by Dean Briggs
Barre Democratic activist Dylan Clark saw a problem. Anne Gobi’s long-time Democratic state senate seat representing the rural Worcester and Hampshire district flipped to a MAGA Republican in a special election when Gobi resigned to join the Healey administration. There was no Democrat on the ballot and they were past the filing date. He had heard that Sheila Dibb was interested in running, so he encouraged people to work with her in getting write-in votes. They needed 300 signatures and the campaign ultimately brought in over 1,000. The coalition fueling this initiative is now supporting an aggressive campaign for the general election.
This is the story of how they organized to put Dibb on the ballot, and how rural grassroots mobilization can turbocharge a Democratic campaign.
It’s hard to promote write-in candidates—and their positions.
Clark notes, it is not difficult in Massachusetts to run write-in campaigns, but they are not optimal because they take place late in the election cycle and don’t allow much time for voters to get to know the candidates. This is particularly challenging in the economically depressed parts of the Worcester and Hampshire district because voters typically have other issues on their minds.There were additional challenges as well.
“We’re a blueberry in a cranberry patch”, says Brookfields Fight Fear founder Eric Von Bleiken, referring to the preponderance of Republicans in their rural area. Morale among progressives can be low in this region, and it is also difficult to recruit candidates. Some people are afraid of the MAGA opposition in the district’s small communities because of their aggressive rhetoric, including shouting at progressive activists during standouts.
Build a coalition of groups.
The grassroots write-in campaign for Dibb was a boost for Democrats’ morale—bringing progressive groups together after the doldrums of the Biden campaign.
“Nobody’s coming to the rescue (in our part of the state),” Clark notes “We need to do things ourselves.”
Who were these local groups that proved critical to the Dibb write-in effort?
First, region-wide Grassroots Central Mass. Regina Edmonds started GCM as a civic education organization, addressing topics such as immigration, climate, racial and social justice. GCM later became politically active, and was a natural ally in educating voters about the Dibb write-in campaign.
Next, Brookfields Fight Fear. BFF was started by Eric Von Bleiken as a Facebook group that coalesced as the COVID-19 pandemic began. BFF makes effective use of social media to work on local issues and also participated in the Dibb write-in campaign.
GCM and BFF both belong to Indivisible Mass Coalition. As true grassroots groups, they take members’ lead on issues, candidates, and advocacy. This year they ran a large, successful Earth Day environmental fair at a local state park, are active in elections, and run active postcarding campaigns that produce around 800 postcards per session.
A third group in the coalition is the Democratic Town Committee collaborative. Von Bleiken, also DTC chair in his town, has brought together 15 of the many small DTCs scattered around the region to focus on electing candidates.
In rural areas, activists typically wear many hats. They belong to each others’ groups and serve on DTCs and town boards. The opposition from MAGA supporters is strong, but as the groups gain visibility, they grow as friends and neighbors join them. They credit their public actions with turning West Brookfield blue in 2020.
For the Dibb write-in campaign, GCM and BFF got involved early and worked with the candidate’s team. The campaign contacted the district’s town clerks so they knew about the write-in campaign and would recognize the name on the ballots. Clark notes that Dibb has run a very strong race, and that the support for her has been organic—with locals reaching out to their friends and organizations.
Shifting to the general election
The effort to elect Dibb is in high gear and includes phone banking, door knocking, fundraisers, meet the candidate events, and standouts. Support from GCM, BFF, and the DTC collaborative has helped offset the considerable financial resources of Dibb’s incumbent opponent. The Dibb campaign has other resources as well: at age 19, Colin Brown – a college sophomore, town DTC Chair, GCM and BFF member and political activist – is a rising star in regional politics. In addition to the Dibb race, he works on other campaigns and local initiatives.
Run for office yourself
You can make a difference in your rural community by running for office yourself. Progressives who can help are everywhere, and the first step is to become aware of each other. You can find them on Facebook, through community organizations, and through family and friends. Just look for the busy people!
The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website offers information on how to run for office and how to run a write-in campaign.
Dean Briggs is a member of the Indivisible Mass Coalition Communication Team.
