Courage Campaign - Electoral Campaigns

Electoral Campaigns

Courage Campaign does not directly endorse candidates for public office, but works extensively on voter education and outreach programs during election cycles. Courage Campaign endorses ballot initiatives and works for the defeat of initiatives that run counter to their core mission. The primary focus is on California, with some work done in other states.

• Progressive Voter Guide—Each major election cycle, Courage Campaign releases a Progressive Voter Guide with recommendations from a wide range of progressive organizations on the various California ballot initiatives. Organizations previously included range from the California Labor Federation, to Planned Parenthood, to the California League of Conservation Voters. In 2012, the California Progressive Voter Guide was viewed by approximately 250,000 voters prior to Election Day.
• Outreach and Organizing—Courage Campaign interacted with approximately 3.7 million voters prior to Election Day 2012 to educate and inform voters on key issues.
• California Proposition 30—a ballot initiative filed for the 2012 election to increase income taxes on the wealthiest 2% of Californians (as well as quarter cent sales tax) to refund cuts to education, social services, and other essential services which passed in November 2012 with 55.4% of the vote. Prop. 30 was a compromise between the more progressive Millionaires Tax and Gov. Brown’s original tax proposal. Courage Campaign served as the online backbone of the Reclaim California’s Future coalition, which evolved out of the Millionaires Tax coalition, building and maintaining the coalition’s website and social media presence. The coalition focused on turning out younger and minority voters with great success. Proposition 30 is credited with helping California balance the budget in 2013.
• California Proposition 32—Deceptively touted as a measure to clean up money in politics, Proposition 32 would have only increased the influence of the wealthy and corporations over California politics via loopholes and special exemptions. It was opposed by unions, environmental groups, and other progressives. Courage Campaign organized to educate the public about the initiative, which would have crippled union organizing in the state, primarily through a series of videos. The proposition was resoundingly rejected with 56.6& of Californians voting against.
• Washington Referendum 74—A ballot initiative in Washington to retain marriage equality at the state level. Courage Campaign became involved with substantial fundraising early on. In November, Courage members helped the campaign drive 116,720 GOTV calls on Election Day.
• Mitt Gets Worse—Playing on the “It Gets Better” campaign, Courage worked with the American Bridge 21st Century to expose the anti-LGBT agenda of Mitt Romney during the 2012 presidential elections. This was the first project to track Mitt Romney’s record on LGBT issues from 1994 to 2012.