An advocate for candidate Raskin argues that he will have singular progressive impact even in a Blue-state House delegation.

/By Patty Snee/ Jamie Raskin, the State Senator for Maryland's  District 20, and candidate for Congress in District 8, is one of the most energetic, committed, and progressive public servants on the scene today.  Those of us who live in the district (that Chris Van Hollen currently represents) which stretches from Takoma Park to    Emmitsburg can look forward to more great things from Jamie once he begins his service in Congress.  He's a champion of many causes and an effective progressive!  While serving in the State Senate, Jamie saw more than one hundred pieces of his legislation pass.

In Annapolis he fought for marriage equality, criminal justice reform, equal pay for women, civil rights, renewable energy, and an end to the death penalty.  Jamie stood up for gun safety and sensible gun laws that will help stem the epidemic of gun violence.  And he's an outspoken leader for campaign finance reform.

Jamie's campaign embodies his values and vision for a vibrant people-powered democracy.  Since the fall of 2015, hundreds of volunteers have knocked on thousands of doors and made phone calls to voters all over the district. The campaign has held 192 house parties as well as concerts, rallies, and other events on Jamie's behalf.  His dedicated army of supporters fueled the organizing that helped him win a very competitive primary in April. He recruited more grassroots donors than any other Congressional candidate in the country this election cycle and overcame big spending by other candidates including one who spent more than $9 million in the primary. He's absolutely committed to grassroots campaigning in the way that the late Senator Paul Wellstone was when he ran his upstart successful campaign in Minnesota in 1990. And like Paul Wellstone, Jamie and his team bring joy and a positive outlook to all that they do.

I was once part of a national network of social change organizations whose mantra was "powered by love with a passion for justice."   That's the perfect description of Jamie.  Once he's in Congress it's going to be fun to watch people around the country get to know him and see the intelligence and passion he brings to our national political conversation.

 Jamie will make a difference. He will work for progressive and people-first solutions to address the most important problems facing our country and our planet.  The climate crisis is at the top of his list of issues. He will push for policies that preserve and restore our ecosystem and help us grow a green economy.  He will fight for the significant investment in infrastructure like bridges, water systems, roads, mass transit, and port systems that our region and our country desperately need.

And he will take to Congress the fight to strengthen our democracy. He'll be a leader on voting rights, campaign finance reform and the need to end gerrymandering that has resulted in such a lopsided Congress (In 2102, Democratic candidates received  1.4 million votes more than Republicans did  in United States House races but the GOP came out of the contests with 33 more seats.)

We can count on Jamie to join and help energize the Progressive Caucus, to stay true to his values, and to look for some common ground with other members to pass legislation particularly when it comes to issues like infrastructure and criminal justice reform.

His proven track record and his commitment to building a more fair and democratic country has won him the endorsement of many local and state labor, environmental, and community groups.  And Progressive Maryland's national affiliate, People's Action, is also proud to endorse Jamie Raskin for Congress.

You can learn more about Jamie, who in addition to being a State Senator and candidate for Congress is a constitutional law professor at American University's Washington College of Law, at https://jamieraskin.com/

Whether you live in CD 8 or another Congressional District please vote!

 Early voting starts Thursday, October 27 and goes until Thursday, November 3.  For more information about early voting see http://www.elections.state.md.us/

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8 and polls in Maryland will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Patty Snee lives in Takoma Park. She's a volunteer for Jamie Raskin for Congress and a member of Women for Jamie Raskin.