CNM: Campaign for a National Majority




enter email address Board of Directors National Steering Committee Advisory Board	About CNM What is CNM? What does CNM do? Why does CNM focus on State Executive offices? What are CNM's values? Do you advocate specific policies? Where does CNM want to have an impact? Races and Candidates How do you pick the races? How do you pick the candidates? What are the criteria for endorsement of candidates? How will CNM communicate its endorsement to members? Get Involved How can I help CNM? About CNM What is CNM? CNM is a pragmatic political action committee supporting Democrats for State Executive offices across the country. What does CNM do? We identify races in which Democratic victories will have statewide and even national impact. We research candidates carefully for qualities such as viability, experience, charisma, and expertise. After screening candidates, we endorse a list of candidates every election cycle. We furnish our members with detailed information about each candidate we endorse. Why does CNM focus on State Executive offices? We focus on state executive offices for three reasons: We believe that Governors make the best Presidential candidates. The bulk of Governors come from State Executive offices. We believe that these races are important. For example, the Attorney General is often the chief law enforcement officer in his/her state, and Secretaries of State set state election policy (remember Katherine Harris in Florida?). State executives have a big impact on the lives of citizens in their state, and often beyond. Races for State Executive offices are frequently small money races where small dollars can have a big impact. What are CNM's values? We believe the Democratic Party is the party of responsibility. As Democrats, we recognize that government must act when markets fail, when discrimination persists, or when lack of infrastructure holds back our economic growth. CNM supports candidates who embrace and promote this message. Each of our candidates supports our five core principles, which exemplify the concept of "active responsibility." Learn more about our values. Do you advocate specific policies? No. We have articulated goals, not policies. For example, we believe that responsible politicians will work to Achieve Healthcare for All Americans. At the same time, we know that there are many different ways to work towards this goal. For example, one state might seek to achieve this through individual healthcare accounts; another state might seek to do it through a broader corporate co-pay program; a third state might choose subsidy. CNM takes no position on the approach, so long as the commitment to the underlying value is strong. Where does CNM want to have an impact? We seek to have both significant impact and significant membership in every part of the United States. Races and Candidates How do you pick the races? We identify races in which Democratic victories will have statewide and even national impact. We especially look for races that will help Democrats build a majority. For example, in November 2004, we supported candidates in Texas and Iowa, both of whom took seats away from Republicans. How do you pick the candidates? We research candidates carefully for qualities such as viability, experience, charisma, and expertise. CNM understands the importance of every state's local context, and we choose candidates who are a good match for their races. What are the criteria for endorsement of candidates? There is no "formula" for endorsement. Our goal is to find promising candidates early in their careers and support them. To do this, we do the hard work of thorough research. We check candidates for qualities such as viability, experience, charisma, and expertise. We also understand the importance of every state's local context, and we choose candidates who are a good match for their races. All these factors play into the decision of whether or not to endorse. How will CNM communicate its endorsement to members? We will contact our members with a list of the candidates we have endorsed. For each candidate, we will produce a one-page summary that will give members information on the candidate's strengths and weaknesses, his or her opponent, and the reasons for our endorsement. Get Involved How can I help CNM? There are three main ways to help CNM: Financial a) Support us: Although we are a lean organization, we do have costs. Financial help for CNM is always appreciated. You can give money to CNM by clicking here. b) Support our candidates: Each cycle, we will send you a list of candidates we have endorsed. These candidates represent the future of the Democratic Party, and they are often outspent by Republicans. Giving money through CNM to our candidates is a great way to support CNM. Social a) Sign up for our mailing list! b) Tell your friends about us. c) Help us connect to other social or political groups that might like to work with us. d) Help us plan an event in your area. Research CNM has a number of important research projects with which we need help. Please contact us for more information about these projects.	2007 ENDORSEES Jack Conway Attorney General of Kentucky 2006 ENDORSEES Catherine Cortez Masto Attorney General of Nevada Matt Dunne Lieutenant Governor of Vermont Jennifer Brunner Ohio Secretary of State Bryce Healy South Dakota Commissioner of School and Public Lands John Chiang State Controller of California Bill Halter Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas Dustin McDaniel Attorney General of Arkansas Cory Booker Mayor of Newark Lisa Madigan Attorney General of Illinois Deval Patrick Governor of Massachusetts Chet Culver Governor of Iowa