Color Of Change PAC Congratulates Kim Gardner on Primary Re-Election As City Circuit Attorney in St. Louis City

Gardner’s Victory Allows Her to Continue Fight for Justice and Rights for Black Citizens

NEW YORK, NY — Today, the Color Of Change PAC released the following statement from Arisha Hatch, Executive Director of COC PAC, congratulating Kim Gardner for her primary re-election as the City Circuit Attorney for St. Louis City, Missouri:

“Kim Gardner is a real agent of change in St. Louis City. Her win shows that people are eager to continue walking in the right direction to usher in bold solutions to criminal justice reform. We know she will work tirelessly to fight for justice and the rights of all those she serves. We are excited to continue to witness the victories Gardner will accomplish this time around.”

St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner has been working to reform the criminal justice system in the City of St. Louis, and has already improved the lives of thousands of people. Color Of Change PAC endorsed Gardner in 2016 when she ran on a platform of holding the police more accountable. In her first term, Gardner has championed bold reforms that address racial inequality and prejudice in the criminal justice system. She’s established a Conviction Integrity Unit, a division of the prosecutorial office whose mission is to relitigate cases with suspected misconduct. The unit continues to play a crucial role in the case of Lamar Johnson, who faces a life sentence for a murder conviction despite the many holes in the state’s case. Gardner has demonstrated that she is committed to upholding and continuing efforts to end mass incarceration that people in St. Louis City deserve. Since taking office, Gardner has sustained continual fire and unwarranted attacks from the local police union, Missouri’s Republican officials, and even Trump.

Color Of Change PAC, the political action committee of the nation’s largest online racial justice group endorsed Kim Gardner earlier this year. Over the past several months, Color Of Change PAC ran a virtual grassroots voter contact program centered in Black joy and building long-lasting relationships with Black voters through dozens of virtual events, including trainings, phone banks, and text-a-thons with more than 932 volunteer shifts that yielded almost 1,500 phone calls and over 65,778 text messages. Their digital ads targeting voters in St. Louis saw over 4.9 million impressions. Color Of Change PAC also sent 18,950 households two direct mail pieces to help build awareness about Gardner’s re-election campaign.

With the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor bringing more visibility to police violence and systemic injustice, Color Of Change PAC’s goal to shift how the public views prosecutors and how prosecutors do their jobs is even more salient. Many of the barriers to racial justice in this country, particularly those who hold power, are more evident now than they have ever been. Prosecutors are mostly white and male, and nearly 85 percent run for DA positions completely unopposed. With this endorsement and others like it, Color Of Change PAC continues its tradition of endorsing district attorney candidates offering plans that can help move Black people forward.

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Color Of Change PAC is a Political Action Committee focused on building independent Black political power, amplifying Black voices, electing candidates who share our values, and holding them accountable to our communities. For more information on Color Of Change PAC, visit votingwhileblack.com.