John -- Please join me in welcoming civil rights lawyer Jerry Dickinson to the 2022 slate, running to represent PA-18!

We’ve gotten to know Jerry over the last few months, and his powerful personal story resonated strongly with our team. I want to share that story with you now.

But first, some exciting news! Incumbent Mike Doyle just announced this week he is not seeking re-election, and this is now an open seat.

Jerry ran an impressive grassroots campaign in 2020, and since relaunching his campaign six months ago he has built on that strong foundation. We are confident he is the right candidate to win this seat.

Can you split a contribution between BNC and Jerry right now?

Jerry didn’t have an easy start in life. Born into poverty, he was separated from his parents as a very young child because they couldn’t afford to care for him. He was placed in a multi-racial foster home with 10 other children. Eight of those 11 kids, including Jerry, would go on to be adopted by his white foster parents Robert and Judy.

The American foster system is often a pipeline of poverty. When foster kids turn 18 and age out of the system, up to 20% become instantly homeless. Most have no earnings or earn too little to live on. Many end up in the criminal justice system.

Jerry watched this happen firsthand, and took on the role of mentoring and supporting his foster siblings to keep them out of the juvenile courts.

While studying to become a civil rights lawyer, Jerry became a Fulbright Scholar and worked abroad in Johannesburg, South Africa. There he organized for poor South Africans living in shanty towns fighting corporate developers and gentrification.

Back home in Pittsburgh, he helped establish a land trust to again take on corporate developers, represented tenants facing eviction proceedings, and challenged discriminatory housing practices and police violence in the courts.

Jerry has worked his entire life in the pursuit of justice and dignity for poor and working class families.

Pennsylvania is home to some of the most gerrymandered districts in the country, and PA-18 is no exception. Although Black Americans make up 25% of the city of Pittsburgh, the district lines are drawn to dilute the Black vote down to just 2%!

If elected, Jerry will be the first Black man to represent Pittsburgh in Congress. Will you split a contribution between BNC and Jerry’s historic campaign?

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Last cycle his grassroots campaign brought in over 44,000 votes despite being outspent 4:1. In the first six months of his new campaign, he’s raised over $330,000 -- more than his entire 2020 race.

With hundreds of highly engaged volunteers, Jerry has a strong head start to compete for this open seat and help Pittsburgh elect a bold progressive to fight for working families.

Help us welcome Jerry to the slate by splitting a contribution of $100, $50, or whatever you can spare today.

Let’s win this!

Adrienne Bell
Executive Director
Brand New Congress