Pennsylvania Voice is a left-of-center advocacy nonprofit and the Pennsylvania state affiliate of State Voices, a network of left-of-center groups that has created a voter mobilization infrastructure for liberal candidates running for public office in key battleground states. ¹ Pennsylvania Voice² and its census-focused campaign, Keystone Counts, were also coalitions of left-leaning organizations. ³ It received grants from State Voices⁴ and the Hopewell Fund, part of a “dark money” network under Arabella Advisors. ⁵

Background

Pennsylvania Voice Members

Pennsylvania Voice is a network of over 35 members that “share a vision of full participation and representation in our democracy of the New American Majority—people of color, young people (under 34), and single women.” ⁶ The Pennsylvania Voices alliance include left-leaning groups like the Movement Alliance Project, Make the Road Pennsylvania, CASA, Black Voters Matter, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) Philadelphia, and the Alliance for Climate Education. ⁷

Pennsylvania Voice Network Open Letter

Pennsylvania Voice and 21 of its partners authored an open letter to the Democratic National Committee and the Biden-Harris Campaign. The groups claimed, “Black, Indigenous, Latinx and Asian American voters paved the path to victory for Biden. It’s clear that our voting power is what made this election possible.” The letter demands that the new administration remember who elected them while making funding and policy decisions. It stated, “From the U.S. to Brazil, from Nigeria to Mali, we are part of a global movement fighting to dismantle the systems, policies and practices rooted in anti-Blackness.” The letter concluded that they are leading their own liberation and are united on “climate justice,” “economic justice,” police and criminal justice reform, and LGBT, voting, and immigrant rights. ⁸

Keystone Counts

Keystone Counts was a campaign of Pennsylvania Voice created for the purpose of growing census participation. It was a coalition of organizations that represented communities in the state of Pennsylvania. ¹⁰

Leadership

Salewa Ogunmefun was the executive director of Pennsylvania Voice. Her background is in collective liberation, a movement to dismantle alleged systemic racism and sexism. She previously worked at the left-leaning Center for Popular Democracy, One Pennsylvania, and Field Strategies. ¹¹

During the 2020 election she said, “poll workers in various places throughout the state, they were asking for IDs and we heard from voters that it made a lot of people uncomfortable.” Ogunmefun was the planner for a protest against the repeal of Obamacare, where 1,000 people conducted a “die in” representing the alleged casualties that will die because of losing healthcare. ¹²

1. Ludwig, Hayden, and Kevin Mooney. “Plans to Flip Pennsylvania: Gerrymandering Pennsylvania.” Capital Research Center. Capital Research Center, March 23, 2020. Accessed March 27, 2021 https://capitalresearch.org/article/plans-to-flip-pennsylvania-part-3/
2. “Open Letter.” Pennsylvania Voice, 2020. Accessed March 27, 2021 https://www.pennsylvaniavoice.org/open-letter
3. “About Us.” Keystone Counts, 2020. Accessed March 27, 2021 https://www.keystonecounts.org/about-keystone-counts
4. Ludwig, Hayden, and Kevin Mooney. “Plans to Flip Pennsylvania: Gerrymandering Pennsylvania.” Capital Research Center. Capital Research Center, March 23, 2020. Accessed March 27, 2021 https://capitalresearch.org/article/plans-to-flip-pennsylvania-part-3/
5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990) (multiple). Hopewell Fund. 2018-2019. Schedule I
6. “PA Voice, 2020 Census ·.” YOLKWORKS, 2020. Accessed March 27, 2021 https://yolkworks.com/portfolio/pa-voice-2020-census/
7. “Open Letter.” Pennsylvania Voice, 2020. Accessed March 27, 2021 https://www.pennsylvaniavoice.org/open-letter
8. “Open Letter.” Pennsylvania Voice, 2020. Accessed March 27, 2021 https://www.pennsylvaniavoice.org/open-letter
10. “About Us.” Keystone Counts, 2020. Accessed March 27, 2021⁹“About Us.” Keystone Counts, 2020. Accessed March 27, 2021 https://www.keystonecounts.org/about-keystone-counts
11. Casey, Erin, and Kati Sipp. “Introducing Our New Executive Director, A. Salewa Ogunmefun.” Pennsylvania Voice, 2020. Accessed March 27, 2021 https://www.pennsylvaniavoice.org/new-executive-director-announcement
12. Przybyla, Heidi M. “Here’s What Women Who Oppose Trump Are Doing Now to Fight His Agenda.” USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network, January 26, 2017. Accessed March 27, 2021 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/26/womens-march-could-lead-bigger-movement-than-tea-party/97045170