Amy for America
For Immediate Release: February 28, 2020

Nashville Councilmember At-Large Bob Mendes Endorses Senator Amy Klobuchar

NASHVILLE, TN — Today, Nashville Councilmember At-Large Bob Mendes announced his endorsement of Senator Amy Klobuchar for President, citing her honesty, track record of getting things done, and ability to move the country forward on important issues like health care, climate change, and economic justice. 

“Our nation is fiercely divided and too many people are being left behind. Senator Klobuchar is a strong progressive with an impressive track record of getting things done and she’s the right person to lead us through these rough waters to a better future,” said Nashville Councilmember At-Large Bob Mendes. 

“Americans want a President who will recognize common ground to move us forward on important issues like healthcare, climate change, and economic justice, and who will also stand her ground and fight for all Americans when necessary,” he continued. “The most impressive thing about Senator Klobuchar is that she gets that balance right with intelligence and experience and, most of all, with honesty.”

“Councilmember Bob Mendes is a true public servant and advocate for his community. We are honored to have his endorsement,” said Amy for America Tennessee State Director Christopher Smith. “Like many Tennesseans, Bob knows that Amy will build the broad coalition we need to win big up and down the ballot in November.” 

Mendes’ endorsement comes as Klobuchar returns to the state for grassroots events in Nashville today, February 28 and in Knoxville tomorrow, February 29. Mendes will introduce her to the crowd at her event in Nashville before she shares her unifying, optimistic message with supporters ahead of Tennessee’s primary on March 3. 

Nashville Councilmember At-Large Bob Mendes

Nashville Councilmember At-Large Bob Mendes was first elected in 2015 to serve as an At-Large member of Nashville’s Metro Council. While in office, he has provided leadership on issues of equity and financial transparency. In addition to his service as a member of the Metro Council, he practices law and is a resident of Nashville’s Hillsboro West End neighborhood.

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Amy for America
For Immediate Release: February 26, 2020

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Amy For America today unveiled endorsements from 11 current and former officials and community leaders across California ahead of Super Tuesday. 

“Californians want a President who can unite America and bring us together, and Amy Klobuchar will be that leader,” said Deputy State Director Edwin Torres.“These endorsers bring a range of experiences to our team and we look forward to them serving as advocates for Senator Klobuchar as we continue to build our grassroots campaign ahead of the California primary.” 

The full list of endorsers includes: 

• Dave Cortese, Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and San Jose City Council

• Eric Friedman, Santa Barbara City Councilman

• Ian Bain, Redwood City Council Member

• Jim Perry, Riverside City Council Member

• Prameela Bartholomeusz, Santa Clara County Central Committee (SCCDCC) Finance Director 

• Gautam Dutta, Former Deputy Director for Political Reform, New America Foundation and former Executive Director, Asian American Action Fund

• Maria Echaveste, Former Deputy Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton 

• Danna Lewis, Assembly Delegate District 73

• Lynn Schenk, Former US Congresswoman 

• Joey Acuña Jr., Vice President Coachella Valley Unified School District Eastern Riverside County 

• Marisa Perez, Trustee - California Community College Trustee (CCCT) Cerritos College and Board of Trustees cities of Lakewood, Bellflower, Cerritos, and Long Beach

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Amy for America
Date: February 24, 2020

Virginia Delegate David Reid Endorses Amy Klobuchar for President

RICHMOND, VA— Virginia Delegate David Reid today endorsed Senator Amy Klobuchar for President. A decorated Navy veteran, Delegate Reid represents the 32nd District of Virginia in eastern Loudoun County. 

Virginia Senators Creigh Deeds (VA-25) and Janet Howell (VA-32) endorsed Klobuchar last week. 

“Our nation is at a critical juncture in its history.  It’s a time that requires proven leadership and a vision for uniting the nation. Through her service in the U.S. Senate and her message on the campaign trail, Senator Klobuchar has proven that she is the right person, at the right time to bring us together and lead us to a united future,” said Delegate David Reid.   

“Delegate David Reid is a leader in Virginia who is focused on economic growth, investing in education, protecting our environment and expanding access to health care. As a veteran, he understands the call to service, and we are honored to have his endorsement,” said Amy for America Virginia State Director David Aldridge. 

Delegate Reid serves on the Appropriations, Transportation, and Privileges & Elections Committees in the House of Delegates. Delegate Reid served as a Naval Intelligence Officer for 23 years. 

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Amy for America
For Immediate Release: February 21, 2020

Seattle Times, San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Boards Endorse Amy Klobuchar for President

“Klobuchar is a pragmatic and authentic progressive who wants to make actual progress”

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Today, the editorial boards for the Seattle Times and the San Francisco Chronicle announced their endorsements of Senator Amy Klobuchar for President. 

The endorsements come on the heels of endorsements from the Houston Chronicle, Mercury News/East Bay Times, Las Vegas Sun, Seacoast Media Group, the Keene Sentinel, the New Hampshire Union Leader, the New York Times, the Quad-City Times, and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. 

Read what they wrote:

Seattle Times -- Endorsement: Amy Klobuchar for president

For Washington state, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is the best choice to advance to the general election in the crucial effort to unseat President Donald Trump.

She is an effective third-term senator with a strong track record of leading initiatives whether her party was in power or not, working across the aisle when it served her state and the nation. The Minnesotan is no demagogue, titillating voters with political impossibilities like Medicare for All.

Rather, Klobuchar is a pragmatic and authentic progressive who wants to make actual progress on many issues especially important to Washington, such as immigration and trade.

While Wednesday’s Democratic Presidential Primary debate had all the drama and blood of a Pay-per-view boxing match, the format favors snake oil, fancy footwork and those skilled at throwing verbal punches. The most battered candidate, Michael Bloomberg, probably had it right when he declared Trump the debate’s winner. Regardless, debates do not favor the detail-oriented wonk or nuanced policy position. On that score, Klobuchar deserves a closer look by voters.

Where opponents lavish promises of free! free! free! four-year college degrees, she supports free community college and vocational training, which can lift students into in-demand careers like plumbing and nurse assisting, as well as launch them into four-year college and beyond.

Where Sen. Bernie Sanders promises Medicare For All, glossing over where the money will come from, Klobuchar refuses to upend the current health plans of 149 million Americans. Rather, she would improve on the Affordable Care Act and offers plausible plans for how to pay for her efforts to lower costs and premiums. And she’s the only candidate so far to have the guts to serve up some veggies alongside the sweets — reminding people of the peril of the looming national debt. And, yes, she has a plan

Washington and Klobuchar’s home state of Minnesota have much in common, including sophisticated international export relationships. She supported the United States-Korea Trade Agreement, which greatly benefited Washington, and recently voted for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. (Sen. Elizabeth Warren voted for USMCA also. Sanders was among 10 senators who did not.)

A new president could wade back into the economic and diplomatic opportunity missed when Trump canceled the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Revived negotiations could produce higher standards for labor and environmental rules, Klobuchar said in an interview with the editorial board.

Klobuchar has worked for years toward immigration reform. In 2013, she was among a bipartisan group of senators who proposed legislation with a comprehensive approach that included a path to citizenship for immigrant workers without permission to be in the United States.

“It is an economic imperative to see immigrants as part of our economy,” she said. ” … Immigrants don’t diminish America, they are America.”

The former county prosecutor has taken heat for her previous support for the ill-conceived War on Drugs, “broken windows” policing and prosecutions of nonviolent offenses from 20 years ago. While widely held at the time, they exacerbated ethnic disproportionality in the criminal justice system. A recent Associated Press investigation revealing new evidence and inconsistencies in her office’s prosecution of then 16-year-old Myon Burrell for the 2002 murder of 11-year-old Tyesha Edwards gave us pause.

However, Klobuchar’s more recent record demonstrates an authentic, if cautious, commitment to righting those injustices. In 2018, she co-sponsored the bipartisan First Step Act reforming federal drug sentencing laws and tackling recidivism. She has called for further reform of the country’s “broken” criminal justice system, specifically citing impacts of racial disparities. As a presidential candidate, her criminal justice reform plan includes reducing the prison population by 20% over the next decade. If elected, she would create a clemency advisory board to speed up the clemency process and a White House adviser outside the Department of Justice to advise on criminal justice reform.

And the daughter of a former newspaperman is an unabashed supporter of the free press, government transparency and the role the U.S. plays as a model for supporting the press around the world. She wants to look at how antitrust laws could help ensure a robust and independent free press providing local news in communities.

Our goal with this endorsement is not to predict the election. Sanders, Warren, Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg are far ahead of Klobuchar in raising money from Washington donors, according to the Federal Elections Commission. Rather, this endorsement comes after considering the candidates’ experience, records and issue positions — especially how they relate to significant Washington issues.

While Klobuchar might seem like a longshot so early in the process, she is a Democrat for whom moderates of both parties and independents can vote. The prospects of early delegate leader Sanders having such broad appeal are not so clear. Buttigieg’s intelligence and military service make him a compelling candidate, but his experience as mayor of a small Indiana city does not give him the foundation for the presidency. Bloomberg, well, he’s got problems — and not just about what he suggested were merely offensive “jokes.”

Vote for Amy Klobuchar.


San Francisco Chronicle -- Editorial: Chronicle recommends Amy Klobuchar in the Democratic primary

This nation desperately needs a change in course. For all the metrics that suggest the United States is on the right track — economy booming, crime falling — all is not well. Our international stature is declining, our gap between rich and poor is widening, our respect for the rule of law and individual rights is under siege, our sacred obligations to give future generations a chance at the American dream and to defend the planet against the ravages of climate change are all but evaporating.

Pervading all of these dispiriting realities are the words and actions of a 45th president who has exploited and inflamed our divisions to create a political firewall for him as he dismisses and disparages the institutions — the judiciary, congressional oversight, free elections, the free press — that undergird our democracy. President Trump routinely and blatantly misrepresents facts, and urges his followers to believe his disinformation, in a most authoritarian manner.

The 2020 presidential election may be the last best chance for this nation to course correct. It’s hard to fathom the damage a re-elected Trump would do for another four years.

Any of the major Democratic contenders would reverse the trajectory that has bred so much cynicism at home, and puzzlement abroad among our erstwhile foes and allies. While their differences have been accentuated in a long series of debates and town hall meetings over the past year, the fact of the matter is the remaining candidates share much common ground.

None would waste billions on a southern border wall or separate families and lock children in cages. All would guarantee our promise to the “Dreamers” and push for an immigration reform plan that recognizes that millions of immigrants are here to work and follow our laws, and deserve a path to citizenship. All would allow science to guide regulatory decisions on the environment, rejoin the Paris climate accord and move this nation toward a lower-carbon future. All would pare back the Trump-era tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy and provide more middle-income tax relief. All support abortion and LGBT rights and would take those values into consideration when appointing judges. All would support expanded child care and family-leave policies. All support campaign reforms to tamp down the influence of money in politics. All have vowed, unlike the current occupant of the Oval Office, to give the judgment of our intelligence community more weight than that of a foreign adversary such as Vladimir Putin whose mission is to sow antipathy within America and with its European allies.

Even on the issue that most divides them — health care — all are headed in the right direction, toward expansion of coverage. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have pushed a government-run Medicare for All approach, while the others (Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden, Tom Steyer, Michael Bloomberg) have called for more incremental (and far more likely to achieve) extensions of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.

All but Bloomberg endured a grueling primary season that sifted out some gifted leaders: Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Julián Castro among them. Billionaire Bloomberg skipped most of that vetting, and his shaky performance in his coming-out debate Wednesday exposed his serious vulnerabilities, though the Democrats will welcome his near-bottomless checkbook in the general election.

So the choice comes down to which candidate has the experience, the toughness, the sensibility to maintain the party’s base and appeal to independents and disenchanted-with-Trump Republicans in November.

Amy Klobuchar is the one Democrat who checks all the essential boxes. She is seasoned (13 years in the U.S. Senate, lead Democratic sponsor on more than 100 passed bills) with a history of winning Republican strongholds and solid on the party’s baseline issues while pragmatic enough to avoid the promises (free four-year college regardless of income, erasing all college debt) that are easy to make and impossible to fulfill.

Front-runner Sanders has been building a passionate following, but his unbending democratic-socialist agenda and strident tone is likely to all but lock in a polarized nation, leaving the November race a toss-up. Warren has been effective in articulating her wonkish plans in kitchen-table terms, and shows more potential than Sanders to pivot toward the center in a general election, but the price tag of her ambitions (including Medicare for All and free college and forgiving of student debt) may be too much for voters too swallow even if they were politically plausible. And they are not.

Biden, in his third presidential campaign, has seemed befuddled at times and out of gas at others. Buttigieg, the ascendant star of 2020, has an impressive mastery of the issues and an inspiring message of inclusion. At 38, and having the mayorship of South Bend, Ind., as the high point of his resume, Buttigieg scores heavier on rhetoric than applicable record. Same with Steyer, a successful businessman, philanthropist and Democratic benefactor whose ability to succeed in the rough-and-tumble of Washington politics is an open question.

Meanwhile, Amy Klobuchar repeatedly has shown under fire in the debates and town halls that she is a listener with a wickedly quick sense of humor that can make her point effectively and with civility. She has the skills to unite the Democratic Party after this nomination fight — no small task — and, if elected president, restore the integrity, discipline and dignity that the office deserves.

She gets our endorsement in the March 3 primary.

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Amy for America
For Immediate Release: February 21, 2020

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Today, Palo Alto Mayor Eric Filseth announced his support of Amy Klobuchar for President. Filseth formerly served as the Vice Mayor of the City of Palo Alto and for four years on the City Council’s Finance Committee, including twice as Chair. 

“Amy Klobuchar has the experience, competence and wisdom to be an outstanding president, and the proven ability to attract the range of voters needed to defeat Donald Trump,” said Palo Alto Mayor Eric Filseth. “Her policies will benefit all Californians, and her common-sense approach is the one that will bring our divided nation back together. Amy is the best choice not only for Democrats, but for all Americans.”

“Our campaign is excited to have the support of Mayor Filseth as we head into Super Tuesday,” said Deputy State Director Edwin Torres. ”His leadership is a welcome asset to our team and we are honored to have his endorsement in advance of the California Primary.”

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Amy for America
Date: February 20, 2020

Virginia Senator Janet Howell Endorses Amy Klobuchar for President

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Virginia Senator Janet Howell today endorsed Amy Klobuchar for President. Senator Howell is the Chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee and has represented the 32nd District since 1992. The 32nd District covers portions of Fairfax and Arlington County. Senator Creigh Deeds (VA-25) also endorsed Klobuchar earlier this week. 

“Amy has the background and backbone to win the presidency.  Her experience as a dedicated public servant and her common sense solutions to our nation’s problems will make her a winner we can be proud of,” said Senator Howell. 

“Senator Howell has been a leading voice for education, children and families for decades and we are thrilled to have her endorsement. Senator Howell is a history-making lawmaker and as the Chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee she is one of the most powerful elected officials in the Commonwealth. As we head towards Super Tuesday we are excited to have Senator Howell on our team,” said  Amy for America Virginia State Director David Aldridge. 

Senator Howell was the first woman in Virginia history to serve on the Senate Finance Committee. She also serves on the Privileges and Elections, Rules, Local Government and Education and Health Committees.

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Amy for America
Date: February 19, 2020

Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds Endorses Amy Klobuchar for President

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds today endorsed Amy Klobuchar for President. Senator Deeds has represented Virginia’s 25th District since 2001 and was the 2009 Democratic nominee for governor.

“Amy Klobuchar has the intelligence and experience to be President,” said State Senator Creigh Deeds. “She will build an America that works for all of us by investing in infrastructure, mental health, and making sure that every Virginian has the opportunity to succeed. She has what it takes to unite us as Americans and be a President we can all be proud of.”

“As we head into Super Tuesday, we are excited to have the support of Senator Deeds, a leader who is known across the state for his work on health care and mental health, expanding economic opportunity for working people and for rural Virginians and investing in public education. Senator Deeds will be a tremendous asset and we are honored to have his endorsement, ” said Amy for America Virginia State Director David Aldridge. 

Deeds is the Chair of the Privileges and Elections Committee in the Virginia Senate and is a member of the Judiciary, Commerce and Labor, Finance and Appropriations and Rules Committees. Prior to being elected to the state Senate, Deeds served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1992 to 2001.

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Amy for America
For Immediate Release: February 16, 2020

Houston Chronicle Editorial Board Endorses Senator Amy Klobuchar

“Democrats need someone who can stare down a bully while keeping an eye out for the little guy, someone who can grow the ranks, not divide them. Klobuchar is the woman for the job.”

HOUSTON, TX — Today, the Houston Chronicle editorial board endorsed Senator Amy Klobuchar for the Democratic nomination for President. The endorsement comes on the heels of endorsements from the Mercury News/East Bay Times, Las Vegas Sun, Seacoast Media Group, the Keene Sentinel, the New Hampshire Union Leader, the New York Times, the Quad-City Times, and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. 

Houston Chronicle -- We recommend Amy Klobuchar in Democratic primary for president

It’s difficult to watch even now — that graceless moment during Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation when he cracked under pressure, shattering the fine shell of judicial temperament and hurling contempt at a senator across the room.

That senator, whose name many Americans couldn’t pronounce at the time, asked if Kavanaugh had ever drunk so much he couldn’t recall the previous night. No, he responded before turning the question back on Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who only moments before had described her father’s struggle with alcoholism.

“I’m curious if you have,” Kavanaugh said, his mouth twisted with rage.

“I have no drinking problem, judge,” Klobuchar responded calmly.

“Nor do I,” the judge huffed. After a break, Kavanaugh apologized to Klobuchar and reiterated his respect for her.

There in that exchange, we see some of what plagues American political discourse and one thing that can save it: a strong leader who can outwit anger, rise above contempt and exercise the good sense to walk us back from the edge rather than push us closer to it.

For Democrats, that person is Amy Klobuchar, the third-term senator from Minnesota.

Said to be surging after her head-turning third-place finish in New Hampshire, Klobuchar, 59, the daughter of an elementary teacher and newspaperman, had been dismissed by some as a milquetoast, midwestern moderate who couldn’t hold a candle to the burn of Bernie Sanders’ revolution or the ambition of Elizabeth Warren’s fully foot-noted vision.

“Being a progressive, the last time I checked, meant that you should make progress,” Klobuchar says.

It’s time for Democrats to look beyond fiery speeches, beyond big ticket promises devoid of price tags, and if possible, beyond the cinematic beckoning of that billionaire button-down Messiah stalking your smartphone, and ask: Who can really get things done?

Who can get proposals past the gauntlets of the federal judiciary and congressional gridlock? In the current field only Klobuchar and Joe Biden have a track record of bipartisan effectiveness in Washington. Biden, in his third bid for president, hasn’t articulated the fresh vision needed.

Klobuchar is among the most effective lawmakers in Congress, according to the Center for Effective Lawmaking. She boasts passing more than 100 bills, “every one of them bipartisan.”

In her first term, she was among a bipartisan group of lawmakers pushing a comprehensive immigration overhaul including a pathway to citizenship for 12 million undocumented immigrants — reform she still believes is “completely doable.” Her experience on the Senate Judiciary Committee is notable and particularly on the subcommittee that oversees issues important to Texas: border, immigration and citizenship.

In 2018, Klobuchar partnered with Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn and others to pass legislation signed by President Donald Trump that strengthens efforts to reduce the national rape kit backlog.

Not to suggest Klobuchar is “Minnesota Nice.” Indeed, reports from former staffers about how far she veers from nice are troubling. Just ask the staffer whom she demanded wash a hair comb she MacGyvered into an eating utensil after he delivered her salad without a fork.

Sure, plenty of bad-tempered male candidates have emerged unscathed from similar reports. But if Klobuchar wants Americans to believe she’s the decent, empathetic antidote to Trump, she should prove it with her staff.

One of Klobuchar’s refreshing traits is her straight-forwardness in responding to criticism. She admits that she’s been too tough on staff at times. Regarding a much more serious allegation, that as Hannepin County attorney her office sent an innocent black teen, Myon Burrell, to prison for life, Klobuchar was quick to say all evidence should be reviewed.

The case isn’t helping her gain trust among black voters, whose support and knowledge of her are already dismal. She says her efforts to end voting purges and gerrymandering, which erode black voting power, speak to her commitment to equal rights.

Many of the issues Klobuchar speaks passionately about, such as economic opportunity, cut across demographic lines.

From supporting a $15 federal minimum wage to her very personal pledge to invest in research, prevention and treatment of addiction and mental illness, Klobuchar seems driven to improve Americans’ daily lives. She eschews “Medicare for All” for a pragmatic public option. She has a strong record on combatting gun violence, and has prioritized universal background checks, funding research and closing the ‘boyfriend loophole’ — all commonsense reforms that she says won’t hurt responsible gun owners such as the oft-mentioned “Uncle Dick in his deer stand.”

She supports California-style mileage standards and opposes a fracking ban, instead seeing natural gas as a “transition fuel,” but her goals on climate change are aggressive: 45 percent reduction of carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutral by 2050.

Above all, Klobuchar has the secret sauce many Democrats prize most: electability.

A candidate whose presidential election would make history, her crossover appeal in and of itself packs a powerful punch. Democrats need someone who can stare down a bully while keeping an eye out for the little guy, someone who can grow the ranks, not divide them. Klobuchar is the woman for the job.

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Amy for America
For Immediate Release: February 14, 2020

Mercury News and East Bay Times Editorial Boards Endorse Senator Amy Klobuchar

“Klobuchar is gaining traction because she has become more effective and articulate with each debate. Voters are realizing that she has the energy, character, compassion, intelligence and common sense to win in November.”

SAN JOSE, CA — Today, the Mercury News and East Bay Times Editorial Boards endorsed Senator Amy Klobuchar for the Democratic nomination for President. The endorsement comes on the heels of endorsements from the Las Vegas Sun, Seacoast Media Group, the Keene Sentinel, the New Hampshire Union Leader, the New York Times, the Quad-City Times, and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. 

Mercury News and East Bay Times -- Amy Klobuchar will change the tone of national politics 

The United States needs a president who can heal the nation’s deep political divide — who can work with, and appeal to, members of both parties and independents.

Someone with a proven record of collaboration who can meaningfully address climate change, provide health care for all, achieve responsible gun control, resolve the bitterness over immigration, protect our environment, address tech privacy and anti-trust issues, and regain international respect for our country. And someone who can change the tone and tenor of our national politics.

The Democratic candidate who can best do that is Amy Klobuchar.

“I’m someone who tries to find that common ground,” she told our editorial board. “Courage is being willing to stand next to someone you don’t always agree with for the good of this country.”

Of the leading primary contenders, the U.S. senator from Minnesota would provide the party’s best chance of victory in November. She may be too centrist for some voters in our deep blue state. But she understands California’s issues, especially related to technology, better than many of our own elected leaders. Besides, California Democrats and independents participating in the March 3 primary would be wise to remember that their politics are not shared across the nation.

While this state will, for the first time since 2008, have a primary vote early enough to meaningfully affect the nomination, the Golden State will not be a critical factor in the November general election. That race will be decided in swing states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Which is one of the reasons Klobuchar stands out. She has proven that she can appeal to voters in a purple state. She won reelection in 2018 by capturing 60% of the vote in Minnesota, where two years earlier Hillary Clinton eked out victory with only plurality support of 46%.

Klobuchar applies to her presidential quest the same inclusionary strategy that has bolstered her support in Minnesota. “I am the one that is going to be able to build that coalition of people that can win,” she said. “My policies are bold, but they are practical.”

Articulate and empathetic, with a much-needed sense of humor, Klobuchar is a graduate of Yale and the University of Chicago law school. She worked as a private attorney, was elected prosecutor for Minnesota’s largest county in 1998 and then won a statewide election to the U.S. Senate in 2006.

Her grandparents were immigrants. Her Slovenian-born grandfather found work in the iron ore mines of northern Minnesota. “If you have trouble stretching your paycheck to pay for that rent, I know you, and I will fight for you,” she said at this month’s presidential debate. “If you have trouble deciding if you’re going to pay for your childcare or your long-term care, I know you and I will fight for you.”

And she has.

Known in the Capitol for working across the partisan aisle, Klobuchar has passed more than 100 pieces of legislation to, for example, help farmers keep their property through bankruptcy, avoid shortages of key prescription drugs, assist veterans who are victims of sexual assault, strengthen airline safety rules and hold members of Congress personally responsible for sexual harassment claims.

She understands the seriousness of climate change and advocates a carbon tax as part of a plan to make the country carbon neutral by 2050. If elected, she would immediately return the United States to the Paris Agreement, from which President Trump withdrew in 2017.

She supports universal health care by providing a public option that expands Medicare or Medicaid, but opposes the all-government-run system backed by Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. And she would reduce prescription drug prices by lifting the ban on Medicare negotiations for better pricing and bringing in less-expensive medications from Canada.

She comes from a state known for hunting, but supports universal background checks, a ban on assault weapons and limits on magazine sizes. She supports free college one- and two-year degrees and doubling of federal Pell grants, but opposes making higher education free for wealthy students who don’t need aid.

She is more knowledgeable on tech issues than any candidate in the race. Her reasoned approach balances the need to nurture innovation with the responsibility to prevent monopolistic behavior. Noting that in the absence of strong federal consumer privacy and protections laws, California and other states are stepping up with their own, Klobuchar calls for smarter federal laws along with reforming anti-trust policy.

She was one of the negotiators of a 2007 bipartisan immigration deal that ran into the buzz saw of right-wing radio. Today, she supports comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for those here illegally, preserving the DREAM Act that grants residency to immigrants who entered the country as minors, and border security.

She supports bringing most troops home from Afghanistan, Congress reasserting its war authorization role, diplomacy with Iran, a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a tougher stance on Saudi Arabia’s human rights abuses.

Infusing it all is Klobuchar’s profound sense of realism. She doesn’t pander.

Discussing health care options during the October debate, she challenged Sanders and Warren’s single-payer approach: “The difference between a plan and a pipe dream is something you can actually get done. And we can get this public option done.”

While many other candidates have dropped off the radar and out of the race, Klobuchar has hung on and has finally started to get the media and voter attention she deserves. It’s still early, but the primary pace will accelerate rapidly in the next 2 1/2 weeks with the Nevada caucuses on Feb. 22, the South Carolina primary on Feb. 29 and the March 3 primaries in 14 states, including California.

The results from the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, albeit terribly small, suggest that a majority of Democrats are wisely looking for a centrist candidate. Sanders has garnered the most votes only because the moderate vote splintered between three candidates. Most Democrats are not seeking a political revolution like Sanders and Warren advocate.

Of the centrists, former Vice President Joe Biden’s surprisingly poor finishes raise questions about his staying power; Pete Buttigieg’s only political experience, as mayor of South Bend, Ind., gives one pause, however articulate he may be; and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, with troubling questions about his treatment of women, seems to want to bypass the vetting process the others have been subjected to.

Klobuchar is gaining traction because she has become more effective and articulate with each debate. Voters are realizing that she has the energy, character, compassion, intelligence and common sense to win in November.

Californians should support Klobuchar.

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Amy for America
For Immediate Release: February 7, 2020

Former Congressman and Presidential Candidate, Admiral Joe Sestak Endorses Senator Amy Klobuchar

MANCHESTER, NH — Former Presidential candidate and Congressman, Admiral Joe Sestak today endorsed Senator Amy Klobuchar for President. He cited Klobuchar’s experience, ability to unite the country, and understanding of global leadership as the reasons why she is best qualified to serve as Commander in Chief. 

"We need a nominee with a depth and breadth of experience to govern effectively, a proven track record of winning in red and blue districts and states so we can unite this country again, and an understanding of the need to rebuild our global leadership so we can convene the world to tackle the defining challenges of our time. It's why I ran for President last year - and having seen her on the campaign trail and observed her work in the Senate, it's why I know Amy Klobuchar is uniquely qualified to be President. I'm proud to endorse her," said Admiral and former Congressman and Presidential candidate Joe Sestak.

Sestak will campaign for Senator Klobuchar in New Hampshire throughout the weekend, where he’ll host events at veteran’s organizations throughout the Granite State. His endorsement comes as a recent poll found Senator Amy Klobuchar surging in New Hampshire with just days until the primary. In the new Monmouth poll, Klobuchar has jumped seven points since September to 9%. According to the poll, “In a race restricted to the top five polling candidates, the race tightens to 17% Biden, 13% Warren, and 13% Klobuchar.”

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Amy for America
For Immediate Release: February 1, 2020

Congresswoman Linda Sánchez Endorses Senator Amy Klobuchar for President

Two Days Before Iowa Caucuses, Sánchez Throws Her Support Behind Klobuchar

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Today, two days before the Iowa Caucuses, Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (CA-38) announced her endorsement of Senator Amy Klobuchar for President citing her track record and history of delivering real results. 

“Our number one priority in this election is defeating Donald Trump and Senator Amy Klobuchar is the best candidate to take him on,” said Congresswoman Linda Sánchez. “Amy not only has bold, progressive policies and an optimistic economic agenda, she also has a proven track record of delivering real results as I’ve seen in the Senate. Amy will be a President for all of America and I’m proud to support her in this campaign.”

Nationally recognized as a leading progressive voice in Congress for working families, Congresswoman Linda Sánchez has fought to strengthen communities by helping small businesses create more good-paying jobs, increasing access to educational opportunities, and helping hard-working people get ahead.

Congresswoman Sánchez served as Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus in the 115th Congress (2017-2019), the fifth-highest ranking position in House Democratic Leadership. In this leadership position, she focused on strengthening the American Dream for men and women all across the country. Congresswoman Sánchez is the first Latina elected to a leadership position in the U.S. Congress.

The endorsement comes on the heels of endorsements from the Quad-City Times, the New York Times and three New Hampshire papers: the New Hampshire Union Leader, The Keene Sentinel, and the Seacoast Media Group.

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