Darcy Burner needs your help! At Daily Kos, we often lament that "Democrats" are elected who are so far to the right that they are scarcely recognizable as such. Why don't more progressive candidates run? Why don't they face off against these fake Democrats in the primary?!
If you've had those thoughts, here is just the race for you! The State of Washington has an open seat in the 1st Congressional District, shown on the map above in light blue. This district, redrawn after the 2010 election as a swing district, is now more rural and conservative than formerly. Washington has an open "Top Two" primary system (except in the presidential election). All candidates run in a single non-partisan primary, where each of them gets 16 characters on the ballot to describe her or his "party preference" -- they need not be endorsed by a party to say it is their "preference". Voters, regardless of their own party affiliation, may all vote in this primary. The top two vote-getters in the primary, even if they are nominally affiliated with the same party, are the candidates for the general election in November.
Because this is an open seat, lots of candidates are running this year, including, at one time, at least six Democrats and three Republicans. There is one Republican who is the clear frontrunner, but there are three women running as Democrats who are polling quite close to one another. The progressive candidate is Darcy Burner. The other two are to her right, and are quite well-off and self- or family-financed. Darcy Burner does not have their enormous financial resources, yet she has still been narrowly ahead.
Meanwhile, the Republican can coast for a while and conserve his money as the Democrats fight it out. Darcy needs to pull ahead in the primary and win one of the top two spots, and then go immediately into a general election campaign. She will need help to do all this. If you have ever said, or thought, Where are the true progressives that I can support without reservation?, now is the time to lend your support to Darcy Burner. Primary voting by mail has already been in progress for a week, and the votes will be counted on August 7. The race is tight.
Further, Darcy Burner's honesty about her views and her advocacy of progressive positions have been risky for her in this race. Remember when she came to NN12 and gave that inspiring talk in which she encouraged women who had exercised their right to an abortion to stand up without shame or fear, and everyone else to stand in support of them? That got twisted into this kind of garbage back in Washington. Yet, she does not hesitate to express openly what she believes in, nor does she try to tailor her message to this more conservative district. She clearly states her positions at her website and here at Daily Kos. If that is the kind of candidate you support, then now is the time to get some skin in the game!
But wait! Our dear Community Quilt ladies would like to sweeten the deal for you. More on that below the fold!
From Sara R:
The entire month of July will be a quilt fundraiser for Darcy Burner, candidate for Congress, WA-01. There will be a drawing for the quilt signed in Providence at NN12 the first week in August. Everyone can get one chance per day, each and every day in July by EITHER donating $10 or more to Darcy Burner's campaign through this Act Blue page OR by writing a 50-word-or-less essay on this topic: How can we bend the arc of history more towards justice for all? If we deem your essay to be on topic, it will count for a chance. Send essays to winglionquilts AT gmail DOT com with "Darcy Burner" in the subject line. To recap, earn an equal chance once a day every day in July by either donating or sending a short essay (one or the other). That means everyone who began at the beginning can have as many as thirty-one equal chances in this drawing. The first week in August, I will find a neighborhood child to do the drawing and someone will become the new owner of the quilt. Quilt stats: It will be about 66" square, sleeved for hanging. The fabric is cotton, the batting a fine wool. I am quilting it by hand. It will be finished by the end of July.
Quilt stats: It will be about 66" square, sleeved for hanging. The fabric is cotton, the batting a fine wool. I am quilting it by hand. It will be finished by the end of July.
Here are the quilt signatories: TexDem Sara R Kitsap River Charles CurtisStanley Chris Loesch Phyllis DeGrave Monsieur Georges Velo Vixen Hawkwife Abraham J. Bonowitz CA Berkley WV Ramara Barbara Banoff Leslie Simmons Jessica Wainfor Immy Humes The Fat Lady Sings Marcy Miranda Ann Porter Carol Neil Malaka Gharib Susie Kameny Sandy on Signal Bill Lusk Charlie Harris Macaela Gardner Flamingogirl Paul Krugman Martin Garcia Lefty coaster Samuel Skurkovich Krista Brewer Markos Moulitsas Hunter Ken Schider Sharon Salzberg Nancy St. Germain Carl Farmer Angelajean Susan Gardner Brian Loper Betsy Cazden Catherine Casas Erika Martinez Marcy Chong Faith Gardner Pamela Mackey Shirley Koegel Andy the Cat Mimi Marziani Sonrisa Cheryl Krauss Ann Savage Paula Dove-Jennings Megan Secatore Jee Fedele Dominique French Dennis Travares Mark Musho Hayden Erin Hofteig Bill in Portland Maine Common Sense Mainer Canilo Viveiros Sean Kitchen SSMIr Marta Turnbull Navajo Grace Priscilla Cruz Shayan Zdrisavi Nomandates Jodie Evans Glitterscale Nik Swiatek Sam Schoeburg Rachel Gordon Jamie McGonnigal Brillig Mik Laura Clawson EK Hornbeck Hannah Resseger Alan Grayson Arjun Jaikumar Kari Fulton Terilee Edwards-Hewitt Alisa Roost Linda Lee Luan Tatum Karen Bradbury Kate Coyne McCoy Elena Perez Triciawyse Steve Dondley Katie DeCarlo Diane Palmer Eric Packer Cheryl McLeod Chacounne Keesha G Oke Greyhawk Meteor Blades Rep. David Cicilline Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse Charles Patenaude Tool Cynthia Kain Mike Ertel Emberlyn Transactivist Patrick St John David Braun Una Spenser San Mateo DFA Evan Leeson Moody Loner Erin souza Jeana Brown Sen. Jeff Merkley Maria Luz Torre Olive Niccoli Nancy Peckenham Matt Bors Yasuragi Benis Binion LaToya Egwekwe Peregrine kate NW Terri D David Gusick Vicky Rateau Marcia Robbins Eric Thut Molly D CJ Adam Skoog Brandon Silverman MsSpentyouth Jay Lustgarten Onomastic Mommy Pooka The momcat Lilian Molina Robyn Carmichael Ed Tracey Suzanne Turner Erika Boulware Amy Ziering Joan Brooker N in Seattle Malik Rhasaan Kafi Rouse Poe 42 gizmo59 Regan McCarthy 4Freedom Scottie Thomaston Jo Lux Arenosa Megan Lickley Polisigh True Blue Majority Kelly Lincoln Eclectablog The left neck chick Tarryl Clark Little Loner Nancy Green JoAnn Schwartz Side pocket Dev Tobin Brian Swinehart Andrew Hubbs Don Rhodes Belinda ridgewood Winglion Cedwyn Winkk Commonmass Terri Foster April Pederson Loggersbrat Katrina Gamble Lightbulb Jennifer Miller-Smith Vec Gina Fesmire Clytemnestra
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