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North Carolina MoveOn Members Vote to Endorse Deborah Ross for U.S. Senate in National ‘Take Back the Senate’ Push As Trump Drags Down GOP Hopefuls

** 95% of Votes Cast by MoveOn Members in North Carolina to Endorse Deborah Ross for Senate as Part of ‘Take Back the Senate’ Effort **

NORTH CAROLINA — North Carolina members of MoveOn.org Political Action have voted to endorse Deborah Ross in the state’s U.S. Senate race with 95% of votes cast in favor of backing Ross as part of an effort to elect a Democratic majority in the upper chamber of Congress this fall. The endorsements come as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump continues to drag down incumbent Republicans and GOP hopefuls with his politics of hate, racism, misogyny, Islamophobia, and authoritarianism.

Ross is challenging Republican Sen. Richard Burr, who has continued to support Trump despite the presidential candidate’s repeated attacks on military families and comments Trump made in North Carolina that seemed to suggest violence toward Hillary Clinton, among other offensive attacks. Recent polling from NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist now shows Burr sinking over the past month. Burr received 5% of votes cast; Libertarian candidate Sean Haugh received less than 1%.

“MoveOn members are mobilizing nationwide to ensure Donald Trump never steps foot in the White House – and show that Americans clearly reject his politics of hate – while helping to elect Democrats like Deborah Ross and advance progressive policies,” said Ilya Sheyman, executive director of MoveOn.org Political Action. “Bolstered by leading progressive voices like Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Bernie Sanders, MoveOn members will help Take Back the Senate this fall and continue to fight for progressive change at all levels of government.”

The endorsement comes as part of MoveOn.org’s newly launched “Take Back the Senate” campaign to elect a Democratic-controlled Senate with a progressive majority this fall. Today, MoveOn members also voted to endorse Ann Kirkpatrick (Arizona), Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire), Michael Bennet (Colorado), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada), and Katie McGinty (Pennsylvania). Earlier this year, MoveOn members voted to endorse progressive diplomacy champions Tammy Duckworth (Illinois}, Russ Feingold (Wisconsin), and Ted Strickland (Ohio) in their respective Senate races.

In recent weeks, Trump has continued to fuel speculation that his tanking campaign — rooted in bigotry and hatred, and causing dozens of leading Republican officials to renounce his candidacy — is impacting down-ticket races and could cost the Republican Party their majority in Congress. 538 reports that Trump’s presidential bid “could cost the party the Senate,” and top Republican strategists expressed fears of an “electoral bloodbath” this year to CNN.

Ross supports good progressive values and aims to advocate for all in North Carolina — her issues include labor, education, energy environment and government reform. During her tenure in the North Carolina State House, Ross championed issues around public education, supporting small businesses and improving state infrastructure.

MoveOn has more than 140,000 members in North Carolina.

Here’s what a few MoveOn members in the state had to say about Ross:

“To the extent that North Carolina sees itself as a ‘purple’ state, it does so purely for economic reasons. Deborah Ross is more interested in the lives of the citizens a legislator’s choices impact, and less in being another rubber stamp for her party.” – Bernard J. from Durham, NC

“Supports: access to quality affordable healthcare for all; strengthening public education & making college financially accessible; clean energy & addressing climate change; protecting Social Security & Medicare; access for women to reproductive health services; equal pay for women; rebuilding infrastructure. Stark contrast to incumbent Burr.” – Dianne M. from Charlotte, NC

“She is highly qualified and her policies represent a progressive agenda.” – Elizabeth H. from Lexington, NC

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In addition to “Take Back the Senate” endorsements, MoveOn members have also endorsed Senate candidate Kamala Harris (California); House candidates Mike Honda (California 17th), Pramila Jayapal (Washington 7th), and Zephyr Teachout (New York 19th); and Kim Foxx for Cook County State’s Attorney (Illinois).

In the 2014 election cycle, MoveOn members made over 6.7 million phone calls for endorsed candidates. MoveOn members have also raised millions of dollars—including more than $1 million for Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s Senate race in Massachusetts in 2012 and more than $1.2 million for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2016—mobilized volunteers, and run ads in support of endorsed candidates across the country.

Nationwide, MoveOn members voted to launch a multi-million dollar United Against Hate campaign to stop Donald Trump and keep him out of the White House and ensure the country rejects his hateful and dangerous rhetoric.

MoveOn.org Political Action represents the collective will of MoveOn’s members at the ballot box by helping to elect progressive candidates.