Common Sense Action is in the process of merging with Run for America. The two organizations decided the merge would be beneficial due to their similar missions and ideals. The organization will go by the name Run for America.
The mission statement of Common Sense Action is, “To bring Millennial voices to the policymaking table and build a movement of Millennial voters committed to advancing generational fairness, investing in Millennial mobility and repairing politics.”
Run for America’s mission is “to recruit, train and work to elect a new generation of leaders to Congress who are committed to a solutions-first, future-focused approach to tackling our major national challenges.”
When it was still an independent organization, Run for America had a goal to run 12 candidates of both parties for the House of Representatives in 2016.
Now that Run for America is paired with Common Sense Action, they can work toward that same goal with a larger backing of supporters.
Andrew Cummings, the president of TU’s chapter of CSA said, “Run for America allows CSA to take our mission to the next level. This merger connects a passionate, student-led grassroots network with the resources necessary to have a measurable impact in Washington. Change is always difficult, but it’s an exciting time for CSA.”
Nikki Hager, Midwest Regional Director and co-founder of the TU chapter of CSA said, “Where politics happens is at elections. Getting our agenda out to the candidates and by getting our network mobilized will increase our chances of having our voices heard.”
The two Oklahoma chapters of CSA hope to get millennial voters to the polls to make up for the age discrepancies among Oklahoman voters.
Lauren Aragon, the president of OU’s chapter, said that millennials “should be more involved because currently primaries and most elections are determined by older members of our society that do not have the same priorities as us. We need to ensure that our priorities are being heard so we can provide for a better tomorrow for ourselves.”
That sentiment was echoed by Cummings. “It’s no secret that Oklahoma is seen as a perennially red state,” he said, “[but] this year actually marked the first time that registered Republican voters outnumbered registered Democrats in Oklahoma—and by less than a tenth of a percent … Oklahoma is a diverse state with a wide-range of voices to be heard, and only bipartisanship can bring those voices into a positive, productive dialogue.”
The future is not set in stone for Run for America Action, but it’s members are hopeful.
Hager said, “I’m looking forward to the merger with RFA, I think that we have a lot of exciting things coming up in terms of expanding on what CSA is able to do now that we are able to really get involved in elections and start stirring the pot a little bit more.”
Aragon agreed. “I think it’s a great organization to partner with because they can help further our ideas. We can craft the policies that RFA promotes and make this an incredible viable partnership.”
The real importance of these organizations is to get millennials excited about politics and the changes they can make.
Cummings said, “50 percent of millennials identify as political independents. We are innovative, skeptical, passionate and socially-aware. Yet only 21.7 percent of eligible 18-29 year-olds in Oklahoma voted in the 2012 election. The reality is that our voices are not being represented and they will continue to be unrepresented until millennials start to take seriously their ability to create political change.”
The roughly 40 chapters of CSA scattered in universities across the nation will not be undergoing much change. The chapters will retain their current name until the end of the school year. Although the chapters’ structure will change a bit, their goals will remain the same.
The chapter at TU is hosting activities to involve students in their progress. Their next upcoming event will be a trivia night and sundae bar at The Hut on April 16th. This meeting is geared to get students talking about political issues. More information about the event can be found on their facebook page.