Local Leaders: Celebrating Laurie Pohutsky’s Re-Election Win in Michigan’s 19th House District
In the fall of 2020, Laurie Pohutsky ran for re-election in Michigan’s 19th State House district. Pohutsky had narrowly won her first term in 2018 by only 224 votes! So in 2020, working closely with our Michigan partners, we knew helping drive voter turnout to protect this seat would be vital.
Every election cycle, we pair hometown Energizers with amazing progressive candidates to amplify their platforms, turnout voters, and secure wins in important districts. In this Profile series, we’ll be sharing with you some of our recent success stories.
In the fall of 2020, Laurie Pohutsky ran for re-election in Michigan’s 19th State House district. Pohutsky had narrowly won her first term in 2018 by only 224 votes! So in 2020, working closely with our Michigan partners, we knew helping drive voter turnout to protect this seat would be vital.
Located in Wayne County, Pohutsky’s district encompasses most of the city of Livonia. Laurie grew up one town over in Redford, MI, and received her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University, so she knows the needs of the local community very well. Her previous career as a microbiologist and personal experiences with Michigan’s healthcare system have made her a passionate advocate for access to affordable healthcare for all Michiganders.
We were delighted to have two fantastic artists and activists to help give voice to her campaign: Livonia native comedic actress Judy Greer and Detroit native and General Hospital star, Lisa LoCicero. You can view Judy’s video here.
This content generated 200,416 total impressions in the district in a district where 58,667 people voted. We’re pleased to share that Pohutsky won re-election in November by another incredibly tight margin of only 258 votes. Her campaign is a true example of how crucial it is to reach voters to participate in local elections. Every single vote counts. People now believe their vote matters, which is one of the real positives of this election cycle. We are energized to press forward and build on that!
Important 2021 State + Local Elections
In 2021, The Hometown Project is expanding our electoral work to more hometowns across the country. We’re returning to Virginia to support candidates in the House of Delegates who will help defend and grow the progressive majority. The gubernatorial race for the primary and general is already underway, and will certainly be highly competitive. There is also a ton of important progressive legislation at stake, including gun reform, voting rights, increasing the minimum wage, legalizing cannabis, and continuing efforts to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic from a healthcare and economic recovery perspective.
We also are exploring expanding our involvement in New Jersey, Kentucky, Mississippi and possibly Louisiana. There are so many artists and activists that hail from these regions that are eager to energize their hometown communities.
In 2021 we will also actively begin to fundraise for 2022 initiatives with the hopes of building on our work and partnerships in Michigan, Arizona, Minnesota, Missouri, Texas, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, as well as explore involvement in states like New Hampshire, Colorado, and Nevada in the crucial 2022 midterm election year.
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We’re Reading All Politics Is Local by Meaghan Winter
Too often after a presidential victory, political parties, activists and national organizers can lose momentum until the next presidential election comes around. We saw how detrimental that was following the 2008 election with the loss of power in dozens of statehouses and governorships, so it’s crucial that while we take a breath we also keep focused on each and every election at the state and local level.
Meaghan Winter is a journalist, whose work has been featured in the New York Times, the Guardian, Bloomberg Businessweek, and many other publications. In her book All Politics Is Local: Why Progressives Must Fight for the States, she captures the importance of prioritizing state and local leadership and politics over federal races-- and why local engagement is so crucial to a more inclusive democracy. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the nuances of state and local politics and why investing in this effort is so important, and should not be an afterthought but a critical priority.
As we gear up for this year’s important state and local races in Virginia and New Jersey, as well as planning for issues-based campaigns in 2021 and 2022, we are constantly doing our homework and research to be sure history doesn’t repeat itself.
Too often after a presidential victory, political parties, activists and national organizers can lose momentum until the next presidential election comes around. We saw how detrimental that was following the 2008 election with the loss of power in dozens of statehouses and governorships, so it’s crucial that while we take a breath we also keep focused on each and every election at the state and local level.
Meaghan Winter is a journalist, whose work has been featured in the New York Times, the Guardian, Bloomberg Businessweek, and many other publications. In her book All Politics Is Local: Why Progressives Must Fight for the States, she captures the importance of prioritizing state and local leadership and politics over federal races-- and why local engagement is so crucial to a more inclusive democracy. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the nuances of state and local politics and why investing in this effort is so important, and should not be an afterthought but a critical priority.
For more of our favorite book recommendations, as well as news and more, sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Watch Our Clean Virginia Collaboration Featuring Wanda Sykes
Issues-Based Stories
Also during 2020, we began to reach beyond the ballot to become more involved in issues-based stories. This works in tandem with long-term goals of electing progressive leaders, because it tells the story of how these important issues directly impact our daily lives and ultimately connect to policy and the leaders who make change. Check out ourcollaboration with Clean Virginia: “Beyond the Vampire Squid” featuring Wanda Sykes. It’s a story about power in Virginia- who has it and who doesn’t. You can also find out more about energy reform here.
With greater resources and investment in 2020, we were able to reach beyond the ballot to become more involved in issues-based stories. These projects explore how important issues directly impact our daily lives and ultimately connect to policy and the leaders who make change. These stories are an important means of achieving our long-term goals of electing progressive leaders by staying engaged with people on the local level year-round.
Our collaboration with Clean Virginia asks the question: What if the people had the power, instead of the monopoly? “Beyond the Vampire Squid,” featuring Virginia native Wanda Sykes, is a story about power in Virginia- who has it, and who doesn’t. It begins with a simple task that every Virginia has to do, pay their power bill...
Check out the video below, and learn more about energy reform by visiting Clean Virginia's website.
We are proud to have played a part in this important story, and are looking forward to more collaborations like it this year.
For more of the latest info on our upcoming collaborations, sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Mark Ruffalo and Tracey Scott Wilson Join The Hometown Project Advisory Board
Tracey Scott Wilson and Mark Ruffalo join an already esteemed group on the Advisory Board of The Hometown Project, which includes Edward Norton, Chris Lu, Connie Britton and Jason George, as well as industry executives and activist leaders from the LGBTQ and environmental communities. We are grateful to have Tracey and Mark’s continued dedication and expertise, and look forward to having them as members of our Advisory Board.
We are thrilled to welcome Mark Ruffalo and Tracey Scott Wilson to The Hometown Project Advisory Board.
Tracey Scott Wilson is an Emmy-nominated, Peabody award-winning writer who has worked across theater, television, and film. Notable works include the FX series The Americans, as well as the recent Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect. In addition to collaborating on script writing in 2018, as our head writer in 2020 Tracey led a series of writers rooms with talented artists to develop and enhance our creative content in a crucial election year.
Mark Ruffalo is a Golden Globe and Emmy-winning, Academy Award-nominated actor, producer, and activist, who has worked with The Hometown Project since our beginning in 2017. Not only has he supported candidates in both his home states of Virginia and Wisconsin, but he has also been a huge advocate for our organization and recruited several artists to participate in our state and local campaigns and efforts.
Tracey Scott Wilson and Mark Ruffalo join an already esteemed group which includes Edward Norton, Chris Lu, Connie Britton and Jason George, as well as industry executives and activist leaders from the LGBTQ and environmental communities. We are grateful to have Tracey and Mark’s continued dedication and expertise, and look forward to having them as members of our Advisory Board.
Click here to learn more about our team, including our Advisory Board, core staff, and Energizers