Ariella Elm

@ariellaelm

I’m so done with doomerism. 🌱 Queer🏳️‍🌈 Jewish✡️ disabled😷 political influencer 💙 Follow for daily Democrat wins & weekly election guides. Our voices are our superpower 📧 ariella@ariellaelm.com

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Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· 27d

WE’RE NOT DOOMED: Tue July 14, 2026 The big wins are great and important, but even on those rare days when there are a lot, it’s important to be reminded of the smaller wins too. Never forget that the small successes matter just as much as the big ones. 1/

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· 27d

It’s another day where Doomerella learns that even something like Lindsey Graham’s death gets some nuance. 1/

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· 27d

Kentucky 4/

Kentucky

Mon, June 15 - Instead of focusing on something Governor Andy Beshear has no control over, let’s focus on something he does.

Ahead of Juneteenth, he signed an executive order creating the Freedom Trails Pardon List. This pardons 43 people and counting who had been criminalized for helping free those enduring enslavement in the 1800s.

He signed the order with Rev. Andrew Baskin, professor emeritus, specifically in the African and African American Studies department at Berea College and James Prichard, a historian focusing on Kentucky during the Civil War Era.

As he was signing it, he explained to the girl standing next to him, who I can only assume is Baskin’s daughter:

“We get to make a pretty loud statement that what they did was right, they shouldn’t have been prosecuted for it, and while we can’t go back in time and change that, we can certainly recognize their actions as heroic today.”

This is not a complete list either. Beshear wants to pardon everyone he can. So if you know someone or have a family member who should be on this list, you can email the governor at FreedomTrailPardons@ky.gov.

This is an ongoing process, and, as Prichard said during the signing, at a time:

“when there seems to be an effort to sanitize our past, that this part of our history is no longer swept under the rug and becomes a part of Kentucky’s soil.”

That’s what makes this story so incredibly powerful. Not just that Beshear is doing this at all, but that he’s doing this when the federal government wishes he was doing literally anything else.

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· 27d

Chlemsford, England 3/

Chelmsford, England

Fri, June 12 - Chelmsford is a city in Essex and on June 20, Essex held their Pride parade. Leading up to that, the city council commissioned several artists to draw queer art across the city in shop windows.

Some of it was TERF friendly, as in, it didn’t mention trans people, and some of it very much wasn’t.

Hayley Wells painted “There is no LGB without the T” on Toast, a local coffee house.

And Bucky Ringsell drew a tiger with top surgery scars that said “Proud of my Stripes” inside the local Lush store window.

Of course, terfs were outraged by Ringsell’s design. As far as I can tell, the only thing Chlemsford did to quiet them was remove Rigsell’s design from their Facebook posts showcasing the murals. I’ve seen nothing to suggest it was actually removed in person.

And Ringsell even posted on Instagram:

“The mural is part of a city-wide Pride campaign. I designed and painted this tiger to support and represent trans folks who have undergone top surgery
— myself included. Being proud of your scars (aka stripes) is something everyone can take inspiration from, regardless of your journey.”

Would I love if Chlemsford City Council hadn’t removed the photo from their Facebook page? Yes, of course. But if that’s all they did, and the artwork was still up in person, that’s still a very loud statement, especially in England. And that matters.

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· 27d

Reno, Nevada 2/

Reno, Nevada

Mon, June 1 - What started as a 30 day data center moratorium back in May, became a data center moratorium till August 2027 after a 9 hour special city council meeting that mostly consisted of public comment against data centers.

The most important name you need to know here is Councilmember Meghan Ebert, who, like many her colleagues is running for reelection this year.

While this extended moratorium was introduced by Council Member Devon Reese, it was Ebert who made sure the decision included language explicitly stating that the moratorium cannot end until there are actual regulations in place.

She is also concerned that Reese is only doing this because he is running for Mayor and that he will immediately flip on this if he wins. She told Nevada Current:

“My community does not have trust that this body will follow through on any promises. So I need to have something in code, and I need to show my community that they will be protected, and that this isn’t a political stunt”

And it’s important to mention one other player, Councilmember Kathleen Taylor, who was not just against the August 2027 moratorium but also the only member of the city council who voted against the original 30 day moratorium. And she’s also running for mayor.

And, the one negative, the smaller data centers that are already in progress, will still be completed. Which sucks, but those larger ones really won’t be happening anytime soon.

So this is a reminder of the power of a good elected official, and of fighting back against injustice. I can almost guarantee you, no moratorium would have happened at all without people fighting back.

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 10

WE’RE NOT DOOMED: Thu July 9, 2026 Biden’s legacy might not be entirely intact but Trump is not successful in destroying all of it and that’s something we can’t just overlook www.thedailyelm.com/p/theyre-rea... 1/

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 10

We WILL have Midterms and if you want to make that even more of a given, become a poll worker. Sign up!: www.powerthepolls.org/creator-arie... 1/

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 10

Cleveland, Ohio 4/

Cleveland, Ohio

Thu, June 25 - “Not With Our Money” is a massive boycott around the country to withdraw all funds from Citizens Bank because they fund GEO Group and CoreCivic.

In early June, Jersey City, New Jersey became the first city to stop working with them.

In late June the Greater Cleveland Congregation, a group of 37 communities of worship around Cleveland, Ohio pledged to withdraw $1.3m from the bank.

In their press release, the group said:

“Our message to Citizens Bank was clear: stop financing CoreCivic and GEO Group, the private companies running ICE detention centers across the country — including one holding 500 people right now in Youngstown.”

This is how change happens. When a bunch of groups are very loud and say no, change happens.

I have confidence Citizens Bank will soon realize that they cannot keep operating if they continue to finance ICE detention centers. If they do, they will just keep losing customers.

I hope to have an update saying as such soon!

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 10

St Johns County, Florida 3/

St Johns County, Florida

Mon, June 15 - Shepard Sclaf was just starting his first year of teaching in St Johns County School District when he was fired for being intersex.

The school had their hands tied and had to let him go based on a decision from the district, who never even told him why he was fired. He only learned after the fact that it was because a parent accused him of being trans. He was assigned female at birth, and it was on his employment papers but now identifies as male and the school had easily respected that. But the district didn’t care. One parent’s complaint was enough.

Now ACLU and ACLU Florida have filed a charges of discrimination against the school district to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission demanding he get his job back.

They said that the school’s “actions were deliberate and discriminatory based on its perception that Mr. Scalf is transgender” and is “a direct violation of his rights under Title VII”

Obviously, given that this is going to the US anything, I’m a bit skeptical Scalf and the ACLU will win, but I’m sure if they don’t, this will go straight to court.

And remember, half the battle is just making sure we keep fighting even when it doesn’t feel very likely we will succeed.

Every single time we choose fight should give you hope, regardless of the outcome.

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 10

South Carolina 2/

South Carolina

Thu, June 11 - Trump cannot get rid of any grant he wants, as much as he’s gonna keep trying. He loses cases over and over again.

This one is about the environment.

Obama appointee, Judge Richard Gergel ruled that the EPA must restore the Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant Program.

The grant was created as part of the Inflation Reduction Act and awards funding to community organizations and groups working to mitigate the climate crisis, and protect their community from its effects. You can see why Trump would hate that.

In his ruling, Judge Gergel said:

“To reiterate, the President and federal agencies may not ignore statutory mandates or prohibitions merely because of policy disagreement with Congress.”

Even though it feels like Biden’s legacy is being destroyed, it’s nice to see that, at least for now, this part isn’t.

As Southern Environmental Law Center said in their press release:

“The ruling sends a clear message: no administration is above the law, and the White House’s political agenda cannot be used to deny communities the resources they were promised and sorely need.”

And THAT gives me hope.

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 9

With Platner FINALLY dropping out and letting the process play out, now is a great time to remind everyone what it takes for us to keep our democracy. And there’s no one better to give that reminder than the incredible Amanda Nelson. Full interview: youtu.be/_FdCZOxogsU

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 8

WE’RE NOT DOOMED: Tue July 7, 2026 There are so many amazing people fighting to make our world a better place every single day, and they’re not all in New York City. Some are even in red states… www.thedailyelm.com/p/mail-in-vo...

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 4

WE’RE NOT DOOMED: Fri July 3, 2026 This July 4, it’s important to remember, voting isn’t the only thing that matters, but it is the foundation for everything else. We can make a huge impact, but voting has to be at the center. www.thedailyelm.com/p/the-end-of... 1/

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 4

Political creators have to make money. It’s a job, the goal is to make a living. So, if you wanna call me a “paid shill” I’ll wear that label proudly. 1/

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 4

Monterey Park, California 4/

Monterey Park, California

Tue, June 2 - With a margin of over 76%, Monterey Park voters voted to ban data centers.

This outcome was not a surprise, but that’s only because of the campaign that went into raising awareness of a proposed data center.

This campaign was not easy. The developers of a proposed project tried to have private 1:1 meetings with Andrew Yip, the co-founder of San Gabriel Valley Progressive Action. He turned them down and made sure they made their case in a public forum instead.

And it was his organizing and quick thinking that got the measure on the ballot. at a March 4 City Council meeting. He explained to LA Public Press:

“It was actually a very short timeline. We found out about this data center in November. So it was only a few months where we organized folks and got a ballot measure in place.”

And as Mayor Elizabeth Yang told the publication: “We’re hoping that our actions here in our little city are going to set an example for other cities that are dealing with similar issues.”

Like all of LA county, for instance. And that’s what Yip and SGV Progressive Action will be working on going forward:

“There’s going to be three virtual community meetings on data centers. That would be the opportunity for residents to bring a permanent ban on data centers in unincorporated Los Angeles County.”

If this Monterey Park win inspires you, then help Yip and others make it a reality in LA County at large.

Just reading this story makes it feel doable in a really tangible way.

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 4

New Hampshire 3/

New Hampshire

Thu, May 28 - From the outside, New Hampshire looks like a Blue state. They have two Dem senators and two Dem members of the House, so they must be Blue, right?

Well, not exactly. New Hampshire is a strange state and pretty Republican, as is evident looking at their voting restrictions.

HB 1569, which passed in 2024, limited how to prove citizenship to register to vote. Before the law went into effect it only took a sworn affidavit, eve when there was a challenge to someone’s registration.

With this law, now an eligible voter had to provide documentation like their birth certificate or a passport. Not everyone has the necessary documents readily available, so a lot of people weren’t able to vote.

But, in May, Biden appointee, Judge Samantha Elliott ruled that this anti-voter law was unconstitutional, saying:

“Eliminating the affidavits constitutes an unjustifiable burden on the right to vote in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Eliminating the Challenged Voter Affidavit further violates voters’ rights to procedural due process.”

Now this isn’t over yet. The state is trying to get Judge Elliott to stay her own decision, while they appeal to the 1st Court of Appeals. As of this ruling, the primary was 11 weeks away, which they argue is too soon to change the rules now.

But this ruling is now over a month old, she hasn’t stayed the ruling and the Primary is now 7 weeks away, I don’t see that that’s going well for them.

Rulings like this are another reminder that Republicans cannot destroy elections like they want to. And I think that needs to be repeated as often as possible.

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 4

Idaho 2/

Idaho

Tue, May 19 - “The Gang of Eight,” the most conservative faction of the Idaho Senate is now the gang of three after the May Republican primary.

The State House also had some wins. Three ultra conservative members were ousted there too.

The far right has been making significant gains in Idaho for years, and for the first time in a while, it’s looking like that might be reversing.

That might not feel like such a big deal, but as Boise State Political Science Professor Jaclyn Kettler said to Boise State Public Radio:

“One vote can matter a lot in terms of whether legislation is going to move forward out of committee, whether it succeeds on the floor. We had a few really close votes this past session.”

Sometimes, oftentimes, wins are incremental. But each incremental win adds up, and that’s how we will take back this country and make it something we can be proud of.

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 3

So please stop using “paid shill” and start celebrating when we get sponsorships. When we work with incredible people who actually value our work and understand that we need funding to do it.

Watch the ads. You don’t even have to actually listen. Just have them play on mute, though I promise we all try really hard to make them as exciting as our regular videos.

And consider supporting your favorite creators if you can afford it. Remember that if you don’t support them that work could go away cause it’s just not sustainable to do anymore. This doesn’t just go for the ones who are super successful either. Support your favorite small creator, don’t wait till you see others think are valuable too.

Make it so that we can keep doing this work for a long time to come. Treat us like you want to be treated when you work hard at your job.

Please?

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 3

You want us to do well, right? Have the time to tell the stories you followed us for, and not burnout cause we’re doing everything ourselves since we can’t afford a team. You want us to do this full time so we’re not cutting corners and can research as much as necessary. Right?

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 3

Or, the final way, you’re lucky and you get sponsorships.

This means a company or organization pays us to promote something. These are ads. These are the posts you probably don’t enjoy reading or watching so it’s hard to get enough views for companies to want to work with us.

Not to mention, for political creators it’s even harder cause most companies don’t want to touch us with a 10 foot pole, and many of the ones that do, can’t afford our rates. Cause, $500 does not put food on the table.

I’m glad their fans are watching theirs, but the rest of us are trying our best too. And it’s even harder as a political creator because our audiences hate anytime we do anything paid and make it known.

If we work with a candidate, we’re a “paid shill.” It’s seen as a badge of honor to not get paid but still promote something.

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 3

If I have to be called a “paid shill” to make a living, then so be it. Or maybe we could just change the narrative and start recognizing what goes into being a progressive political creator. 1/

That’s the big boogie monster everyone is so scared of. A fellowship.

Second, there’s the platforms themselves. Instagram, Facebook and YouTube all pay, but it’s not consistent and like me with TikTok, it can go away completely for no rhyme or reason pretty instantly.

Third. Our audiences. Through websites like Substack and Buy Me A Coffee and our own merch, we are able to ask for support so we can continue doing this work full time.

I mostly rely on this way. That’s not by choice. I am fully aware that my audience is not necessarily in a great place financially and asking you for money on a regular basis is painful. But that’s what it takes to be a political creator doing this full time.

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 3

“Vote blue no matter who” really has to mean that. And if someone is unwilling to vote for the Democratic nominee if they don’t fully align with their values, that’s not someone who believed that in the first place. 1/

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 3

Washington 4/

Washington

Fri, June 5 - While Republicans are pushing for the country to be more conservative, it’s important to highlight places that are refusing to follow that trend, like Mountlake Terrace.

They applied for a $20m grant from the federal government for a Main Street renovation project. They were turned down, likely because of their Diversity Equity and Inclusion Commission.

But instead of dismantling it to get the grant, they just dug further in on their inclusivity.

This year, they held their first ever celebration for Pride Month. It was just one evening, and it was small, but it was there.

One of the drag performers, Sin O’Matic said that there hasn’t been much work in that area for a drag performer so, “this is great that they invited us out here. It’s good to see that a community is still coming together and still representing diversity.”

Every day there are reasons to be more scared and more angry, but we have to remember moments like this too. Republicans want to make sure things are less safe for all of us, but some places are becoming more, and that matters.

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 3

Connecticut 3/

Fri, May 15 - Rep Matt Blumenthal (HD-147) introduced a bill that finally allowed no excuse absentee voting. And on May 15, Governor Ned Lamont signed it into law.

Until now, Connecticut has been one of the only blue states to make voters prove that they need a mail in ballot. Now anyone can chose to vote by mail even if they aren’t disabled, abroad or in the military.

It also allows 17 year olds who will be 18 by Election Day to vote early. And strengthens so many more small but important election protocols.

Blumenthal celebrated the signing by saying, “Connecticut voters overwhelmingly demanded absentee voting for all, and now we have delivered.”

This is such an important law that will remove a barrier to voting that shouldn’t have existed for this long in the first place.

If you live in Connecticut and haven’t been able to vote, cause you couldn’t prove you needed an absentee ballot, now you can!

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 3

West Virginia 2/

West Virginia

Tue, May 12 - Three far right Judges were ousted in the West Virginia judicial races a month and a half ago.

Gerald Titus and Thomas Ewing were appointed to the Supreme Court by current Governor Patrick Morrisey. While Dan Greear was appointed to the Intermediate Court of Appeals in 2022 by then Governor Jim Justice.

And all three of them lost their seats.

Titus and Greear’s campaigns were financed by conservative legal activist, Leonard Leo who spent over $100,000 on each race. While Black Bear PAC focused on keeping Ewing on the bench.

It didn’t work. West Virginia voters chose to instead elect H. L. Kirkpatrick to Titus’ seat. He ran a campaign focused on being relatable while also touting his experience.

Delegate Bill Flanagan will be replacing Ewing, and while he’s a Republican he’s been more moderate than some on issues such as vaccines and trans healthcare (though definitely not GOOD on the later.)

And finally family law Judge Jim Douglas won against Greear and will be the first family law judge on the court. He was backed by Democrats.

Before the election he explained how he could win:

“People have to say, we’ve had enough. We’ve had enough of this out-of-state money. And we’re not going to elect people that took out-of-state money.”

And that’s exactly what they did.

Look, these aren’t all Democrats. The two new SCOWV judges are still going to be Republicans but they are not Federalists. They have had moderate views before and it’s a rebuke of Governor Morrisey.

And in a state like West Virginia, that’s definitely something to celebrate.

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 2

A Republican would not have signed those bills into law.

Unless you live in a state with a jungle primary, and the choice is between two Dems, or a state like OK or NE where we do want the third party candidate, the choice is a Democrat who may piss you off sometimes or a Republican who will do the wrong thing most if not all the time.

The general election begins in a little over two months. So now is the best time to start coming to terms with this reality.

In the primary, if you don’t have a jungle primary, vote your heart, but we have one shot to begin reversing Republican control around the country. In every single race from Senate to school board and everything in between we have to make it count.

We can’t blow it.

Remember, your vote is your voice and that voice is your superpower, so use it wisely.

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 2

So the choice is between a Democrat and a Republican.

Even the worst Democrat, like Joe Manchin or Kristen Sinema in the Senate, were still instrumental in us passing the Chips and Science Act, the PACT ACT, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Would more Democrats have been better? Absolutely and that’s what this post is all about, getting large majorities. But without them we wouldn’t have had the majority at all, and that would have been worse.

If you are more moderate, it’s probably gonna be harder to vote for a DSA candidate. If you are more of a Democratic Socialist, it’s gonna be harder to vote for a Blue Dog Democrat.

But once we get past the primaries, that’s what’s necessary.

Get Democrats elected so Republicans can’t do more damage.

And this matters in every single election. Take Colorado Governor Jared Polis. He’s done a lot of awful things. But, he’s also signed a whole lot of legislation that will make the state better. Especially when it comes to the working class and queer rights.

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jul 2

In the general election, when the option is a Democrat vs a Republican, we need the Democrat to win. Every single time. In this day and age, the Republican is always worse. Always. 1/

Primaries are coming to an end and we all, collectively, are gonna have to get comfortable with voting for people we don’t like very much.

I have one of those. I wrote a whole essay about why one of my candidates is bad news and now I have to vote for her, cause the alternative is a Republican, and that’s not worth the risk right now.

I’m being vague on purpose. If you like your candidate that other people don’t, this isn’t about that seat, it’s about a different one. Which Dem are you not looking forward to voting for? Are you considering leaving blank? This plea is about them.

In legislative races this is the most black and white. We need majorities. As many of them as we can get, at the local level, the state level and federally.

That means a warm body in the seat that caucuses with the Democrats is more important than that warm body actually having Democratic values. And remember, we’re choosing between a Democrat and a Republican.

And before you say you’re voting third party, consider if they have a chance to win. If they do, if you’re in Oklahoma or Nebraska, then maybe this is a different conversation.

But in the vast majority of races across the country, they don’t. A vote for a third party is a vote that helps the Republican get elected.

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jun 24

WE’RE NOT DOOMED: Tue June 23, 2026 It’s not just the big wins that matter, it’s the small ones too, something Doomerella is still learning. www.thedailyelm.com/p/its-never-...

Ariella Elm@ariellaelm· Jun 24

I’m so tired of people only talking about two elected officials as if everyone else is chopped liver. Especially when we have SO many amazing Black elected officials across the country. There are hundreds, so I can’t name them all, but here are four. 1/2