California Democratic Party, Kimberly Ellis

Progressive Democrats of Benicia endorse Kimberly Ellis for CA Democratic Party Chair

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2019

Progressive Democrats Endorse Kimberly Ellis for California Democratic Party Chair

When former Labor Sec. Tom Perez defeated Rep. Keith Ellison in the race to head the Democratic National Committee, it ...
Kimberly Ellis, 2019 candidate for chair of the California Democratic Party  voteforkimberly.org

At its May 14th monthly meeting, the Progressive Democrats of Benicia voted to endorse Kimberly Ellis for Chair of the California Democratic Party. The Chairperson will be elected for a four-year term during the Party’s state convention in San Francisco which begins May 31.

“PDB is excited to support Kimberly,” said Ralph Dennis, Chair of the Progressive Democrats. “I remember her speaking in 2017 at an awards dinner in Benicia, when she gave a passionate speech focusing on environmental justice concerns in California communities, and she really fired up the audience,” Dennis said.

More recently, according to Dennis, during an April 7 forum in Vallejo for candidates running for Chair of the Democratic Party, Ms. Ellis presented her progressive credentials as she answered questions posed by PDB. “She opposes candidates taking money from corporations and supports public financing of elections. And, she also supports race and gender equity for candidates seeking public office, promoting a target of 50% women and 50% people of color,” according to Dennis. Ms. Ellis also wants to end fracking in California, a position the Progressive Democrats encourage the California Legislature to embrace. Fracking is a method of oil and gas production that blasts water, mixed with sand and toxic chemicals, under high pressure deep into the earth to break up rock formations for oil and gas extraction. “But it can also pollute local air and water and endanger wildlife and human health,” Dennis said referring to various studies performed.

Ms. Ellis is also the former Executive Director of Emerge California, a non-profit organization working to encourage and train women to run for office. She has also served on the California Democratic Party’s Finance Committee and its African American Caucus. In 2017, she narrowly lost a bid for the Chair position.

The Progressive Democrats is a local political club chartered by the Solano County Democratic Central Committee, organized in 2017 to promote progressive issues and support progressive candidates for public office. For more information visit the group’s web site at https://progressivedemocratsofbenicia.org/.

CONTACT:
Ralph Dennis, Chair
[email protected]