DFA Endorses Garlin Gilchrist II for Detroit City Clerk
Today, Democracy for America (DFA) endorsed Garlin Gilchrist II in his campaign for Detroit City Clerk.
The endorsement of Gilchrist is part of the organization’s commitment to investing $500,000 in progressive municipal candidates this cycle. DFA has 1,948 members in Detroit and 59,543 total members across the state of Michigan.
Democracy for America Chair Jim Dean on the national progressive organization’s endorsement of Gilchrist:
“Garlin Gilchrist II has the skills and experience to solve the voting issues that have plagued Detroit for years, and as a native Detroiter and community organizer he knows the big things the Motor City can get done by bringing people together.
“After spending years working shoulder-to-shoulder with Garlin to get more people involved in progressive fights, we know that no one will fight harder and more effectively than Garlin to ensure that every single Detroiter, from every neighborhood, and every single racial, ethnic, and economic community has the opportunity to have their voice heard at the ballot box.
“Last year’s election debacle proved that the stakes could not be higher for Detroit voters. We’re excited to step out early in support of Garlin Gilchrist II in this race, because we know he has the passion, technical know-how, and dedication it will take to establish the trust, accountability, and transparency Detroiters deserve to have in their City Clerk.” - Jim Dean, Chair, Democracy for America
Prior to launching his campaign for City Clerk, Gilchrist was the Director of Innovation and Emerging Technology for the City of Detroit, where he helped launch the app, Improve Detroit, to make it easier for residents to report issues to the city. He also has served as the National Campaign Director for MoveOn.org and a staffer on Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. In addition to his political work, Gilchrist founded the blog Detroit Diaspora, a platform for native Detroiters who are living elsewhere to stay connected to the city.
Democracy for America is a people-powered political action committee with 1 million members nationwide. In the past it has helped elect progressive leaders to municipal leadership across the country, including Mayor Michael Tubbs of Stockton (CA), Vice Mayor Regina Romero of Tucson (AZ), Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx (IL), and City Councillor Helen Gym of Philadelphia.
Democracy for America is a people-powered political action committee with 1 million members nationwide. Since its 2004 founding, DFA members have raised and contributed more than $40 million and made more than 11.1 million volunteer calls to help successfully elect 916 progressive candidates nationwide.