California Donor Table Endorses Barbara Lee for Senate Donor Network will Invest Heavily in Historic Race
Today, the California Donor Table (CDT), an established network of donors committed to shifting power to progressive communities of color, has announced its endorsement of Representative Barbara Lee to take over Diane Feinstein’s open senate seat in 2024 elections.
CDT is the oldest donor network in the country that invests in political power and civic engagement across all tax statuses — including 501c3s, 501c4s, and PACs — while centering racial equity and justice. They have distributed a total of $50 million since 2006 to ensure communities of color are centered in federal, state and local government and continue to build power for the long term. The endorsement, which was made in a unanimous board vote, will be followed by a significant mobilization of donors to invest in her success.
“Representative Barbara Lee embodies all of the qualifications that we invest in for candidacy,” says Ludovic Blain, Executive Director of the California Donor Table. “Her lifetime of political leadership is the gold standard of collective, inclusive, and collaborative governance. She quite literally shares her power with her constituents.”
As a Black woman who has consistently championed progressive policies, Lee’s candidacy aligns with CDT’s goal of strengthening California’s, and America’s, multiracial democracy. Not only will her candidacy fill a void of Black women in the Senate, it will also energize a strong voter base of Black, Latinx, AAPI, and young Californian voters for the upcoming congressional elections. As CDT has become one of the state’s largest investors in power building, civic engagement, and people-centered policy, California has seen a 17 point increase in youth turnout, as well as a steady increase in voter of color participation.
Unlike Adam Schiff, whose ‘tough on crime’ history diminishes his approval with criminal justice reformers, and Katie Porter, who needs to demonstrate support from Black, Latino and AAPI voters, Barbara Lee has an impeccable record and mass appeal.
“We have a historical opportunity to elect Barbara Lee, an accomplished and progressive champion to the United States Senate,” says Karen Grove, a California Donor Table Board member and donor. “Women experience fundraising as one of the biggest roadblocks to political office, especially Black women. That is why we are investing heavily with early money now and until November 2024 when Barbara Lee becomes the next Senator from California.”
Recent winning CDT endorsements of leaders devoted to community well-being include LA Mayor Karen Bass, State Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gomez Reyes, State Senator Aisha Wahab, Assemblymember Corey Jackson, LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, LA District Attorney George Gascon, Alameda District Attorney Pamela Price, Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton, and Antioch City Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker.
