Release: All 5 Yes We Can Columbus Endorsed Candidates Move Through To The General Election

Release: All 5 Yes We Can Columbus Endorsed Candidates Move Through To The General Election

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 2, 2022

CONTACT: Madeline Stocker (860) 808-7857
madeline.stocker@yeswecancolumbus.org

RELEASE: All 5 YES WE CAN COLUMBUS ENDORSED CANDIDATES MOVE THROUGH TO THE GENERAL ELECTION

COLUMBUS, OH – After an Election Day that saw over 100 volunteers passing out Yes We Can Columbus sample ballots, all five of the organization’s endorsed candidates have made it through to the next election.

City Council candidates Will Petrik and Jasmine Ayres ran on platforms that included getting big money out of politics, establishing a livable wage, investing in community-centric models of policing and

“The people of Columbus are beautiful, diverse and incredibly passionate,” Ayres said. “It’s not surprising that hundreds of folks from communities across the city joined the movement for change and voted their values.”

“The voice of Columbus voters demanding change has grown exponentially – voters are rallying against tax breaks for wealthy developers, against the opportunity gap we see in our public schools, against the corporate sponsorship of political campaigns,” said Petrik. “I’m so humbled by the support of this city, and all the candidates on the Yes We Can slate incredible leaders ready to move this city forward.

Ayres and Petrik ran on a slate with three School Board candidates. Abby Vaile, Amy Harkins and Erin Upchurch. The Yes We Can endorsed candidates for Columbus School Board connected with voters on issues including expanding successful programming throughout the public school system, investing in mental and social educational services and establishing equitable resource allocation across the zip codes that make up the district.

“We need a School Board that is ready to be proactive, not just reactive,” Upchurch said. “There is an Opportunity Gap in our district. The time is now to breathe life back into our schools and our communities.”

Over the past week, over 200 residents from across Columbus volunteered to make phone calls, knock door, enter data or assist with other campaign tasks for Yes We Can Columbus. From 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, 100+ volunteers will be passing out sample ballots of the Yes We Can Columbus endorsed candidates for City Council and School Board.

The volunteers, the majority of whom are registered Democrats, are posted at over 30 polling locations citywide. Many took the entire workday to pass out sample Yes We Can Columbus ballots to voters at their polling precincts, while others took shifts of one to two hours.

“Tonight’s results are incredible,” said Joe Dinkin, National Communications Director of the Working Families Party. “In less than one year, a grassroots group of regular people has built a campaign that pledged to make government actually work for ordinary people, and make sure every voice is included. Tonight, all five Yes We Can candidates are headed to the run-off. It shows there’s a real hunger for a new kind of voice in politics. Over the next few months we’ll be hard at work to ensure every voter in Columbus hears from them.”

Yes We Can has formally affiliated with the Working Families Party, which has seen success in grassroots electoral efforts nationwide.

Read more about the Yes We Can candidate platforms at http://www.yeswecancolumbus.org/candidates/

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