UPDATE: The address list for this campaign has been completed.
Campaign #192 is for Ellen Beraud in CA
Ever wonder what would happen if an election six weeks away would actually end up being 40% decided within the first week of voting by mail?
The voting history of San Luis Obispo County in California suggests that within days of the start of Vote By Mail (February 3), nearly 40% of all votes will have been cast. Pretty soon after that, another 40% will have been sent off. Don’t let the March 3 election date lull you into a sense of security that we have weeks to finish this list. We don’t. We need to write to every Democratic voter in a matter of days.
We can do it, though. Our January has been solid so far. Here’s what you need to know about why we’re writing for a County Supervisor position.
San Luis Obispo (SLO) County
Ellen Beraud is running for County Supervisor in San Luis Obispo County, which is on the Central Coast of California. SLO County’s Board of Supervisors is controlled by a Trump-Republican majority, led by Debbie Arnold who Ellen is running to unseat. Similar to Orange County, SLO County just became a majority Democrat county for the first time in recent memory (perhaps ever!). However, SLO County remains a red island in the middle of the California coast, with a governing majority out of step with the residents of the community. With redistricting coming up next year, this is SLO County’s last chance to prevent Republicans from gerrymandering the district lines so they can remain in power for the next 10-20 years. Electing Ellen will not only ensure fair district maps are created, but it will also allow the county to invest in renewable energy, address its affordable housing crisis, and stop unwanted oil expansion.
Ellen Can Win, But She Needs Your Help
SLO County’s 5th District is the swing seat, and it has flipped back and forth between Democrats and Republicans every 8 years for about as long as anyone can remember. The incumbent is just finishing up her second 4-year term, now vying for a third. Historically this is the opportunity to make a change. In 2018, a Democrat challenging another Republican incumbent elsewhere in the county lost by only 60 votes, and that district was significantly more Republican than this one. Postcards to Voters in this race could be the difference between Ellen winning and losing.
About Ellen
Ellen is a longtime resident of her community, a small business owner, and a healthcare professional. She’s also served as City Council member and Mayor in Atascadero, the largest community of voters in the district. She and her husband are both proud union members, and Ellen is the Facility Chief Steward of AFSCME 2620 where she works.
Ellen is running because her community is facing some of its biggest challenges ever, and she wants to plan for the future by bringing creative problem solving to her local government. Unlike her opponent, Ellen believes we must prioritize action on climate change by supporting renewable energy programs and stopping oil expansion. Her opponent is funded by out of state oil interests including the company behind the Plains All American Pipeline. Her opponent also supports the Trump Administration’s efforts to expand offshore oil drilling and oil extraction in environmentally sensitive habitats.
Ellen is also running to make housing and childcare more affordable and accessible in the community. Last year, SLO County was identified as the 5th least affordable place to live in the entire nation, and families are struggling to make it. Relatedly, homelessness has skyrocketed, but the county government isn’t investing enough into services to help those who are sleeping out on the streets every night. Ellen wants to invest more money into programs that have proven to be effective but need more resources.
In Ellen’s Own Words
“I’m deeply rooted in my community and have a passion for public service. I’m running for supervisor because over and over I hear from people in my community that their voices aren’t being heard, and that their concerns are being ignored. It’s time for new leadership. We need a supervisor who will serve all of the people, not just special interests and campaign donors. Our county used to be a leader in our region, but we’ve fallen behind on key issues like climate action, housing affordability, and helping our homeless neighbors. We can no longer afford to lag behind on the most pressing issues of our time. We need to bring smart, honest leadership back to our county government, and restore the priorities of the people of this community.”
Because of California’s top two primary system and only two candidates in the race, this election will be determined on March 3rd. However, nearly 80% of SLO County’s voters vote by mail which begins February 3rd. Historically about half of those voters mail in their ballots within the first week of receiving them, which means the election is just a few days away for many voters!
These are habitual Vote By Mail voters. And you’ll be sending them probably their first ever fun, friendly, fully handwritten election reminder postcard. It’s almost the perfect recipe for boosting winning voter participation.
Let’s knock this out to flip the majority of the SLO County Board of Supervisors to Democratic control in time to create fair county district maps.
Write on! ~Tony The Democrat
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