ONE Student ONE Vote
As you know, Election Day was yesterday, and we saw many changes in our government. We witnessed the House of Representatives change from Democratic to Republican control with a net win of 60 Republican seats.* The Congress also has a smaller Democratic majority in the Senate with Republican pick ups in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Arkansas and Pennsylvania. We are still waiting for the results of Senate races in Alaska, Colorado and Washington State. Regardless of the outcomes in those races, when Congress returns for the 112th Congress, the government will be divided by party.
ONE Vote 2010 organizers attended the victory parties last night, congratulating the senator elects and letting them know that we look forward to working with them on our issues in Washington. Because of the work that our members, volunteers and organizers did over the last four months on the campaign trail, ONE has created solid relationships with many incoming senators in the new Congress. We have always worked in a bipartisan manner, and the upcoming Congress will be no different. We welcome the new representatives and senators and look forward to working with them to make sure that the world’s poorest people have a voice in Congress.
*13 House races have not yet been called.
ONE is hitting the campaign trail to find out where candidates stand on extreme poverty. Stay tuned for more updates like these from our field team and organizers on the road.
![DSC00229[1]](http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1363/5140993390_9edbe849ba.jpg)
As soon as we got into the gym at Nashua Community College in New Hampshire, we got right up to the front row of the general seating section — dead center — so that former President Bill Clinton could see our ONE shirts. After a few quick speeches, Pres. Clinton came out and started his speech by talking about the phone call he had with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton the night before, and how she was visiting an AIDS orphanage in Cambodia that the Clinton Foundation had set up. He went on to talk about his own recent efforts in Haiti to help stop the deadly cholera outbreak.
Later on in his speech, he gave great credit to former President George W. Bush for starting PEPFAR, which he said was saving millions of lives around the world from HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. As ONE members, we were proud to hear him talk about America’s leading role in the fight against global disease and extreme poverty, and the bipartisan credit and support that he gave to PEPFAR.
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ONE is hitting the campaign trail to find out where candidates stand on extreme poverty. Stay tuned for more updates like these from our field team and organizers on the road.
Tom Leary and Sen. Whitehouse
On Friday, New Hampshire ONE member Tom Leary pulled a double shift for ONE and the world’s poorest people. In the morning, he went to Salem and spoke with former Governor Mitt Romney and thanked him for his past ideas and thoughts for the world’s poorest people.
Then, Friday night in Manchester, Tom attended a rally for US Senate candidate Rep. Paul Hodes , who was joined by former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.
Tom told me that as soon as Gov. Kaine saw him, he instantly pointed him out in his ONE shirt and let him know what a great job ONE has done to mobilize people all across America in urging continued leadership in the fight against AIDS and poverty in Africa.
Tom told me that after Sen. Whitehouse addressed the crowd, he left without getting a chance to talk with him. But that did not stop Tom on his double shift for ONE. He managed to catch up with Sen. Whitehouse in the parking lot and thanked him for his hard work around the international affairs budget earlier this year.
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Nov 1st, 2010 6:00 PM UTC
By Field
ONE is hitting the campaign trail to find out where candidates stand on extreme poverty. Stay tuned for more updates like this one from our field team and organizers on the road.
Beth talks to Gov. Christie as he puts on a ONE band
Last Friday, I attended a GOP rally in Lebanon, Ohio with appearances by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour. I had the chance to talk and give a ONE band to Gov. Pawlenty, who immediately recognized my shirt and shook my hand. I told him “I know you’ve seen us out on the trail before,” and he said he has seen ONE across the country, and said we are doing great work!
Then, I spoke with Gov. Christie, who also knew about ONE and went on to compliment our efforts, too. I even spotted two staffers wearing ONE bands, and one of them told me he hasn’t taken his ONE band off in two years!
Saturday and Sunday, three ONE members and I attended a couple of events with Congressman and Minority Leader of the House, John Boehner. We were able to catch up with him on Sunday and told him how President Bush was historic in starting programs like PEPFAR and supporting the Global Fund. We told him that we hope that he will continue leadership on ONE’s critical life-saving issues. He told us that he was very familiar with ONE and took a ONE band from us!
Tomorrow is Election Day! Be sure to join us on Facebook and Twitter for frequent updates.
-Beth Kaltenbach, ONE Vote 2010 Organizer, Ohio
ONE is hitting the campaign trail to find out where candidates stand on extreme poverty. Stay tuned for more updates like these from our field team and organizers on the road.
ONE members Matt, Angie and Matt with Kelly Ayotte and Sen. Scott Brown
Friday night was Trick or Treat night in Concord, N.H., and Main Street was closed off for kids (and adults) who were dressed up for the spooky holiday.
I made my way down the street with a few ONE members who were decked out in their own costumes: ONE shirts. We ran into US Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte and Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown who were talking with Granite State voters as they campaigned in Concord. Kelly Ayotte immediately recognized us and we thanked her for her time with ONE members all across New Hampshire. And Sen. Brown said that he too knew about ONE and mentioned seeing ONE and ONE members on Capitol Hill last month! I told him about our efforts to save lives in Africa, and told him how I met his daughter Ayla Brown when she performed a concert in Manchester, N.H., this past summer.
Both Kelly Ayotte and Sen. Brown took time to get a photo with us in our ONE shirts before making their way down the street.
Be sure to connect with other ONE Vote 2010 New Hampshire members on Facebook and Twitter.
ONE is hitting the campaign trail to find out where candidates stand on extreme poverty. Stay tuned for more updates like these from our field team and organizers on the road.
Philadelphia Mayor Nutter with his ONE band
As the clock ticks closer to Election Day, ONE member Barb Barrar was out on the trail engaging US Senate candidates all weekend! On Saturday, Barb attended a rally for Pennsylvania Senate candidate Rep. Joe Sestak, featuring President Obama. While she wasn’t able to catch the President, she did speak with the congressman and reminded him of the work ONE is doing to fight extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.
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ONE is hitting the campaign trail to find out where candidates stand on extreme poverty. Stay tuned for more updates like these from our field team and organizers on the road.
CDL Barb Barrar with ONE members and Rep. Sestak
Last night, at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa., ONE members attended a rally with Representative Joe Sestak featuring former President Bill Clinton. In their brief engagements with the former president and congressman, our members were sure to underscore the importance of continued bipartisan US leadership that has now saved more than 5 million lives in some of the poorest places on earth. They also took the opportunity to thank President Clinton for all his work to help save lives in Africa and Haiti.
ONE member Barb Barrar also made clear to Rep. Sestak that right now, more than ever, the next senator from Pennsylvania needs to understand that saving lives in Africa is a moral priority and helps foster a safer and more secure world. As the final hours of this campaign season wind down, I encourage all ONE members to be active at campaign events between now and Election Day.
With only a few days left, your voice with ONE is more important than ever as we continue the fight against extreme poverty. Urgent action will be needed after the election, so stay tuned to the ONE Blog.
Please visit our Mid-Atlantic Region Facebook group and follow ONE Regional Field Director Brian Sweeney on Twitter.
