This year, Kate Compton-Barr ran for State Senate in North Carolina, one of the most gerrymandered states in the country. Their State Supreme Court even ruled that partisan gerrymandering is fine under their constitution. They said elections only need to be “free" — apparently “fair” is optional.
Kate knew she wasn’t going to win her race. Her campaign t-shirts even say “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Win.” But by running anyway, she gave voters in her district something very important: a choice.
Gerrymandering isn’t just bad for the politicians who are “drawn out” of their districts. It’s bad for democracy itself. When voters know that their vote won’t make a difference, they don’t show up. And when candidates know their victory is guaranteed (or impossible), they don’t spend as much time getting their message out and listening to their community.
Kate is on a mission to make sure that voters have a choice on every ballot. She’s started a “Can’t Win Victory Fund” to continue to raise awareness about gerrymandering and support other candidates in situations like hers.
If you want to run for office but think you can’t win in your district, consider running anyway. As Kate says, “Gerrymandered out of a chance? We say f*ck it, we’re running anyway.”
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