For the last ten years, I’ve mostly not endorsed candidates in Democratic primaries. The organization I headed, Pennsylvania Policy Center (PPC), prohibited staff members from making such endorsement.
Having left the organization in February, I am now free to make such endorsement. And it gives me great pleasure that the first candidate for Congress I can endorse is Chris Rabb who is running for Congress in the 3rd district.
Before telling you whyt I support Chris, I also want to note that if Chris were not running, I would enthusiastically support Sharif Street. Sharif and I got to know each other when we both ran and lost in the primary race for Council at Large in 2007. I came to admire him then. And I’ve admired his work as a State Senator and worked closely with him during the last ten years.
Sharif is a progressive Democrat. But I support Chris because throughout his career he has been, willing more than anyone else in this race, to push the envelope on critical issues and especially tax and budget issues. The 3rdCongressional District in Pennsylvania is one of the most Democratic districts in the entire country. If any district should be represented by a legislator who has been willing to stand a bit outside of the consensus to advance progressive ideas, it is this one. And Chris has been that kind of politician throughout his whole career.
This is especially true on taxation. Chris has long been one of PPC’s best partners in advancing our tax fairness agenda in Harrisburg. He’s one of the lead sponsors of the Fair Share Tax, which I designed. He’s a strong supporter of corporate tax reform and of the wealth tax we have put forward.
And he’s not just supported or introduce those tax ideas. Progressives like Chris are often said by ward leaders to be “ineffective” because they “don’t work well with others” and put forward bold ideas but make no progress realizing them. Chris, however, does work well with others. He’s one of five leaders of the progressive caucus in teh House. And in the House as one of five Chris, however has not just put forward ideas, he has worked tirelessly and successfully to win over other Democrats. It was the relationship he built with Steve Samuelson, the chair of the House Finance Committee, that led to the first hearing on progressive tax legislation in decades. He’s worked with other progressive to build a base of support for progressive tax legislation.
Chris is also one of the leaders on raising the minimum wage. And when the governor and party leadership called for a minimum wage of $12 an hour, Chris was one of the legislators who put forward bolder ideas. Year ago, he was among the first sponsors of a $15 per hour minimum wage in Harrisburg. (I understand that some kind of clerical error led him to be counted as voting against the minimum wage recently. I can assure you that this does not reflect his views.)
Chris has been a strong leader in Harrisburg on many other issues as well. But he’s also been effective in helping build a Democratic majority. Chris used the freedom that representing a safe seat in the PA House gave him to campaign for and raise money for Democrats in Southeast PA and all over the state. His work played a role in flipping the House Democratic four years ago. I expect that he will take the same approach if he is elected to Congress in this safe seat.
I want to address one more issue: Israel / Palestine. This is a contentious issue but here, as elsewhere, Chris has been a bold leader. Chris has been critical of Israel’s war in Gaza while also expressing support for the right of Israel to exist. I have been a critical Zionist for my entire life. I have supported Israel while also blaming both Israeli and Palestinian leaders for their failure to reach a just settlement. I think Israel needs a United States that is supportive but that also holds it accountable for the immoral and strategically misguided war in Gaza and for taking many steps over the years on the West Bank and elsewhere that undermine the possibility of peace. That is to say, I support contemporary critics of Israel because I’m a Zionist, that is, because I worry that under its present leadership Israel is not only losing its soul but undermining its future. As our member of Congress Chris will act in the best interests of Israel and Palestine.
Finally, I want to say a word about Ala Stanford, the other leading candidate in the race. She has an exemplary record as a physician and health care leader. But she has no record in politics. And Representative to the US House is not an entry level position. I’ve heard too many stories in the last few weeks of her unfamiliarity with critical issues to our communities, to be comfortable with her candidacy.
So in sum, I strongly urge you to vote for Chris Rabb for Representative to Congress in the 3rd Congressional district.
