A little background on #CA25, why you should care, and why you shouldn't listen to brand-builders ignorantly trying to grind an ideological ax over it. I'm a CA Dem Regional Director. This district is in my region. Thread to follow: /1

This was a GOP-held held district for DECADES. It is exurban, lies partly in far northwest L.A. County and the Simi Valley part of Ventura County.

When I was chair of the Ventura County Democrats 6 years ago, this area was ruby red. Any attempts to take it were laughed off. /2

We had no downballot Dems in office there, nothing. Through a *lot* of unsung hard work and organizing, we started building a base in Simi Valley. The L.A. Dems built capacity. We started winning some downballots, too. Simi Valley Republicans are scared. /3

In 2018 we did what had been *unthinkable.* Katie Hill won a tough primary to be our candidate for Congress, and ran as a tag team with Christy Smith who ran for Assembly in AD38, also held since forever by Republicans.

Smith's district was *harder*. But both triumphed. /4

Hill and Smith have different personalities, but their policies are nearly the same--similar enough that the vast majority of voters don't know the difference.

When Hill had to resign, there was no question who would run to take her place. There is no one credible but Smith./5

Cenk Uygur decided to make a run at the primary to build his brand. His audience was convinced he would storm to victory. He ended up with a paltry 6% of the vote, but did manage to be a distraction. Had he somehow won, he would've gotten destroyed in the general election. /6

Unfortunately, the special election to send Smith to Congress happens to fall right in the middle of the pandemic.

The week before the vote in 2018, Republicans led the VBM count in #CA25 by 6 points. Hill ended up winning by 9. Dems close in the final days. It's what we do. /7

Every voter in the district now has a mail-in ballot. There are a few voting drop-off centers as well. Will Dems manage to close the gap again, even though it's a May special, and despite the pandemic?

Hard to say, but we're slamming the phones and texts to GOTV. /8

The Republican does led in the mail-in vote. That's no surprise. That always happens. We have to try to mobilize our vote 'til the last minute. We're working it hard.

It's a strange dynamic. No one knows what will happen. If we come up short, we get another shot in November. /9

But anyone you see on here saying "hurr durr Dems nominate establishment candidate and lose!" doesn't have the least clue.

Smith WON her very tough race in 2018. This special is weird. It will be close. She's tried and proven, and there is no better candidate. Not even close./10

Using #CA25 to grind your own national ideological ax without understanding the history & the turf, is a direct insult to the hundreds of people who know what they're doing and have been working unsung, scathing battles here for over a decade to win this area for Democrats. /11

Stop insulting the people doing the hard work in #CA25 to score a point with marks with an ax to grind.

So many people who live and organize there have worked decades for this moment. They aren't stupid. And they're working their tails off *right now*. Be part of the solution.

And this isn't punching "left." There is nothing "left" about the hot takes insulting Smith & the voters in #CA25. This is punching stupid. It's punching irresponsible. If you want to help then help.

Otherwise, trust the voters & activists in the district to know their turf./end

Coda: just so you understand how hard this was, I got a lot of flak as Ventura County Chair for insisting on sending resources to "hopeless" Simi Valley instead of more opportune targets.

But I knew that seeds planted would one day sprout. This has been long, hard work.