Human Rights Campaign 2008 Year to Win

• CD1 – Ann Kirkpatrick (open seat)
• CD3 – Bob Lord (challenger)
• CD5 – Harry Mitchell (incumbent)
• CD8 – Gabrielle Giffords (incumbent)

We have deployed a Campaign College participant to Ann Kirkpatrick’s campaign and sent two additional staff members to Arizona for the last two weeks before the election to work on congressional races and the anti-marriage constitutional amendment campaign.

HRC conducted a Camp Equality™ election skills training in Phoenix to train and mobilize supporters of equality to volunteer in critical election campaigns and has contributed $50,000 to Arizona Together to fight the anti-marriage constitutional amendment.

Regional Field Director Tony Wagner is working in Arizona as Targeting Director for America Votes. He is working on coordinating progressive groups’ efforts to mobilize and turn out fair-minded voters.

Anti-parenting ballot initiative

Arkansas voters face Initiated Act 1, a first-of-its-kind ballot initiative seeking to ban unmarried cohabiting couples from becoming adoptive or foster parents. HRC contributed one-half of the funds necessary for Arkansas Families First, the campaign against this discriminatory initiative, to hire a campaign manager. HRC also deployed a Campaign College participant to work on the campaign and sent another staff member to Arkansas for the final weeks.

Anti-marriage constitutional amendment ballot initiative

HRC, through the HRC California Marriage PAC, has contributed $3.4 million to the No on Prop. 8 Equality for All campaign.

HRC serves on the executive committee of the campaign and has deployed eight staff members to work on the campaign, including National Field Director Marty Rouse and communications consultant Mary Breslauer. HRC staff are serving in key roles in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and the San Fernando Valley.

Anti-marriage constitutional amendment ballot initiative

HRC contributed funds early to Florida Red & Blue, one of two campaigns working to defeat the anti-marriage constitutional amendment. These funds were leveraged to secure significant contributions from others. Total cash and in-kind contributions to Florida Red & Blue, backers of the SayNo2 campaign, will be more than $200,000. HRC made cash contributions of $120,000.

In January of 2008, HRC sent five staff to work with Florida Red & Blue to organize and train volunteers. The effort led to more than 175 volunteers working the presidential primary polls across the state in key areas, talking to voters about the harm that this ban could do. HRC deployed a Campaign College participant to work with Florida Red & Blue’s SayNo2 campaign and and deployed four additional staff members to Florida for the final weeks to work on the ballot campaign and key congressional races, including those of Alan Grayson (CD 8) and Suzanne Kosmas (CD 24).

In addition, HRC conducted a Camp Equality™ election skills training in Ft. Lauderdale in May, with 45 participants.

HRC was heavily involved in Iowa state elections in 2006 and, through a partnership with the state-based group One Iowa, helped elect a new fair-minded majority to the Iowa state legislature. The fair-minded legislature elected in 2006 subsequently passed a safe schools bill and a fully inclusive anti-discrimination law.

This year, HRC partnered with One Iowa again to ensure that LGBT issues were front and center during the state’s early presidential caucus. HRC provided funding to One Iowa to hire a caucus director who conducted trainings across the state, educating HRC members and allies about the presidential caucuses and urging them to participate as proud members of the LGBT community. As a result, HRC members and allies were visible during candidate events across the state, asking questions of presidential candidates and ensuring that the candidates understood the strength of the LGBT community.

• U.S. Senate – Al Franken (challenger)
• CD1 – Tim Walz (incumbent)
• CD3 – Ashwin Madia (open seat)
• CD6 – Elwyn Tinklenberg (challenger)

HRC contributed to the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party to allow them to hire Laurie Crelly, an HRC field organizing consultant, to do LGBT outreach for the Party. She continues to work for HRC on contract (about 10 percent of her time) to mobilize HRC members for critical state and federal elections. HRC deployed three additional staff to Minnesota to work on key campaigns.

In addition, HRC conducted a Camp Equality™ election skills training in Minneapolis in September, with 15 participants.

• CD2 – Jill Derby (challenger)
• CD3 – Dina Titus (challenger)

State Senate Campaigns: One seat will bring fair-minded control and with that a chance to pass pro-equality legislation.

HRC conducted caucus trainings in Las Vegas and HRC staff managed a site on caucus night.

HRC has deployed a Campaign College staffer to work on two key state senate races. HRC staff will be deployed to one or both congressional targets in the final weeks of the campaign.

• U.S. Senate – Jeanne Shaheen (challenger)
• CD1 – Carol Shea-Porter (incumbent)
• CD2 – Paul Hodes (incumbent)

Regional Field Organizer Jeremy Kennedy was deployed to New Hampshire in mid-September to mobilize HRC members and work with allies to elect Jeanne Shaheen. In addition, communications staffer Rachel Balick spent one week in New Hampshire to help Shaheen with LGBT media coverage.

HRC also sent staffer Trevor Thomas to work on the re-election campaign of Representative Carol Shea-Porter.

HRC’s New Hampshire PAC has also deployed a Campaign College participant to work with the New Hampshire Democratic Party on protecting and expanding the fair-minded State House and Senate majorities that passed civil unions legislation.

HRC opened a campaign office in Concord during the state’s media-intensive early presidential primary to mobilize the LGBT community and to educate campaigns of both parties.

• U.S. Senate – Tom Udall (open seat)
• CD1 – Martin Heinrich (open seat)
• CD2 – Harry Teague (open seat)
• CD3 – Ben Lujan (open seat)

HRC staffer Marybeth Lennox is working full time as field organizer in Albuquerque to mobilize HRC members and allies to help elect HRC-endorsed candidates. In addition, HRC has deployed a Campaign College participant to work in Martin Heinrich’s congressional campaign, and sent an additional staff person to work for the last few weeks in New Mexico.

HRC conducted a Camp Equality™ election skills training in Albuquerque.

• State Senate campaigns (net gain of 2 seats elects a fair-minded leadership)
• CD13 – Mike McMahon (open seat)
• CD20 – Kirsten Gillibrand (incumbent)
• CD25 – Dan Maffei (open seat)
• CD29 – Eric Massa (challenger)

Regional Field Director Sultan Shakir has spent significant time in New York working on state Senate races (mainly on Long Island). The HRC New York PAC spent more than $120,000, in staff time and direct contributions, to elect a new fair-minded state senate majority necessary to pass a marriage equality bill and legislation banning discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression.

More than 50 people attended a Camp Equality™ election skills training on Long Island and were encouraged to participate in campaigns.

Campaign College participants worked in Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand’s re-election campaign and a state Senate race upstate. Finally, HRC sent one additional staff member to work on a key congressional campaign during the last weeks.

• State House campaigns (net gain of 5 seats elects a fair-minded leadership)
• CD1 – Steve Driehaus (challenger)
• CD2 – Vic Wulsin (challenger)
• CD15 – Mary Jo Kilroy (open seat)
• CD16 – John Boccieri (open seat)

Regional Field Director Art DeCoursey was based in Columbus and oversaw HRC federal and state election work in Ohio nearly full time beginning in October. He will be joined in Ohio by field organizer Charlie Mumford and field consultant Anthony Hayes. The HRC Ohio Families PAC invested significant resources to elect new fair-minded state House members and create the majority in that chamber needed to pass an anti-discrimination bill.

HRC has conducted Camp Equality™ election skills trainings in Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland, and mobilized Camp alumni to be active volunteers in state and federal campaigns.

In addition, HRC Campaign College participants worked in John Boccieri’s congressional campaign and on the campaigns of fair-minded state House candidates. HRC sent additional staff to Ohio in the final weeks to mobilize HRC members to work on key congressional and state campaigns.

• State House Campaigns (net gain of 5 seats elects a fair-minded leadership)

Regional Field Organizer Karl Bach has been in Texas since September mobilizing HRC members and working with allies mainly on state House races. Electing a fair-minded leadership to the Texas State House will allow supporters of equality to begin advancing pro-LGBT legislation and to have a seat at the table after the 2010 redistricting. Karl will also mobilize HRC members to help re-elect openly lesbian Dallas Sheriff Lupe Valdez.

HRC conducted Camp Equality™ election skills trainings in Houston and Dallas, and has deployed a Campaign College participant to work on State House campaigns in the Ft. Worth area.