This week, Our Revolution kicked off the start of early voting in California by hosting a LIVE virtual GOTV event with U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee, Ro Khanna, and Ayanna Pressley, and congressional candidate Lateefah Simon!
Ballots are arriving in mailboxes, and we’re mobilizing to get out the vote on behalf of powerful progressive slates across the state with candidates for Congress, critical state and local offices, and Democratic committee seats to help transform the party.
We’ve endorsed a total of 95 progressive candidates in California, and we’re activating our grassroots army to power our massive GOTV operation – from calling and texting to knocking doors.
Barbara Lee told us Monday how much love she is feeling from the progressive movement in this final stretch of her campaign for Senate.
“We got the highest vote in the convention because of all of you, and we’re going to take the top two on March 5th because of this multiracial, multigenerational coalition,” she said.
“In the Senate, I’m going to take on the challenge of forging peace,” Barbara stated. She was the first to call for a ceasefire in this race because she understands the humanitarian catastrophe taking place in Gaza.
“Peace, poverty, climate, making billionaires pay their fair share — these are the progressive issues that need a bigger megaphone in the U.S. Senate,” she said.
She reminded voters that they’ll need to vote for her twice: once to serve the remainder of the term left by the late Dianne Feinstein, and once to serve the full 6-year term beginning in 2025. (Yes, this is legal and correct!)
Our Revolution is also proud to join Barbara Lee in endorsing Lateefah Simon to succeed her as the Congresswoman from District 12.
Lateefah is a veteran organizer and nationally recognized advocate for civil rights and social justice. Having lost her husband, she’s committed to single-payer healthcare for all.
She is also a strong advocate for reducing military spending, putting peace first, and lifting up priorities of housing, reproductive justice, and more.
As Barbara said, “Lateefah is from the community and for the community.”
“From her work supporting young women and trans youth to fighting to make public transit more affordable, she is a fierce advocate and proven leader,” Barbara continued. “It’s my honor to pass the blue baton to Lateefah.”
Lateefah told us Monday that during her 30 years of organizing, Barbara Lee has been a close mentor and she’s honored to follow in her footsteps.
“Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s legacy and decades of service to the people of our district are incomparable,” said Lateefah. “She has been a voice for moral clarity in Congress and boldly represented the progressive values of this district.”
HELP US ELECT BARBARA LEE, LATEEFAH SIMON, AND OUR PROGRESSIVE POWER SLATES ACROSS CALIFORNIA.
U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, who is chairing Barbara’s campaign, spoke to us Monday about the dire need for her strong antiwar voice in the Senate.
“Barbara Lee would make a difference on Day 1 to get equal human rights for Palestinians and make sure we don’t get into another war in the Middle East,” Ro said.
“She is a true fighter for transformative change — for racial justice and reproductive rights, for Medicare for All and housing policy and a living wage,” he continued.
Ro said there are still around 30% of voters still undecided in California about the Senate race. “I know that she can win this campaign. If we’re active, if we’re mobilized, she can be in the top two, and that difference is going to be all of us.”
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley was celebrating her birthday when she joined our GOTV Call Monday night to root on her mentor Barbara Lee.
Last time Ayanna was on our call was in September, when she announced her endorsement for Barbara Lee for Senate alongside fellow progressive Congress members like Cori Bush, Pramila Jayapal, Rashida Tlaib, Mark Pocan, and others.
There’s a reason not only the grassroots but progressive leadership are all in for Barbara Lee:
“Barbara is the OG. She gets things done. She has courage and the strength of her convictions,” Ayanna said. “I’m so grateful for her example. She’s an icon, a mentor… she has blazed a trail! The whole country would benefit from a Senator Barbara Lee.”
Fatima Iqbal-Zubair serves as the Progressive Caucus Chair for the California Democratic Party – the largest progressive caucus in the country.
She knows the importance of mobilizing progressives – not just to vote, but to get active in getting candidates like Barbara across the finish line.
“We need folks making calls, knocking on doors — that’s how we win, people power,” Fatima said. “Barbara came in first at the CA Democratic Convention because progressive delegates organized.”
“I support Barbara Lee for Senate because she is a true progressive who has always stood with the most marginalized,” she said. “We need progressives to turn out and work for Barbara and all the way down ballot as well.”
