Ten progressive groups urge Lieberman to drop U.S. Senate bid in GA for “good… of the country”
This morning, in a letter organized by Democracy for America, ten national progressive organizations urged Matt Lieberman to end his bid for the U.S. Senate in Georgia “for the good of the Democratic Party and the country.”
The letter, which is available below, cites recent polling from Monmouth University and the University of Georgia that suggests Lieberman does not have enough support to win the November but may have just enough to “deny Democrats a spot in a potential January run-off.” The groups noted that Lieberman’s continued presence was particularly dangerous in light of the looming battle over Donald Trump’s nomination of “a third right-wing extremist Justice to the U.S. Supreme Court.”
The ten groups signing the letter include Democracy for America (DFA), Be a Hero Fun, Blue Future, Justice Democrats, Progress America, Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), RootsAction.org, Social Security Works PAC, and the Working Families Party.
DFA is the only organization that signed the letter that has formally endorsed Rev. Raphael Warnock in Georgia’s special election.
Full letter:
October 2, 2020
Dear Mr. Lieberman,
With Donald Trump at the top of the ballot and debate set to begin soon on the appointment of a third right-wing extremist Justice to the U.S. Supreme Court, United States Senate races could not be more important this Fall.
The Georgia special election in which you’re running may be even more important than other U.S. Senate races this autumn since an outright victory in November would allow a Democrat to take his or her seat before the new Congress takes its oath of office in January -- potentially providing a critical vote for Democrats should Trump’s far-right Supreme Court nominee face her final vote during the Senate’s lame-duck session.
Unfortunately, your continued presence in this race poses a very real and potentially disastrous threat to Democrats’ chances of winning Georgia’s special election for the U.S. Senate.
For example, two independent polls released last week from both Monmouth University and the University of Georgia show that the 11% support you currently enjoy is not enough to win and yet could be just enough to deny Democrats a spot in a potential January run-off -- especially if Republicans remain evenly divided between their two options.
Normally, we would be some of the very last groups to encourage any Democrat to drop out of a primary. As a rule, robust primaries build organizing capacity within the Democratic Party, build support for progressive ideas, and help identify candidates capable of building the coalitions needed to win.
However, every rule has exceptions, and this is one of those.
Together, we represent tens of thousands grassroots activists in Georgia and millions across the country and we’re asking you, Mr. Lieberman -- for the good of the Democratic Party and the country -- to end your race for U.S. Senate, encourage those who are still supporting you to vote for Raphael Warnock, and join us in doing everything we can to ensure Democrats win this year’s special election for U.S. Senate in Georgia.
If there’s anything the last four years have taught us, it’s that elections have profound consequences and those who want to retain our democracy and make racial, social, and economic progress in this country have to think strategically about the fights we wage.
Right now, you have a unique opportunity to have a decisive impact on Democrats’ chances in a U.S. Senate race that could stop Senate Republicans from using an illegitimate process to hijack our democracy and force a right-wing extremist onto the Supreme Court for the rest of her life.
We urge you, with everything we have, to do the right thing for our country, end your race for U.S. Senate, and ensure Democrats stand united behind Raphael Warnock in this unique election.
Sincerely,
Democracy for America (DFA)
Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC)