You want more progressives in Congress? Then help with this special election in Hawaii.

[SharonAnn]

Since I live in East Tennessee, a bastion of right-wing Republicanism and teabaggers, I look for opportunities to help get progressives elected elsewhere in the country. After all, the more progressives there are in the House and Senate, the more progressive legislation can be introduced and enacted. Here's a chance to help someone who's a progressive.

Colleen Hanabusa, Hawaii

https://emilyslist.org/support/contribute_20091221

Breaking news from Hawaii -- Cong. Neil Abercrombie has announced plans to resign his House seat, triggering a special election in Hawaii's first district and providing an opportunity to elect another pro-choice Democratic woman to Congress.

EMILY's List candidate state Senator Colleen Hanabusa is the only true progressive running -- but Hawaii's special election rules could put this Democratic-leaning seat in Republican hands. There will be only one winner-take-all ballot, with no primary, and Democratic votes may be split between Colleen and a former Democratic congressman who supported key aspects of George W. Bush's agenda.

Colleen needs immediate resources to win this race for progressives. Please contribute today and ensure a strong special election start for Colleen’s campaign.

Under this special election scenario, the lone Republican, Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou, could benefit from a Democratic split. And national Republicans see the potential for a win, too, naming Djou to the NRCC's Young Guns program to boost his campaign start. But Djou's conservative record -- including anti-gay rights votes in the state legislature and a failing grade from the Sierra Club -- is no match for this district.

That's why Colleen must set herself apart from her Democratic opponent, Ed Case, who served two terms in Congress, where he supported the Patriot Act, extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, and the Iraq War. Already, Case is on the air with television ads promoting his campaign.

Colleen is just the candidate to beat both men on the ballot, having already made history as the state's first woman Senate president. She's a progressive champion for education, worker protections, and choice. But with turnout typically low in special elections, and voters having three candidates to choose from, this is going to be a tough race.

Help Colleen win this critical special election -- make a direct and immediate contribution today!

We've seen this year that special elections can be excellent opportunities to help elect more pro-choice Democratic women -- if we can help them get their campaigns started quickly. The support that Cong. Judy Chu and Martha Coakley received from EMILY's List members allowed them to get out of the gate in a strong position, which was crucial to their victories. I'm certain that, working together, we can do the same for Colleen Hanabusa.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Thanks for this headsup..and for your constant vigilance.

[HopeHoops]

2. PSA: Arlen Specter.

Whatever you think of Arlen Specter, his likely opponent will be Toomey and they are polling about even at the moment. Specter has his faults, but there are good reasons why he left the GOP. The biggest difference between Toomey and ex-Senator Santorum is that Toomey actually LIVES in PA.

Just a heads up.

[Mel4Mililani]

3. Hanabusa's not the one

SharonAnn, I don't blame you for not being familiar with Hawaii politics, but you've got this one wrong. Emily's List supports Hanabusa because she's the only woman in the race, and that's cool--but she's no progressive. As the Senate President, she's been carrying water for the Repub governor, Lingle.
Ed Case had a perfect record on choice. He's the strongest political in Hawaii on environmental issues. And there's literally no politician in Hawaii who's been stronger than him on LGBTQ issues, and he risked his entire political career to stop a homophobic constitutional amendment. (The amendment was pushed by a guy who then challenged Ed as a Repub, but later switched to the Dems because Hanabusa wooed him.)
There's no difference between Hanabusa and Case on choice, and Case is far superior on environmental and LGBTQ issues. If he were a woman, EMILY's List would be supporting him against her.