Lou Agre is a friend of mine and someone who has supported my issue campaigns and my campaigns for political office. I’d be inclined to support him in whatever he does politically.
But it’s not just a matter of friendship. There are a number of very good reasons for every progressive to back Lou in his race to replace Kathy Manderino in the State House.
Where Lou Stands
Let’s start with the minimal, although not the most important reason to support a candidate for office: Lou is right on all the issues. He will be a solid vote for a progressive agenda in Harrisburg from health care to education to taxes to gay rights.
A Champion For Labor
And then, on top of his general support for progressive ideals, Lou brings something extra, a strong, long-term, battled-tested commitment to working people and the labor movement. Lou works for the Operating Engineers now. He practiced labor law. And as a young man, he went to the Carolinas to organize textile workers, at a time when this was hard, difficult, and often dangerous work. All this experience deepened his commitment to the labor movement.
It is critical that we have people in Harrisburg with that kind of commitment. Labor is a central part of the Democratic coalition. It provides person power and money for progressive politics. But, unfortunately, even among Democratic politicians, an understanding of the importance of supporting labor and helping build the movement is sometimes lacking. There are only a handful of members of the General Assembly who have the capacity to recognize the, sometimes subtle, ways in which legislative proposals slight or undermine the ability of unions to build or protect their membership. It is no less critical to have members of the General Assembly who feel in their bones what legislation means for labor as it is to have people there who intuitively get what legislation means for women, or gays, or blacks or Latinos.
Lou’s Political Abilities
In addition, Lou knows politics. He knows how to build coalitions with people and groups of all kinds. He knows how to build movements. Unlike a lot of members of the General Assembly whose experience is wholly in elective politics, Lou’s experience in labor and other movements has taught him the importance of inside / outside campaigns for change. There are a lot of progressives in the General Assembly who say the right things and vote the right way. There are few who know how to amass power in the body and outside the body and enact progressive legislation. It will take Lou a little time to work his way around Harrsiburg and build seniority. But he will know how to gain power in Harrisburg faster than most.
Lou as Ward Leader
Some progressives have doubts about Lou because he is a ward leader. Of course, many of these folks are the same people who say we progressives need to be moving in the party, electing committee people, and taking over wards. Lou’s done just that and he did it before most of us thought of the idea. And as a ward leader, he has mostly supported progressive candidates for office.
Lou has also used his position as ward leader to help communities, organizations, and individuals in the ward. To do that effectively, Lou has run the ward in a fairly traditional manner. The 21st ward is not as procedurally democratic run as some others, and as some progressives would like. But, as one of his committee people, I can tell you that Lou runs a ward that does what the committee people want it to do.
That Lou appreciates what the ward system brings to our politics—in particular how it has kept voting rates up at a time when working class voting has declined all over the country—turns off some progressives. I don’t always agree with Lou on these matters. But I’ve long argued that while instituting the political reforms that help make our party more progressive and our political officials more effective, we need to be sure we don’t undermine the institutions that help us elect Democrats to city, state and federal office. Lou understands both the impulse for party reform and what the party does effectively now.
There are some other good people thinking about running for the position, Josh Cohen and Keith Newman among them. They might be good state representatives and if Lou were not running, I could consider supporting either of them. But Lou really stands out because he has the range of experience, contacts, and understanding to help us effectively move a progressive agenda in Harrisburg and in Philadelphia.