National group endorses robust slate eligible for up to $5 million staff investment as part of effort to rally Democrats to vote
For Immediate Release
August 11, 2022
CHICAGO–Progressive Turnout Project is supporting more than 1,000 Democrats running for state legislative offices across 14 battleground states. The robust slate of endorsements is the largest ever for the national voter contact organization and marks the first time the group is making a significant investment in state legislative races.
“Over the past decade we’ve seen the results of turning a blind eye to legislative races–and it hasn’t been pretty,” said PTP Executive Director Alex Morgan. “We started PTP in 2015 because Democrats weren’t investing enough in having authentic, face-to-face conversations with voters. We helped elect President Biden and a Democratic Congress by making more than 59 million direct voter contact attempts in battleground states. Now, we’re excited to bring that same field-focused strategy to state races.”
Endorsed candidates are eligible to participate in PTP’s Campaign Fellows program. The $5 million initiative funds and trains local staff on PTP-endorsed campaigns in the final two months leading up to Election Day. Fellows participate in a weekly training with PTP staff then spend the rest of the week in the field talking with voters on behalf of their candidates. Adding just one full-time staff member can make all the difference, especially in state legislative races, which typically see less attention.
“By investing in state legislative races, Progressive Turnout Project is investing not just in individual candidates, but in the future of our democracy,” said Michigan State Representative Darrin Camilleri. “When I won my first election by just 300 votes, I saw firsthand that skilled and dedicated organizers are one of the most valuable resources a campaign can have. Every single Campaign Fellow working on a legislative race will make an impact in the fight to defend our democracy.” Camilleri serves as Chair of PTP’s Fellows Advisory Board.
PTP’s endorsements include Democrats in Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin, and can be found on the organization’s website.
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Progressive Turnout Project is the largest voter contact organization in the country, specifically dedicated to mobilizing the Democratic Party and defending democracy. Our mission: Rally Democrats to Vote. Since 2015, our trained field staff, fellows, and volunteers have made more than 59 million voter contact attempts across 39 states. PTP is grassroots funded, with more than 2.3 million unique donors and an average contribution of $19.13.
