|
Peace
Voter 2006 Successes:
Summary of Peace Action Electoral Activities
Clearly, Iraq was on everyone’s mind on Election Day, and
a dedicated and informed public, led by Peace Action activists
and supporters, changed the entire dynamic of the House and Senate.
Hopefully, this new Congress will respond to voters with greater
peace-mindedness and diplomacy as we work to end the war in Iraq,
prevent war with Iran, and address other pressing foreign policy
concerns.
In 2006, the national office and about 40 devoted affiliate groups
led several different projects in 55 different races under Peace
Action, Peace Action PAC, and Peace Action Education Fund (our
c-3 sister organization).
Peace Action
Our Peace Action campaign:
• Wrote and distributed hundreds of thousands of non-partisan
voter guides in 18 competitive areas around the nation: Pennsylvania’s
7th and 8th Districts, Wisconsin’s 1st, 2nd and 6th, 3rd
and 7th, 4th and 5th, and 8th District and Senate races, New Hampshire’s
2nd District, New York’s 13th District, Maine’s 1st
District and Senate, and New Jersey’s 7th District and Senate
and 4th District and Senate. Ultimately, millions of voters read
our voter guides.
• Initiated and supported over 40 different resolution campaigns
across Wisconsin, Illinois, and Massachusetts to end the war in
Iraq. These resolutions passed in every single district where
they were on the ballot, often with over two-thirds of the vote.
Peace Action PAC
Our Peace Action PAC endorsed a total of 52 candidates, including
27 existing members of congress who have 100% voting records on
peace issues. Of the 52 candidates below that Peace Action PAC
and their affiliates endorsed, 43 won in their races:
Senate Candidates:
• Daniel Akaka (D-HI) *won!*
• Robert Byrd (D-WV) *won!*
• Sherrod Brown (D-OH) *won!*
• Ned Lamont (D-CT)
• Bob Menendez (D-NJ) *won!*
• Bernard Sanders (I-VT) *won!*
House Candidates:
• Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) *won!*
• Xavier Becerra (D-CA) *won!*
• Lois Capps (D-CA) *won!*
• Julia Carson (D-IN) *won!*
• Danny Davis (D-IL) *won!*
• Sam Farr (D-CA) *won!*
• Bob Filner (D-CA) *won!*
• Patricia Godchaux (R-MI)
• Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) *won!*
• Maurice D. Hinchey (D-NY) *won!*
• Rush Holt (D-NJ) *won!*
• Michael Honda (D-CA) *won!*
• Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) *won!*
• Barbara Lee (D-CA) *won!*
• Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) *won!*
• John Lewis (D-GA) *won!*
• Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) *won!*
• Edward J. Markey (D-MA) *won!*
• Doris Matsui (D-CA) *won!*
• Betty McCollum (D-MN) *won!*
• James P. McGovern (D-MA) *won*
• Cynthia McKinney (D-GA)
• Jerry McNerney (D-CA) *won!*
• Martin T. Meehan (D-MA) *won!*
• George Miller (D-CA) *won!*
• Grace Napolitano (D-CA) *won!*
• Major R. Owens (D-NY) *won!*
• Frank Pallone (D-NJ) *won!*
• Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) *won!*
• Coleen Rowley (D-MN)
• Linda Sanchez (D-CA) *won!*
• Janice Schakowsky (D-IL) *won!*
• Jose E. Serrano (D-NY) *won!*
• Pete Stark (D-CA) *won!*
• Joe Sestak (D-PA) *won!*
• Nancy Skinner (D-MI)
• Hilda Solis (D-CA) *won!*
• Mike Thompson (D-CA) *won!*
• John Tierney (D-MA) *won!*
• Tony Trupiano (D-MI)
• Nydia M. Velazquez (D-NY) *won!*
• Maxine Waters (D-CA) *won!*
• Diane Watson (D-CA) *won!*
• Henry Waxman (D-CA) *won!*
• Anthony Weiner (D-NY) *won!*
County Board:
• Josh Ruebner (I-VA)
We also raised and donated over $90,000 in “hard”
money to different progressive, peace-minded candidates across
the United States through Peace Action PAC. Fourteen of the twenty-three
candidates we supported financially won their seat:
Senate Candidates:
• Daniel Akaka (D-HI) $1,244.51 *won!*
• Sherrod Brown (D-OH) $1,697.68 *won!*
• Ned Lamont (D-CT) $2,903.86
• Jim Webb (D-VA) $1,000.00 *won!*
• Kevin Zeese (I-MD) $420.00
Congressional Candidates:
• Charlie Brown (D-CA) $4,613.29
• Sherrod Brown (D-OH) $1,697.68 *won!*
• Bill Durston (D-CA) $279.50
• Donna Edwards (D-MD) $805.00
• Diane Farrell (D-CT) $1,657.99
• Bob Filner (D-CA) $3,249.99 *won!*
• Gabby Giffords (D-AZ) $1,365.82 *won!*
• Patricia Godchaux (R-MI) $756.63
• John Hall (D-NY) $1,743.04 *won!*
• Paul Hodes (D-NH) $2,433.34 *won!*
• Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) $500.00 *won!*
• Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) $2,016.67
• Jerry McNerney (D-CA) $16,003.31 *won!*
• Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) $1,450.91 *won!*
• Coleen Rowley (D-MN) $754.50
• Bernie Sanders (I-VT) $3,463.00 *won!*
• Joseph Sestak Jr. (D-PA) $1,742.65 *won!*
• Lynn Woolsey, (D-CA) $3,990.00 *won!*
In addition, Peace Action PAC paid for organizers to help
six separate peace-minded candidates in their races:
• Sherrod Brown (D-OH) $1,500.00 *won!*
• Diane Farrell (D-CT) $750.00
• Ned Lamont (D-CT) $750.00
• Patricia Madrid (D-NM) $4,840.00 *won!*
• Jerry McNerney (D-CA) $2,057.00 *won!*
• Jim Webb (D-VA) $500.00 *won!*
Peace Action PAC also called thousands of voters to elect Peace
Candidates in competitive elections.
Peace Action affiliates also dedicated themselves to the 2006
election by leading fifteen in-person candidate briefings on the
most pressing peace issues in this election. Affiliates even organized
and held six separate multiple candidate debates that included
third-party ideas and solutions to present foreign policy concerns.
Peace Action members also “bird-dogged” candidates,
challenging them to address the current war in Iraq, potential
wars in North Korea and Iran, and ridding the world of nuclear
weapons.
Peace Action Education Fund
The Peace Action Education Fund, our C-3 sister organization,
also led several successful campaigns to get out the vote:
• Peace Action helped add to the 225,000 signatures on the
nationally-distributed Peace Voter Pledge, an online initiative
where the signer declared the war in Iraq to be the deciding factor
in this election.
• The PA Education Fund financed a special message from
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) to over 40,000 peace supporters
urging them to get to the polls on Election Day!
We could not have organized such a successful election campaign
without your dedicated support. However, our work is just beginning.
Even with the new Congress – in fact, especially with the
new Congress – we must defend peace issues while working
with our new representatives to end the war in Iraq and prevent
future wars in North Korea and Iran. We must promote nuclear responsibility
within the United States while we discourage foolhardy international
nuclear proliferation. We will continue to support U.S.-led diplomacy
on behalf of peace loving citizens everywhere.
You will continue to hear from us as our Peace Voter campaign
prepares for the 2008 presidential and congressional elections.
Thank you for helping Peace Action this midterm election, and
for your persistent commitment to peace values.
1100
Wayne Ave. Ste 1020, Silver Spring MD 20910 (301) 565-4050 www.Peace-Action.org
|