Received this e-mail today from Democracy for America in support of Kaniela Ing’s (D. HI-01) congressional campaign:
Kaniela Ing. Remember that name, because he is going to be one of the most important leaders in the Democratic Party -- if you can help him win his primary for Hawaii's 1st Congressional District.
Kaniela Ing is a Native Hawaiian and a progressive legislator who fights for working families because he comes from one. His entire life and career show how racial justice and economic justice are inextricably linked.
During his six years as a state legislator Kaniela Ing has always put people over profits, and refuses to take corporate money. He fought for marriage equality when it wasn't popular and has taken on the private prisons that oppress the people of color who make up the majority of Hawaii's population.
Kaniela Ing is running on a platform of Medicare for All, free college, criminal justice reform, and getting big money out of politics. He will be a transformative leader in Congress just as he was in the Hawaii legislature. But he needs your help right now to win his primary -- against a former corporate lobbyist and anti-LGBTQ state rep who opposed raising the minimum wage.
Will you help transform the Democratic Party and support a rising star who fights for racial and economic justice? Chip in $3 or more to help Kaniela Ing win this critical primary.
If we are going to win in 2018, we need candidates who understand that our present national crisis is about much more than the greedy, bigoted man who occupies the Oval Office. Kaniela Ing gets that:
"I am running for Congress because everyday people are being left behind and need a representative who understands today's struggle of paying for college, buying a home, and raising a family. Standing up to Donald Trump is important, but "no" is not enough. Together, we will bring a new generation of progress beyond resistance and defeat big-money corruption."
We need to support candidates who reflect their communities and are committed to fighting for a just economy and society. Kaniela Ing is the embodiment of that vision.
As a student leader in college, Ing helped organize to make sure every student had a free transit pass -- eliminating a costly barrier to low-income students' ability to attend college and finish their degree. He understands what it means to build an economy that works for everyone, not the wealthiest few. Meanwhile, one of his primary opponents -- a pro-corporate, anti-LGBT former State Senator -- actively fought against raising the minimum wage at a time when so many Hawaiian families are struggling to make ends meet.
As a state legislator Kaniela helped stop a plan to use private prisons to incarcerate thousands of Hawaii residents, many of them people of color. One of his opponents in this year's primary was hired by the private prison industry to lobby for that bill.
With these opponents -- a corporate Democrat who worked with Republicans to block wage increases and marriage equality and another candidate who was willing to take money from and lobby for one of the most odious industries in America -- there could not be a clearer choice in this primary. We have a chance to support an amazing leader and legislator who can steer Congress in a truly progressive direction.
Kaniela Ing is a transformative leader who will help create a Democratic Party that is committed to an inclusive populism rooted in racial and economic justice. But he needs your help right now. Will you chip in $3 or more to help Kaniela Ing win his primary against a well-funded former lobbyist?
Thank you for supporting this fantastic candidate.
- Jim
Jim Dean, Chair
Democracy for America