Throughout 2023, The Collective PAC will provide pertinent updates every month on our work to support Black candidates running nationwide, as well as results of key research projects and groundbreaking initiatives we’ll be undertaking as we work to increase Black political engagement, representation and power across all levels of government. 

  Groundbreaking Candidates  

There’s no doubt that a record number of Black candidates ran for office on the local, state and federal level across the country during the  2021-2022 election cycle and we don’t see that trend slowing down anytime soon. These groundbreaking Black candidates represent a new generation of leaders that stand to reshape politics for years to come, and ran for office at a time when their voices and lived experiences are helping  shape public policy that will improve the lives of all Americans. 

To this end, The Collective PAC  – the nation’s largest political action committee dedicated to increasing Black political engagement, representation, and power – will continue our work to change the face of power by closing the representation gap in Black elected leadership at all levels of government in 2023. This year we will have a particular focus on candidates running in statewide, state legislative, and mayoral races across the country. 

 

The Collective PAC’s Investment and Impact 

During the 2021-2022 election cycle, The Collective PAC contributed over approximately $700,000 to help elect our candidates through direct contributions to their campaigns. We also bundled over $333,823 for federal and statewide candidates from tens of thousands of our members and donors. The direct investments made to these campaigns were able to help our candidates establish and grow their voter outreach and engagement initiatives. Additionally, we highlighted our endorsed candidates through our email and social media platforms and worked directly with many of our candidates on earned media outreach and revamping their social media efforts. 

In 2022, The Collective PAC organized 11 text banks with over 900 volunteers engaging in voter contact for some of our high priority races in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Ohio, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. Through these organizing efforts, we were able to reach over 3.1 million Black voters, encouraging them to use their power at the ballot box. 

 

January in Review

This past January we saw the historic inaugurations of Maryland’s first Black Governor, Wes Moore; Pennsylvania’s first Black Lieutenant Governor, Austin Davis; the first Black Attorneys General of Massachusetts and Maryland, Andrea Campbell and Anthony Brown, respectively; and Connectitut’s first Black State Treasurer, Erick Russel. January also saw the swearing in of the largest class of the Congressional Black Caucus in U.S. history

The Collective PAC collaborated with our partners from The Latino Victory Fund and AAPI Victory Fund to host the first-ever Tri-Caucus swearing-in and welcome reception for members of the 118th Congress on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. There were over 15 Members of Congress from the Black, Latinx, and AANHPI communities at the gathering. Several senior staff from the White House and U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge were also in attendance.

 

The Work Ahead

So far this cycle, The Collective PAC has endorsed Virginia State Senator Jennifer McClellan for Virginia’s 4th Congressional District in February’s upcoming special election to fill the seat of the late Representative Donald McEachin. If elected, Senator McClellan will become the first Black woman to represent the commonwealth of Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Our ultimate goal is to endorse at least 100 Black candidates running for state and local office in 2023, as we work to expand Black representation across all levels of government. Specifically, our priority states for statewide and state legislative races are: Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia. We will also focus on several mayoral races in key major cities across the country including Chicago, Denver, Houston and Philadelphia. When we have elected officials who reflect and respect the diversity of our communities, we have a government that is more effective and more responsive to the needs of their constituents. We know that the ripple effect of this election as it pertains to the prowess of Black candidates, will be felt for years to come.

 

ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE PAC 

The Collective PAC is working to create an America where Black people are equally represented at every level of government. The Collective PAC is strategically focused on creating a truly equitable democracy where our nation’s local, state, and federal governments have diverse and talented elected leadership and Black people are fully represented in positions of power to create the policies necessary to progress our communities forward. Over the past five years, The Collective PAC has successfully helped 423 Black candidates win elections across the United States.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Collective PAC – the nation’s largest political action committee dedicated to increasing Black political engagement, representation, and power across all levels of government – endorsed State Senator Jennifer McClellan for Virginia’s 4th Congressional District.

State Senator Jennifer McClellan is running to represent Virginia’s 4th Congressional District in the state’s special election on February 21, 2023. Senator McClellan formerly served in the House of Delegates for 11 years and has spent the last five years representing Virginia’s 9th Senate District. Senator McClellan serves as vice chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus and chair of the Virginia Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission. During Senator McClellan’s tenure in the Virginia’s state legislature, she passed the Reproductive Health Protection Act; expanded tenant rights and protections; and created a state-based health exchange under Obamacare. If elected, Senator McClellan will become the first Black woman to represent Virginia’s 4th Congressional District. 

Founders of The Collective PAC, Quentin James and Stefanie Brown James, released the following statement:

“The Collective PAC is proud to support State Senator Jennifer McClellan for election to Virginia’s 4th Congressional District. Senator McClellan has a proven track record of enacting progressive change for the Commonwealth – from passing landmark reproductive health and housing protections to tackling climate change and strengthening public education. 

“After 15 years as a legislator and leader, we believe Senator McClellan’s experience and passion will make her the best leader to represent Virginia in Congress. We know Senator McClellan will continue her legacy of delivering change as she campaigns to fill the seat of the late Representative Donald McEachin.”

 

 

ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE PAC 

The Collective PAC is working to create an America where Black people are equally represented at every level of government. The Collective is strategically focused on creating a truly equitable democracy where our nation’s local, state, and federal governments have diverse and talented elected leadership and Black people are fully represented in positions of power to create the policies necessary to progress our communities forward. Over the past five years, The Collective has successfully helped 423 Black candidates win elections across the United States.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, The Collective PAC — the nation’s largest political action committee dedicated to increasing Black political engagement, representation and power across all levels of government — is urging the Democratic National Committee to choose Nevada as the first Presidential Primary and to continue to defend South Carolina’s critical role as an early state and the first Southern state in the pre-window. The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee will vote on a new early states calendar for the presidential primary this weekend.

Founders of The Collective PAC, Quentin James and Stefanie Brown James, released the following statement:

“We know that our government is better and more responsive when we have a political process that reflects and respects the diversity of our communities. As Democrats aim to update the Presidential primary calendar, we need to continue to take steps forward that bring more Black voters into the process and build Black political power. That’s why Collective PAC is joining the call to urge the Democratic National Committee to make Nevada the First in the Nation nominating state and preserve South Carolina in the early window.

As a majority-minority state that prioritizes voting access for every community, Nevada better represents the diverse voices that make up the winning coalitions that have delivered Democratic success than New Hampshire or Iowa, two of the least diverse states in the entire nation. South Carolina has also demonstrated its worth as a seasoned and accessible early state representing the South that empowers presidential candidates with strong support from the Black community. Updating the Presidential primary calendar by uplifting states like Nevada and South Caroline is how we can increase equity and make our democracy more inclusive.”

Throughout the 2022 election cycle, The Collective PAC endorsed 252 candidates across the country and invested approximately $700,000 through direct contributions to those campaigns and bundled $333,823 for federal and statewide candidates — totaling over one million dollars. In addition to financial support, The Collective PAC organized 10 text banks for high priority races in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Ohio, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. Through these organizing efforts, volunteers contacted 2.6 million low-propensity Black voters (those who voted previously but did not vote in 2020 or 2018) to encourage them to turn out to the polls.

 

ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE PAC 

The Collective PAC is working to create an America where Black people are equally represented at every level of government. The Collective PAC is strategically focused on creating a truly equitable democracy where our nation’s local, state and federal governments have diverse and talented elected leadership and Black people are fully represented in positions of power to create the policies necessary to progress our communities forward. Over the past five years, The Collective PAC has successfully helped 422 Black candidates win elections across the United States.