Color Of Change PAC Endorses 18 More Candidates Ahead of November Election
Color Of Change PAC Intensifies Campaign To Elect Progressive Candidates Up and Down the Ballot, Particularly Powerful Progressive District Attorneys, Across the Country
New York, NY — Today, Color Of Change PAC announced its endorsement of 18 more candidates ahead of the November elections. The candidates are Pam Keith for Florida’s 18th Congressional District, Andrew Warren for State Attorney in Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit, Rev. Raphael Warnock to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate, Rep. Rashida Tlaib for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, Mike Espy to represent Mississippi in the U.S. Senate, Cori Bush for Missouri’s First Congressional District, Jamaal Bowman for New York’s 16th Congressional District, Mondaire Jones for New York’s 17th Congressional District, Cal Cunningham to represent North Carolina in the U.S. Senate, Yvonne Lewis Holley for Lieutenant Governor, Jessica Holmes for North Carolina Commissioner of Labor, Lora Cubbage for Seat 5 of North Carolina Court of Appeals, Cheri Beasley for North Carolina Supreme Court, Reuben Young for Judge of the North Carolina Appeals Court, Kojo Asamoa-Caesar for Oklahoma’s First Congressional District, Jaime Harrison to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate, Marquita Bradshaw to represent Tennessee in the U.S. Senate and Cameron Webb for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District.
With the tragedies of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain and Jacob Blake bringing more visibility to police violence and systemic injustice, Color Of Change PAC’s goal to shift how the public views prosecutors and how prosecutors do their jobs is even more salient. Many of the barriers to racial justice in this country, particularly who holds power, are more evident now than they have ever been. Prosecutors are mostly white and male, and nearly 85 percent run for DA positions completely unopposed. With these endorsements, Color Of Change PAC continues its tradition of endorsing district attorney candidates offering plans that can help move Black people forward.
“We need strong progressive candidates up and down the ballot who care about Black communities’ concerns in order to push for the changes we urgently need,” said Arisha Hatch, Executive Director of Color Of Change PAC. “This roster of candidates shares our communities’ values and will pursue policies that will make real, demonstrable improvements in our lives.”
Pam Keith is an attorney running for Florida’s 18th Congressional District. If elected, Keith will fight against Donald Trump and for expanded access to healthcare and climate change policies to support Florida’s environmental resources.
Andrew Warren has served as State Attorney in Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit since 2017 and is running for reelection. Warren is an advocate for criminal justice reform, and has implemented programs such as the Juvenile Arrest Avoidance Program (JAAP) and the Adult Pre-Arrest Diversion Program (APAD) since holding this position.
Rev. Raphael Warnock is a senior pastor running to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate. Warnock’s platform includes restoring and strengthening the Voting Rights Act, ending the use of privatized prisons and protecting reproductive rights.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib is running for reelection to represent Michigan’s 13th Congressional District. Since being elected in 2018, Tlaib has helped create $1.5 billion Water is a Human Right fund to stop water shutoffs in Wayne County during COVID-19.
Mike Espy is an attorney and previous representative from Mississippi’s 2nd district running to represent Mississippi in the U.S. Senate. If elected, Espy will fight to expand broadband through the state, expand medicare and the Affordable Care Act.
Cori Bush is an activist and nurse who, if elected, would be the first Black woman to represent Missouri’s First Congressional District. Bush is running as a champion for policies that will affect residents directly, including ensuring all formerly incarcerated individuals have a full restoration of rights, including the right to vote.
Jamaal Bowman is a middle school principal and public school advocate running for New York’s 16th Congressional District. Bowman’s platform includes a New Deal for Education, a New Deal for Housing, as well as the Green New Deal.
Mondaire Jones is an attorney, nonprofit leader and activist, running for New York’s 17th Congressional District. Jones supports Medicare for All, cancelling student debt and instituting criminal justice reform.
Cal Cunningham is a lawyer and army veteran running to represent North Carolina in the U.S. Senate. Cunningham’s platform includes protecting and expanding voting rights and reforming the criminal justice system.
Yvonne Lewis Holley has served as state representative for North Carolina’s 38th District since 2013 and is running for Lieutenant Governor. Lewis Holley has an extensive criminal justice platform, which includes funding the Raise the Age juvenile program, supporting the Second Chance Act and other re-entry programs.
Jessica Holmes has served as a commissioner for the Wake County Board since 2014 running to be the next North Carolina Commissioner of Labor. Holmes is fighting for job opportunities and training and for the implementation of a paid parental leave policy, a fair chance hiring ordinance and a living wage policy.
Lora Cubbage has served as a judge of the North Carolina 5th Superior Court Division District 18 since 2018 running for the North Carolina Court of Appeals, Seat 5. Cubbage will bring competency, fairness and experience to the court and will continue to promote diversity and inclusion in the judicial system.
Cheri Beasley is running to keep her seat as Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Beasley was appointed in February 2019 by Gov. Roy Cooper, making her the first Black woman ever to serve in this capacity. Beasley is working to modernize the court system through technological innovation and to build school justice partnerships to keep young people in their classrooms and out of the courts.
Reuben Young is running for reelection to serve as the Judge for North Carolina Appeals Court. Previously, Young served as Interim Chief Deputy Secretary of Adult Corrections and Juvenile Justice. In this role, Judge Young worked with state officials to enhance safety in prisons and to improve the rehabilitation of offenders.
Kojo Asamoa-Caesar is a former educator running for Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District. Asamoa-Caesar is fighting to enact universal child care and pre-kindergarten, to cancel all student loan debt and to increase education funding and teacher pay.
Jaime Harrison is the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and is running to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate. Harrison is running to implement criminal justice reform, end poverty and rebuild South Carolina’s infrastructure.
Marquita Bradshaw is an environmental justice advocate running to represent Tennessee in the U.S. Senate. If elected, Bradshaw will fight for policies, such as increasing the minimum wage and Medicare for All, that support working families.
Cameron Webb is a physician serving as the director of health policy and equity at UVA’s School of Medicine running for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. Webb is fighting for a strong COVID-19 recovery and to make healthcare accessible to everyone, especially those in Black and brown communities.
COC PAC recently endorsed Fanon Rucker, Deborah Gonzalez, Eric Rinehart, Patsy Austin-Gaston, Shalena Cook Jones, Holly Mitchell, Lucy McBath. And earlier this year during the primaries, Color Of Change PAC endorsed candidates Kim Foxx, Kim Gardner, Monique Worrell, George Gascón, and Karen McDonald. Each won their primaries and will be up for election in November.
Color Of Change PAC, one of the nation’s largest Black-led racial justice organizations, plans to support these candidates by building enthusiasm and mobilizing voters who are often left out. The organization leads an education campaign that informs voters about the link between criminal justice reform and voting. One of the first-ever political organizing groups to figure out how to reach and engage its members online, Color Of Change PAC has ramped up its digital tactics, including digital ads, virtual phone banking, and town halls in response to the limitations COVID-19 has put on in-person advocacy and voter engagement.
Color Of Change PAC draws the link between voter turnout in district attorney races and real change in Black communities. The PAC seeks to endorse candidates that support the criminal justice demands which will bring about essential reforms; these include ending money bail, reducing collateral consequences for immigrant defendants, protecting kids within the juvenile justice system, holding police accountable and being more transparent with the public.
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Color Of Change PAC is a Political Action Committee focused on building independent Black political power, amplifying Black voices, electing candidates who share our values, and holding them accountable to our communities. For more information on Color Of Change PAC, visit votingwhileblack.com.
Paid Pol. Adv. paid for by ColorOfChange PAC,
1714 Franklin St., Oakland, CA 94612, independently of and not authorized by any federal, state, or local candidate or candidate’s committee.