WICHITA, Kan. – Democrat James Thompson today announced the endorsement of U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) in his bid for Kansas’ 4th congressional district Democratic nomination. Khanna’s endorsement highlights Thompson’s progressive leadership and strong values.

“I'm ecstatic a progressive warrior like James Thompson has joined the Justice Democrats team,” Khanna said.“I followed his campaign during the 2017 Special Election and was excited about his inspirational run that set the tone for the rest of the 2017 elections.”

Congressman Khanna is a Representative from California’s 17th District. The district is located in the South San Francisco Bay Area, the heart of Silicon Valley. He was elected to Congress, defeating 8-term incumbent Mike Honda during the 2016 general election. He currently serves in Congress as a member of both the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Armed Services. Khanna’s endorsement highlights the progress Thompson has already made in flipping Kansas’ 4th district blue. It’s a district that closed the voting gap more than any other during the 2017 special election season.

“We see people-powered campaigns are winning elections up and down the ballot across the country, in places as seemingly different as Silicon Valley and Kansas,” Khanna said. “But the message is the same in every case: if Democrats lead with the commonsense progressive values upon which our party is based, voters will follow. Like me, James believes in getting dark money out of our politics, in debt-free college and skills training, standing up for women’s rights, creating tech and manufacturing jobs across the U.S., investing in new, clean technologies, and ensuring Congress maintains its role in the authorization of the use of military force. These are issues every Kansan can get behind, and James is leading the way.”

As Thompson proved during his first election campaign, Kansas is primed for a progressive swing.

“I am honored to be endorsed by Congressman Ro Khanna,” Thompson said. “As one of only six members of Congress who does not accept PAC contributions, Congressman Khanna sets an impressive example and I plan to join him in his efforts to keep politics and special interest money separate. I look forward to working with him in 2019. Together, we will be strong voices for progressive causes like banning PAC money, eliminating the influence of lobbyists, providing debt free college and technical training, standing up for women’s rights, creating tech and manufacturing jobs across the U.S., and investing in new, clean technologies. He shares my vision for a stronger future for all Kansas families and the nation as a whole."

James Thompson is a civil rights attorney, a U.S. Army Infantry Veteran, and a member of the Racial Profiling Advisory Board in Wichita, Kansas. He is the husband of Lisa and the father of Liberty and Adriana Justice. His 2017 Special Election campaign resulted in the best performance by a Democrat in KS-04 in more than 20 years and nearly flipped the district Blue. With over 29,000 individual donations for the Special Election, James Thompson raised $850,000 with an average donation of just $28. For 2018, James hopes to improve upon the successes of 2017 with an average of just $18.

To help James reach this goal, please donate $18 at www.votejamesthompson.com/donate.