In 2009, ActBlue launched a pilot program in several local jurisdictions, including Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland, Cook County (IL), Houston and San Francisco. The effort was a success, Annise Parker was elected the first LGBT mayor in Texas history, and fundraising in San Francisco has taken off ahead of the elections for Board of Supervisors.
So we're expanding the program. Effective immediately, we can support local candidates in Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.
ActBlue Chairman and Founder Matt DeBergalis had this to say:
Our expansion is important because it allows broader fundraising to take place around local races, and makes the process easier for donors and candidates alike. We expect that will encourage more folks to run for public office, and help those who are already running to get their message out. In the end, our local races program creates more voter choice in the downballot races from which future national Democratic figures will emerge.
No other platform has the scope or sophistication to handle local, state and federal politics simultaneously; we're pleased to be the first to offer fundraising tools proven at the national level to local candidates.
If you're a candidate in a district we don't currently support and you're interested in using ActBlue, let us know!
