Georgia Democratic Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
Nov. 28, 2020 by David Silverberg
Southwest Florida Democrats are looking beyond the Sunshine State, focusing their efforts on Georgia where two races will determine the balance of power in the Senate that takes office in 2021.
The Georgia runoff election is scheduled for Jan. 5 and candidates are campaigning fiercely for the two seats, with Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock seeking to defeat Republican senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler.
On Nov. 19, Democrat Cindy Banyai, who ran for Congress in Florida’s 19th Congressional District, announced that she had been named co-chair of the national United for Georgia organization.
“My role is to help promote fundraising for the on-the-ground local organizations who are connecting with the communities there for voter registration, get-out-the-vote, and persuasion,” she stated in response to questions from The Paradise Progressive. “I’m also working to recruit virtual volunteers for things like phonebanking and connecting the group with student volunteers to be part of their special intern program.”
United for Georgia was founded by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-15-Calif.) who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2019. It is part of his Remedy PAC (political action committee), which he founded “to change Congress and elect Democrats who will go big with the issues we tackle, be bold in the solutions we offer, and do good with the way we govern.”
Banyai said she was honored to serve as co-chair. “It’s so important to amplify the local leaders and organizations in their on-the-ground efforts to get voters excited about Ossoff and Warnock. National coalitions like United for Georgia do the most good by supporting local efforts and building strong networks to make long term change.”
She also believes that her work on behalf of the Georgia candidates will help in Southwest Florida.
“My involvement with United for Georgia is also a great opportunity to see the organizing efforts that brought a blue wave to Georgia,” she stated. “I’m looking forward to bringing these lessons back to make major changes to the business as usual efforts of the Florida Democratic Party.”
In Collier County, Annisa Karim, chair of the local Democratic Party called on Democrats to mobilize on behalf of Warnock and Ossof by doing phone banking.
“We know that President-elect Joe-Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will take their rightful places on January 20, 2021 but the make-up of the Senate is still unclear,” she announced in a Nov. 21, statement. “That means our work is not done.”
The Lee County Democratic Party is also helping organize volunteers to send texts and make phone calls in Georgia.
The Collier County Republican Party is making similar efforts on the Republican side.
Southwest Floridians can assist the Georgia Democratic effort by contacting Remedy PAC directly, by donating or by volunteering.
Liberty lives in light
© 2020 by David Silverberg