Dear Supporters of Equality,
Tonight was a great victory for Iowans and for the fair-minded majority! Liz Mathis has won the special election in Senate District 18 with 56% of the vote, edging out her opponent Cindy Golding and ensuring that the pro-equality majority in our state Senate is safe.
The majority of Senate District 18 Iowans support a candidate who will fight for the issues that will help move our state forward. One Iowa played an instrumental role in this victory and we are proud to work with Liz on her victory. Since the special election was announced, we identified nearly 1,000 marriage supporters in the district, logged almost 900 volunteer hours, signed up over 250 pro-equality voters to vote early, and made more than 12,000 phone calls to voters in the district.
This was a huge task and we knew from the beginning that this would be a tough race. Thank you to our amazing volunteers, supporters, and allies who made this possible. We could not have done this without you!
Though tonight is a time for celebration, we must not forget that our fight is far from over. During the last legislative session, we saw several attempts to undermine marriage equality. We can expect these fights to only intensify during the coming legislative session. And as we saw during this election, the National Organization for Marriage is still intent on taking away the rights of loving, committed gay and lesbian couples. They have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to take away the freedom to marry in Iowa. They will become more and more visible in the coming year, and we must do our best to match them dollar for dollar.
Session is only two short months away. We know you have helped so much, but will you help us again? Donate today to help ensure we can support Sen. Mathis and the fair-minded majority stand up for gay and lesbian Iowans.
We look forward to working with Senator Mathis in the coming months and years. While this is a victory today, we know that our work is far from over and with the support of fair-minded Iowans throughout the state, I am confident that we can keep equality safe in the heartland.
My heartfelt gratitude,
Troy Price, One Iowa Executive Director
