LGBTQ+ Chicagoans learned how they can influence key races in neighboring swing states during Q Force’s South Side kickoff event.
Q Force, a group that organizes LGBTQ+ people in Chicago to volunteer for Democrats across the Midwest, held its South Side event Sept. 21 at Bronzeville Winery, 4420 S. Cottage Grove Ave., where a few dozen people came out to learn how they can play a part in the Nov. 5 elections.
The event featured a range of community leaders, elected officials and down-ballot candidates in Michigan and Wisconsin, including Michigan House of Representatives candidate Austin Marsman and Wisconsin State Assembly candidate Angelina Cruz. They urged Chicagoans to make a difference this election by canvassing in those states or by supporting local phone-banking efforts.
“It is only when we organize that we have the capacity to make a difference,” said Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th Ward). “We can lose this election. … It’s a coin toss, but we can widen the margin every single minute when we’re getting folks registered to vote and committed to electing the first woman president.”
Q Force is also focused on down-ballot races, which are just as important this election cycle, said co-chair Jin-Soo Huh.
In Wisconsin, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and State Rep. Greta Neubauer are both up for reelection, and the State Assembly could flip if 62nd District candidate Cruz wins her race, Huh said. In Michigan, Marsman is running to flip the state’s 42nd District from red to blue.
“I’m very proud to share with you that Wisconsin is on the cusp of electing the nation’s largest block for LGBTQ+ lawmakers in the country, and that is what is going to flip the swing state I call home,” Cruz said.
Marsman, who has been endorsed by the Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Human Rights Campaign, said his race is tight, but Democrats are going all-in to flip the seat.
“Our legislative majority in the [Michigan] State House is slim,” Marsman said. “It’s going to come down to a couple hundred votes in like two precincts, which might include mine.”
Other speakers included Alds. Lamont Robinson (4th Ward) and Maria Hadden (49th Ward); U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly; Anna DeShawn, founder of E3 Radio; Rev. Don Abram, founder of Pride in the Pews; and Mike Lawson, president of the Loyola College Democrats.
The event followed Q Force’s North Side kickoff held in April at Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted St. Since then, the group has recruited about 1,200 people interested in volunteering this election cycle, which is ten times as many people who had signed up during Q Force’s 2020 efforts.
In 2020, Q Force focused on battleground areas in Michigan like Benton Harbor, where the group had about 100 volunteers canvassing on Election Day, said Greg O’Neill, a Q Force co-chair. Those efforts contributed to a 5% higher voter turnout than the previous three election cycles and three Democratic victories, which were won by just three votes.
“So if you don’t think that this type of activity means something, then think again, because we have proof positive,” O’Neill said.
Upcoming Q Force canvassing dates include:
- Sept. 28 in Benton Harbor, Michigan
- Oct. 5 in Racine, Wisconsin, and Saugatuck and Holland, Michigan
- Oct. 19 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Plainwell, Michigan
- Nov. 2 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Anyone interested in canvassing should sign up on Q Force’s website. Transportation is available to those without a ride.