For immediate release: March 17, 2020
Contact: Kristi Sanford, kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org or 773-456-4024
A progressive message wins key Cook County races: Commitments to criminal justice reform, Medicare for All and green jobs propel Kim Foxx, Marie Newman to victory
Cook County, IL — “Voters really responded to a vision of safety and security that comes from universal health care, paid family and sick leave, more funding for schools and public universities, living wage jobs and rather than more policing and incarceration,” says Will Tanzman, Executive Director of The People’s Lobby.
In the weeks leading up to the election, The People’s Lobby made more than made well over 150,000 dials and door knocks resulting in more than 11,000 conversations with voters and sent 85,000 texts about endorsed candidates. More than 100,000 voters watched social media ads where our members shared why they supported Kim Foxx, in particular. Voter contact work about Kim Foxx was done in partnership with Vote Liberation.
The People’s Lobby had conversations with 2,000 voters about Marie Newman for Congress in Illinois’ 3rd District in the past 5 months and a total of more than 6,000 conversations in the past two and a half years.
We also invested heavily in talking to voters about State Senator Robert Peters in Illinois’ 13th District.
“By leading with our values and issue priorities, we were able to have conversations about as many as three or four candidates in a single voter conversation,” says Marta Popadiak, Organizing Director of The People’s Lobby. “In Chicago’s eleventh ward, we asked voters to support Bernie Sanders, Kim Foxx, Marie Newman and State Representative Theresa Mah.”
Regarding Kim Foxx’s Victory:
“This is a huge victory for the people of Cook County and for the entire criminal justice reform movement. Kim Foxx is absolutely a champion of justice for the people,” says April Friendly of The People’s Lobby. “Cook County has been known for our record number of wrongful convictions, but tonight we re-elected a state’s attorney who is working openly and unapologetically with the community to fight back against racist practices and policies that perpetuate mass incarceration. The People’s Lobby’s conversations with more than 9,600 voters, in partnership with Vote Liberation, played a big role in defeating a billionaire who tried to buy the office for his son.”
Regarding Marie Newman’s Victory:
“After several months of talking to voters about Marie’s support for Medicare for All, the Green New Deal and immigrant’s rights, it feels great to know someone who shares our values will be representing us in Congress,” says Annie Jacobs, a member of The People’s Lobby. “But our work doesn’t end on Election Day. We’ll be supporting and holding Marie accountable to fighting for these things in Washington.”
The People’s Lobby is a membership-driven organization of people across the Chicago region that work together to build widespread support for public policies and candidates – including people from our communities – that put racial and gender justice and the needs of people and the planet before the interests of big corporations and the very rich.
Learn more at https://www.thepeopleslobbyusa.org/. View our entire list of 2020 primary endorsements here: https://www.thepeopleslobbyusa.org/endorsements/