I've been working with a great local campaign in MD, the candidacy of Jamie Raskin, running for State Senate in District 20 (Silver Spring and Takoma Park). A very progressive district, we are currently represented by a 30 year incumbent, Ida Ruben, who was characterized by the local Gazette newspapers earlier this year as the 7th least effective state senator in Maryland.
We have a great campaign going, and we are surging. Lots of volunteers, and we've raised a lot of money by challenger standards. But the incumbent has more, and reaching the voters costs money.
The Raskin website is here. I'm just a volunteer, but I'd like to think that a real progressive like Jamie Raskin could look for support from a real progressive community like this one. I haven't been around as much in the past few months, because of the campaign, but those who know me know my credentials. I wouldn't be asking if I didn't think this was a good cause. And it is a good cause.
The primary is on September 12, less than three weeks away -- we need your help. What I want is on the flip.
We're in the closing stretches of a tight campaign, and we know we can win if we can reach out to all the voters -- those we reach, we persuade, because we have a better candidate and a better campaign.
The incumbent has become obsessed with the Raskin campaign -- she has attacked him as "not a real Democrat" for speaking on behalf of third party candidacies' right to be part of debates, and for advocating for campaign finance reform. Real Rove-like stuff, but we're fighting back. She's also against universal health care, for the death penalty, and voted for an Enron-sponsored energy deregulation bill back in 1999 that is now costing Marylanders hundreds of dollars a year in increased electricity bills.
If you can help, I ask that you go to the website and make a contribution. $10 is all I'm asking for -- if you can do more, that's great, do it, but even if you can only do $5, that will help too.
Electing progressive Democrats in Congress is great, but it's also important to work to elect our friends to state office. With the federal government essentially in enemy hands, the states are the last refuge of possibility for progressive ideals to get a fair shake.
Thanks, and now I'm off to another campaign event.