2018 Electoral Achievements
For two years, the Trump-Pence administration hurled constant attacks on women, the LGBTQ community, people of color, and immigrants. In the face of every assault, Planned Parenthood and partners across movements banded together to protect the health, rights, and freedoms of all people.
Rooted in this groundswell of activism and grassroots support, the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund launched our largest midterm electoral program to date, fighting back against discrimination and electing bold leaders who will champion reproductive rights at the Massachusetts State House.
Here’s a recap of what we accomplished together.
1.) We elected the LARGEST majority of pro-reproductive health elected officials in the Massachusetts State House in recent history.
Of the 120 candidates we endorsed, we had an 89 percent win rate. This achievement is a testament to the hard work of hundreds of grassroots volunteers across the state who mobilized to:
Our efforts paid off. We elected 30 pro-reproductive health lawmakers to the State Senate, and 106 to the House of Representatives – our largest House majority in recent history, if not ever. With these leaders in office, Massachusetts is poised to continue their role as a national leader in protecting reproductive rights and passing bold policies that break down persisting barriers to health care.
2.) We defeated dangerous politicians and elected bold newcomers to the State House.
In the Merrimack Valley, Tram Nguyen, a Vietnamese immigrant and legal aid attorney, defeated State Representative Jim Lyons, the most vocal opponent of LGBTQ rights and abortion access in the Massachusetts House.
In Worcester, we helped David LeBoeuf beat Paul Fullen, a frequent protester outside Planned Parenthood’s Worcester health center and an adamant opponent of comprehensive sex education and reproductive health care access.
Tami Gouveia and Lindsay Sabadosa – two organizers of the Women’s March and first-time candidates – took seats in the Massachusetts House.
These candidates – and many more – proudly pledged to champion Planned Parenthood and reproductive rights as lawmakers.
3.) We reaffirmed that transgender rights are human rights.
For the first time in our organization’s history, PPAF endorsed a statewide ballot campaign. We provided a multi-layered effort to support Yes on 3, the campaign to defend transgender rights in Massachusetts. In the months leading up to Election Day, our organizers and volunteers knocked on doors, called voters, and stood in solidarity with the transgender community.
Yes on 3 won in an overwhelming landslide in all but five towns in the state. This win represented the first time a state voted to uphold non-discrimination protections for transgender people at the ballot box. We were so proud to participate in this historic campaign and honored to work alongside the transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming activists who led this fight.
Join us.
The 2018 midterm elections may be over – but we’re just getting started here at the Advocacy Fund. As we head into the 2018-2019 legislative session with our strongest majority in the State House, we’re going to fight like hell to ensure every person in the Commonwealth has access to the sexual and reproductive health care and information they need and deserve – no matter what. Join us.