Kelly Ward, Executive Director of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC)

Swing Left Peninsula launches its 2019 Speaker Series on April 28, from 2 to 4 PM. Our first speaker is Kelly Ward, Executive Director of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC). The NDRC was formed by Attorney General Eric Holder in 2017 to fight against gerrymandering and voter suppression.

Kelly Ward will speak about the connection between state officials and legislatures, the 2020 elections, and the 2021 census. The 2020 elections represent the last opportunity to level the playing ground by correcting the gerrymandering that occurred after the 2010 elections. She will also report on the steps that NDRC took during the 2018 election cycle to advance legal action, build political infrastructure and win targeted elections to achieve a fairer redistricting process. Some of the NDRC’s many accomplishments include:

Successfully concluded a merger with Organizing for Action (OFA), which was the successor of President Obama’s 2012 relection campaign
Provided over $12 million in investments to support candidates, special elections and ballot initiatives throughout the country, leading to help elect 8 Democratic governors, flip 6 state legislative chambers, break supermajorities in another 4 state legislative chambers, and make gains in 7 additional state legislative chambers
Partnered with OFA to channel grassroots energy and educate people on the negative effects of gerrymandering
Supported efforts to successfully defeat a redistricting bill in Arizona that would have injected partisanship to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, and, over the course of 2018, supported successful redistricting reform ballot initiatives in Ohio, Michigan, Colorado and Missouri
Filed a lawsuit over the Administration’s decision to include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census questionnaire
Provides ongoing support of active litigation to combat gerrymandering and protect voting rights in a number of states, including Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Virginia.

As we prepare for the 2020 elections, join us in learning more about how they will impact our future. As President Franklin Roosevelt said, “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.”

Please join us on April 28th. You will see the address after you RSVP.

Events for California's 10th District