Nirvana Contest-- Pramila Jayapal

Our two favorite things about Seattle: grunge rock pioneers Nirvana and congressional progressive champion Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. So, when former Nirvana manager Danny Goldberg offered Blue America a super-rare 1991 Nevermind Canadian gold record as a way to raise campaign funds for Pramila, we jumped at the chance.

Pramila is probably best known as the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and as the author of the 2019 Medicare-For-All bill and as a relentless advocate for humane immigration policies.

She's been very different than most candidates in that she uses her campaign funds to help elect other progressives in difficult districts.

"I run a year-round organizing team, with campaign manager and organizers on staff, to help push both progressive issues (like Medicare for All) and also to train and keep busy our over 1,000 active volunteers. They get trained and then we put them to work knocking on doors in OTHER important districts and making phone calls for other candidates. Last year, we worked for Kara Eastman, Andrew Gillum, Stacey Abrams, Katie Porter and many others. And we worked, successfully, to flip the 8th congressional district in Washington state, with my volunteers going into that district and knocking on doors. Overall, we knocked on 35,000 doors and made over 150,000 phone calls on behalf of other candidates. Not to mention, I was the first Member of Congress to support and endorse progressive candidates like Rashida and Ilhan."

Recently, she asked her supporters to "imagine telling a person in 2004 that in the next fifteen years:

• Marriage equality would be legalized nationwide
• The largest expansion of health care since Medicare and Medicaid would pass and survive dozens of legislative and judicial challenges
• Renewable energy production in the United States would double

Under this lawless president, it’s easy to focus on the negative. And make no mistake: It’s imperative that we all stay vigilant as Trump violates our civil and political rights at every turn. But progressive movements once thought to have impossible goals have won incredible victories. And with your help, we can win many more."

So how do you win the gold record? We're going to pick one person randomly. Just contribute-- any amount-- to Pramila Jayapal's campaign account here between now and Saturday, December 14 at 9pm (PT). If you're keen on reading pages and pages of FEC contest rules... here you go. And, if you want the award but find yourself a little short of cash, just send us a postcard-- Pramila Contest, Blue America, P.O. Box 27201, Los Angeles, CA 90027-- and you'll have as much a chance to win as anyone else. Not a Nirvana fan? I bet there's someone on your Christmas gift list who is. So remember... this page.