Jefferson Smith, one of the co-founders of The Bus Project, has announced his candidacy for Mayor of Portland. He currently sits in the Oregon House of Representatives. Jefferson was one of the major figures of the progressive youth movement during the aughts, and it is great to see our leaders advance in the world of politics.

Here is the text of his announcement email:

I want you to be among the first to know that I’m running to serve as Portland’s next mayor. And I’d like to tell you why.

I love Portland. This city shaped me. I was born here. Went to high school here. Made mistakes here. Built a nonprofit here. Learned here. Represented neighbors in the legislature here. Took for granted that it would always be great here.

As a nonprofit founder and then a state representative from East Portland, I’ve met neighbors struggling to find work or make ends meet, who want safe homes in healthy neighborhoods and don’t have either. I’ve heard about what my neighbors of different stripes are facing and needing: sidewalks, paved roads, a fair chance at real employment, a home that isn’t underwater, safe and efficient transportation, manageable bills, healthy and kind neighborhoods – and a hope for their government to be connected to their reality. And I realized at a deeper level that we can’t afford to take our city for granted.

To decide whether to give up a safe House seat to run for mayor, I started by listening and thinking not merely (or primarily) about whether I wanted to be mayor, or whether I could win an election, but about what we could do as a city together. And I my wife and I – and some priceless friends – considered whether I could help. Like a little engine, I think I can.

We are starting off right away by offering some brief thoughts on priorities for the city. Our campaigns shouldn’t just be marketing campaigns to gain power; campaigns should also be conversations about where we want to go as a city, and how we’re going to get there. I am writing this the night before I suspect a bunch of members of the media are going to ask me questions. The brief policy areas are not meant to be quick (or final) answers, but to be kickstarts to a conversation. A conversation I hope you’ll join.

Growing up and working here, I’ve come to understand something else: Portlanders love to work together to solve problems. And, to borrow from a former president, there is nothing wrong with Portland that what’s right with Portland can’t fix.

We can have big vision and work in small and real ways. We can be prosperous, sustainable, and fair. We can reconnect the people of the city with the power of the city. We can be a city that works … for the whole city. We can set an example to the world of what a city can be. I can’t do that alone, but we can do that. Together, Portland Will.

To be successful, we’ll need your help. Please go to my website and sign up to help.

Thanks for all you do,

Jefferson Smith

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In an effort to start a real national push for green jobs, U.S. Senate candidate Rodney Glassman today joined the newly minted EnergizeUS coalition, comprised of candidates running for office across the country — each committed to pursuing policies to expand alternative energy jobs and keep America secure.

The EnergizeUS coalition pledges not just to run on green jobs, but to form a caucus in the U.S. House and Senate to create a push for jobs in a new green economy.

John McCain has taken all sides of this issue but is best remembered for an energy plan reduced to three words: Drill baby, drill. He’s spending millions of Big Oil dollars in an effort to hold onto his seat, despite ignoring Arizona’s needs for 28 years in Washington.

“Arizona is perfectly positioned to cash in on the coming revolution in clean industry and needs a U.S. Senator committed to putting our state on the cutting edge of the new economy,” Glassman said.

Arizona receives fewer federal solar dollars than the city of Portland, Ore., in part because McCain has refused to fight to bring our tax dollars back to our state.

“I’m proud to to be part of this coalition of candidates committed to creating jobs and sending fewer dollars to oil-rich countries that bankroll America’s enemies,” Glassman said. “We should spend less money subsidizing Big Oil and invest more in alternative energy, like solar power, to the benefit of Arizona and America.”

Like the EnergizeUS Coalition on Facebook

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Despite the chatter from the punditry, yesterday was a big day for Millennials. While they focus on two races with candidates that ignored the youth vote and wonder why turnout did not match 2008′s all time high, a number of young people won local elections throughout the country.

In New York, Young Democrats of America Democratic National Committeewoman Stephanie Hausner was the highest vote getter in her election to the Clarkstown Town Council. Former NYSYD National Committeeman David Carlucci won re-election as Clarkstown Town Clerk. Two former New York Young Democrats local chapter leaders, Dan French and David Fried, won local elections as well.

In New Hampshire, state Young Democrats President Garth Corriveau was elected Alderman in Manchester as was fellow NHYD Patrick Arnold.

In Washington, Kim Cole was elected to the Lynnwood City Council, Andy Ryder to the Lacey City Council, Amy Ockerlander to the Duvall City Council.

Over Twitter I’ve been told of a recent high school graduate that was elected to a school board in Michigan, as well as a number of other Millennial candidates that were giving victory speeches last night.

In towns and cities across the country young voters showed up to the polls to elect their own. These young local candidates realized the power of their generation, chose to run for office, and by reaching out to fellow young voters won their elections.

Yesterday’s lesson was not that young voters only showed up to the polls in 2008 to elect Barack Obama, but that Democrats must continue the youth outreach and funding that occurred during the 2008 cycle. The Millennial generation does not exist to serve at the beck and call of the DNC without being respected. When a candidate speaks to the issues of young voters and actively campaigns for their votes, they will deliver. The new generation of candidates understands this, and most of those candidates have a title with -elect after it today. Creigh Deeds and Jon Corzine didn’t, and in return were relegated to giving concession speeches.

The lesson for Democrats in 2010 is this: take the youth vote for granted at your own peril. If you want young voters to deliver for you, you have to be serious about earning their votes.

Also check out Sarah’s take on what yesterday meant.

UPDATE: It is important to note that the 2008 youth turnout was the result of funding and youth turnout effort from 2004 through 2008, and not an isolated 2008 effort.

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Garth Corriveau, the President of the New Hampshire Young Democrats, has filed to run for Alderman in Manchester’s Sixth Ward.

It’s great to see the leaders in the Young Democrats organization running for office, and I strongly encourage you to become a fan of Garth’s Facebook page.

While you are at it, you should also follow the New Hampshire Young Democrats on Twitter and become a fan of their Facebook page.

Good luck, Garth!

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Rep. Alex Cornell du Houx, a young state legislator in Maine, Iraq War veteran, and National Committeeman of the Maine Young Democrats, has authored an excellent piece on the Employee Free Choice Act in the Times Record.

The economic challenges Mainers and Americans face are diverse and serious. I wonder how we honor the men and women who fight to protect our way of life when we allow them to slip through the cracks in an economy where there are fewer and fewer opportunities. I wonder how crippled the economic futures of young men and women will be by the reckless and irresponsible decisions that created the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression. I wonder what steps our elected leaders will take to rebuild an economy that works for everyone.

While Wall Street only recently went into crisis mode a few months ago, working families have been feeling the pain of our imbalanced economy for years. American workers have generated soaring productivity over the last 25 years, but wages have gone flat. Too many working families have been forced to turn to second jobs, credit cards and toxic loans just to stay afloat.

Meanwhile, the corporate executives have squandered workers’ increasing profitability on their own jet-setter lifestyles.

Thankfully, we have a president who is committed to standing with us in confronting the greatest economic crisis of our lives. If there’s one thing that really strikes me about President Obama, it’s his understanding of what Americans are going through. He doesn’t need economists to tell him that working families have been stretched to the limit — in many cases, past the limit — just trying to make ends meet.

Workers must have the tools to level the playing field if we are ever going to build an economy that works for everyone. We need the Employee Free Choice Act.

This common-sense piece of legislation would give workers the freedom to join a union without intimidation and bargain collectively for better wages and benefits.

The entire article is worth a read: Employee Free Choice Act: A sustainable stimulus

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