This year, our coalition has endorsed a slate that represents the diversity of our county. We are proud to support a group of outstanding candidates who will ensure that the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas continues to protect our rights and follows the law, even when the courts are facing threats from the highest levels of government. This year, we have endorsed: The Honorable Quita Bridges The Honorable Alyssa Cowan Amanda Green-Hawkins Lauren Leiggi Amy Mathieu Representative Dan Miller The Honorable Matt Rudzki The Honorable Craig Stephens
31 Mar

Progressive Groups Announce Endorsed Candidates for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Justice Slate

1Hood Power Blogs, Events, Politics

(Pittsburgh, PA) Unite PAC, Pennsylvania Working Families Party, Pennsylvania United, Alliance for Police Accountability, Straight Ahead, OnePA, and 1Hood Power present our jointly endorsed slate of judicial candidates for the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas primary election on May 20th. Allegheny County voters will have the opportunity to vote for eight candidates who will ultimately serve 10 year terms on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. 

“Over the last several years our progressive organizations have fought for a more just and equitable region. Once again we have an opportunity to come together, maximize our efforts, and build power in our communities. Together we can work to elect Judges to the court of common pleas to ensure our courts reflect our values of fairness, compassion, and accountability. This is how we create real, lasting change.” – Ashley Comans, Western PA Political Director, PA Working Families Party

This year, our coalition has endorsed a slate that represents the diversity of our county. We are proud to support a group of outstanding candidates who will ensure that the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas continues to protect our rights and follows the law, even when the courts are facing threats from the highest levels of government.

This year, we have endorsed: 

The Honorable Quita Bridges

The Honorable Alyssa Cowan

Amanda Green-Hawkins

Lauren Leiggi

Amy Mathieu

Representative Dan Miller

The Honorable Matt Rudzki

The Honorable Craig Stephens

“It’s important to have Judges with diversity in race, gender, abilities, experience and economic backgrounds because they are more reflective of the community they serve.” – Nydea Graves, Lead Democracy Coordinator, OnePA

In 2021, our coalition elected five women from our original Slate of Eight to the Court of Common Pleas, demonstrating how powerful we are when we work together for the people. This slate represents the values of our coalition, and the endorsed candidates understand the responsibility that comes with being able to shape the lives of individuals with the decisions they make on the bench.  Our organizations look forward to putting in the hard work to get them elected for the benefit of all Allegheny County residents.

“It is crucial that we elect Judges to the Court of Common Pleas who understand the long term impact of the decisions they make and are committed to upholding the highest standards of judicial ethics and fairness. Judges make decisions every day that can drastically alter the course of a person’s life and we need Judges who take that responsibility seriously, no matter what division they are serving in. Decisions made in Family Court can be just as devastating as those made in Criminal Court, and the candidates we are supporting best represent the values that are needed on the bench in all divisions of the Court of Common Pleas.” – Tanisha Long,  Allegheny County Political Director, Straight Ahead 

Pennsylvania is one of just seven states that elects ALL Judges in partisan elections. Because of this, we have an opportunity to drastically reshape the judiciary and justice is on the ballot this year. With the current President’s willingness to buck the courts to accomplish his Project 2025 agenda, it is CRITICAL that we elect Judges who will protect our rights. 

“The justice slate represents a diverse array of qualified judicial candidates with unique experiences and backgrounds who can deliver for the people of Allegheny County. Over the past couple of years we have seen the importance of having Judges who not only understand the law but also the impacts of rulings on the community. As local courts are the first to administer justice, defend rights, uphold democracy, and protect our people, it is imperative for our justice slate to reflect those values.” – Miracle Jones, Legislative Director, 1Hood Power

####

Coalition Information

Unite PAC

https://www.uniteforpa.com

@uniteforpa Instagram & Twitter

Pennsylvania Working Families Party

Pennsylvania

@paworkingfamilies on IG

@paworkfamilies on twitter 

@paworkingfamilies.bsky.social

Pennsylvania Working Families on Facebook

Pennsylvania United

Pennsylvania United

Alliance for Police Accountability

@apapgh on Instagram 

@apapgh_ on Twitter 

www.facebook.com/apapgh/ 

@apatiktok on Tiktok 

Straight Ahead

Home

@towardabolition on Instagram

@towardabolition On Twitter

OnePA

https://www.onepa.org

https://www.facebook.com/onepennsylvania

@onepennsylvania on instagram

@onepennsylvania on twitter

1Hood Power

Home

@1hoodpower on Twitter 

@1hoodpower.bsky.social on Bluesky

@1Hoodpower on Instagram

22 Mar

1Hood Power is Proud to Launch the 2025 Questionnaire

1Hood Power Blogs, Politics

Candidates of Pennsylvania, now is your time. The 1Hood Power questionnaire is here. Organizationally we focus on: criminal justice reform, affordable housing, environmental justice, voting rights and other key issues.
Our questionnaire dives deep into crucial issues, giving you the chance to share your stance with voters. Your responses will be scored objectively, providing voters with valuable insights.

Click the Link to submit your questionnaire

    1.   Judicial: Magisterial District Judge and Court of Common Pleas
    2.   Mayor, Council (Borough, County, and City)
    3.   School Board Director  
     4.  Judicial

Over the course of the past year, members of our 1Hood team have been stalked, harassed, threatened, and doxxing due to their engagement in direct democracy. If you are also seeking the 1Hood Power endorsement, we ask you to commit to requiring that you, your staff, and your team will not engage in doxxing, stalking, and harassing behavior AS WELL AS reject endorsements from organizations that engage in such behavior.

Transparency Matters We are making all candidate responses public. Voters deserve to know where candidates stand on key issues like criminal justice reform, affordable  housing, and equity. This open process empowers voters with the information they need to make informed decisions.

Scoring System: Responses will be meticulously scored on a scale from 0 to 100, reflecting the depth and clarity of each answer. This standardized approach ensures fairness and helps voters compare candidates on an equal playing field.

Why the Scorecards: The scoring system allows voters to easily gauge the strength and depth of a candidate’s positions. It’s not just about what you say, but how clearly and comprehensively you communicate your vision for the future.

Why A Questionnaire We believe the people should be able to make informed decisions about their vote. The May 20th  primary includes positions from the Judges to your mayor which gives YOU a chance to power up your vote and pick candidates who will fight for our communities to have what we need to thrive. 

Join us on this journey toward a more transparent and informed electorate! We believe in empowering voters with the knowledge they need to invest in their future. Together, let’s make 2025 a year of people power and community coalitions.  

The Deadline is April 04, 2025 at 5pm EST.

Your vote counts

Community, we are going to need your help reviewing the questionnaires and scoring responses. If you are a 1Hood Power supporters who has been with us this, we are also going to reach out to you to be a part of the review committee. If there are questions you wish we would have asked, then please add your questions to our question bank.

PA Election Dates to Remember

May 20, 2025 Pennsylvania Primary Election

Voter Registration Deadline

Mail-in Ballot Request Deadline
  • Received by: May 13, 2025 5:00PM
  • vote.pa/mail (apply)
Completed Mail-in Ballot Return Deadline
  • Received by: May 20, 2025 8:00PM
  • vote.pa/return (track ballot)

Election Day

  • Cast ballot by May 20th at 8PM EST *
  • vote.pa/polls

Source: Need more info about the elections in Pennsylvania, visit vote.pa

25 Feb

PA Election 2025

1Hood Power Politics

Special Elections

Upcoming Special Elections 

Voters in these  districts will have a special election on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, from 7:00 am – 8:00 pm, to select a candidate to fill the unexpired term.

Your vote counts

Special Election for the 36th Senatorial District (Lancaster County) – Mar. 25, 2025

Candidates:

James Andrew Malone (D)

Zachary Moore (L)

Josh Parsons (R) 

The 36th District includes Akron Borough, Columbia Borough, Conoy Township, Earl Township, East Donegal Township, East Hempfield Township, East Petersburg Borough, Elizabeth Township, Elizabethtown Borough, Ephrata Borough, Ephrata Township, Lititz Borough, Manheim Borough, Manheim Township, Marietta Borough, Mount Joy Borough, Mount Joy Township, Mountville Borough, New Holland Borough, Penn Township, Rapho Township, Warwick Township, West Donegal Township, West Earl Township and West Hempfield Township.

Special Election for the 35th Legislative District (Allegheny County) – Mar. 25, 2025

Candidates:

Charles Davis (R)

Dan Goughnour (D)

Adam Kitta (L)

The 35th District includes Clairton, Duquesne and McKeesport and the TOWNSHIP of South Versailles and the BOROUGHS of Homestead, Liberty, Lincoln, Munhall, Port Vue, Versailles, West Homestead, West Mifflin (PART, Districts 03, 04 and 15), Whitaker and White Oak. 

Last day to register to voter for the special election: Mar. 10, 2025 by 5:00 PM EST

Last day to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot for the special election: Mar. 18, 2025 by 5:00 PM EST

What is A Special Election?

Pennsylvania holds special elections when someone in office can no longer serve. This may happen when someone resigns, dies, or gets removed from office. Voters of that district must select someone to replace that person. Special elections are similar to general elections where all registered voters may participate in the election process, regardless of party.

Special elections may be held:

  • during a general election
  • during a primary election
  • on a different day designated by the elections office

11 Apr

Meet the Richest Man In Pennsylvania

1Hood Power Blogs, Politics, Press

Meet the richest man in Pennsylvania, reportedly worth $30 Billion. His name is Jeff Yass and he’s rigging the rules of our society to work for his right wing agenda. He poses an existential threat to Black and
Brown people, working families, the LGBT community and our democracy itself.
Jeff Yass influences politicians, elections and public policy. He gives money to politicians and advocacy
groups to make laws that harm, punish and attempt to erase our communities. He donates some of his
billions to interest groups or political leaders who are on the wrong side of the issues that matter to us
most.


He funds efforts to privatize our public schools, cut corporate business taxes, outlaw abortion & bust
unions. He also funds anti-immigrant groups that supported the Muslim ban, public officials who aim to
disenfranchise voters of color and lobbying efforts to reinstate mandatory minimum sentences. Jeff Yass
has also given funds to campaigns opposing ‘critical race theory’ in schools and important solutions to
climate change.


He has deep ties to the fossil fuel industry and refers to those in the environmental community as “climate
change hysterical people”. Jeff Yass also supports groups who oppose legislation that would protect
LGBTQ people from discrimination in housing, employment, and other public accommodations. Last but
not least, Yass funds politicians with ties to white nationalism who supported the January 6th insurrection,
promoted QAnon conspiracies and sought to overturn the 2020 election results.


We cannot let Jeffrey Yass continue to undermine democracy, sow division and block progress for Black,
Brown, working class; LGBT communities across PA. We need to bring to light his role in attempting to
reshape our lives, society and democracy. No elected officials should ever take money from Jeff Yass.
We need leaders who represent us and stand up to the billionaires. It is time he is held accountable.
We need to come together to stop Yass from rigging the rules by taking 3 important steps:

  1. Tax the rich and abolish the uniformity clause in Pennsylvania so that billionaires pay
    what they owe to our communities and stop having so much money to pollute our
    Democracy.
  2. Pass campaign finance limits in Pennsylvania so those with the most money can’t give
    unlimited campaign donations.
  3. Pass lobbying reform bills, like a gift ban, so billionaires have less influence on
    Legislation.

Learn more about Jeff Yass here :

  • https://www.propublica.org/article/jeff-yass-susquehanna-tiktok-tax-avoidance
  • https://www.forbes.com/profile/jeff-yass/?sh=88a282f5f1a1
  • https://news.littlesis.org/2022/09/28/jeffrey-yass-the-billionaire-behind-pennsylvanias-right-wing-machine/
  • https://www.penncapital-star.com/commentary/who-is-jeffrey-yass-and-why-is-he-such-a-big-problem-for-pennsylvania-opinion/
30 Nov

1Hood Power is joining the fight to re-elect Sen Raphael Warnock in the GA Senate Runoff

1Hood Power Blogs

The mission of 1hood power is to build liberated communities through the use of electoral organizing.  

The south comprises one of the largest swaths of Black and Brown voters who have been impacted by voter suppression, disinvestment, and over-policing.  It is here in Georgia that the right to vote has been under attack, and it is here in Georgia where thousands of people are organizing and fighting for a better tomorrow.  Sen Warnock is one of those people.  

Sen Warnock has fought tirelessly for the people of Georgia with legislation to support agriculture advancements, health care for pregnant people, and investments in infrastructure and innovation to get people back to work.  He has worked tirelessly as a son of Georgia 

He has voted to ensure veterans get the healthcare they deserve despite opposition from the Conservative Party.  Warnock is from Georgia and has used his platform to advocate for Georgians, no matter their political affiliation.  His loyalty is to the people of Georgia, not a personal benefactor. 

 One more time Georgia.  We are asking you to make a voting plan and re-elect Raphael Warnock.   

Find your polling place https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/

Early voting ends December 2nd.  

Provisional voting is December 5-6th.  

Election Day is December 6th.  

18 Jun

1Hood Power Launches Spring Series of Candidate Forums

1Hood Power Blogs No Comments

The Spring Series will feature legitimate candidates who are on the May 17th ballot. Legitimate candidates are party candidates who have registered their campaign and met the required signature threshold, as evidenced by placement on the PA Voter Candidate List.

For independent and third-party candidates, you are ineligible for the spring series as you are not on the may ballot, but we will reach out to you for the Fall Forum Series. This is because Pennsylvania does not have open primaries and only recognized significant party candidates are on the May ballot. 

You may watch the Spring Series every Monday at 7 PM EST on our Facebook and Youtube Channels.

10 Jun

Power of a Pro Voter Agenda

1Hood Power Blogs No Comments

1Hood Power is a social justice electoral organization in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, serving to create liberated communities through political activism. 1Hood Power was born out of a fight for justice to stop mass incarceration, over-policing, and violence in our communities. 

 While we were fighting for racial justice, attacks on elections became rooted in our home state of Pennsylvania. We watched as our community members had polling places changed and received incorrect ballots. We became inundated with messages saying our votes did not matter and our voices had no power.  Then when we organized, we saw the power of our collective vote.  Then we began to see our elected officials move away from our needs for a reflective democracy through expanded voter access. 

As such, we are working to support a  voter agenda that codifies no excuse mail-in/absentee voting, additional drop box sites, automatic and same-day voter registration, and expansive voter protections to include the protection of private identifying data. Currently, Pennsylvania does not have early voting access. Instead, we offer mail-in/absentee voting that allows people to mail their ballots. Yet, with mail delays and ballot errors, we need more protections to ensure everyone has an unrestricted right to the ballot box. 

Prior to the pandemic, Act 77 expanded mail-in voting. Yet, in 2020, there was a grassroots movement to educate people on how to vote by mail, deadlines, and the ballot counting process because the information was not readily available and accessible, especially to those whose primary language is not English or those with assistive devices. 

 During the 2021 election, our own Legislative Director was one of the hundreds of people who received a flawed ballot and had to change their voting plan in-person to ensure the vote was counted. These experiences mean 1Hood Power understands how voting impacts people and how easily people can quickly become disenfranchised from voting. There is an ever-pressing need to ensure voters, no matter where they live, have access to the ballot box. 

Currently, we do not have a set accessible, robust voting opportunity in our regions, which has led to more complications despite increasing voter participation over the past two elections.  As such, 1Hood Power is working to ensure a reflective democracy that includes all of us by educating the public on the rules and regulations of elections, engaging community members around the issues that impact them, and empowering the electorate to demand the creation of the conditions of liberation and equity.

31 May

Voting With A Criminal Conviction

1Hood Power Blogs No Comments

Did you know that your criminal conviction does not automatically bar you from voting in Pennsylvania? Yes, you may vote in Pennsylvania if you have a criminal record. 

Due to the over-policing of communities, many Black Pennsylvanians live with colorful backgrounds, which means limitations to the ballot box based on criminal records will have a disparate impact on the Black population. In years prior, people with convictions were automatically disenfranchised from voting, causing the widespread belief that people could not vote if they were felons or people with a criminal record. 

Since 2000, the law has changed regarding the ways people with criminal convictions can access the ballot box. In Fact, in Pennsylvania, as long as you are not currently serving time for a crime and have not been convicted of an election-related violation in the past four years, you can vote in Pennsylvania. 

This means if you are in the local jail waiting for trial, returning home from a sentence, or even on parole, you may vote in Pennsylvania. 

In Fact, it is estimated that over 30,000 votes are abandoned every year in Pennsylvania because people in the local jails are not aware they have the right to register and vote in Pennsylvania. 

You May NOT Vote in Pennsylvania if 

  1. You are currently serving a sentence of incarceration 
  2. You are in a community or alternative correctional facility for a felony conviction on pre-release status
  3. You have a conviction for violating any provision of the Pennsylvania Election Code within the last four years. 

It is best for you to speak with your probation and parole officer to understand your status, especially if you have stacked sentences or are under a formal supervision release due to covid-19. 

Please note this information is for Pennsylvania voters only. Other states permit voting with a criminal record. Please visit https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/felon-voting-rights.aspx for more details.

Source: https://www.vote.pa.gov/Resources/Documents/Convicted-felon-brochure-English.pdf

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