THE MIDTERMS MINUTE (Primaries): Support Progressives in Massachusetts on 9/4 and Delaware on 9/6

The Midterms Minute is a look at the candidates and races that you need to know about, shout about and support to make sure we have a blue tsunami on November 6th.

We want to remind you that primaries in Arizona and Florida are right around the corner on August 28th. If you missed our spotlights on those states, head to our Activism portal or click the link in the previous sentence.

You can make a difference in all remaining primaries by getting involved, no matter what state you live in. Both Justice Democrats and Brand New Congress offer Get Out the Vote online calling and texting tools, with scripts on individual candidates, allowing you to talk to voters from the comfort of home. This is a great way to make a real impact.

Today, we’re going to talk about Massachusetts, which holds its primary on September 4th, and Delaware, which will hold its primary two days later on September 6th.

SEPTEMBER 4TH

MASSACHUSETTS (Reg. Deadlines: Primaries - August 15th/ General - October 17th)

3rd District: There is an extremely crowded field of Democrats in Massachusetts’ 3rd District, where Justice Democrat and Latino Victory candidate Juana Matias is running for congress. With the incumbent retiring, this is the first contested Democratic primary for the seat since 1994. Matias is currently a state representative and is running a grass roots campaign against establishment candidates with big money behind them.

7th District: In Massachusetts’ 7th District, Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley is a Justice Democrat making waves. She is primarying incumbent Michael Capuano who, to be fair, is a life-long champion of progressive policies before they were mainstream and has held this House seat since 1998. Though they both believe in progressive ideals, the two have very different approaches to solutions and identifying root causes. A video of Pressley, who is black, in which she shares her thoughts on identity politics and representation during a recent debate, has gone viral. According to the Boston Globe, the 7th district is one of the most diverse and economically unequal in the state.

Governor: When it comes to Governor, Massachusetts is one of those deep blue states that more often than not votes in a moderate Republican. Mitt Romney wasn’t the only one. Current Governor Charlie Baker is another moderate Republican up for reelection this year and he’s popular because he doesn’t often rock the boat with Democrats. But although he says he accepts climate science, he’s a big proponent of new fossil-fuel infrastructure. The people of Massachusetts have better options this year. One of them is Democrat Bob Massie, a lifelong national healthcare system advocate and climate activist who founded both the New Economy Coalition and the Sustainable Solutions Lab at UMass Boston. He recently received the endorsement of Our Revolution and Massachusetts Peace Action.

Important Dates: To participate in the Massachusetts primary on September 6th, you must have been registered to vote by August 15th. Absentee ballot requests must be received by August 31st and ballots must be received by September 4th. If you aren’t registered yet, make sure you are registered by October 17th to participate in the general.

September 6TH

DELAWARE (Reg. Deadlines: Primaries - August 11th / General - October 13th)

U.S. Senate: The Senate race in Delaware is a stark example of establishment vs. bold new progressive blood. Friend of big banks and incumbent Senator Tom Carper has held political office of some kind in Delaware since 1976, and he’s got an endorsement from Joe Biden. His primary opponent is Kerri Evelyn Harris, a Justice Democrat and and veteran with backing from Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. Harris is running a low budget campaign funded by the people and is working hard to expose the myth that making corporations happy is good for the people. If she wins in November, she would be the first woman, first African-American, and first openly LGBT candidate to be a U.S. Senator for Delaware.

Important Dates: To participate in the Delaware primary on September 4th, you must have been registered to vote by August 11th. Absentee ballots must be requested by September 5th at noon and ballots must be received by September 6th at 8pm. If you aren’t registered, make sure you register by October 13th to vote in the general.

We want to emphasize registration cut off dates and absentee ballot request and submission dates are different for each state, sometimes even each county. We highly suggest reviewing your state’s information, and voter ID laws, at rockthevote.org as soon as possible to ensure you will be able to vote in both the primary and general elections.

So, if building the bluest of blue waves is important to you, be sure to hit the share buttons to spread the word about supporting progressive candidates across the country via social media so that others in your network can spread the word too.

THE MIDTERMS MINUTE (Quick links!)

Check on candidates endorsed by Justice Democrats | Brand New Congress | DSA | Latino Victory | Our Revolution