|
John,
As the Israeli military massacres residents of Gaza City, the fascist-in-chief is planning to send $6 billion worth of weapons to further this genocide of Palestinians. Most of my colleagues in Congress will vote to approve this, and most take money from the anti-Palestinian group AIPAC.
One such Congressperson is Shri Thanedar, who currently represents the congressional district next to mine. Last year, he was by far Michigan’s top congressional recipient of AIPAC funds.1 On top of that, he’s a multi-millionaire who self-funded his campaigns, and he’s been voting with Republicans to help billionaires get richer and to “express gratitude” to ICE.
Fortunately there’s a progressive, pro-Palestine, working-class candidate running against Shri to represent the deep blue district next to mine: Donavan McKinney.
In our state legislature, Donavan is leading fights for our rights; taking on corporate greed; lowering costs of living; and protecting families from lead poisoning, asbestos, and toxic air pollution. He’s the right person to represent Michigan’s 13th district, which is one of the poorest congressional districts in the country.
AIPAC has spent millions of dollars against prior pro-Palestine candidates who are willing to challenge incumbents—and Donavan needs our grassroots support now. We have only a week until the end of this quarter, when Donavan’s campaign will publicly report fundraising numbers.
Can you rush an end-of-quarter donation to Donavan McKinney’s and my campaigns today, so we can stand up to AIPAC and fight to save lives together in Congress? We recently launched a new joint fundraising committee: Rooted With The People. All donations will be split evenly between our campaigns.
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your secure donation will go through immediately:
Thank you! Here’s a photo of us at a UAW march and rally (Donavan’s on the left):
A former union organizer, Donavan’s a champion for workers’ rights, and I’m proud to join unions like SEIU Michigan in endorsing him. Part of the Michigan Legislative Labor Caucus, he just unveiled a new legislative package to improve and expand unemployment insurance. He explained:
“Unemployment insurance is not a privilege. It’s a safeguard for those who lose their job through no fault of their own. It’s the safety net that every worker and every family deserves…”
Donavan knows our community’s struggles because he’s lived them: Growing up, his family struggled with food and housing insecurity. Like me, Donavan grew up next to industrial pollution and breathed in toxic air. He and his brother developed asthma at a very young age, which shaped him to become a true fighter for environmental justice.
Donavan and I are both pushing back against corporate influence in politics, including utility companies. When speaking up at a recent rally against our utility’s unaffordable rate increases and poor reliability, Donavan said:
"I represent the poorest house district in the state of Michigan; $14,000 is the median income of my district. ...You know what I hear every day from my residents? Kitchen table issues. They cannot take another rate increase. It will literally bankrupt a lot of these families. They're already playing catch-up."
Unlike Donavan, the current Representative cannot relate to the majority of his constituents. Shri spent $17 million of his own money to finance his electoral campaigns, and on top of that he’s spent more taxpayer money on self-promoting ads than any other member of Congress.
The incumbent, Shri, also owns significant stock in cryptocurrency—and he violated the STOCK Act, which is meant to prohibit members of Congress from engaging in insider trading.2 No member of Congress should be allowed to own stocks.
Please chip in to our joint committee Rooted With The People if you agree: We don’t need more multi-millionaires and billionaires in government! It’s time for representatives who understand their constituents’ struggles and act with urgency.
Thank you for continuing to push for the government we deserve—a government that’s truly of, by, and for the people.
With you in the fight for a better future,
Rashida
1 Pro-Israel AIPAC offshoot spent $2.3M to help Shri Thanedar in Michigan primary
2 Michigan’s Thanedar may have violated STOCK Act again with unreported crypto stock purchase
|
