliminating said disparities, pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, ending racial and politically motivated gerrymandering, expand federal hate crime legislation to crack down on far-right militias and terrorist organizations, and use the DOJ to take on discriminatory Voter ID laws, corrupt police forces, and beyond. We will overhaul policing by passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, work to reform qualified immunity, and expand community policing. 

Target #2 - Gun Violence Prevention, Brady Campaign, etc.

Focus - When I am in the White House, I will reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban, the Brady Billl, guarantee universal backround checks, close the gunshow loophole, and establish criminal penalties for law enforcement who fail to properly report and update the NICS. On top of that, I will lift the CDC ban on researching gun violence, establish limits on clips for magazines, and invest in evidence-based violence intervention programs that bring down gun deaths.

ENDORSEMENTS

4 APs - Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC)

Building on the assurances from our two previous discussions, I make expanding South Carolina's infrastructure a top national priority by tripling federal funding for South Carolina's BEAD program (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) from $551 million to $1.5 billion, quadrupling funding for the Persistent Poverty Program for the TriCounty Link, raising total USDA Rural Energy for America grants to South Carolina to $400 million statewide, a establishing minority farmers grant program to provide zero interest loans and grants to Black farmers to reverse the decline in Black owned agriculture in the United States. I will also crack down on hate crimes and gun violence against Black Americans by restoring the assault weapons ban, enacting universal background checks, closing both the gunshow and Charleston loopholes, expand the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division with increased funding for hate crimes prevention, prosecution, and community reporting, and pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

4 APs - Jamie Harrison (D-SC)

As President, I will work to expand business opportunities and capital for African-Americans in South Carolina through investments to stretch manufacturing and industry beyond the I-85 Corridor with a 50% factory construction writeoff, requiring positive rental payments to be included on FICO scores for loans, and giving working and middle-cinome startup business owners tax freedom for their first $500,000 of revenue from their business. I also pledge to appoint you to a senior position in my Administration and to support any future bid of yours for office in South Carolina should you seek to parlay your executive branch job into elected office again.

4 APs - Donald Sussman (D)

As President, we will reform healthcare by expanding Medicare enrollment to all Americans, adding dental, vision, hearing, and mental coverage to Medicare, establishing a Medical Rights Commission to bargain fair price ranges on all medications, insurance premiums, and hospital stays, and closing the Medicaid coverage gap in the Affordable Care Insurance Marketplaces. I will also establish a medical infrastructure development fund to provide federal resources for expanded outpatient care, Hospice care centers, rural health clinics, and Telehealth for underserved communities int he United States.

NEWS MEDIA
4 APs- Spreading the Message

Targeted Outlets and Shows:

TV: MSNBC (Chris. Hayes, Rachel Maddow), CNN (Jake Tapper)

Radio/Digital: NPR, Rubin Report, TYT

• "There's a reason we Democrats lost in 2016 to a demagogue in Trump. We spent more time glad-handing with actors and taking donations from Hollywood instead of listening and caring for real working people. America's future lies in the modest apartment, the three bedroom home, the small farmhouse, and the public housing unit. Whether you work in a service job, on the factory floor, or behind a desk in a cubicle, I know you this economy with the inflation is letting you down."
• "Right away, I'm going to give your family some peace of mind and financial security again by restoring and expanding the Child Tax Credit to $4,600 and $4,000. How about we make parenting and raising a family a great investment rather than a financial burden by ensuring every single mother and father has access to free and universal childcare, Pre-K, daycare, and paid family and medical leave. And here's a novel idea on healthcare: let's go with what works by making sure every American has access to Medicare with fairly bargained prices. Lower costs, better living, and more peace of mind for everyday Americans." 
• "Every serious crisis of our time requires a working class solution. No offense to Leo DiCaprio or Jon Voight, but real working Americans are my priority. Let's build more affordable and energy efficient homes in south central LA instead of Brentwood. Our economy becomes truly renewable and carbon neutral once American miners are producing the metals and minerals needed in American factories for solar panels and electric vehicles. Income inequality falls as union jobs and factories return. And our country becomes what it was meant to be when every American has dignity, value, and worth again."

BARNSTORMING

SOUTH CAROLINA

2 APs - Richland County

Target: Black Democratic Voters, Black Lean-Democratic Voters, Rural Voters

•  "For the last ten years, Black homeownership has declined by almost 10%. And in the last century in states like South Carolina, Black farmers lost $326 billion worth of acreage. I remember growing up in the 70s in Chicago and seeing the impact of outsourcing on the Black middle class. Economics is a civil rights issue. And anyone coming here to this state who won't talking about restoring your share in the economy isn't worth a pinch of salt."

• "The first step is to solve the housing crisis. Right off that bat, we can kill two birds with one stone create tens of thousands of goodpaying union jobs building new and affordable homes and condominiums with a $20 billion housing development fund. On top of that, everyone first time home or condo buyer will be eligible for a down payment assistance grant of $5,000. Plus, we're getting rid of the Faircloth Amendment, ‘One strike, you're out’, and making sure no banker can ignore your positive rent payments when you're taking out a loan or a mortgage."

• "We need to reinvest in Black agriculture. I am going to clean house at the USDA and direct the Department of Justice to take on any big corporations that try interfering or intimidating minority owned farms. With major turnover in land ownership expected in the next several years, I will pass and sign into law federal legislation requiring equal opportunity for sale to first time farmland buyers along with a zero interest loan program for you to acquire and build a future in agriculture again in America. And finally, I will expand technical assistance and resources for disadvantaged farmers to finally put them first instead of Wall Street." 

2 APs - Charleston County

Target: Black Democratic Voters, Black Church Attending Voters

• "There is an all too familiar sickness in America. It has ebbed and flowed throughout the years. And it visited this town just a few years ago. Charleston stood tall, came together, and kept marching onward when evil visited in the form of Dylann Roof. But Washington D.C. failed to stand with you. And almost a decade later, we've seen hate metastasize everywhere from Charlottesville all the way to steps of our nation's capitol on January 6th."
• "We have faith and know that light casts out the darkness. It is high time that the good and overcoming light emanating from Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church shined upon Washington D.C.  I am running for president to end this sick darkness in our politics. It is time we finally do something as a country to get these assault rifles off our streets, protect our children with universal background checks, and close the gun loopholes that placed weapons of war in the hands of Dylann Roof. It's time we shift from defense to offense, follow the example of Presidents Grant, Kennedy, and Johnson, and work to pull people back from precipice of prejudice and bigotry, or stop them before the evil happens."
• "The light of Charleston only reaches and remains in Washington if your voice and say in the temple of democracy is preserved. We must pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, must put an end to racially motivated gerrymandering that minimizes the good people of this town, and oppose discriminatory Voter ID laws. It's time for us, Charleston, to show Washington the way, to light the path so that we can finally believe again and live freely again as Americans."

TEXAS

2 APs - Harris County

Target: Hispanic Democratic Voters, Black Democratic Voters, Working and Lower-Income Voters

• "People across this state are hurting. Inflation is running roughshod over regular folk. Violence and crime have run amok. And when you have a governor who would rather toss barbed wire and saw blade buoys into the Rio Grande or disenfranchise minorities instead of problem solving, there's a crisis on our hands. Texas has the 10th worst education system, the highest uninsured rate, and and the second highest poverty rate. It sure isn't the people who are to blame. It's the politicians and culture of corrupt inaction."
• "No more D.C. dip and twirls that distract from the real problems we face. I have a real plan that puts families first. It's time to rebuild the Texas education system by closing the funding deficit, providing universal Pre-K, and guaranteeing access for everyone to community college, vocational school, and job training. Let's make sure every family in this state has health coverage by opening Medicare enrollment to all with fairly bargained prices to boot. And because no child should grow up in the shadow of poverty, let's restore and expand the Child Tax Credit and guarantee universal paid family and sick leave, childcare, and daycare for all."
• "We have to solve the crisis of violence and hate. We saw political cowardice with Uvalde in how public officials shrugged at their responsibilities to keep you safe. Well I don't shrug. I'm here to act. When I'm President, we're going to pass meaningful gun law reform to get assault weapons off our streets, pass the Brady bill, close the gun loophole, and hold accountable every last bureaucrat who willfully fails to do their job to protect the community. No more Uvaldes. It's time to protect people, not special interests."

Reaction. 

Blast.

Mini-Game Turn #2

Quote

This Round's AP Budget

Fundraising - 8 APs

Endorsements - 8 APs

- Rep. Jim Clyburn

- Stacey Abrams 

News Media - "Full Court Press" 12 APs

Barnstorming - 2 APs

- SC, Charleston County

APs: 30/30

FUNDRAISING

8 APs - Galas, High End Events

Target #1 - Immigrant Rights Groups, ACLU, Hispanic Rights Groups

Focus - When I am president, I will enact both the DREAM Act and a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented individuals who have been in the US for more than 5 years and without any additional nonimmigration criminal/civil violations on their record. I will expand the DACA program by 50% over my first term in office (from 800,000 to 1.2 million). I will reverse the decline of refugee admissions and immigrants. And should Congress continue to fail in its responsibilities to enact meaningful immigration reform, I will exercise the power of the pardon if necessary to protect families from deportation. 

Target #2 - Retiree Groups, Elderly Rights Organizations, AARP, Economic Progressives

Focus - I pledge to veto any and all efforts to cut benefits or raise the retirement age for Social Security and Medicare. I will instead expand Medicare coverage to include dental, vision, hearing, and mental health. I will expand the price bargaining under the Inflation Reduction Act to the entire health marketplace to further ease costs on seniors. I support increasing the Social Security benefits by an additional 15% for seniors 85 years and older. And I will shore up the Social Security trust fund by eliminating the FICA Cap. 

Target #3 - Mining Companies, Rare Earth Companies

Focus - We need mining to build a modern 21st Century economy. I will enact an Operation Warp Speed for rare earth mining and extraction by cutting permitting and approval time down to less than five years, establishing a 50% tax writeoff for factory, mine, and refinery construction in the United States, and establish an additional $10 billion annual fund to finance such projects to reduce risk for your investors. I will also provide the free and universal job training for the coal miners you need for valuable mineral extraction from coal and coal waste.

ENDORSEMENTS

4 APs - Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC)

On top of the assurances from our previous discussion, I will take bold action on criminal justice reform by completely erasing the sentencing disparity of crack vs. powder cocaine via commutation of existing sentences followed up by legislation to formally strike the disparity forever from the law, end the death penalty and appoint an AG willing to bring legal action against states that continue to pursue it, expand rehabilitative services and workplace reentry programs for inmates. I will also push for passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, restore equal representation for Black voters by ending gerrymandering, appoint more African-Americans to my Cabinet than any previous Administration, nominate an African-American to fill the next vacancy on the Supreme Court, and award you the Medal of Freedom. 

4 APs - Stacey Abrams (D-GA)

On top of the pledges I made at my event in Fulton County last week,  I will pursue economic equality and opportunity for Black Americans by making community college universal, doubling federal funding for HBCUs from $7 to $15B, forgiving an additional $50k of student loans plus, opening a student loan refinancing period for students to negotiate lower interest payments, make all loan repayment plans centered around income and family needs, and require FICO scores include positive rent payments to boost minority credit scores. I also pledge to reestablish and expand the Biden Child Tax Credit to $4,600/$4,000, guarantee universal childcare, daycare, Pre-K, paid maternal and sick leave, and finally will appoint you to an executive branch position.. 

NEWS MEDIA
12 APs- Full Court Press

Targeted Outlets and Shows:

TV: CBS (60 Minutes), MSNBC (The Last Word w/Lawrence O'Donnell, Beat w/Ari Melber), CNN (Anderson Cooper 360, The Lead w/Jake Tapper)

Radio/Digital: NPR, Pod Save America, Howard Stern, The David Pakman Show

• "I grew up in a working class neighborhood in Chicago with an electrician father and a mother who taught in public schools. When hard times come, when prices go up and wages decline, and when the jobs are all outsourced, they aren't just numbers on a page for me. Because for the people most impacted, there's a good chance I know them by their first names. I am running for president because I believe that they're the best of us, and that that the recipe for beating inflation is to invest in the good, hardworking people of this country."
• "Let's build an economic bulwark for families by restoring and expanding the Biden Child Tax Credit to $4,600 and $4,000 per child, bringing down housing and rental costs, guaranteeing childcare, Pre-K, daycare, and paid family and medical leave for all. Let's make every American has access to Medicare with fairly bargained prices so no mother or father has to tap into their retirement or take on risky debts just to see a doctor. Lower costs, better living, and more peace of mind for everyday Americans." 
• "We need to close the deficit of opportunity. College should be affordable for everyone. But you also shouldn't need a diploma in the first place to earn a good living, save for retirement, and have dignity as an American. Every American deserves access to free community college, apprenticeships, and job training. I will bring back goodpaying union jobs by establishing a 50% writeoff for factory construction, pass the Employee Free Choice Act, and raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour." 

BARNSTORMING

SOUTH CAROLINA

2 APs - Charleston County

Target: Black Democratic Voters, Black Lean-Democratic Voters

• "It is the responsibility of your next president to defend the very civil rights and freedom that generations of Americans before us gave their lives to secure. The March did not end at Selma. And giants like the great Jim Clyburn still walk among us, pointing the way forward. I will work to stop the tide of suppression and restore your say in our democracy by passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, ending racial and politically motivated gerrymandering, and taking every Governor to court that dares exploit the legal system or laws to strip away voting rights."

• "The days of half baked measures on criminal justice reform and mass incarceration are over. As President, I will bring an end to the sentencing disparity that has thrown countless young Black men into prison for decades, invest in rehabilitation and reentry, and guarantee no person who has done their time is denied their right to work, to vote, to earn a decent living, find housing, and get a true second chance. From government agencies to church based programs, we are going to repair and heal the wounds of mass incarceration."

• "My faith teaches me to not merely love thy neighbor in words alone, but to truly be my brother's keeper. When I'm President, we're going to make sure no child in South Carolina and America grows up in the shadow of poverty. We're going to restore and expanding President Biden's Child Tax Credit, providing universal Pre-K, childcare, daycare, and family and medical leave to all parents, expand access to education, and tackle the housing crisis by finally guaranteeing long-term financial growth and generational stability for Black families with homeownership"