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Krom named DFA 'all-star'

By: Kasie Hunt July 30, 2010 01:27 PM EST

When progressive Democracy for America activists selected their favorite congressional candidate this year, they didn't choose a well-known challenger in a tight race or a Democrat fighting for an open seat. Instead, they backed Beth Krom, the former mayor of Irvine, Calif., in her bid to oust GOP Rep. John Campbell from his seat in the historically Republican 48th District. The organization's "grassroots all-star" endorsement is chosen by online vote - this year more than 66,000 votes were tallied - and the winner gets money, organizing and fundraising help from DFA, the grassroots group that sprang from former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's failed 2004 run for president. This year's second- and third-place winners, Massachusetts attorney Mac d'Alessandro and California teacher Bill Hedrick, will also receive DFA help. To win, Krom beat a series of other progressive candidates who campaigned for the endorsement, including New Hampshire Democrat Ann McLane Kuster - who's in a tight Democratic primary against the more moderate Katrina Swett - and Manan Trivedi, a physician and Iraq War veteran running against Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.). Krom's win stems from DFA's strong presence in Orange County - the 48th District is entirely within the county's borders - and the organization's deep connections to her campaign. "DFA has a quite strong chapter in Orange County," said David Dayen, an editor at the liberal site FireDogLake.com and a former blogger at the progressive California politics blog Calitics. "It's all about working your local network, and they did that." Krom's campaign manager, Melahat Rafiei, also has a long history with DFA: She organized the Orange County chapter of Dean for America during Dean's campaign in 2004. She's since served as the executive director of the Orange County Democratic Party. The Orange County connection also helps explain Hedrick's strong showing, as the 44th District, where he is running against Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, encompasses the county's eastern edge. Krom also campaigned heavily for the endorsement. "Her web work that she did around this particular campaign was definitely head and shoulders above the other folks," said Levana Leyandecker, a DFA spokeswoman. Lori Vandermeir, a Krom spokeswoman, said they made the DFA all-star competition a
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Krom named DFA 'all-star' - POLITICO.com Print View

1/3/12 7:10 PM

Lori Vandermeir, a Krom spokeswoman, said they made the DFA all-star competition a key part of their field campaigning during the Democratic primary. "They've got a commitment to raise $25,000 for us, but more important for us is the support - they're going to give us 200 phonebankers and a couple thousand hours in volunteer support, and that's where they're really needed," Vandermeir said. Krom will face Campbell, a two-term Republican who was first elected in a special election in 2005. Though the district has been reliably Republican, demographic changes have made it more Democratic in recent years. Its residents voted narrowly for President Obama in 2008, though they backed former President George W. Bush in 2004. DFA's activists have a mixed record in choosing candidates who go on to win. In 2008, the endorsement went to Nancy Skinner, a Michigan radio talk show host. But Skinner dropped her bid shortly after winning the nod, leaving the race to avoid a bloody Democratic primary against now-Rep. Gary Peters. But the endorsement made a difference for Rep. Jerry McNerney when he won his contest in 2006. Long ignored by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, DFA helped him bring in more money and put more activists on the ground. He went on to defeat longtime Republican Rep. Richard Pombo in a traditionally GOP district.
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