Our campaign against Debbie Wasserman Schultz did things that no other congressional campaign has ever done in American history. We challenged the establishment and broke all kinds of small donor fundraising records on our way to raising $3.8 million from more than 80,000 individual contributors making more than 200,000 donations.

Our average contribution was $17. We should all be very proud of that fact. We are the grassroots. We are “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

We made history, and we did it without big-money donations from corporations, special interests, or Super PACs. But I know that the fight goes on and it is bigger than any one campaign. Remember that ours is a movement, not a moment.

In that spirit, today I am announcing the creation of “Progress For All,” a new small-donor based grassroots political and community action group that will harness the power of our movement. As in my campaign, I pledge to limit Progress For All to small donations and to reject contributions from any corporate-funded political action committees (PACs). Progress For All will remain entirely transparent and committed to our small-donor, grassroots fundraising model, and will support progressive causes and candidates at the national, state, and local levels.

So, let’s get to work — who should be our first endorsement? I’d like to nominate Zephyr Teachout, who first caught my attention two years ago when she ran an insurgent primary campaign against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. While Zephyr fell short in her first race, she inspired me and many others to step up and run for office. Now she’s running for Congress in NY-19 and she’s been endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders, who campaigned with her just last week.

I personally believe Zephyr Teachout is the kind of progressive champion that Progress For All should get behind. But we would like to hear first from our grassroots supporters. Will you take a vote?

CAST YOUR BALLOT

Here’s a little about Zephyr:

As a law professor and leading scholar, Zephyr Teachout has been a progressive champion who has led the fight to eliminate corruption in our politics. Her life and work has been an inspiration for my political career since the beginning.

Zephyr is the real deal. She is a reformer who has worked tirelessly to eliminate the corrupting influence of corporate money in our politics, to promote transparency and local democracy, and to stop corporations from wrecking our environment. She literally wrote the book on campaign finance reform and took the lead after Wall Street wrecked the economy in 2008 to break up the “too big to fail” banks.

Simply put, Zephyr Teachout has spent her life standing up to special interests and big corporations, choosing instead to elevate the voices of people who have been left behind and shut out by our political process and a bought-and-paid for Congress.

So, what do you think: should we endorse Zephyr Teachout? Take our survey now and make your voice heard.

The mission of Progress For All is pretty straightforward. We want to build a future in this country where progressive leaders drive the agenda in Washington, D.C., fueled by the power of the grassroots. We will oppose bad corporate trade deals that hurt American workers, like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and find leaders who aren’t afraid to take action on climate change or stand up to the special interests that would have our government run by Wall Street bankers instead of the people.

With our endorsements, Progress For All can harness the power of the grassroots to keep moving forward to build a more transparent, more just, and more prosperous society. But it will take all of us stepping up to make a real difference — to speak up when we see injustice, to take a stand even when it’s hard.

I am excited to launch this new project. Progress For All will support candidates who support our progressive agenda, including campaign finance reform and election integrity, ending the war on drugs and mass incarceration, and action to address climate change, such as banning hydraulic fracturing (fracking), ending subsidies for the oil and gas industry, and supporting solar power and other alternative sustainable fuels.

Rest assured that I will devote every measure of my heart and soul to making Progress For All a great success. I hope I can count on your continued support.

In solidarity,

Tim Canova

Chair, Progress for All