Eleven Presidential Candidates Now Endorse D.C. Statehood And Simple Majority Rule As Solution
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, June 24, 2019
CONTACT:
press@51for51.org
Eleven Presidential Candidates Now Endorse D.C. Statehood
And Simple Majority Rule As Solution
Two New Additional Supporters Join Movement
Columbia, SC — This weekend two presidential candidates, New York City Mayor de Blasio and former Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper, endorsed the national statehood coalition 51 for 51 and agreed to fight for full representation for the more than 700,000 tax-paying American citizens living in the nation’s capital. The group wants the Senate to amend its rules so that 51 votes in the Senate is enough to move forward on voting representation for residents living in Washington, D.C.
The full list of 2020 candidates who have voiced their support for the campaign include:
- Senator Elizabeth Warren
- Senator Gillibrand
- Mayor Pete Buttigieg
- Cong. Eric Swalwell
- Cong. Tim Ryan
- Gov. Steve Bullock
- Cong. Delaney
- Governor Inslee
- Andrew Yang
- Mayor Bill de Blasio
- Governor John Hickenlooper
The young advocates leading this fight for statehood range in age from 17-27, and come from families that have lived in the district for generations. The advocates plan to continue tracking candidates along the campaign trail, with intentions on bringing the issue front and center for the remaining 2020 candidates.
Jamal Holtz, one of the advocates who traveled to South Carolina, is the Student Body President at the University of Rochester and a former DC Youth City Administrator.
“This experience has been more than just advocating for a 51 vote threshold in the Senate to make D.C. the 51st state, but moreover, this experience has been advocating for the voice of the disfranchised and for full civil rights for our citizens. It’s about expanding the voice for the unheard,” said Holtz.
J’Ta Freeman, who has also traveled to Iowa and now South Carolina, is a rising freshman at Howard University. She is the co-youth Mayor of Washington, D.C. and Co-chair of Students Demand Action.
“This experience is important to me because I have the opportunity to advocate for the residents of my city who feel like they don’t have a voice in this democracy. I think it’s important to educate people about this campaign because outside of D.C. people are largely unaware that we don’t have the same rights as everyone else,” said Freeman.
For the first time in 25 years, the House of Representatives will hold a hearing on statehood on July 24th, led by Rep. Elijah Cummings. House Majority Leader Hoyer announced his support for statehood for the district at the end of May.
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51 for 51 is a coalition comprised of DC-based and national groups committed to equal representation rights for D.C.’s over 700,000 residents. The coalition of 15 progressive groups says American citizens living in the district deserve a voice in Congress and control over their own local laws.
Additional Information
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