INSIDER NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINES OF THE POLITICAL REVOLUTION
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HEADLINES: Protecting & Expanding Progressive Power in Congress | ENDORSEMENTS: Pramila Jayapal, Ilhan Omar, Jamaal Bowman, Susheela Jayapal, Lateefah Simon | VICTORY! Summer Lee Beats Big Money | Vote for Peace in Maryland 5/2 | & MORE!
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This week, Our Revolution held a special 2024 Progressive Power Town Hall with US Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Jamaal Bowman and Ilhan Omar, as well as candidates Susheela Jayapal (OR-3) and Lateefah Simon (CA-12).
The event kicked off our strategic campaign to Protect and Expand Progressive Power in Congress, rallying to elect - and re-elect - strong voices for peace and justice on Capitol Hill — many of whom are being targeted by dark money groups.
“Progressives are sounding the alarm against…a torrent of spending against leftist candidates who are holding the Biden administration to task for its unilateral support of Israel and its war on Gaza,” Politico reported on the town hall.
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Our Revolution is proud to stand with Pramila Jayapal as she organizes to defend and grow the Congressional Progressive Caucus she chairs and runs for re-election herself.
“The reality is that we need to protect progressives in Congress like me, Ilhan, and Jamaal, who are under attack by Republican mega donors who are coming into our districts, recruiting people to run against us, and pouring enormous amounts of money into these races,” Pramila said.
AIPAC has pledged to spend $100 million against progressives this year alone, she said, “because they’re afraid of our power, because we have stood up for peace and economic justice, because we have challenged the status quo and fought corporate power and proudly stood for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”
“We can’t sit back and wait to see how it all plays out,” Pramila continued. “That is not what Our Revolution is all about. They might have billionaire mega donors, but we have the people, and people power is how we’re going to win these elections.”
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Our Revolution is once again endorsing Ilhan Omar for re-election because we need her voice representing our movement and Minnesota’s 5th District in Congress.
Ilhan has taken a lot of heat from the far right for standing on the right side of history and she will have our movement on her side through her primary on Aug. 13th and beyond.
“Every policy that the Progressive Caucus champions polls at 60% or above. If the people’s house was not beholden to special interests, all of these great policies would be implemented and we would have an incredibly great, progressive country that takes care of everyone,” Ilhan told us Monday.
“We know they’re going to spend a lot of money, but we are moving in strength not weakness,” she continued. “We are going to continue to move policies rooted in radical love and advocate for the politics of love because our communities deserve that.”
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Our Revolution is all-in to re-elect Jamaal Bowman to the U.S. Congress to serve New York’s 16th District. He has been one of our most dauntless voices for racial justice in the U.S. House, and we are rallying to make sure progressives turn out to vote for him on June 25th!
Besides his support of a ceasefire in Gaza, Bowman said anti-black racism is also a factor in why big money is targeting his re-election bid. “This is a majority-minority district, where we have been doing grassroots organizing with young people and progressive since we got into office,” he told us.
Up to a quarter of AIPAC’s $100 million could be spent against Bowman, and there will be Trump donor money on top of it. But when Jamaal joined our virtual town hall this week, he said, “That’s OK, because Our Revolution has my back.”
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Not only are we on a mission to Defend Progressive Power, but we also have some great opportunities to GROW Progressive Power by electing new allies to Congress this year!
You already know that Our Revolution is endorsing Susheela Jayapal for Congress in Oregon’s 3rd District - and so is Bernie Sanders! - and our movement got to know her better at our Town Hall event on Monday.
Yes, she is the sister of Pramila, and nearly choked up speaking of the influence she has made on her journey into politics — and the sacrifice their parents made to give them both a shot at the American Dream.
As a lawyer, nonprofit leader, and county commissioner, Susheela has seen that dream fall short for many. When this blue seat opened up for the first time in 30 years, she knew she had to run to make it as progressive as possible.
“I am the only candidate to publicly reject corporate PAC money, clearly support Medicare for All and public social housing, and to clearly and consistently call for a ceasefire in Gaza,” Susheela told us. “I first called for a ceasefire in November, and I have come under considerable fire for that stance. My opponents have said that’s not an issue that matters to our voters.”
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Our Revolution has been in Lateefah Simon’s corner since she announced her run to replace retiring Congresswoman Barbara Lee in California’s 12th District.
Lateefah has the endorsement of Rep. Lee, and she beat out 9 opponents to win her primary on a message of healthcare, worker rights, and housing.
“These are local issues, but the federal government has an opportunity to bring back resources to the ground in our communities. The old party line isn’t working anymore,” Lateefah told us Monday. “We don’t need to be scared of folks who are on the other side of our politics because we have been here before.
“I believe in the idea of true peace, dignity, wholeness, and equality. We’re going to get there. My glasses aren’t rose colored, I understand how far we have to go,” she continued. “The cavalry really is not coming. It is us with our dreams, our hopes, and our tactical experience that’s going to move the House.”
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VICTORY!
Congrats to U.S. Rep. Summer Lee! Summer is the first pro-Ceasefire member of Congress to face a serious big money-powered challenger this election cycle — and she just won her primary by a landslide with the grassroots at her back!
Summer Lee’s overwhelming victory on Tuesday shows that we CAN stand up for Peace in Gaza and defeat the Big Money attacks that come our way.
Our Revolution is proud to stand with Summer, and we’re READY to take on the same forces to re-elect Jamaal Bowman, Ilhan Omar, Pramila Jayapal, Cori Bush, and all of our Peace champions in Congress!
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Our Revolution stands in solidarity with student protesters who are organizing to demand a Ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. funding of the killing of Palestinian civilians and children.
We also applaud the 37 progressive champions including Barbara Lee, Ilhan Omar, Ro Khanna, and Pramila Jayapal who voted against providing more unconditional funding for Netyanahu’s war regime.
This marks the first time that this many Democrats voted against weapons and funding to Israel’s military.
"The role for outside groups, like the young people who are protesting and Our Revolution is to be out on the streets, because that gives people like Bernie and AOC the standing to advocate on the inside,” Our Revolution Executive Director Joseph Geevarghese told The Hill this week.
Add your name: Stop sending U.S. weapons to Israel. Peace Now!
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Our Revolution has been at the vanguard of the “Vote Uncommitted” movement - we’re using the ballot box to pressure the Biden Administration to end its unconditional support for the Netyanahu’s brutal war in Gaza.
To date, we’ve helped organize 600,000 protest votes for Peace in the Democratic primaries — including critical swing states like MI WI and MN.
The next front in the fight will be the Maryland primary on May 14th. Right now, Our Revolution is mobilizing our 137,000 members in Maryland to vote “uncommitted” to send a message to President Biden: Change course and call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
“Progressive Democrats in Maryland will not stand by idly as the White House uses American taxpayer dollars to fund Netanyahu’s horrific bombing campaign,” Our Revolution Executive Director Joseph Geevarghese told Maryland Matters.
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If you live in Maryland, join Our Revolution and our coalition for our “Vote Uncommitted” rally on Thursday, May 2nd to kickoff early voting and mobilize protest votes for Peace!
Sign up here to RSVP to join us in person!
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Our coalition of progressive organizations around the country are mobilizing to advocate for a party platform that will serve young, working class, and progressives — key voting blocs in this election year!
Our Revolution is mobilizing to send progressive delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this August to
push priorities like Peace in Gaza, desperately needed campaign finance reform, taxing billionaires like Elon Musk, fighting climate change, reducing the power of superdelegates and so much more.
The core of our message: President Biden and the entire Democratic Party must listen to progressives if they want to actually energize and motivate voters to defeat Trump in November.
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Our movement worked hard to elect the largest Congressional Progressive Caucus in history. Now, we must defend these seats against rightwing lobbyists like AIPAC, set to spend $100 million trying to unseat some of our strongest voices for Peace in Congress.
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As the country’s largest grassroots-funded progressive political action group, Our Revolution relies on our members to power our work. In 2024, we must defend our top progressive leaders and elect new ones to join the fight against the far right and corporate extremists trying to hijack our democracy.
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