Darcy Burner

WA-08 (Map)

Darcy Burner came within thirty-one hundred votes of winning against full-time Bush-enabler Dave Reichert in the 2006 election. This time, she’s apparently decided to chuck the non-confrontational style that her old consultants foisted on her, and she’s the better for it.
Darcy’s a former Microsoft manager, but I can’t hold that against her.

Raised on this page: 3 70
Raised across ActBlue: 9,445 346,188

Diane Benson

AK-01 (Map)

Anyone who I respect who lives in Alaska seems to know who Diane Benson is. A woman who made a living driving cement trucks, a mother of a wounded Iraq veteran, and an active member of her community, she came within a few votes of winning in 2006. Hopefully, with better financing and a political environment friendlier to Democrats, Alaskans can send her to Congress this time.

Raised on this page: 3 50
Raised across ActBlue: 641 18,178

Sam Bennett

PA-15 (Map)

Siobhan “Sam” Bennett, according to her NWPC bio, “is the Statewide Director/CEO of Properties of Merit of PA, Inc., a non-profit organization Sam established to spur citizen involvement”. Her bio there reads like that of a community activist. I was impressed with her FireDogLake chat last year. She’s articulate, and she’s for the things we want, like universal health care and ending the Iraq War. On the latter subject, she was, along with Donna Edwards, a cosponsor of Darcy Burner’s recently announced Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq.

My personal reason for supporting her is that she’s trying to represent the House district I grew up in, PA-15, which is now represented by Charles Dent. Dent while maintaining the fiction that he’s independent, has voted with President Bush on nearly every key piece of legislation. If you want the war in Iraq to go on forever, and for there to be no restoration of habeas corpus, then voting for Charles Dent is a good idea. If you’re not, just about anyone would have to be an improvement. Sam Bennett strikes me as much more than that.

Raised on this page: 2 45
Raised across ActBlue: 739 140,766

Andrew Rice

OK-Sen (Map)

Andrew Rice is a state senator from Oklahoma. He’s running to replace Senator James Inhofe, a man who still can’t believe that the Iraq War was a mistake. Rice’s stands on health care have earned him a place on this page. He’s trying to reform the health insurance industry in his state through several legislative actions. For a rundown, visit his recent chat at Firedoglake.

Raised on this page: 2 35
Raised across ActBlue: 3,889 163,819

Donna Edwards

MD-04 (Map)

Donna Edwards defeated Al Wynn in the primary to become the Democratic candidate for the MD-04 Congressional district. Now she’s facing a special election in June to replace the retiring Wynn.

Raised on this page: 2 40
Raised across ActBlue: 8,445 456,113

Eric Massa

NY-29 (Map)

Eric Massa is running for Congress from the NY 29th district. A look at his issue statements at his website should show that he’s a progressive. He’s known as a fighter, which is something progressives, and the rest of the country, desparately need in Congress right now.

Raised on this page: 2 40
Raised across ActBlue: 6,244 374,945