To amplify and further the impact of the endorsements of local groups, Indivisible will facilitate a grassroots-driven national endorsement program for federal (U.S. Senate and U.S House) and gubernatorial candidates. Indivisible groups who have undertaken an endorsement process in their district or state can submit a local endorsement for national consideration.
This chapter discusses how your Indivisible group can go about making that endorsement: from getting to know a candidate to issuing your endorsement statement, you’ll learn what to do -- and what not to do -- when your group wants to throw its hat into the electoral ring.
At the end of the day, you’re endorsing a candidate because you think they’re the best person to hold political office. But making that assessment involves thinking through a lot of factors about who the candidate is, what they stand for, and what their chances are. This chapter reviews key factors your Indivisible group will want to consider.
In a good primary, there’s a robust campaign and a healthy exchange of ideas, allowing for the best candidate to carry the nomination into the general election. And in a healthy primary, everyone unites behind the nominee at the end of the day. This chapter is about how your group can make that happen.
An endorsement is a formal way of signaling and mobilizing your Indivisible group’s support for a candidate. Powerful endorsements are not empty statements, but real commitments that promise concrete actions by your group and members. This chapter goes deeper on what a candidate endorsement is; what the campaign gets from your endorsements; and what your Indivisible group can achieve by using endorsements.
Whether the candidate is a seasoned campaign professional running for her second term as Governor or a first-timer looking at challenging the incumbent in a local school board race, every campaign relies on the same basic tools and building blocks for success. This chapter explains what your local candidate’s campaign HQ is thinking, and how your Indivisible group factors into their thinking.
We know elections—especially primaries—can be intimidating. We also know that an endorsement, done correctly, is one of our most powerful tools for change. This guide demystifies the process, with advice on how best to engage in both primary and general elections.
Bird-dogging is a powerful tactic used by grassroots activists to get candidates and elected officials on the record about important issues. Let’s bird-dog our candidates out of the bush and into the light of accountability!
