Monty Mahan, candidate for Kitsap County (WA.) Commissioner, recently sent in his signed pledge and questionaire. Currently the Executive Director of the Pierce Conservation District, Monty has a broad range of civic experience that will serve the citizens of Kitsap County well. He's already been out knocking on doors and meeting with his future constituents and his "citizens first" attitude is impressing folks.

Monty's blog

"Fired-up and feisty, Gilda entered political life in 2007 to make a powerful difference in the lives of senior citizens, children, working men and women and small business owners."

There are few bright spots in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina. Gilda Reed is one of them. Dr. Reed, a professor at UNO, is running on getting our troops out of Iraq, universal health care and protecting America's unions and working families (read her stance on the issues). Reed is running for Louisiana's First Congressional District and recently won the Democratic primary with over 70% support.

Jerry Northington, a great progressive candidate for Delaware's lone seat in the House of Representatives, recently signed America In Solidarity's pledge to support working families. Northington wants us out of Iraq, affordable health care for all, and living wages. He also states that we need to restructure our current trade deals that have cost millions of American jobs, not to mention worsening conditions for workers abroad.

See Northington's answers to our questionaire here.

Having come painfully close to knocking off the Republican incumbent in 2006, Darcy Burner is charging ahead to win Washington's 8th Congressional race in 2008. Burner signed our pledge to support working families in 2006. 

Burner (in picture with AIS volunteer Jerry Beckendorf) has been making waves lately with calling out the Bush Administration about their failed direction in Iraq and the Administration's constant attacks on our civil liberties. 

Over 50 elected officials and candidates have signed America In Solidarity's pledge to support working families. To see them all, see our map.

Das Williams

Santa Barbara City Council

Elected in 2003 to the Santa Barbara City Council, Das Williams has been a great friend of working families. He is a member of the United Auto Workers and has successfully advocated for a living wage in five jurisdictions. He has also fought against a local proposal that would have benefited Wal-mart while driving out local living wage jobs. Das signed our pledge in 2007.

If you were involved in the Pierce County labor movement, odds are you knew Al Brebner. A dedicated Teamster and Planning Commissioner, Al beamed with enthusiasm. 

Harold Moss, former Tacoma mayor and councilman, former Pierce County councilman, pays tribute to his good friend Al:

Al was the most focused, brightest, committed working stiff, as he called himself, you could want to meet. He put his whole heart and effort in the things he believed made a difference for the average working man or woman. He would get out the troops, mostly Teamsters, to carry picket signs on strike lines, wave political signs on corners, pound yard signs for candidates all over Pierce County. And he would do this rain or shine, and day and night.

He would start a sentence with "I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but...." and then proceed to give his analysis of a problem in his clear and un-complicated way.

A couple of Saturdays ago, Breb (as most referred to him) was smiling and excited as over 40 volunteers showed up on a Saturday morning to go doorbell for Dave Lovell, a fellow Teamster running for Port Commissioner. That was the last time many of us saw him. A few days later, Al Brebner had a massive heart attack that a week later ultimately claimed his life. Likely cause of death: the Tacoma News Tribune endorsed Dave's big business-backed opponent in the paper.

Over 50 elected officials and candidates have signed America In Solidarity's pledge to support working families.

A lifelong advocate of working families, former local Teamsters President Dave Lovell is running for Port of Tacoma Commissioner. It is only fitting he signed our pledge to support working families as he is hoping to replace retiring Commissioner Jack Fabulich, who signed our pledge way back in 2003. The Port of Tacoma has been the region's biggest supplier of family wage jobs and its important to have a commission that understands the Port's role in the Tacoma-Pierce County community.

It is going to be a tight race as seven candidates have filed to run in the primary election on August 21^st

 

Corbett Kroehler has thrown his hat in the ring for Florida's 8th Congressional District race in 2008. He stands for a national, single-payer health care system, ending Presidential Fast Track Authority on free trade agreements and promoting living wages (all things that sit well with America In Solidarity).

He joins two 2007 candidates who have signed our pledge in the last week:

• Councilmember Das Williams in Santa Barbara, California
• David Stemp, candidate for Fircrest, WA City Council
  

Councilman Spiro Manthou, one of our original pledge signers in 2003, is the first pledge signer to be placed "On Suspension" by America In Solidarity. Several activists have complained about his "Non-responsiveness to Ruston residents about health issues at the Asarco development site."

At its June meeting, the Executive Board of America In Solidarity voted to create a "On Suspension" category of pledge signers who fail to live up to the pledge. The motion read:

"To designate an apparatus to suspend promotion of a candidate or elected official that has signed the America In Solidarity pledge if the individual has failed to live up to their pledge through elected votes, campaign promises or general apathy toward working families. A candidate or elected official can be suspended through a motion and subsequent vote of two-thirds of the Executive Board at a regularly scheduled meeting. The suspension can be appealed by a candidate or elected official or representative of the elected official at an America In Solidarity Executive Board meeting."