Missouri’s future depends on us.
The Stakes: High
“Missouri wasn’t like this when I was growing up.”
Republicans have controlled the Missouri legislature since 2002. What’s their legacy? Struggling towns, crumbling roads, 4-day school weeks, hospital closures, and bankrupted farms.
They’re arrogant enough to think you won’t notice they caused the failures they complain about.
But they have a problem: you do notice. And we know you want to do something about it.
The Strategy: Show Up Everywhere
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. And for far too long, too many statehouse races have gone uncontested and unsupported. Democrats in these districts feel abandoned, ignored… forgotten. Meanwhile, GOP nominees get free passes.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Working together, we can show up for Missouri’s Democrats, making sure no Democrat gets left behind … no Missouri voter is left without a choice … and no Republican gets a free ride.
The Solution: You
By joining Blue Missouri, you become part of a community of thousands of people who understand we are fighting for the future of Missouri.
We can win that fight, if we work together.
No more unsupported races. No more forgotten voters.
No more free passes for the GOP.
You can make that happen. Starting right now.
How Blue Missouri Works
Think of us as crowdfunders – for Missouri’s Democratic nominees for state legislature.
We make it easy for you to join thousands of other people and crowdsource democracy – supporting our nominees for a few dollars a month (which, these days, is less than you might spend on a fancy cup of coffee). And, as a monthly program, you just set it and forget it, knowing that you’re doing your part – no matter what else you have going on.
Since 2017, our Blue Missouri community (formerly known as It Starts Today-Missouri) has raised and distributed over $350,000 to Missouri’s state legislative nominees.
You
By joining Blue Missouri, you’re making sure every down-ballot Democrat across Missouri has support – without breaking a sweat. Kicking in a few bucks a month is doable, and powerful, over the long term.
+ Thousands Like You
Thousands of people just like you want a Blue Missouri too, and understand that chipping in a few dollars a month (our average is $10/mo) is a small price to pay to protect democracy. Together, you’re amassing power to support Missouri Democrats in every corner of the state.
= Massive People Power
After the primary, Blue Missouri distributes 100% of the community funds directly to the Democratic state legislative nominees, who desperately need your help. And you rest easy, knowing that you are part of the solution. Job done.
How Blue Missouri Helps
We have the data to prove it.
(C’mon, we’re Democrats. Of course we did a study!)
Running Nominees Matters
Just having a nominee for state house on the ballot increases the vote share for the top of the ticket by 1.5%.
But in 2022, 66 of Missouri’s 163 House Districts had no Democratic nominee on the ballot.
The nearly 2.5 million Missourians live in those 66 districts didn’t have the option to vote for a Democrat for state house … because there wasn’t one on the ballot.
Districts with no Democratic nominee
Missourians in Districts with no nominee
Funding Nominees Matters
There’s more: Funding nominees boosts turnout, too. In fact, funding a challenger at $0.36 per eligible voter increases turnout by 1%.
But in 2022, another 22 state house districts were underfunded – averaging just $4,857 to reach over 37,000 people.
Those 38 districts include another 832,480 Missourians, who probably didn’t hear from their cash-strapped Democratic nominee.
Underfunded Districts
Missourians in Districts with an underfunded nominee
Running Funded Nominees = Massive, Data-Backed Impact
That’s over 3.3 million Missourians left behind – either because they didn’t have the option to vote for a Democrat for state legislature, or because the nominee didn’t have what they needed to run a real campaign.
If we don’t run supported nominees in every Missouri district, we are leaving votes on the table.
Missourians Left Behind
Here’s the good news:
Reaching those forgotten Missourians is as simple as running and supporting Democratic nominees for Missouri state legislature.
You can help make that happen.
What You Get When You Join Blue Missouri
Membership in the only grassroots community that’s focused on making sure every Democratic nominee for Missouri state legislature has resources to run a campaign.
If you’re a member at the $10/month level or more, you’re automatically invited to participate in our members-only monthly Team Blue Missouri calls with former state legislative nominee and current Blue Missouri Executive Director Jessica Piper.
Knowledge – backed up with data – that you are boosting the vote share for the top of the ticket and local turnout, while helping reach the millions of Missourians who were left behind in 2022. (See our Washington University study results!).
Pride that no matter what else you have going on, you’re doing something that’s meaningful and impactful.
Peace of mind that you’re fighting for a better future for yourself and your loved ones.
Satisfaction that just by being part of our community you’re telling the Missouri GOP that you’re on to them. You’re not letting their corruption and lawlessness slide, and you won’t let them sell out your democracy without a fight.
Gratification that you play a role in holding people in
the statehouse accountable.
In the News
NYT: Why Little-Noticed State Legislative Races Could Be Hugely Consequential
By Nick Corasaniti, Oct. 10, 2022 EASTPOINTE, Mich. — The conversation started with potholes....
Gaslit Nation: Laboratories of Autocracy; The David Pepper Interview
Gaslit Nation, October 5, 2022 David Pepper has witnessed Ohio devolve into an electoral autocracy...
Flatland KC: Meet Jessica Piper: Missouri’s ‘Dirt Road Democrat’
State House Candidate Runs Uphill To Win In Rural Missouri Published August 26th, 2022; Catherine...
Frequently Asked Questions
How does supporting down-ballot Democrats boost results statewide?
In 2020, we ran a study and found that having a Democratic nominee for state legislature on the ballot increased the vote share for the top of the ticket by 1.5%. We know from a peer-reviewed study of 20 states that funding a challenger at $0.36 per eligible voter adds a whopping 1% boost to voter turnout!
So there’s a potential 2.5% bump for the top of the ticket if we run and support a Democratic nominee. Statewide, that leads to massive gains up and down the ticket! Bottom line: we can elect more Democrats. We just need to work together. Ready to get started? We’re glad to have you on board. Click here to join>>
Which nominees does Blue Missouri fund and how?
What are some of the "soft benefits" of running a supported Democratic nominee in every Missouri district?
Just by supporting the Democratic nominees that are running for state legislature, Missouri Democrats can build a bigger bench, build up local Democratic infrastructure, make Republicans fight (and spend) everywhere, and spread a progressive message through a local lens.
If we’re serious about reaching voters across all 163 Missouri House Districts (and we are), then supporting the Democrats already doing the hard work is the most efficient and effective way to do it.
How much do most people contribute?
The average is just over $14/month. As an added bonus, everyone who contributes at $10/month is eligible to join our monthly team call with Jessica Piper! They’re always informative and often entertaining – and a great time to ask any questions you have about Missouri politics.
What do I get for contributing?
Most importantly, you know that you’re part of the solution, and you’re doing something really powerful every single month. And – if you’re contributing at $10/month or above, you’re also added to our monthly Blue Missouri Team call, where we get together on Zoom with our Blue MO family (including Democratic firebrand and Blue Missouri Executive Director Jessica Piper) to talk about recent events, progress, and all things Missouri. All donors are added to our Blue Missouri Update email.
What percentage of my donation will Missouri Democratic nominees receive?
100% of your donation to the nominees goes to the nominees. Blue Missouri does not take a percentage. We rely upon tips revenue to grow this movement, and those tips are greatly appreciated! (Hint: Please leave one if you can!)
We’re also completely transparent about credit card processing fees. You may not realize it, but entities like ActBlue deduct credit card processing fees from your donation before sending it to candidates. So the candidate you’re supporting is getting less than you intended! Not with us – 100% of your donation goes exactly where you intended it to go. So if you want your donation to be $10/month, it is $10/month; the $0.57 in processing fees is added to your donation total for a monthly charge of $10.57. If you want your monthly charge to be a flat $10, no problem – just enter $9.44 into the donation field, and together with the processing fees that will all come out to $10/mo.
We also use a processor, Democracy Engine, LLC, that charges a lower percentage in processing fees. While ActBlue collects 3.95% and Kickstarter keeps 5% on top of processing fees, Democracy Engine collects a 3.75% + $0.20 processing fee.
Are you part of the Missouri Democratic party?
No. While we support the efforts of the collection of national, state, and local organizations that make up the Democratic Party, we do not coordinate with them. Our goal is to break radical Republican control, support and elect more Democrats, and preserve democracy.
Are you doing this kind of project in any other states?
sYes! We have active project in Ohio and Texas, and are hard at working bringing this project to other states that could use the same short-term electoral benefit and long-term investment. (The states on our short list of expansion projects include AZ, GA, MI, NC, PA, IN and WI. If you are interested in discussing any of those states, we’d love to hear from you. Just send an email to info@bluemissouri.org.)
How does guaranteed funding help us run more nominees?
Fundraising is one of the toughest, and most detested, parts of running for office. It’s even worse for nominees who are in challenging, conservative districts. Eliminating the fundraising barrier means more people are willing to run, which makes recruitment much easier.
How can I help?
Glad you asked! First, you should join! (Do that HERE.) Second, we need people like you from all over the state (and country) to help spread the word. If everyone who asked this question could get five friends to join, we’d be well on our way to amassing the power that Missouri Democrats need.
Also: if you would like us to speak to your local group or organization, just reach out to us at info@bluemissouri.org.
When will my subscription end?
Democracy is a long game, and we’re in this for the long haul. So unlike most Democratic organizations, we’re not focused on any one cycle. Your subscription will continue until you tell us to stop. Just contact us at info@bluemissouri.org at any time. We’re very approachable!
How do I stop or change my recurring donation?
Easy! Just contact us at info@bluemissouri.org at any time. We’re very approachable! (A tech build to create a software application that would allow user-modifiable donations runs in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and right now our focus is on fundraising for the nominees rather than fundraising for technology. It was a priority call of ours, and we think it’s the right one. Still, that sort of platform is on our radar and wish list for future cycles.)
How do I contact you?
You can contact us at info@bluemissouri.org at any time. We’d love to hear from you.
