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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260506T183000
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UID:63401-1778092200-1778095800@bigtentusa.org
SUMMARY:Securing the States: Protecting Our Vote
DESCRIPTION:Democracy isn’t defending itself—and this conversation made clear that the frontlines run straight through the states. \nOn May 6\, BigTentUSA hosted a powerful discussion moderated by Joanna Lydgate of States United Action. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and New Mexico’s Doña Ana County Clerk Amanda López Askin laid out the growing threats to free and fair elections—and the leaders fighting back. \nThe speakers warned that attacks on election workers\, misinformation campaigns\, voter intimidation\, and efforts to undermine public trust are already shaping the road to 2028. But they also emphasized that coordinated state-level leadership defeated attempts to overturn the 2020 election and can do so again. From protecting vote-by-mail access to preventing intimidation at polling sites\, both leaders stressed the importance of proactive safeguards and community engagement. \nThe message was unmistakable: volunteer to serve as a poll worker\, support trusted local election officials\, and stay engaged year-round—because protecting democracy starts long before Election Day. \n  \nABOUT THE SPEAKERS: \nAmanda López Askin is a public servant rooted in New Mexico\, raised in Las Cruces by a hardworking single mother who relied on assistance and public housing. She became a therapist\, helping children in foster care\, before serving as Doña Ana County Clerk. In that role\, she leads with fairness and compassion\, ensuring election integrity while combating misinformation and protecting election workers. Now running for Secretary of State\, Amanda is focused on keeping elections safe and secure\, expanding voter access and education\, increasing campaign finance transparency\, and supporting small businesses by streamlining licensing processes across the state. \nJocelyn Benson is Michigan’s 43rd Secretary of State and a Democratic candidate for governor. Raised in a working-class family by two special education teachers\, she was shaped by values of hard work\, opportunity\, and service. Since 2019\, she has transformed Michigan’s motor vehicle services\, improving efficiency with 150+ convenient self-service stations\, while strengthening election security and access. In the face of threats to both herself and her colleagues\, she oversaw two of the highest-turnout\, transparent elections in state history. Benson is running for governor to expand efficient\, accessible public services\, lower costs for working families\, and invest in education\, housing\, child care\, health care\, and economic development for all. \nJoanna Lydgate is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the States United Democracy Center and States United Action\, nonpartisan organizations dedicated to preserving the rule of law and free\, fair\, secure elections. Since 2020\, States United has provided legal\, research\, policy\, and communications support to state officials. Before launching States United\, Joanna served as Chief Deputy Attorney General of Massachusetts. In that role\, she coordinated multi-state litigation and worked with a bipartisan team of colleagues from across the country to uphold shared values\, protect civil liberties\, and defend the rule of law. She also oversaw criminal enforcement\, coordinating daily with local\, state\, and federal law enforcement partners. Joanna has served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office\, was a law clerk to Judge Norman H. Stahl on the First Circuit Court of Appeals\, and worked in nonprofit legal services in New York City. She is a graduate of Yale University and the University of California\, Berkeley\, School of Law.
URL:https://bigtentusa.org/event/securing-the-states/
LOCATION:BigTent Zoom Room
CATEGORIES:BigTent Spotlight Speaker Series,BigTent Events,Preserving Democracy
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://bigtentusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Recap_Lopez-Askin_Benson_Lydgate.webp
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260514T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260514T200000
DTSTAMP:20260528T211508Z
CREATED:20260506T152501Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260528T211508Z
UID:63427-1778785200-1778788800@bigtentusa.org
SUMMARY:Power & Representation: The Post-Callais Fight
DESCRIPTION:Democracy is under attack—and this conversation made clear that the fight for voting rights is entering a dangerous new phase. \nOn Thursday May 14\, Lauren Groh-Wargo\, CEO of Fair Fight\, and Tennessee State Rep. Justin Pearson joined BigTentUSA’s urgent discussion on the fallout from Louisiana v. Callais. Groh-Wargo and Pearson sounded the alarm on escalating efforts to dismantle fair representation across the South. From racial gerrymandering and attacks on Black voting power to coordinated pushes for partisan redistricting\, the speakers warned that extremist lawmakers are testing how far they can weaken democracy—and counting on people to tune out. The conversation highlighted mounting threats in states like Georgia\, Tennessee\, Mississippi\, and Louisiana\, while emphasizing that courts alone will not stop the damage. Instead\, organizers urged attendees to focus on turnout\, state supreme court races\, grassroots organizing\, and sustained public pressure. \nFolks\, the time to organize\, mobilize\, and fight back is now. \nSpeakers’ Recommended Actions: \n\nPush back hard against voter suppression\, racist gerrymandering\, and attacks on democracy by calling them out publicly and keeping the pressure on.\nBuild bigger\, stronger coalitions by bringing together community groups\, workers\, young people\, businesses\, and pro-democracy allies.\nReach more voters—including people who feel disconnected from politics—through year-round grassroots organizing and community outreach.\nFocus on turnout in the 2026 midterms and key state and local races that will shape voting rights and representation.\nSupport local organizers and stay involved beyond election season through advocacy\, education\, and community action.\n\n  \nABOUT THE SPEAKERS: \nLauren Groh-Wargo is a political and civic engagement strategist\, executive\, and advocate for economic and voting rights. She partnered with Stacey Abrams in 2012 to build Democratic and progressive infrastructure in Georgia\, and in response to 2018 voter suppression\, founded and serves as CEO of Fair Fight Action\, which combats suppression and advances voter education. Fair Fight played a key role in the 2020 election and 2021 Georgia runoff. An organizer at heart\, Lauren has led campaigns and advised nonprofits nationally for over 20 years. She holds an Economics degree from American University and lives in Atlanta with her partner and son. \nRep. Justin J. Pearson launched his campaign for Tennessee’s Ninth Congressional District on October 8\, 2025\, declaring it “a campaign for The People.” A movement leader and Tennessee lawmaker\, he rose to national prominence as part of the Tennessee Three\, standing up for gun reform and being overwhelmingly reelected after expulsion. A lifelong organizer\, he helped lead the victorious Byhalia Pipeline fight\, shut down a cancer-causing sterilization plant\, and now challenges Elon Musk’s xAI data center. The second-youngest state legislator\, Pearson is a national voice for justice\, honored with the Truman Center’s 2024 Moral Courage Award. He’s running to bring that fight to Congress. Pearson is married to his partner in life and the struggle for justice Oceana R. Gilliam-Pearson.
URL:https://bigtentusa.org/event/the-post-callais-fight/
LOCATION:BigTent Zoom Room
CATEGORIES:BigTent Spotlight Speaker Series,BigTent Events,Preserving Democracy
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://bigtentusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Recap_Fair-Fight-Action_Justin-Pearson.png
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260526T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260526T140000
DTSTAMP:20260528T172921Z
CREATED:20260519T202954Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260528T172921Z
UID:63870-1779800400-1779804000@bigtentusa.org
SUMMARY:Tar Heel Turnout: The Fight for North Carolina’s Future
DESCRIPTION:On May 26\, BigTentUSA hosted a virtual conversation with North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton and North Carolina Supreme Court Justices Anita Earls and Allison Riggs on the political and legal battles shaping North Carolina’s future. The speakers discussed ongoing challenges facing election officials and voting rights advocates as court fights over redistricting\, election certification\, and ballot access continue across the state. They also highlighted efforts to create obstacles on election day\, including reports of military veterans being removed from voter rolls after registering with military IDs — a major concern in a state with one of the country’s largest veteran populations. \nJustice Riggs shared her experience defending her election victory through a lengthy legal battle and explained that the North Carolina Democratic Party only recently finished paying the associated legal fees. She noted that the fight led to new protections designed to prevent similar challenges in future races. \nAnderson Clayton called for aggressive grassroots organizing to energize voters around critical down-ballot races\, stressing that canvassing\, phone banking\, and text banking remain some of the most effective tools for building momentum. She also argued that a Democratic majority in North Carolina is closer than many believe with sustained investment\, organizing\, and strong voter turnout. \nAs the 2026 elections approach\, the panel made one thing clear: the outcome will depend on who is willing to organize\, mobilize\, and fight for every vote. \n  \nABOUT THE SPEAKERS: \nJustice Anita Earls is an Associate Justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court and a longtime civil rights attorney with over 30 years of experience in voting rights\, school desegregation\, and employment discrimination cases. She founded the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and has held key roles at the U.S. Department of Justice\, UNC Law School\, and multiple state commissions focused on equity and justice. A graduate of Williams College and Yale Law School\, she continues to write\, teach\, and advocate for racial and social justice. \nJustice Allison Riggs was elected by North Carolinians to keep her seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court in November 2024\, but that win took 6 months of post-election litigation to defend. \nShe is the youngest woman to ever serve on the North Carolina Supreme Court\, and the only judge of child-bearing age currently serving. Justice Riggs brings an important perspective to the Court and works every day to protect the independence of our judiciary. \nShe was previously appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to the State Supreme Court before winning her full-term\, and the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Before serving as a judge\, Justice Riggs worked for 14 years as a civil rights attorney\, fighting to protect North Carolinians’ freedoms\, including the right to vote. She argued twice before the U.S. Supreme Court in several benchmark redistricting cases. \nAnderson Clayton serves as the current chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party. Elected at 25 years old\, Anderson Clayton is the youngest chair of a state Democratic Party. Chair Clayton grew up in Roxboro\, North Carolina and graduated from Appalachian State University. She worked on Congresswoman Kathy Manning’s congressional campaign\, as a field organizer in Iowa for the presidential campaigns of Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren\, and then for Amy McGrath’s Senate campaign. Prior to her election as Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party\, Chair Clayton served as a chair of the Person County Democratic Party\, her hometown county. Chair Clayton resides in Roxboro\, NC.
URL:https://bigtentusa.org/event/tar-heel-turnout/
LOCATION:BigTent Zoom Room
CATEGORIES:BigTent Spotlight Speaker Series,BigTent Events,Preserving Democracy
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://bigtentusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Recap_Clayton_Earls_Riggs.webp
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