California is very lucky to have three candidates who would all make excellent senators— Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff. Most of the time the best we get is a lesser of two evils. This time we have to decide who’s the best of three proven champions. Each has their own strengths, strengths that offer a lot to a generally weak and dysfunctional Senate.
Blue America can’t figure out which one— if any— to endorse. Want to help us? We want to know what you think. So… take a look at this ActBlue page and contribute something to the one you feel the strongest about— even if it’s just a dollar. The candidate you gets the most contributions by next Sunday night (midnight in California) will get a $1,000 Blue America PAC check. (Sorry, the Grover Cleveland Bill is not really in circulation any longer, but it made for a nice lead, right?)
And what’s in it for you? Well, aside from helping the candidate you like most, we’re going to randomly pick one donor to win a rare, collectible gold record, Forever Blue from one of the California artists who Howie worked with, Chris Isaak (born and raised in Stockton).
We asked each campaign for a quote from an endorser telling us why their candidate would make a great senator. In alphabetical order…
Barbara Lee’s campaign sent us a statement from Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution:
“Barbara Lee has the most progressive record in the House of Representatives and she’s been one of the most effective progressives ever in Congress… From her time as a social worker and organizer with the Black Panthers to her standalone vote against the War in Afghanistan and her success in passing 28 bills in Congress, she has always been in the trenches with the people, and we need her in the trenches in the U.S. Senate.”
Katie Porter sent us a statement from Senator Elizabeth Warren:
“I met Katie long before either of us imagined we’d be serving as elected officials. Even as a young student in my consumer law class, she showed a deep-down commitment to making a difference in people’s lives. In the years since then, she’s taken on Wall Street and giant corporations that cheat the American people. Katie delivers because she’s smart and she has a backbone made out of steel. She is exactly who Californians need as their next Senator.”
And Adam Schiff’s campaign asked Ted Lieu for a statement:
“Adam is effective. He is courageous. And he is fighting a righteous fight. Not only to protect our democracy from Trump and his other cronies, but to build an economy that works for everyone, to end homelessness, to take action on crises like gun violence and climate change. He is who Californians need in the U.S. Senate.”
If you want to read the legalese version of the contest rules, you can find them here.
One more thing, if you want to enter but don’t want to contribute, just send us a postcard with the name of your favorite candidate and you’ll have as much a chance to win as anyone else. If you would rather send a check, also use this address:
Blue America Contest
PO Box 27201
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Thanks for always doing what you can to help make this a better world,
The entire Blue America team
