Democracy for America endorses Tina Podlodowski for Washington Secretary of State
Today, Democracy for America (DFA) announced its endorsement of Tina Podlodowski in her bid to become Washington’s Secretary of State.
The endorsement will be formally announced to DFA’s 1 million members nationwide via an email from Fmr. State Senator Nina Turner, a prominent Bernie Sanders supporter and the 2014 Democratic nominee for Ohio Secretary of State candidate, Nina Turner. Turner’s email to DFA members is available below.
Statement from Democracy for America's Chair Jim Dean on today's endorsement of Tina Podlodowski for Washington Secretary of State:
“Democracy is not a spectator sport and Tina Podlodowski is the leader we need to make sure Washington State has an innovative voting system that makes even easier for citizens to cast their ballot and make sure their voice is heard. A successful high-tech businesswoman, Tina is the kind of kind of leader Washington State needs to champion neglected reforms and invest responsibly in a voting system that works for every voter, not a particular political party.” -- Jim Dean, Chair, Democracy for America
Statement from Tina Podlodowski on receiving DFA’s endorsement:
“I am thrilled to have the support of Democracy for America. I will fight for every citizen to have equal access to the right to vote, and am honored to have Democracy for America members fighting alongside me. Together we will win this race and ensure that every voice is heard and every vote is counted." -- Tina Podlodowski, Candidate, Washington Secretary of State
DFA’s endorsement of Podlodowski brings with it a one-million member-strong grassroots army that has knocked hundreds of thousands of doors, made over 11.1 million phone calls, and raised and contributed more than $36.6 million to help elect 843 progressive candidates nationwide since 2004.
Democracy for America (DFA) is a member-driven, people-powered progressive PAC with 57,083 members in Washington and one million members nationwide committed to taking on income inequality, money in politics, and structural racism.
EMAIL TO DFA MEMBERS FROM NINA TURNER:
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Nina Turner, via Democracy for America <[email protected]>
Subject: Our voting rights are under attack
Nina Turner is one of the most powerful voices in the progressive movement. A former Ohio State Senator, in 2014 she ran for Secretary of State with DFA's strong support to reverse the attack on Ohio's voting rights. Recently, she's become a prominent spokesperson for Bernie Sanders. Nina is also a national leader in the fight to build a more reflective democracy based in economic and racial justice. Read on to see Nina draw attention to two very important campaigns involving voting rights and economic justice -- and then chip in to support the cause. -- Annie Weinberg, Electoral Director, Democracy for America
Mario --
The ballot box is connected to the bread box.
Our vote enables us to elect candidates who will stand with us to lift up those who are suffering in this economy and address injustice. By exercising our right to vote, we help secure a better future for ourselves and for our children.
When Republicans use the Secretary of State office to undermine our right to vote on behalf of the rich and the powerful, they make it harder for us to represent and fight for working people.
A campaign for Secretary of State rarely gets as much attention as a campaign for Governor or a campaign for Senate. But it should. The Secretary of State can make the difference between you being able to exercise your right to vote -- and that right being denied to you.
In New Mexico, a Republican Secretary of State worked aggressively to kick people of color off the voter rolls and pass a voter ID law -- before being indicted on fraud and embezzlement charges. In Washington State, the Republican Secretary of State opposed a state Voting Rights Act and has presided over a steep decline in voter turnout.
Together, Tina Podlodowski and Maggie Toulouse Oliver are going to change all that. Democracy for America is endorsing Tina Podlodowski for Washington Secretary of State and Maggie Toulouse Oliver for New Mexico Secretary of State because they will give everything they have to protect and expand voter rights.
The greatest equalizer we have all over this country is the right to vote. When you walk into a polling place, you are equal.
We should not be surprised to see the Republican Party -- the enemies of equality -- doing everything in its power to attack our right to vote. Tina Podlodowski and Maggie Toulouse Oliver will fight back.
Tina Podlodowski is the daughter of parents who fled Europe as refugees after World War II. She has served on the Seattle City Council, has taken on the NRA, and worked to strengthen LGBT rights. She would be the first lesbian elected to a statewide office in Washington State -- and just the second elected to a statewide executive office anywhere in America.
Tina Podlodowski knows that the job of a Secretary of State is to make sure that everyone eligible is registered, and everyone registered is voting. That's not happening in Washington State right now, where 1.5 million eligible voters aren't registered. Most of them are women, new citizens, from communities of color, young people, and those making under $50,000 a year. The Republican Secretary of State -- the only statewide elected Republican anywhere on the West Coast -- isn't addressing this crisis. Tina Podlodowski will.
In 2014, I was proud to stand alongside Maggie Toulouse Oliver as we received DFA's endorsement when we both ran for Secretary of State that year. Maggie Toulouse Oliver lost an extremely close election in New Mexico to Dianna Duran, a Republican who later resigned after being indicted on charges of fraud and embezzlement.
Maggie Toulouse Oliver has dedicated her public career to protecting the right to vote and fighting restrictions on access to the ballot box. She opposed a voter ID law and has worked for automatic voter registration -- so more people can participate meaningfully in the electoral process. Now, she is running to ensure integrity and public trust in the Secretary of State's office -- something that has clearly been missing in recent years.
If we're going to tackle income inequality, fix our broken campaign finance system, and confront structural racism in our country, we need Secretaries of State like Tina Podlodowski and Maggie Toulouse Oliver who deeply believe that everyone's voice should be heard in our elections and who will find ways to make it easier, not harder, for Americans to vote.
Thank you for joining me in the fight for economic and social justice by protecting our right to vote.
- Nina
Nina Turner