Fair Fight, along with a number of other groups that were led by Black organizers and focused on motivating Black voters — including the New Georgia Project and Black Voters Matter — adopted various strategies, from the tried and true (radio ads, door-knocking) to the novel (food giveaways), which helped put Ossoff and Warnock over the top.
There are a lot of lessons learned from Georgia and all of the work that organizers have been doing there for years. And, like many people, I followed those races closely and volunteered with postcards and texts. Which is why I found the above story in Yahoo so interesting.
What really struck me was the sense that what happened in Georgia wasn’t just a political victory. It was also a community organizing victory. It was a mutual aid victory. It was a focus on meeting people, where they were at, which had a political action. Campaigns gather immense data and have large pools of volunteers. They are in a great position to help with food banks and clothing drives. During this time of Covid-19, when everyone needs to pitch in, getting involved with mutual aid is a great way for a campaign to be part of a community.
Besides, as an elected official, being involved with local civics programs and helping your constituents access services will be part of your job. Including a mutual aid plan as part of your campaign startup will help you get into that cadence. It will also help you expand your network and reach people you might not otherwise touch during the election. And if you are a progressive candidate running to bring change to your community, making sure that you and your campaign are part of a mutual aid network will demonstrate that commitment.