Progressive Majority in Ohio

Today Blue America is proud to host our friends from Progressive Majority and Matt Patten, the Democrat running for an open red seat in Ohio's 18th state legislative district (in the Berea area). Like Barack Obama and Jesus, Matt came up as a community organizer. He's a new generation labor leader and he's exactly the kind of progressive activist the Democratic Party needs so we don't wind up with slime from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party taking over. We have more than enough Rahm Emanuels and Tim Mahoneys.
 
We asked David Dettman from Progressive Majority to introduce the program and Matt to us at Firedoglake this morning at 11AM, PT. He sent this post along in preparation:

Just four seats. That’s all that separates Democrats from a majority in the Ohio House of Representatives. And, in 2008, Progressive Majority’s number one goal in Ohio is to elect progressive champions to the House and deliver that majority.  

Progressive Majority has a slate of 11 fantastic candidates for the Ohio House ready to advance our progressive agenda. The Number 1 targeted race for the Ohio House features Matt Patten in House District 18, which includes the critical Cleveland suburbs of Strongsville, North Royalton, Berea, Olmsted Falls, and Olmsted Township. This seat is held by a term-limited conservative and the Republicans have nominated an even more conservative candidate to run against Matt. 

Matt, a long-time union and community activist, will fight for economic justice, quality education and universal access to health care. He is the grandson of Irish immigrants who has dedicated himself to improving his community and enhancing economic opportunity for Ohioans. His opponent, Colleen Grady, is an ultra-conservative member of the State Board of Education who is best known for her avid support for teaching creationism in the science classroom. She is a Sarah Palin wannabe who is spending enormous amounts of money attacking Matt in ways that have been called “dirty politics” by the local media.  

When Matt and our other candidates for the Ohio House form a Democratic majority, they’ll usher in a new era of progressive legislation and leadership, and help Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland bring to ALL Ohioans the progressive values of economic justice, civil rights, quality health care and education, a clean environment and reproductive freedom.

Progressive Majority’s winning strategy to recruit, train and elect progressive champions ensures a strong, lasting progressive base in Ohio and seven other “must-win” states across the nation.