The morning after Barack Obama’s victory in 2008, I cried with a friend in a coffee shop, elated and moved to tears by the election of our first Black president. Eight years later, I cried again in a yoga class packed with people shocked and stunned by Donald Trump’s election. I’m almost 50 years old, and I never imagined the political pendulum could swing so quickly and dramatically. As a mom and stepmom to four teenagers in 2020, I feel acutely aware of the state of the world our kids will inherit all too soon. Politics feels deeply personal.
I’m fortunate to have the time and means to support causes I care about, and I felt compelled to contribute in some way to this year’s high-stakes election. I have donated to political causes in the past but this year wanted to do something more than write a check. But, I live on Bainbridge Island, a half-hour ferry ride from liberal Seattle, in a strongly blue state, where I’m surrounded by like-minded people. As much as I love this echo chamber, my political persuasion skills don’t have much use here. So when I heard about efforts in Alaska to support a candidate for U.S. Senate who was tied in the polls with the Republican incumbent, I volunteered right away.
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