Democracy for America backs five progressives for Seattle City Council
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2015
Contact: Omer Farooque, [email protected], 262-391-2653
Democracy for America backs five progressives for Seattle City Council
BURLINGTON, VT – This morning, Democracy for America (DFA), the national progressive organization founded by Governor Howard Dean, endorsed five progressive champions for city council in Seattle, Washington.
The five Seattle City Council candidates that DFA endorsed today include:
Tammy Morales (District 2)
Kshama Sawant (District 3)
Halei Watkins (District 5)
Mike O’Brien (District 6)
Lorena Gonzalez (Position 9)
Each endorsed candidate has shown a commitment to combating income inequality and fighting to continue Seattle’s leadership on populist progressive policy priorities.
If helpful, here’s a quote from Democracy for America Executive Director Charles Chamberlain:
“From raising the minimum wage to passing paid sick leave, Seattle has been a national leader in the battle against income inequality and the people of Seattle deserve a city council that will protect those critical gains and continue that leading role.
“Tammy Morales, Kshama Sawant, Halei Watkins, Mike O’Brien and Lorena Gonzalez are precisely the kind of progressive fighters the Emerald City needs to continue leading the country and we look forward to working with DFA members in Seattle and across the country to make sure they do.” -- Charles Chamberlain, Executive Director, Democracy for America
DFA is a people powered Political Action Committee with 1 million members nationwide, including 39,296 in Washington.
Since its 2004 founding, DFA members have raised and contributed more than $32.7 million and made more than 10.1 million volunteer calls to help successfully elect 831 progressive candidates nationwide.
FULLY QUOTABLE EMAIL TO DFA MEMBERS:
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Robert Cruickshank, Democracy for America <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, Jul 9, 2015 at 5:00 AM
Subject: SEATTLE: Progressive picks for the City Council
DFA Member --
Progressive champions like Bill de Blasio in New York have shown how much can be achieved when cities are led by people committed to fighting against income inequality. Cities are also a launching pad for the next generation of leaders. For example, Bernie Sanders got his start in politics by serving as Mayor of Burlington, Vermont, back in the 1980s.
Seattle is at the forefront of the battles to make our country more progressive. We're raising the minimum wage to $15 and we passed paid sick leave. We need to not just defend those wins, we need to go even further. Police reform has begun, but it's become bogged down and needs strong leadership to put a stop to racism and police brutality on the force. Rising rent is making this city unaffordable, making inequality even worse and forcing people to leave their homes.
Today, DFA is making our first endorsements in the race for Seattle City Council. We're starting with five progressive champions who will fight for the working people of Seattle: Tammy Morales in District 2, Kshama Sawant in District 3, Halei Watkins in District 5, Mike O'Brien in District 6, and Lorena González in Position 9.
Ballots will be mailed next week, and Election Day is coming up fast. Can you help volunteer to elect these candidates?
YES, I will volunteer to support these progressive champions.
DFA's five endorsed candidates are backed by a growing movement of progressives who want our City Council to respond to the public interest, not the special interest. Local unions, the Sierra Club, and activists across Seattle have come out in support of these leaders in this crucial election year.
Incumbents Kshama Sawant and Mike O'Brien have proven they will fight for a higher minimum wage, for more affordable housing, for publicly funded elections, and for fixing a broken police department. Tammy Morales, Halei Watkins, and Lorena González will each bring a strong commitment to social and economic justice to a City Council where those values are in short supply.
It's time we had a City Council that's as progressive as the people of Seattle. Starting with these five candidates, Seattle can lead the nation in building a progressive future. Election Day is August 4 -- can you help get out the vote for these candidates?
YES, I will volunteer to help DFA's endorsed candidates in Seattle.
Thank you for supporting these progressive champions.
- Robert
Robert Cruickshank, Senior Campaign Manager and Seattle resident
Democracy for America