PDM Endorsements, 2012 primary

After a careful and open process, PDM has decided to endorse three candidates in legislative races in the upcoming Sept. 6 primaries.  The three candidates are: 

• Tim Coco in the Senate primary for the 1^st Essex District,
• Mary Keefe in the House primary for the 15^th Worcester District, and
• Aaron Vega in the House primary for the 5^th Hampden District.

 
Each of these are compelling progressive candidates in important and winnable races.  These endorsements are in addition to our earlier endorsement of Elizabeth Warren in her U.S. Senate race, which remains a top PDM priority.
 
Now we need your help in putting some muscle behind these endorsements and getting all of them elected.  We hope that you’ll join us in giving your financial support to each of them and in volunteering as much time as you can between now and Sept. 6 to help at least one of them.
 
You can make financial contributions in one of two ways.  First, you can go to the ActBlue pages that PDM has established for each of the endorsed candidates and make your contributions there.  (This will enable PDM to measure and demonstrate our effectiveness in helping candidates we back.)  Here are links to each of the ActBlue pages: 

• Tim Coco
• Mary Keefe
• Aaron Vega (still under construction; make donations at Vega’s website)
• Elizabeth Warren

 
Alternatively, you can go to the candidates’ own web sites, at the links above, and make your contributions there.  If you make your contributions in that way, we’d ask that, whatever dollar amount you donate, please add $.02 at the end of the amount, as a way of letting the campaign know that the money comes from a PDM supporter.  (The $.02 is in commemoration of PDM’s birth out of the ’02 gubernatorial election.)
 
There will be a number of opportunities to volunteer to help out on each of these campaigns over the next few weeks.  PDM has identified one of our sustaining members as coordinator of our efforts for each candidate, and you’ll be hearing from them in the next few days about ways you can help out.  Or you can jump right in and contact one (or more) of them to let them know you want to get involved.  They are:
 

• For Tim Coco, Mike Combs of Chelmsford: mike@combsnet.com
• For Mary Keefe, Jack Moran of Worcester: Send emails to Jack at mary@electmarykeefe.com
• For Aaron Vega, Corinne Wingard of Agawam: corinnemarie@comcast.net or 413-786-9467

 
We made these endorsements through a democratic process, based on input received through the open discussion on our website and through a discussion and vote among our sustaining members.  We expect that, immediately after the primaries, we will renew this process and decide together whether we should make a small number of additional endorsements in the general election.  Keep tuned for future announcements about that process.
 
Finally, a reminder that, in addition to these races, many parts of the state will also have significant races, in primaries or general election or both, for seats on the Governor’s Council.  Our website has some very significant information about these races, including some informative comments from our members.  We encourage you to look at these materials, and to share them with others, before the primaries.
 
Thanks for your patience in reading all of this.  Please act now to help our endorsed candidates.  And thanks for all that you do.