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Pennsylvania MoveOn Members Vote to Endorse Katie McGinty 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 Pennsylvania to Endorse Katie McGinty for Senate as Part of ‘Take Back the Senate’ Effort **

PENNSYLVANIA — Pennsylvania members of MoveOn.org Political Action have voted to endorse Katie McGinty in the state’s U.S. Senate race with 95% of votes cast in favor of backing McGinty 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.

McGinty is challenging Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, who has refused to say whether he’ll endorse Trump despite the presidential candidate’s repeated attacks on military families, immigrants, and other minority groups. Toomey received 5% of votes cast.

“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 Katie McGinty 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), Deborah Ross (North Carolina), and Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada). 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.

McGinty came to prominence in her public service career, serving as the top environmental advisor for former Senator Al Gore. She has used her science and law background to advocate for working families in Pennsylvania. McGinty supports progressive values and touts job creation, public education, protecting the environment, health care, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, and protecting Social Security and Medicare.

MoveOn has more than 195,000 members in Pennsylvania.

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

“She supports reproductive choice for women; she is a champion for the Affordability Care Act, she’s an environmental advocate, has a good business sense, and very importantly she is a gun control advocate. Pennsylvania should have a female senator in Congress.” – Susan, Y. from State College, PA

“I believe this candidate better represents the needs and values of Pennsylvania residents and she will better champion them in the Senate.” – Robert R. from Pittsburgh, PA

“She’s a progressive, and she’s much better than the alternative. Democrats need this seat if we hope to retake the Senate.” – David S. from Pittsburgh, PA

20160817_MoveOn_Endorsements_Pennsylvania

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.