Sister District came into being in response to Donald Trump’s election in 2016 as a way to defend and promote democratic policy.  Like all of us, I was shocked and horrified by Trump’s election. I also was frustrated by the sense that, especially we in California, were helpless in the face of it. So I started Sister District CA Peninsula (we call it CA Pen) in early 2017.  And I learned that we were far from helpless. Since we started, CA Pen has been instrumental in the success of Sister District, which has elected hundreds of Democrats to state houses in strategic districts in swing states across the country, protecting abortion access, voting rights, the environment and more.

When Biden won in 2020, our job was not over. Far from it. Republican extremism in our Supreme Court has made state legislatures even more powerful by repeatedly ruling that state legislatures, not the federal government, hold the authority to decide whether and how to protect fundamental rights and freedoms.  

I took a risk by agreeing to start a Sister District chapter. I had no background in political organizing, so CA Pen was initially very much a flying-the-plane-while-building-it situation. But I didn’t fly the plane alone. Marni Rubin, followed by Lisa Diaz Nash, Lisa Rosenthal, and Al Palter have helped build CA Pen. Now, our 28-person leadership team is propelling our chapter to achieve more than we ever thought possible back in 2017.  Our group of San Mateo County residents has materially impacted the election of pivotal candidates who have put and kept Democrats in control in Wisconsin, Virginia, Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, sometimes even in the face of flagrant Republican gerrymandering.

In a terrible turn of events, Trump has become President again.  But we are not helpless. In fact, Sister District and CA Pen are more powerful than ever.

In 2016, Democrats held majorities in just 29 state legislative chambers. Now, we control nearly 40. Sister District played a huge role in making that happen.

In 2025, Sister District and CA Pen will work to put Democrats in complete control of Virginia’s state government, and will hope to play a role in special elections, including one that will determine control in Michigan. 

Part of what we do is fundraising: CA Pen is the top fundraising chapter in Sister District. Since 2017, CA Pen has raised over $1 million for Sister District, small grassroots organizations, and the 46 candidates we have supported thus far.

Part of our work is voter outreach: Every year, our extraordinary CA Pen members have conversations with and write postcards to thousands of voters, usually comprising the majority of callers and writers for our candidates. And the impact is unmistakable.  One example: In 2022, CA Pen made over 8,000 calls to voters for our 2022 Pennsylvania candidate, Melissa Cerrato. Melissa Cerrato won by 63 votes, flipping the Pennsylvania House to Democratic control. Melissa says she would never have won without us.

That all sounds like a lot of work. And it is! But the wonderful thing about Sister District CA Peninsula is the people. Our members are thoughtful, knowledgeable, committed, and, best of all, fun! We love to get together, so we have frequent (and really great) parties. In fact, CA Pen is famous for our fundraiser parties!  Check out recent photos from our events.

At our fundraisers and monthly Happy Hours, our favorite part is welcoming and getting to know new members – we’re a friendly bunch!

We invite you to join us. Being part of CA Pen has changed my life, and very much for the better. It can do the same for you. 

Catherine Grundmann
Founder, Sister District CA Peninsula