To shake up the U.S. Senate we need to give vulnerable Republicans the boot.
Republicans Richard Burr in North Carolina who votes like a zombie for anything Republican leadership tells him is a perfect example. After all this Senate seat has changed hands from one person to another 7 elections in a row.
You don't need me to tell you why Senator Burr has to go. Look at his record. Burr is anti-choice, anti-marriage equality, and supports the death penalty. Of course, he also supported Republican attempts to filibuster healthcare and worked against the public option.
And just last night, he stood with the rest of the Republican Party again to filibuster Wall Street reform like every other right-wing zombie.
The good news is that not only can we beat him this November; there is a strong progressive Democrat we can support to make it happen.
That’s why today, Democracy for America announced our endorsement of Elaine Marshall for U.S. Senate.
JOIN DFA MEMBERS NATIONWIDE AND SUPPORT ELAINE MARSHALL TODAY
More on Elaine and this important race after the jump.
Cross posted at OpenLeft.com here as part of our joint project covering primary races. You can check out all Primaries Matter posts on OpenLeft here
Elaine Marshall is currently North Carolina’s Secretary of State. Not only is she is the first woman to be elected to that office, but she’s the first woman elected to any statewide executive office in North Carolina.
Now, she’s been the SOS for over 13 years and has a list of solid accomplishments. For example, she was instrumental in bringing about progressive lobbying and ethics reforms. She’s been recognized for her efforts to combat counterfeit goods and protect copyrights. And she brought organizational skills and technological upgrades that have vastly improved the performance of her department.
But for Elaine to win in November, she has to win the Democratic Primary on May 4th first. All the Democrats running would be better than Senator Burr, but DFA members in North Carolina have chosen Secretary of State Elaine Marshall as the clear favorite with almost 60% of the vote in a three-way race.
Time is short. The election is exactly one week away.
Elaine is making her final plans for field and getting out the vote by the end of the day. Local DFA members are counting on the national progressive community to come together and deliver vital support right now.
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It’s not just DFA members getting behind Elaine Marshall, she’s been racking up local newspaper endorsements too. Here’s what the Charlotte Observer said about their endorsement of her:
Marshall is authentic, smart, experienced and public-service oriented. She has taken on special interests and won.
Here’s what prominent North Carolina progressive blogger Pam Spaulding wrote about her endorsement:
I believe that Elaine Marshall represents not only the best fit for the job of U.S. Senator from North Carolina in 2010, but she brings the most experience and effective perspective to the race, something essential in order to unseat Richard "Bank Run" Burr in the fall.
Elaine Marshall isn’t afraid to take positions and fight for progressive values. During our final battle for the public option, Elaine didn’t hold back. While other Democrats and candidates all over the country were too afraid to take a position, Elaine signed on to the Senate letter calling for Senator Reid to put a public option in the reconciliation bill.
Elaine Marshall is the real deal. She’s the progressive in the primary and the most qualified to take on Republican Richard Burr this November. Let’s make sure she wins the primary first.
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We’re proving that primaries matter when it comes to electing progressives to the U.S. Senate.
Whether it’s Elaine Marshall in NC, Bill Halter in AR, or Jennifer Brunner in OH, we’re doing everything we can to shake up the U.S. Senate -- because the first step to passing progressive legislation is to elect the progressive leaders that will get the job done.
Elaine’s election is a week away. It’s up to us to deliver the resources -- right now -- she’ll need for GOTV.
Let's put her over the top.