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SoCal Blue

Website:

www.socalblue.org
Type:

Electoral Advocacy Group
Founded:

2017

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SoCal Blue is a website which promotes events and campaigns organized by left-of-center activist groups in southern California. The site features a calendar of ongoing and upcoming actions, accepting submissions from a broad range of organizations, as well as from individuals. SoCal Blue coordinates its activities with a variety of local- and state-level left-of-center groups, including the California Democratic Party, and has two partner organizations – NorCal Blue and CVCal Blue – which operate in northern California and the Central Valley region, respectively. The site was launched in 2017. 1

One of the site’s primary lines of effort in 2022 has been maintaining the Democratic majority in Congress by promoting activism campaigns to hold on to contested Democratic districts in California and unseat representatives in the state’s Republican-leaning districts. The site has promoted campaigns supporting abortion and also features an endorsement of the left-of-center Black Lives Matter movement. 2 3 In addition, SoCal Blue is part of the pressure campaign to expand the Supreme Court with more left-of-center justices. 4

Endorsed Campaigns and Partner Organizations

Field Team 6 is an activist group which pushes Democratic Party supporters to register to vote. It also promotes same-sex and transgender causes: in July 2022, the group promoted no fewer than three events featuring so-called “drag queens” – men who put on sexually suggestive performances while wearing exaggerated feminine makeup and clothing – and featured an endorsement from the LGBT publication Queerty. Field Team 6 claims that its voter registration campaigns will “save the world.” 5 In July 2022, following the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade and returning the right to restrict abortion to states, SoCal Blue partnered with California activist group Field Team 6 to recruit volunteers for a texting campaign which targeted likely Democratic voters in Wisconsin. 6

Generation Blue is another Democratic voter registration initiative. It partners with many of the same organizations as SoCal Blue, as well as the LGBT activist group PFLAG, which maintains close ties to the Democratic Party and pushes to include LGBT status in anti-discrimination laws. 7

The Forward California Action Fund is an offshoot of SoCal Blue which aims to increase Democratic voter turnout in the state and provide them with guides to upcoming elections and candidates. The fund also endorses a variety of left-of-center causes related to race, environmentalism, and redistribution of wealth. 8

Indivisible South Bay Los Angeles (ISBLA) is a local chapter of Swing Left, a political action committee which is aligned with the Democratic Party. Swing Left connects left-of-center activists with information on elections, training programs, and interactive seminars. ISBLA also partners with groups such as Field Team 6 and Generation Blue. 9

SoCal Blue works with local Democratic Party organizations across the state. In April 2022, the organization collaborated with the Santa Clarita County Democrats on mobilizing activists to campaign against U.S. Representative Mike Garcia (R-CA). At an event which mandated proof of COVID-19 vaccination, including booster shots, the groups gathered volunteers for knocking on doors and writing postcards. 10

Social Media Presence

SoCal Blue maintains an active Twitter presence, promoting its own campaigns, those of affiliated organizations, as well as general left-of-center content. The site’s Twitter account has reposted claims that Republican politicians “want to overthrow our democracy” and that abortion should be legalized at the federal level by Congress. In July 2022, SoCal Blue called for the Supreme Court to be expanded to 13 justices in order to grant more representation to left-of-center interests. 11

References

  1. “Welcome to SocalBlue.org.” SoCal Blue. Accessed July 10, 2022. https://socalblue.org/about
  2. “Abortion Rights Text Arcade To Women In Wisconsin.” SoCal Blue. July 15, 2022. Accessed July 10, 2022. https://socalblue.org/event/abortion-rights-text-arcade-to-women-in-wisconsin
  3. “SoCal Blue Volunteer Calendar.” SoCal Blue. Accessed July 10, 2022. https://socalblue.org/
  4. SoCalBlue. Twitter. Accessed July 10, 2022. https://twitter.com/Blue4Ca
  5. “Mission.” Field Team 6. Accessed July 10, 2022. https://www.fieldteam6.org/mission
  6. “Abortion Rights Text Arcade To Women In Wisconsin.” SoCal Blue. July 15, 2022. Accessed July 10, 2022. https://socalblue.org/event/abortion-rights-text-arcade-to-women-in-wisconsin
  7. “Resources.” Generation Blue. Accessed July 10, 2022. https://www.generationbluepf.com/resources
  8. Forward California Action Fund. Accessed July 10, 2022. https://www.forwardcalifornia.org/
  9. “Electoral Activities.” Indivisible South Bay LA. Accessed July 10, 2022. https://indivisiblesouthbay.com/electoral-activities/
  10. CA-27 Day of Action.” Santa Clarita Valley Democrats. April 16, 2022. Accessed July 10, 2022. https://santaclaritavalleydemocrats.com/event/ca-27-day-of-action/
  11. SoCalBlue. Twitter. Accessed July 10, 2022. https://twitter.com/Blue4Ca
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