CFA Thanks Members for Volunteering this Election Cycle; Several Statewide Races Still Close

Election Day has come and gone. Votes continue to be tabulated, while some close contests still wait to be certified.

Thank you to all of our volunteers who worked tirelessly to get out the vote and push our candidates and ballot measures past the finish line. Your efforts help strengthen and protect our democracy.  CFA members spent more than 4,000 hours volunteering, which includes 2,000 hours of phone banking and sending more than 2 million text messages, according to our early tallies.  Nearly 90 percent of CFA members voted this election cycle. Congratulations on the incredible success this year!

“Having been on CFA’s brown bag Zooms and the phone and text banking Zooms with so many of our fabulous volunteers during this election season, I can say first-hand how dedicated and enthusiastic you all were in doing this important work,” CFA President Charles Toombs said. “You did this work with good cheer, humor, and collective energy.  I thank you so much for this unity of purpose.”

CFA prioritized three ballot initiatives: the effort to close a corporate property tax loophole and recapture an estimated $12 billion annually for public schools and services (YES on Proposition 15); the bid to reinstate affirmative action and move toward opportunity for all (YES on Proposition 16); and the fight to beat back gig companies’ efforts to steal protections and benefits from working people (NO on Proposition 22). The Proposition 15 race is too close to call, but it appears Propositions 16 and 22 will not go our way.

“As a principles-driven organization with a strong focus on racial and social justice, CFA has taken the lead on addressing critical issues facing our society,” said Steven Filling, CFA Political Action and Legislative Committee Chair.  “We recognize that doing so means taking a long-term approach and being persistent.  A number of our campaigns span several years (for instance, the graduation requirement for an Ethnic Studies course or our continuing campaign for appropriate staffing for student mental health services) and often are successful on the second or third attempt.  We firmly believe that if all of our campaigns are successful the first time, we are being too conservative in the challenges we take on.”

Also in the victory column, several CFA members ran for office.  We appreciate their willingness to serve their communities and congratulate those who are on track to win their races for special districts, school boards, and city councils.

Of the nearly 80 state senate and assembly candidates CFA endorsed, our candidates are on track to win all but three based on unofficial results.

“I must pause and thank the leadership and the amazing members of CFA for rolling with a brother in my re-election. Your unwavering support has made the difference not only in the work that we’ve done together with AB 1196 but also my re-election victory,” Assemblymember Mike Gipson said. “My mother always said ‘Baby, if anybody does anything for you, just simply say thank you.’”

We will continue to monitor the tallies and will keep you updated over the coming days.