Help Progressives Win is a WEEKLY column,
posting at 9 am Pacific Standard Time each Saturday.
There are thousands of Progressive candidates running for office across America in 2016, and they need your help to win.
Please don’t forget those running for office in your city and county this coming year — those down-ballot races make a big difference in your daily life, from deciding which Traffic Engineer to hire this spring which translates into which potholes get fixed on your daily commute to work; to which Port Commissioner gets elected and has a massive amount of influence determining if a foreign corporation wins a bid to build and maintain a new Oil Terminal at the port in your town, putting the safety and health of your family and those of all your fellow residents at risk, just to line the pockets of investors on another continent!
So please step up and make some time in your busy schedule to help local candidates, who often have no resources or staff. You can find a local candidate by contacting your Local County Democratic Party. If you don’t know how to find yours, start at at the website of the DNC and their link to State Parties.
Click on your state and look for a Get Local link, like this:
The Washington State Democratic Party website at www.wa-democrats.orgIt begins right at home in our towns and cities and with our own family, friends and circle of acquaintances. Far too many of our fellow citizens refuse or forget to vote regularly. They tell themselves “it just doesn’t matter if I vote, no one listens to me anyway. Besides, I HATE politics. None of those politicians know what my life is like and they don’t really care about my family or our problems.”
The following candidates for office in 2016 DO CARE and they are espousing the policies and ideas which will help those dejected non-voters. But they need your help to be successful, to reach out to the millions who just can’t be bothered to be participants in their own democracy. So please, consider helping these candidates in any of the following ways…
VOLUNTEER DONATE SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIAAll three of these actions are helpful to a candidate trying to reach a larger audience or promote an event or action. Candidates need money to put on events and to pay salaries for staff and to buy the signs and ads which help to spread the messages they are putting out to the prospective voters in their city, county or state.
We need to start banging the drum for next year’s Progressive candidates today in order to have enough victories next November to stave off or even undo the advancement of the conservative lunatics who inhabit the current version of what’s left of the Republican Party.
Here are this week’s PROGRESSIVE CANDIDATES They need your help TODAY, to win next November Denise JuneauCandidate for US House
State of Montana
1st Congressional District
Campaign website: www.DeniseJuneau.com
URL Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/DeniseJuneau
Campaign Twitter: @denisejuneau
Where is the District?
Full Scale US Census Map of the District/State
The State of Montana has a single, at-large US House Congressional District, it contains the entire state. Montana Democrats Praise Denise Juneau's Run for Congress"The House of Representatives has been a circus lately, and Montanans need a leader like Denise who will fix it, rather than Zinke who has only been a part of it. I join Montanans from across the state in supporting Denise in her campaign to fight for Montana's working families and to expand economic opportunity for all." — Montana State Democratic Party
Denise Juneau has served as Montana's Superintendent of Public Instruction for seven years, and is a sitting member on Montana's Land Board.
Denise is an enrolled member of the Mandan Hidatsa Tribes and a descendant of the Blackfeet tribe. In 2008, Juneau became the first American Indian woman elected to a statewide office, and would be the first American Indian woman in Congress. She would be only the second woman in Montana’s history to serve in Congress.
Denise Juneau believes education is power. American Indian. Daughter. Sister. Teacher-turned-attorney-turned-educator. 54th generation Montanan.
Denise Juneau has spent her career fighting for Montana families and making sure that the next generation is prepared for the global workforce, that Montana’s public lands are responsibly managed, and that all Montanans have the opportunity to build a bright future.
If you or a family member or friend lives in Montana, please contact the campaign of Denise Juneau and Volunteer to help her win this seat and a milestone for American Indian/First People women from Montana!
Paul ClementsCandidate for US House
State of Michigan
6th Congressional District
Campaign website: www.ClementsforCongress.com
URL Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/ClementsForCongress
Campaign Twitter: @Clem4Congress
Where is the District?
Full Scale US Census Map of the District/State
The State of Michigan’s 6th Congressional District is in southwest Michigan. It consists of all of Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren, counties, and includes most of Allegan county. Cities include Kalamazoo, Portage and Three Rivers. working families are the backbone of the local economy x YouTube VideoPaul Clements understands that our economy must work in a way that benefits all Americans. It doesn’t have to benefit poor and working class Americans at the expense of the wealthy, but it can no longer afford to benefit wealthy Americans at the expense of the poor and middle class. As Professor of Political Science at Western Michigan University, Paul teaches national economic and social development strategies dealing with ways government can best promote economic growth and create fair and effective programs.
Paul worked as a fast food worker to help pay his way through Harvard University where he received his BA in Social Studies. After graduating, Paul became a Peace Corps Volunteer. Paul went on to receive his Ph.D from Princeton University. A founder of the doctoral program in evaluation, Paul has carried out program evaluations and consulted on evaluation systems across the U.S. and around the world.
In the Peace Corps, Paul saw how a little assistance and a lot of hard work and political will can improve a challenging situation. The Peace Corps works to build social and economic infrastructure and to train local men and women to sustain that infrastructure themselves.
We need a Congressman who will work to better the lives of residents in Southwest Michigan, creating good, sustainable jobs; who will fight to make education and job training affordable and accessible, and who will stop denying the devastating effects of global warming, and instead be a positive force to help reverse it.
Paul lives in Kalamazoo with his wife Aedin and has two daughters. He is active with his local church and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and his local food pantry.
If you live in SouthWest Michigan, please contact Paul’s campaign and Volunteer to help him get his message out to the Voters!
Marjorie PorterCandidate for New Hampshire State House
State of New Hampshire
State Legislative House District Hillsborough County No. 1
Campaign Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/State Rep. Marjorie Porter
Campaign Twitter: @nhrepPorter
Where is the District?
Full Scale US Census Map of the District/State
New Hampshire’s State House District of Hillsborough County No. 1 is in south central New Hampshire and includes the towns of Hillsborough, Antrim and WInsor. HEADLINE HEREHillsborough is the birthplace of Franklin Pierce, the 14th president, and our stone arch bridges are world famous!
As a lifelong educator, how we pay for our schools has always been of concern to me. I first ran for the NH House because I saw firsthand how the state’s public education funding “plan” impacted the education our children receive. NH is dead last in state funding for public K-12 education, so we must rely largely on local property taxes to pay our schools’ bills. Consequently, we have some of the highest property taxes in the country, and zip code really does determine the quality of the education kids will receive. Poorer towns see taxes soar just to get the basics, while richer towns have the luxury of expanded programs, enriched curriculums, and new buildings.
Funding for public higher education in the state has also taken a big hit under Republican control of the NH House. Drastic cuts were made in the 2011-12 budget, leaving us last in the country for higher ed funding as well. We have the highest in-state tuition of any public university, and at close to $34,000, our students graduate with the highest student loan debt. Projections are that by 2020, 68% of jobs in NH will require a post-secondary degree or certificate. Will our lower and middle income students be able to afford to get the education they need to get a good job? Or will we only see the income gap grow wider? That’s why I am proud to be sponsoring a Debt Free College Resolution in the NH House. It’s time we took a serious look at what we can do to make sure college is an option for all, and not just a luxury for the wealthy few.
If you or family live in Southern New Hampshire, please consider Volunteering to help Marjorie win this seat so that she can continue to fight for Education for New Hampshire’s students and schools!
Volunteer via her Facebook page | Donate
Finally, your host, who is also running for office. You can see my full entry at this link
Angela MarxCandidate for US House
State of Washington
3rd Congressional District
Campaign website: www.Angie4Congress.com Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/... Twitter: @AngieinWAState
TOGETHER, WE CAN DO GREAT THINGS!If you have a favorite progressive candidate who should be featured here, please leave me a name and a race (State/County/City) in a comment, so that I can feature them in a future edition of Help Progressives Win.