A Progressive Missouri is Possible

Last week, Missourians and much of the country turned out at near presidential election levels to have their voices heard. For many the results are bittersweet. At the same time Democrats took control of the house we also lost seats in the senate, including one in Missouri.

Despite Claire McCaskill’s devastating loss, last Tuesday was a huge night for progressive policies in Missouri.

62% of voters turned out to overhaul redistricting & campaign finance (Amendment 1)  and raised the wage (Proposition B) for over 600,000 Missouri workers. Voters also elected Nicole Galloway as State Auditor making her the only democrat to hold a statewide office and an important leader overseeing the new legislative re-districting process put in place by Amendment 1.

Passage of Amendment 1 and Proposition B along with the defeat of Right to Work in the August election shows that across the state Missourians are rejecting the conservative legislative agenda and shining a light on Missouri as a purple state where progressive reforms can win.

Like in the rest of the country, grassroots organizing – real people having one on one conversations with their neighbors at their doors, over the phone, and through text messaging – made the difference here in Missouri. The work funded by Shared Roots this cycle focused on supporting those grassroots efforts across the state and helped reach over 97,000 voters.

We helped organizations like Action St. Louis hold community brunches to educate voters and organizations like Missouri Faith Voices and Missouri Rural Crisis Center train and deploy volunteers to mobilize voters in all corners of the state.

This election was only the beginning for the Shared Roots Donor Alliance. There is long-term, bottom-up work happening here – work that began before the 2016 elections and has already seen real progressive results. By investing in innovative leadership, building lasting infrastructure, and creating more opportunities for change, Shared Roots is supporting the work that will not only change Missouri but also further a national progressive shift in power.

Your support is crucial to furthering the work in Missouri. Next year we’ll face legislative attacks, legal challenges to redistricting reform, and local elections. Help us continue to fund social change work in Missouri. Make a donation today to invest in the work happening here in your home state.

Maps provided by MOVE Action.