Democracy for America endorses Jahana Hayes Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District

Today, Democracy for America (DFA) endorsed Jahana Hayes in her fight to represent Connecticut's 5th Congressional District.

Democracy for America has 16,594 members in Connecticut including 3,640 members in Connecticut's 5th Congressional District alone.

DFA Chair Jim Dean on the grassroots progressive organization's decision to back Jahana Hayes in her race for Congress in the CT-5:

"An award-winning teacher with deep ties to her community, Jahana Hayes is not only poised to make history as the first Black Democrat to represent Connecticut in Congress, she's ready to be an unrelenting champion for economic and social justice in Washington.

"Like Jahana Hayes, Democracy for America members know that Congress can't work for the country until it starts to look more like the rest of the country. Congress desperately needs more teachers, more women of color, and more leaders willing to be unwavering in their fight for big, bold inclusive populist ideas like Medicare for All, comprehensive immigration reform, and robust gun violence prevention legislation.

"DFA members are honored to endorse Jahana Hayes for Congress because we know she's committed to helping, as she's done as a teacher, the next generation of Americans live up to the promise of our shared progressive values." -- Jim Dean, Chair, Democracy for America

Jahana Hayes on receiving DFA's grassroots endorsement:

"Democracy for America's work is driven by many of the same beliefs that motivated me to run for office. Our federal government needs new, progressive voices that will represent people of every background, and with DFA's support I hope to fill this role in Connecticut's 5th District." -- Jahana Hayes

As a part of its work in the 2018 election cycle, DFA intends to raise and spend more than $12 million in support of progressive candidates, make more than 2 million voter contacts, and support more than 250 candidates nationwide -- like Jahana Hayes -- in running inclusive populist campaigns committed to turning out the New American Majority of people of color and progressive white voters in November.

A 2016 recipient of the National Teacher of the Year Award and a lifelong Connecticuter, Jahana Hayes is running for Congress because she wants to bring the stories of the students, parents, teachers, and community members she's worked with every day as a Social Studies teacher and school administrator with her to Washington. Propelled by her community and a passion for education, Hayes broke the cycle of addiction and poverty that had trapped her family growing up. Now, Jahana is working to get to Congress to fight for the kind of big, bold inclusive populist reforms, like Medicare for All and robust gun violence prevention legislation, that will make it easier for others to do the same.

Democracy for America is a member-driven, people-powered progressive PAC with more than one million members nationwide committed to taking on income inequality, money in politics, and structural racism. Since its 2004 founding, DFA members have raised and contributed more than $54 million and made more than 21.9 million volunteer calls to help successfully elect 917 progressive candidates nationwide.