Hey, Swing Left!

Many of you have been asking for this, so we’re trying out something that hasn’t been done in previous congressional elections.

Introducing Swing Left District Funds. District Funds are pots of money, raised in advance, for the eventual Democratic nominee in each Swing District. These grassroots donations will be passed on to the candidate right after the primary — and if the incumbent in a given Swing District is a Democrat, donations will be sent to their campaign immediately.

We’re pooling our resources now so that the Democratic nominee in each Swing District reaches the general election with a built-in financial head start.

Chip in to support a Swing District you care about — and let’s get this off the ground.

District Funds have the potential to play a major role in winning back the House next year — here’s why:

• Candidates often emerge from primaries cash poor. Challengers tend to spend most of their available funds in the lead up to the primary. Their incumbent opponent, on the other hand, has been hoarding cash for two years.
• The earlier candidates get money, the better. Hiring new staff, buying ads, etc. is more effective when it’s done six months rather than six weeks before the election. (Closer to the election, ads cost more, for example.) This is especially critical for challengers, who are more susceptible to the onslaught of big-moneyed interests and the Republican incumbent’s inherent advantage. By giving money directly to the campaigns, we’ll be supporting the very people Swing Left volunteers will be working with in the lead up to Election Day.
• The promise of a waiting pool of funds has the potential to attract more diverse candidates to join the race. Research shows that campaign fundraising is a major deterrent to entry into higher office for women and minorities. Imagine what we could accomplish if we gave well-qualified candidates a running start.

The current system is a deck stacked in favor of special interest-friendly Republicans. What we’re trying to do is move the needle, one donation at a time, and shift some of that power back toward individuals.

If you believe in that, too, make a donation — or even better, set up a monthly recurring donation — to a Swing Left District Fund that matters to you.

These District Funds are a key part of how Swing Left is building the 2018 campaigns-in-waiting. We’ll be in touch soon with more ways to help.

Thanks — excited to see what we can all do with this!

Ethan and the Swing Left Team