Thursday, March 23, the Oakmont Democrat Club is excited to welcome inspiring young national political leader, Lala Wu at East Rec (7902 Oakmont Dr). At 6:30PM there will be a social followed by the program at 7PM. BYOB. Please bring appetizers to share. Lala will give a brief overview of what Sister District does, its impact, and ongoing plans for defending democracy in our country.
Join on Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88269799410?pwd=OUlnQWJPWjlhQXowMUMxSHdYazBCZz09
Meeting ID: 882 6979 9410
Passcode: 909402
States are the laboratories of democracy, where the rubber hits the road on every issue: voting rights, reproductive justice, climate change, and more. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe in 2022, voters and activists are waking up to the generally less understood, but incredible power of state legislatures.
Founded 2016, Sister District’s builds sustained progressive power in state legislatures across the country by filling critical gaps at every point in the political life cycle. Sister District “sisters” people like us from deep blue districts with carefully targeted races in swing districts, where changing the state legislature will advance progressive policy. State-level candidates are often badly under-resourced, and elections can be decided by a few hundred votes – or less. Sister District welcomes volunteers and candidates of all genders.
Lala will explain how Sister District’s programs, including their more than 70,000 volunteers, their research, national partnerships, and strategic support initiatives have had major impact in just 6 years – and the foundation they’re building for enduring progress. Lala developed strategic partnerships with national organizations such as the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, EMILY’s List, Human Rights Campaign, Vote Save America, and more. Find out why there are no off years in elections, and how we can have impact!
Sister District has grown to over 70,000 volunteers across the country. Their volunteers have raised over $5.7 million in small-dollar donations directly to candidates, and reached out to over 4 million voters via phones, doors, postcards, and texts.
For many, the 2016 presidential election was a wake-up call. For Wu, a practicing lawyer at the time, it inspired a complete career turnaround. “The next morning, I committed to making civic engagement a major part of my life and looked for a volunteer opportunity to sink my teeth into,” said Wu. “I had no idea it was the first step in creating a national movement that is now staffed with 16 full time employees supported by thousands of dedicated volunteers.” Wu majored in urban studies at Barnard, with a concentration in political science, and minored in economics. After graduating from Berkeley Law in 2011, Lala clerked for federal judges in the Northern District of California and the District of Massachusetts. She turned her lifelong appreciation for the outdoors into a career in environmental law, helping clients navigate the legal channels for clean-energy projects.
Lala serves on the Boards of the AAPI Victory Alliance, Emerging Voters, and TogetherSF, and the Advisory Board of Asian American Women’s Political Initiative.