Every State Blue

buff.lyThe Blue Slate – Every State BlueWe crowdfund for Democrats running hard in hard places. Meet them!

We support Dems running in some of the reddest, roughest, toughest places. Not despite the fact their race is hard, but *because* it is. This cycle we've supported 137 nominees through Blue MO, Blue OH, and Blue TN & hundreds more via our national pilot, First In Line. Meet them: buff.ly/k3DAn0A

A huge thank you to Deepak Puri of Democracy Labs @democracylabs for helping us create this incredible map! It shows just how many races Every State Blue's community boosted in one way or another this cycle.

buff.lyEvery State BlueWhen we don’t run and support Democrats, the people living in those districts feel abandoned, ignored… forgotten.

Blue Missouri, Blue Ohio, Blue Tennessee – and First In Line, our first national crowdfunding program for state legislative candidates running hard in some of the hardest places. Check out the national map here: buff.ly/Ne9FXvz

Meet another Every State Blue supported candidate – this time in IOWA! Leila Staton was 21 when she filed to run for Iowa House District 54. She’d called the party to ask how to help local candidates and found out there weren’t any in her county.

She’s not new to this. She helped change Iowa law so children testifying in trials don’t have to face their abusers in court, and she co-founded a group with her mom that grew to 400+ members translating legislative bills into plain English.

buff.lyBack the Iowa Democrats Who Are Showing UpThese Democrats are running in districts that were uncontested last cycle. Back them.

Back Leila and other Iowa candidates who are running in districts that were uncontested last cycle. Every one of them is turning out more voters for critical races upballot, while being a voice of progress for their neighbors. Chip in today (100% goes to the candidates): buff.ly/yRanHNi

Meet another Every State Blue supported candidate – this time from KANSAS! Kylie Kilmer teaches students who are blind and low-vision, and she’ll tell you special education is the most underfunded thing in Kansas. Her House District 70 seat had gone unopposed for years, so she’s running for it.

When you back Kylie and her fellow KS candidates who are running in districts that were uncontested last cycle, you know you're not just powering their campaigns. You're lifting the WHOLE ticket. Downballot candidates lift upballot – important in an election with these stakes.

buff.lyBack the KS Democrats Who Are Showing UpKansas Democrats are showing up in districts that went uncontested last cycle. Back them with the resources to do the work. everystateblue.org/first-in-line

So chip in to our Kansas First In Line state slate – it goes directly to candidates, and ESB takes no cut. Let's get them what they need to finish strong! buff.ly/clPM510

She lives in Abilene, home of the Eisenhower library, where plenty of voters still call themselves Eisenhower or Bob Dole Republicans. Some of them asked her to print “Republicans for Kylie Kilmer” signs, so she did.

Her dad, a retired union railroad worker, registered to vote this year for the first time so he could vote for her. She plans to knock all 13,000+ doors in the district. “Not a single person has been mean to me. Everybody has been at least Midwest kind.”

Meet another Every State Blue supported candidate! Indigo Oliver is a trauma therapist in Mustang, Oklahoma. She describes her job under the current legislature as bailing out a boat with a bucket while people keep shooting holes in the bottom.

She’s running on strong public schools, mental health coverage that exists in practice and not only on paper, and some transparency about the data centers going up near people’s drinking water. And when kids ask her what a state representative is, she tells them that someday they can run too.

buff.lyFund Oklahoma's Toughest RacesDemocrats are running in Oklahoma's toughest districts. They shouldn't have to do it alone. Give directly to nominees who need it most. everystateblue.org/first-in-line

Back Indigo and her fellow Oklahomans who are running in districts that were uncontested last cycle by chipping in to our OK state slate. Help them close out these remaining weeks strong! buff.ly/IFpbnZw

So she’s running for Oklahoma House District 47, a district that hasn’t had a Democratic candidate since 2018. On the doors, she keeps hearing the same thing from Democrats: “I’m the only one in my neighborhood.” By then she’s usually talked to 50 of their Democratic neighbors.

Meet another state legislative candidate who's supported by Every State Blue's newest crowdfunding project! Brittany Newton is a 31-year-old single mom of two with four jobs: nursing assistant, HR assistant, tax preparer, and nail tech. She’s an Army veteran. And she’s running for NC House Dist. 46.

They sold over 300 plates. When the potato salad ran low, she was in the kitchen peeling potatoes. “These people paid for a full plate, and they are going to get everything I told them they’d get.” You can back Brittany and other NC candidates running in districts that were uncontested last cycle!

buff.lyFund North Carolina's Toughest RacesDemocrats are running in North Carolina's toughest districts. They shouldn't have to do it alone. Give directly to nominees who need it most. everystateblue.org/first-in-line

Chip in to our First in Line state slate – help make sure candidates like Brittany have what they need to close this election strong! buff.ly/pTt9H1w

Her neighbors in Columbus County tried for months to reach their representative about a living wage. They never got so much as a form email back. So they asked Brittany to run. Her first fundraiser was a plate sale: $12 for fried chicken, chicken and rice, potato salad, green beans, cake, and drink

Iva Markicevic Daley drove more than 40 minutes for basic prenatal care. Now she drives 40 minutes to take her two-year-old to the pediatrician. Her husband is a Marine combat veteran who works as a mechanic, and they both work full time because one income doesn’t cover a family in rural Kentucky.

A few weeks ago, after a porch conversation, a man knocked on her car window as she was leaving and handed her a $100 bill. “We need more people like you,” he said. We think so, too.

buff.lyFund Kentucky's Reddest RacesDemocrats are running in Kentucky's toughest districts. They shouldn't have to do it alone. Give directly to nominees who need it most. everystateblue.org/first-in-line

Back Iva and her fellow Kentucky candidates by chipping into our Kentucky First In Line candidate slate. 100% goes to the candidates running in districts that were completely uncontested last cycle. buff.ly/zm3wp2G

Meanwhile, Frankfort is handing tax breaks to data centers and loosening clean water protections in a state where some Eastern Kentucky communities still can’t get drinkable water. So Iva is running for House District 99. “If I didn’t run, my opponent would run unopposed.”

This summer, at 39, Meredith McGinnis became Oklahoma’s Golden Gloves state champion. Then she went to nationals as the oldest woman ever to box for a Golden Gloves title, against 19-year-olds headed for the Olympics. She lost badly, and she’ll tell you so with a laugh.

He introduced her at her campaign kickoff, and more than half her donors are Republicans. She’s running to move voucher money back to public schools, keep rural hospitals open, and protect farmland water from data centers. “Iron sharpens iron.” Precisely.

Put your support behind Meredith and her fellow Oklahoma candidates who are running in districts that were uncontested last cycle. With our First in Line Oklahoma crowdfunding page, 100% of your donation goes to them. Help her keep the OK GOP on the ropes. buff.ly/FCtnaM3

Now she’s running for OK Senate District 18, and she’s bringing the same attitude: “Why not me? Those other candidates are not more qualified. They just have always gotten the vote.” She's a lawyer and single mom who started a book club in OKs largest women’s prison with a former OK GOP Speaker.

🚨 KANSAS = TOSSUP! Polling averages in KANSAS Senate now have Hamilton up by 1.4 points. Cook Political Report just moved the race into "toss up" category. One surprising way YOU can help right now? Support the Democrats running for Kansas state legislature!

They're key to turning out voters who lift the top of the ticket. Plus, they help spread that Dem message deep in red territory. We're crowdfunding for the Kansas Dems who are running in districts that were uncontested last cycle! Go to buff.ly/JtGM29o to chip in. Help them run everywhere!

We'd like you to meet another Blue Tennessee-supported candidate! Matt Burchfield is running for Tennessee State House in District 57 against a Republican who has been in office for 14 years.

In his own words, “Tennessee’s strength has always come from its people and the kindness we show one another. We may be living in a climate that makes us feel divided, but we have more in common than we realize…When we lean into what connects us, that’s when Tennessee is at its strongest.”

buff.lyJoin Blue Tennessee!By joining Blue Tennessee, you become part of a community of thousands of people who understand we are fighting for the future of Tennessee. We can win that fight, if we work together. No more…

Blue TN is proud to support Matt and other candidates like him who are running hard in hard places – giving people a voice and a choice in who represents them. You can help! Support candidates like Matt who are making incredible progress this cycle by joining Blue Tennessee! buff.ly/Oertcsg

We'd like you to meet another Blue Tennessee-supported candidate! Matt Burchfield is running for Tennessee State House in District 57 against a Republican who has been in office for 14 years.

Matt is running because families are working harder than ever and still falling behind. Congested roads eat into family time, the cost of living is rising faster than paychecks, and a state government focused on culture-war politics has left real problems without real solutions.

He believes Wilson County deserves better. He's dedicated to fixing infrastructure, tackling the cost-of-living crisis, and ensuring every Tennessean has the representation they deserve. In a divisive climate, Matt isn’t running to pick a side — he's running to get things done.

We'd like you to meet another Blue Tennessee-supported candidate! Matt Burchfield is running for Tennessee State House in District 57 against a Republican who has been in office for 14 years.

Matt is a producer, teacher, father, and Wilson County neighbor who has spent his career solving complex problems. Raised by a police detective mother and a Navy Force Master Chief stepfather, he learned early that discipline, creativity, and empathy are the foundation of effective leadership

— skills he carried into his career in corporate production and media as a Video Production Manager and college instructor. He raised two boys largely on his own, coached youth basketball for seven years, and has always believed that showing up for your community is not optional.

We'd like to introduce you to Blue Tennessee-supported candidate Catherine Bacon, who is running for Tennessee State House District 5. Before Catherine, the Republican incumbent hadn't faced a Democratic challenger since 2018. She's exactly the kind of person who can take him on.

“Together, we can and must do better.” That's what Blue Tennessee thinks, too. That we do better when we work together. That's the underpinning of our whole model – a grassroots community of people committed to lifting up folks who are making progress in places that too often get overlooked.

Blue Tennessee is so proud to be able to support people like Catherine who are running hard in hard places. We'd be proud to welcome you to our Blue Tennessee community, too. 💙 Join us at buff.ly/Oertcsg

Her top priorities are defending public schools, improving regional medical services and supporting our farmers and their farms. She's confident that together, East Tennesseans can find real solutions — and she's ready to fight for the best outcomes for her neighbors.

Catherine describes herself as an “ardent dissident.” At her core, she's committed to working with others to preserve democracy and safeguard our liberties, honoring the oath she once swore to defend the Constitution of the United States, against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Today, she continues to serve her family, her “someday it’s going to be a Century Farm,” and the Greeneville community. Catherine’s experience has taught her that leadership's greatest responsibility is to "take care of your people."

Wherever she has moved or worked, she has tried to serve and make things better—and she’s bringing that same commitment to the people of District 5, determined to make lives better in East Tennessee. She believes her background, experience, and temperament will help her connect with constituents.

Raised in a military family, Catherine attended ten schools before high school. She served 30 years as an Air Force officer, taught in Japan while serving as a missionary, served at the Pentagon, and retired as a colonel. After overcoming cancer, she went on to teach Air Force JROTC for 13 years.

Michele was thrilled to join Walter Rhein from I'd Rather Be Writing this afternoon to talk about why we need to run and support candidates everywhere!

The other day, we published a piece about ESB-supported candidate Iva Markicevic Daley – a Harvard grad and working mom who’s running in a rural, red, Kentucky state house district that was uncontested in 2024.

We just learned that she's been endorsed by the Sierra Club – which she adds to an collection of supporters that includes Run for Something, the AFL-CIO, and Planned Parenthood!