Thank you for your interest in the Voter's Guide!
Below is the assessment of the 2018 Midterm Candidates with supplemental materials including the BLM questionnaire and all of the Candidate's responses.
To view BLM's "A Seat at the Table" click here
In September 2018, midterm candidates received a questionnaire covering issues vitally important to the black community’s health and well-being. Black Lives Matter has evaluated and rated each candidate’s responses for voters. We also considered participation in "A Seat at the Table: Midterm Candidate Discussions" and candidate backgrounds. Full responses from all candidates are available below. These scores are provided to voters for informational purposes. Black Lives Matter does NOT endorse specific candidates.
Assessment Breakdown
Candidates responses were evaluated based whether they showed a specific knowledge about issues of structural racism in our community, a clear interest in combating these structures, and self-awareness of the candidate’s own positionality with regard to race. These scores are provided to voters for informational purposes. Below are the value statements we used to determine our grades. A group of Core Council and BLM members judged candidates platforms, experience, questionnaire answers, and performance at "A Seat at the Table" to determine whether they "Strongly agreed," "Agreed," "Disagreed," "Strongly disagreed," or were "Neutral" about whether the candidates exemplified the following statements:
Voter's Guide
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Downloadable Voter's Guide:
| blmbtown-midtermvoterguide.pdf |
Quick Reference Voter's Guide to take to the polls:
| blmbtown-vgquickguide.pdf |
BLM's Questionnaire & Candidate Responses
We sent out the questionnaire below to candidates, and have included their responses, edited to fit our formatting style. The responses are included in a pdf below.
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Candidate Responses:
| midtermquestionnaireresponses.pdf |
Statement on participating candidates
We want to thank all of the candidates who participated in our questionnaire, and especially those who attended "A Seat at the Table." In particular, we'd like to acknowledge the members of the Republican party who attended and/or supported our event, because they showed when many other members of their party stayed home. We'd also like to extend a special thank you to any candidates who advertised their participation in any way. We understand that these were difficult conversations at times, and we want to acknowledge the dedication and fortitude of all of the candidates who saw the process through to the end.
Statements on non-participating candidates
Did Not Reply:
BLM’s “A Seat at the Table” and Voter’s Guide are revolutionary means of advocating for our community. Candidates espousing inclusionary beliefs and policies were particularly obligated to engage and listen to the concerns of all community members. Those who did not reply displayed a disregard for marginalized voters and the community at large.
Mike Braun, Trey Hollingsworth, Jeff Ellington, Brad Swain, Larry Barker, Eric Spoonmore, Marty Hawk, Peggy Mayfield
Replied But Declined:
While BLM appreciates receiving the responses from candidates who declined to participate, we would hope that, in the future, they will fully engage by attending events sponsored by people of color and answering questions related to issues affecting marginalized groups.
Joe Donnelly, Amy Swain, Judith Sharp, Connie Lawson
Our statement on Trey Hollingsworth:
Though Trey Hollingsworth did not respond to our invitations, we nevertheless feel it is important to mention that #BLM strongly opposes his positions on immigration, healthcare, women’s reproductive rights, and firearm regulations.
Our statement on Jacob Franklin:
Jacob Franklin, candidate for County Clerk, withdrew his confirmed participation in "A Seat at the Table" days before the event. He then used an immaterial statement made at the event by County Clerk Nicole Browne as the basis for a smear campaign against a woman of color that BLM adamantly denounces.
You can find the original statement on our Facebook page.
BLM’s “A Seat at the Table” and Voter’s Guide are revolutionary means of advocating for our community. Candidates espousing inclusionary beliefs and policies were particularly obligated to engage and listen to the concerns of all community members. Those who did not reply displayed a disregard for marginalized voters and the community at large.
Mike Braun, Trey Hollingsworth, Jeff Ellington, Brad Swain, Larry Barker, Eric Spoonmore, Marty Hawk, Peggy Mayfield
Replied But Declined:
While BLM appreciates receiving the responses from candidates who declined to participate, we would hope that, in the future, they will fully engage by attending events sponsored by people of color and answering questions related to issues affecting marginalized groups.
Joe Donnelly, Amy Swain, Judith Sharp, Connie Lawson
Our statement on Trey Hollingsworth:
Though Trey Hollingsworth did not respond to our invitations, we nevertheless feel it is important to mention that #BLM strongly opposes his positions on immigration, healthcare, women’s reproductive rights, and firearm regulations.
Our statement on Jacob Franklin:
Jacob Franklin, candidate for County Clerk, withdrew his confirmed participation in "A Seat at the Table" days before the event. He then used an immaterial statement made at the event by County Clerk Nicole Browne as the basis for a smear campaign against a woman of color that BLM adamantly denounces.
You can find the original statement on our Facebook page.
