Nine Presidential Candidates Call for Washington D.C. Statehood and Simple Majority Rule
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, June 10, 2019
CONTACT:
press@51for51.org
Nine Presidential Candidates Call for Washington D.C. Statehood and Simple Majority Rule
Cedar Rapids, IA — Yesterday in Cedar Rapids, seven 2020 presidential candidates made clear their stance on D.C.statehood, agreeing to support 51 for 51 grassroots efforts and demand that the Senate amend its rules so that 51 votes is enough to extend rights to Washington, D.C. residents who pay taxes but don’t have full representation in Congress.
As of this week, nine presidential candidates have voiced their support for the campaign, including:
- Senator Elizabeth Warren
- Mayor Pete Buttigieg
- Andrew Yang
- Cong. Eric Swallwell
- Cong. Tim Ryan
- Gov. Steve Bullock
- Cong. Delaney
They join Senator Gillibrand and Governor Inslee who previously announced their support.
Six D.C. natives, whose families have lived in the district for generations, travelled across Iowa this weekend to bring the issue of statehood front and center for 2020 candidates. The impressive group of Washingtonians have already been fighting for their voting rights in the district and range from ages 20-30.
- Demi Stratmon is a 2nd generation D.C. native and student studying government at Dartmouth College. She has interned at the White House and the World Bank.
- Julian Goldstein is a 3rd generation D.C. resident and is currently in the Air Force Reserve. He is the president of Students for Statehood at Howard and volunteers with DC Vote.
- J’Ta Freeman is a rising freshman at Howard University. She is the co-youth Mayor of Washington, D.C. and Co-chair of Students Demand Action.
- Brandon Frye is Vice President of Administration and Finance for the DC Young Democrats and is a member of the DC Democratic State Committee. He is a 2nd generation Washingtonian.
- Andre Glosson is the founder of To The Box Org and is a dedicated youth advocate.
- Jevian Gudger is a 7th generation D.C. native, a cadet in the US Army ROTC program and political science major at Morehouse College.
51 for 51 is partnering with local and national grassroots organizations and is focused on educating 2020 candidates about the more than 700,000 taxpaying D.C. residents who lack equal representation in Congress and have been denied the right to self-govern.
For the first time in 25 years, the House of Representatives will hold a hearing on statehood on July 24th, lead by Rep. Elijah Cummings. House Majority Leader Sen. 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 say American citizens living in the district deserve a voice in congress and control over their own local laws.
Additional Information
Website: https://www.51for51.
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