Logo for InfluenceWatch InfluenceWatch

Donate
Political Party/527

Democratic Association of Secretaries of State (DASS)

Website:

demsofstate.org
Location:

Washington, DC
Tax ID:

26-3853861
Type:

527

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

Democratic Association of Secretaries of State (DASS) is a Democratic Party-affiliated committee that engages in fundraising for and training Democratic candidates for secretary of state races. 1

The Democratic Association of Secretaries of State has received contributions from numerous labor organizations that align with the Democratic Party, including the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW),  and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). 2 3

Activities

The Democratic Association of Secretaries of State (DASS) is a committee of the Democratic Party. 4 The organization retains full-time staff and includes Democratic secretaries of state who lead and operate the organization. 5

The association fundraises for and operates Safe Accessible Fair Elections (SAFE), a left-of-center PAC that runs political advertisement campaigns for left-leaning secretary of state candidates. 6 DASS dedicates funds raised towards coordinated campaign efforts of state Democratic parties, as well as the candidates. 7 In the 2022 election cycle, the committee organized the “largest-ever TV ad campaign, booking $11,000,000 worth of TV ads across three critical battleground states.” 8 In addition, the DASS partnered with End Citizens United, another PAC aligned with Democrats, in the battleground states of Michigan and Nevada. 9 The group developed a $25,000,000 program of digital ads, printed mailers, and canvassing. 10 Candidates supported by DASS won all but one election in which they campaigned in 2022. 11 12

Notable DASS victories in 2022 included Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D), Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar (D), Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D), and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon (D). 13 DASS also attempted to defeat Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) by dedicating resources to the campaign of Democratic candidate Bee Nguyen, but failed. 14 DASS prioritized spending on races where Republican candidates contested the results of the 2020 election. 15

Funding

In 2018, the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State contributed $24,000 to the Latino Victory Fund, a left-of-center PAC that backs campaigns of Latino candidates. 16

In 2021, DASS raised more than $4,500,000, the largest annual amount in its existence, to be spent on their 2022 election cycle programming. 17 $100,000 was donated by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Political, Education, and Action Fund. 18 $10,000 was donated by Bryan Finney, founder and CEO of Democracy Live, a voting technology firm. 19 The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) PAC Education Fund contributed $50,000. 20 Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) gave $100,000. 21 The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) donated $50,000. 22 In 2021 and 2022, DASS received $35,000 in contributions from ActBlue, a left-leaning fundraising organization. 23 24

People

Travis Brimm is the executive director for the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. 25 Brimm was campaign manager for the Senate campaigns of Cheri Beasley and Ben Ray Lujan, North Carolina state director for Biden for President, and a staffer for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). 26

Kim Rogers was the executive director for the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State and Every Eligible American. 27 Rogers is on the board of directors for the Alliance For Youth Action, a left-of-center youth voter turnout advocacy group. 28 She has staffed for several left-of-center voter turnout organizations, including Everybody Votes, NextGen Climate, Rock the Vote, and America Coming Together. 29  Rogers worked for labor unions as a manager for campaigns and elections with the National Education Association and as a political director for United Food and Commercial Workers. 30  She is a speaker and trainer for Netroots Nation, a convention of left-leaning bloggers and online activists. 31 Rogers campaigned for Democratic groups, including the Democratic Leadership Council and the Iowa Democratic Party. 32

On Twitter, Rogers has taken left-leaning positions on election and abortion policy proposals. Rogers tweeted that one political party “blocks reform at the federal level while passing voter suppression and election subversion at the state level.” 33 In the same tweet, Rogers called that party “anti-democracy.” 34 Rogers criticized audits of the 2020 election, tweeting that they were part of a “game plan to diminish democracy.” 35 She called those questioning the results of the 2020 election “shit-pedalers.” 36 She also tweeted in favor of abortion, writing, “Abortion gave us Fleetwood Mac.” 37

Semedrian Smith is the deputy executive director of DASS. 38

Christopher Guerrero was the executive director for DASS. 39 He also served as the Latino director for Ready PAC (Ready for Hillary) and as a staffer for Hillary Clinton for President. 40 Guerrero also worked for the California Democratic Party and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. 41

Ryan Jham is the communications director for DASS. 42 He worked for the 2020 presidential campaign of Tom Steyer as a strategic communications specialist, for the DCCC as a rapid response director, and for NextGen Climate as a researcher. 43

Kristopher Banks is the digital director for DASS. 44 He was the deputy director of digital organizing of the Human Rights Campaign, as well as a digital staffer for Biden for President, Hillary for America, Gretchen Whitmer for Governor, and the Virginia and Michigan Democratic Parties. 45 He also worked for the Michigan AFL-CIO. 46

References

  1. “About the Democratic Party.” Democrats.org. April 5, 2023. https://democrats.org/who-we-are/about-the-democratic-party/.
  2. “IRS Form.” Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://forms.irs.gov/app/pod/basicSearch/downloadFile?formId=128520&formType=e8872
  3. “IRS Form.” Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://forms.irs.gov/app/pod/basicSearch/downloadFile?formId=128520&formType=e8872
  4. “About the Democratic Party.” Democrats.org. April 5, 2023. https://democrats.org/who-we-are/about-the-democratic-party/.
  5.  “Democratic Association of Secretaries of State: DASS.” Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. January 31, 2023. https://demsofstate.org/.
  6. Duda, Jeremy. “National Democratic Group to Fund Pro-Fontes Campaign in Secretary of State Race.” Axios. September 29, 2022. https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2022/09/29/national-democrats-spend-big-arizona-support-adrian-fontes.
  7. Duda, Jeremy. “National Democratic Group to Fund Pro-Fontes Campaign in Secretary of State Race.” Axios. September 29, 2022. https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2022/09/29/national-democrats-spend-big-arizona-support-adrian-fontes.
  8. Montellaro, Zach. “Dems Light up Airwaves in Key Secretary of State Races.” POLITICO. September 27, 2022. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/27/democrats-in-key-secretary-of-state-races-00059106.
  9. Montellaro, Zach. “Dems Light up Airwaves in Key Secretary of State Races.” POLITICO. September 27, 2022. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/27/democrats-in-key-secretary-of-state-races-00059106
  10. [1] Montellaro, Zach. “Dems Light up Airwaves in Key Secretary of State Races.” POLITICO. September 27, 2022. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/27/democrats-in-key-secretary-of-state-races-00059106.
  11. Paz, Christian. “Democrats’ Quietly Effective Strategy for Defeating Election Deniers.” Vox. November 19, 2022. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23465033/democrats-secretary-of-state-strategy-election-deniers.
  12. Montellaro, Zach. “Dems Light up Airwaves in Key Secretary of State Races.” POLITICO. September 27, 2022. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/27/democrats-in-key-secretary-of-state-races-00059106.
  13. Paz, Christian. “Democrats’ Quietly Effective Strategy for Defeating Election Deniers.” Vox. November 19, 2022. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23465033/democrats-secretary-of-state-strategy-election-deniers.
  14. Montellaro, Zach. “Dems Light up Airwaves in Key Secretary of State Races.” POLITICO. September 27, 2022. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/27/democrats-in-key-secretary-of-state-races-00059106.
  15. Montellaro, Zach. “Dem Secretaries of State Tap Former Beasley Manager as New Committee Executive Director.” POLITICO. May 4, 2023. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/04/former-beasley-manager-as-new-committee-executive-director-00095200.
  16. “Browse Individual Contributions.” FEC.gov. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Democratic+Association+of+Secretaries+of+State.
  17. “Democratic Association of Secretaries of State Announces Best Fundraising Year Ever, Nearly Doubles 2020 Contributions.” Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. January 27, 2022. https://demsofstate.org/news/democratic-association-of-secretaries-of-state-announces-best-fundraising-year-ever-nearly-doubles-2020-contributions/.
  18. “IRS Form.” Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://forms.irs.gov/app/pod/basicSearch/downloadFile?formId=128520&formType=e8872.
  19. “IRS Form.” Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://forms.irs.gov/app/pod/basicSearch/downloadFile?formId=128520&formType=e8872
  20. “IRS Form.” Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://forms.irs.gov/app/pod/basicSearch/downloadFile?formId=128520&formType=e8872
  21. “IRS Form.” Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://forms.irs.gov/app/pod/basicSearch/downloadFile?formId=128520&formType=e8872
  22. “IRS Form.” Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://forms.irs.gov/app/pod/basicSearch/downloadFile?formId=128520&formType=e8872
  23. “IRS Form.” Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://forms.irs.gov/app/pod/basicSearch/downloadFile?formId=138904&formType=e8872
  24. “IRS Form.” Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://forms.irs.gov/app/pod/basicSearch/downloadFile?formId=128520&formType=e8872
  25. [1] “Democratic Association of Secretaries of State Announces Travis Brimm as New Executive Director.” Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. May 4, 2023. https://demsofstate.org/news/democratic-association-of-secretaries-of-state-announces-travis-brimm-as-new-executive-director/.
  26. “Travis Brimm – Executive Director – DASS.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-brimm-864b8851.
  27. “Kim Rogers.” Netroots Nation. Accessed May 18, 2023. https://www.netrootsnation.org/profile/kimrogers/.
  28. “Kim R.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 18, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimr0gers/.
  29. “Kim R.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 18, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimr0gers/.
  30. “Kim R.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 18, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimr0gers/.
  31. “Kim Rogers.” Netroots Nation. Accessed May 18, 2023. https://www.netrootsnation.org/profile/kimrogers/.
  32. “Kim R.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 18, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimr0gers/.
  33. Rogers, Kim. Twitter Post. January 19, 2022. 8:56 PM. https://twitter.com/kimrogers/status/1483996757776343041?s=20
  34. Rogers, Kim. Twitter Post. January 19, 2022. 8:56 PM. https://twitter.com/kimrogers/status/1483996757776343041?s=20
  35. Rogers, Kim. Twitter Post. June 10, 2021. 3:58 PM. https://twitter.com/kimrogers/status/1403094296329326597?s=20
  36. Rogers, Kim. Twitter Post. July 8, 2021. 8:21 AM. https://twitter.com/kimrogers/status/1413126182363672577?s=20
  37. Rogers, Kim. Twitter Post. October 15, 2020. 1:35 PM. https://twitter.com/kimrogers/status/1316809842028404739?s=20
  38. “Democratic Association of Secretaries of State on North Dakota Secretary of State Primary.” Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. June 16, 2022. https://demsofstate.org/news/democratic-association-of-secretaries-of-state-on-north-dakota-secretary-of-state-primary/.
  39. “Christopher Guerrero – Vice President – Collaborate.” Linkedin. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher1127.
  40. “Christopher Guerrero – Vice President – Collaborate.” Linkedin. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher1127.
  41. “Christopher Guerrero – Vice President – Collaborate.” Linkedin. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher1127.
  42. “IRS Form.” Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://forms.irs.gov/app/pod/basicSearch/downloadFile?formId=128520&formType=e8872
  43. “Organization of Tom Steyer 2020.” Organization of Tom Steyer 2020 – staff, advisors and supporters. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/steyer/steyerorg.html.
  44. “Kris D. Banks.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/.
  45. “Kris D. Banks.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/.
  46. Kris D. Banks.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/.
  See an error? Let us know!

Democratic Association of Secretaries of State (DASS)


Washington, DC