New Faces of Democracy Nancy Bynum

Four years ago, Jordan Zaslow was busy with her life running an advertising and entertainment production company, but when things shut down during covid in 2020, she found herself with time on her hands and lots of worries about the upcoming election. So she and her team decided to channel that anxiety into making pro bono campaign ads for female Democrats running for office, and Her Bold Move was born. Her Bold Move is now in their fourth election cycle and dedicated to electing more “pro-women” women who will influence policy on issues that matter to women, like reproductive rights and affordable childcare. Jordan and Nancy speak about the unique challenges and pressures women face when running for office, why we can’t leave behind women running in red state races, conquering imposter syndrome, and much more. If you want to learn more about Her Bold Move and help get more women into the rooms where it happens, check out their website, www.herboldmove.org, where you can also find links to their social media.

On this episode, Nancy speaks with Philadelphia City Commissioner Seth Bluestein, a Republican whose office is in charge of election operations and voter registration in the Pennsylvania city. Nancy and Seth talk about why, despite enduring threats and harassment in 2020 from members of his own party, Seth remains committed to his mission of ensuring free, secure and transparent elections for all voters. They also discuss the importance of bipartisanship, what it means to be a principled Republican today, and why Seth has recently become affiliated with the Forward Party. This conversation will leave you feeling reassured about the prospects for this year’s elections and the people who run them in Pennsylvania, where the thinnest of margins can have the largest of impacts.

On this episode, Nancy welcomes back Melissa Walker of the States Project (formerly known as Future Now). Melissa appeared on the very first episode of this podcast, when deep in Covid lockdown, she schooled us on why we should be focusing on winning state races versus focusing on big, expensive federal seats. On this episode, Melissa is back to talk about why state elections matter now more than ever, how tiny margins can create huge policy and power shifts, and why this year’s elections in Virginia are of vital importance. Melissa doesn’t sugarcoat the fight that lies ahead, but she will give you the inspiration and information you need to be a fierce and focused warrior. For more information about the States Project and how to join or start a giving circle, check out their website at statesproject.org.

This episode features a conversation with Lindsey Drath, CEO of the Forward Party, a newly formed political party that intends to bring power back to the majority of Americans and take it away from the fringes. Imagine a world in which the will of the plurality rules, where the 70-80% of Americans who support things like gun laws and abortion and climate action have their say, instead of being governed by extremists. With the support of political luminaries from both major parties, like Andrew Yang, Evan McMullin, David Jolly, and Christine Todd Whitman, the Forward Party promises to return power back to the people with a bottom up approach where communities dictate policy, not the parties. How? Through the transformative power of electoral reforms like ranked choice voting, open primaries and independent redistricting committees that motivate candidates to appeal to the majority of voters. Listen to Lindsey and decide for yourself if this is a utopian pipedream or a realistic path out of our broken and polarized political system. For more information on the Forward Party, visit their website at www.forwardparty.com.

This episode features a conversation with abortion rights activist Michelle Colon of SHERo (Sisters Helping Every Woman Rise and Organize), an organization dedicated to reproductive justice for black and brown women in Mississippi. While there’s no sugarcoating the dire state of abortion rights in our country right now, this conversation will help you pick yourself up out of your puddle of tears and start to take action. Michelle and Nancy talk about how Mississippi, with its myriad abortion restrictions, is virtually already in a post-Roe universe and how it will only get harder; the fraught history of bodily autonomy for black and brown women; and why we need to support local abortion organizations that are able to help women with the daunting amount of resources they will need when Roe is gone for good. You can donate to support Michelle's work at SHERo here. And below is Michelle’s list of other worthy grassroots groups that help women with those resources.
ARC Southeast arc-southeast.org
Indigenous Women Rising https://www.iwrising.org/abortion-fund

Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund www.msreprofreedomfund.org

New Orleans Abortion Fund
www.neworleansabortionfund.org

Tampa Bay Abortion Fund tbafund.com

National Network of Abortion Funds
abortionfunds.org

Yellowhammer Fund
www.yellowhammerfund.org

On the last episode with Stacy Kramer of Blueprint/Swing Left,  we got a bird’s eye view of why we should support grassroots groups in swing states. This week, Nancy is following up with a “boots on the ground” perspective from Diana Robinson, civic engagement director at Make the Road Pennsylvania. Diana discusses her group’s support of working class Latinx communities year in and year out, and how that translates into votes for Democrats when elections roll around. Nancy and Diana also talk about what life is like in a deeply divided battleground state like Pennsylvania, how the group’s advocacy is making a real impact, and why they need money now to knock on doors and educate voters before the elections.
To make a donation or learn more about Make the Road Pennsylvania (a 501(c)(3) organization), go to https://www.maketheroadpa.org/donate.

To make a donation or learn more about their electoral 501(c)(4) arm, Make the Road Action, go to www.maketheroadaction.org.