Progressive Groups Mobilize to Gain Seats in Congress

Source: Time

In an effort to expand the liberal wing of the Democratic party in Congress, two of the country’s largest progressive political groups announced early 2016 endorsements of left-leaning candidates from Florida and Maryland for the U.S. House of Representatives. Democracy for America and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee said Monday they are jointly endorsing the three candidates as part of a push to install an “Elizabeth Warren wing” of the Democratic party in Congress. The three endorsements in Florida and Maryland are among the Democrats’ first of the 2016 election cycle.

“These are Democratic-leaning districts where voters want strong representation from the economic-populist Elizabeth Warren wing of American politics—not corporate Democrats,” PCCC co-founders Stephanie Taylor and Adam Green said in a joint statement.

The candidates, Joseline Peña-Melnyk and Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Susannah Randolph of Florida, are staunch progressives and avowed anti-establishment candidates, according to bios circulated by DFA and the PCCC. Randolph says she helped defeat “a bad Democrat who voted against progressive priorities” in Florida and Peña-Melnyk says she “challenged the political king makers.”

Amid disappoint with the Obama years and anger at a Republican-dominated Congress, liberal Democrats have made a concerted push to attract progressive candidates, hosting multi-day training conferences for down-ballot politicians and community leaders to draft candidates who share their brand of liberalism.

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Read more: http://time.com/4052238/progressive-groups-democrats-congress/