FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2018
CONTACT:
Priyal Amin; press@turnoutpac.org
Progressive Turnout Project endorses Tlaib, Levin, and Driskell
Grassroots-funded organization proudly supports community leaders for Congress
CHICAGO — Progressive Turnout Project today endorsed Rashida Tlaib, Andy Levin, and Gretchen Driskell for Congress. Each community leader offers voters an impressive record of public service as well as a commitment to progressive values. Additionally, each candidate supports efforts to expand ballot access to all Americans through efforts championed by the grassroots-funded organization, like automatic voter registration, early voting, no-excuse absentee voting, and restoring the Voting Rights Act.
“We’ve had the good fortune of watching these three candidates fight for Michiganders for years through organizing and public service roles, so we know that they’re going to deliver results for Michigan families and working people when we elect them to Congress on November 6,” said Executive Director Alex Morgan.
Rashida Tlaib has organized in the City of Detroit for more than a decade. Most recently, in her role with the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, she led public interest lawsuits to fight against racist emergency manager laws and draconian drivers license fees. She has stood up to Donald Trump’s hateful rhetoric and led an environmental justice campaign against the Koch brothers on Detroit’s southwest side.
“Rashida is a passionate organizer who has been fighting for Michigan families for years,” said Morgan. “She has proven that she will stand up to Donald Trump and corporate interests with a progressive, people-first agenda.”
Andy Levin is a leader at the intersection of workers rights and the environment. He started his career as a union organizer with the Service Employees International Union. Levin helped Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm navigate the Great Recession by leading her No Worker Left Behind program that put more than 162,000 Michiganders back to work following the financial crisis.
“Andy’s on-the-ground experience with workers and as a clean energy entrepreneur means he knows what progressive policies will make a positive impact for workers and small business owners,” said Morgan. “We know that on his first day in Congress, Andy will roll up his sleeves and get to work for all of us.”
Gretchen Driskell knows what it is going to take to defend our democracy from partisan politicians looking to suppress the vote as well as foreign actors looking to influence our elections. She served as the Minority Chair of the Election Committee in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2015-2016. During that time she introduced a Voter Bill of Rights to address the woefully inadequate access to the ballot box faced by Michiganders.
“We’re proud of Gretchen for her efforts to enact a ‘Voter Bill of Rights’ and we know she’s going to make the restoration of the Voting Rights Act a top priority when she gets to Congress,” said Morgan. “We believe once voters look at Gretchen’s record and elect a congressperson who is going to promote accessible, modernized, and fair elections.”
Today’s endorsements are part of a larger effort by Progressive Turnout Project to expand its impact in the 2018 election. The grassroots-funded organization released an expansive watch list in January and followed up with the announcement of 18 field programs in May. PTP hired a Fellows Program Coordinator in July to support additional candidates across the country.
“Our more than 3 million supporters and 220,000 grassroots donors have been loud and clear that we need to do everything we can to win by supporting candidates who will represent our values and defend our democracy,” said Morgan.
Progressive Turnout Project asks campaigns to complete an endorsement questionnaire that asks about critical voting rights issues such as the restoration of the Voting Rights Act, automatic voter registration, early voting, no-excuse absentee voting, and voter ID laws. The organization will continue to announce endorsements as it receives and reviews completed candidate questionnaires.
###
Progressive Turnout Project is a grassroots-funded Political Action Committee with a single mission: get Democrats to the polls. PTP designs, tests, and executes specialized voter-turnout programs targeting inconsistent Democratic voters in the most competitive districts across the country. Since its inception in 2015, the organization raised more than $19 million with a supporter base of over 3 million and invested in voter-turnout programs in 73 congressional races and 17 state legislative races, including 10 Virginia House of Delegate races 2017.
