Welcome to a Friday evening edition of Progress Report.
Last night, I hosted Catelin Drey, the Democratic nominee in a crucial special election being held in Iowa next week. You can watch the whole interview above and read my write-up on the race below — this one is going to be national news by next Tuesday, and you’re hearing about it here first.
Before we get to that, though, a quick shoutout to my friends Jen and Corey in Orlando, who just defied Gov. Ron DeSantis and repainted the rainbow crosswalk in front of what used to be Pulse Nightclub.
The Florida Department of Transportation painted over the crosswalk in the dead of night this week, claiming that it was in violation of state codes after years of serving as a tribute to the 49 people who were killed in a mass shooting at the club in 2016. There’s every chance that DeSantis and his DOT attempt to retaliate, and if necessary, we’ll be raising money for their legal defense. Solidarity, friends.
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If Democrats are going to have any real shot at rebuilding a national party and winning sustained power, it has to start in places like Iowa’s first state Senate district.
Built around Sioux City, the district is playing host to a special election that concludes next Tuesday. Triggered by the death of GOP Sen. Rocky De Witt, the race has been surprisingly intense and competitive, owing largely to the work of a nascent grassroots progressive movement and the extremism that has captured the local Republican Party. The stakes of the election have also played a role: a Democratic win would break the GOP’s supermajority in the state Senate, restoring political and legislative relevance to a caucus that ran the chamber as recently as 2017.
The contrast between the two candidates is pretty drastic. Democratic nominee Catelin Drey, a 38-year-old marketing professional and local activist, is running a spirited campaign focused on the cost of living, especially for young families like her own. The Republican nominee, Christopher Prosch, has likened abortion to the Holocaust, suggested that 9/11 was an inside job, is entangled with Proud Boys and insurrectionists, and belongs to a far-right Christian sect.
Drey joined Progress Report on Thursday night to talk about the race, her campaign, and the big issues facing Iowa at the moment (including skyrocketing cancer rates, a draconian abortion ban, and the decimation of child labor laws).
In good spirits despite being in the final stretch of an intense two-month sprint, Drey discussed the unhinged attacks being thrown at her by the state GOP — you can check out one of the ads she mentions in the interview below, which I’ve juxtaposed with one of her ads to give you an idea of the difference between the two candidates.
And Drey’s ad:
The founder of the activist group Moms for Iowa and a close ally of state Rep. JD Scholten, Drey also discussed the broader ongoing effort to revive what has been a pretty moribund Democratic Party in the rural parts of the state. They’ve already way over-performed in two special elections this year, including a shocking victory in a +21 Trump district, and a Drey victory would give them real momentum ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
More than 2000 early votes have been cast in a district where just 14,000 people voted in November 2022, underscoring the interest in this campaign and the broader implications of a Democratic victory. Drey has knocked on more than 1,000 doors alone, and whether she wins or not, she says that she’s determined to continue raising money and building infrastructure for candidates in the area.
Slow and steady grassroots organizing that empowers volunteers and encourages locals to run in their communities is the key to winning power and public buy-in for transformational change. Opportunities like these don’t come around often.
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