Eric Griego's Grassroots Campaign is Full Steam Ahead in Closing Days of Race

From the Eric Griego for Congress campaign:

Momentum builds as campaign raised over $56,000 in 24 hours, Secures Endorsement of National Wall Street Reform Leader Congressman Alan Grayson

Co-founders of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor, to rally dozens of volunteers tomorrow at campaign office for final GOTV efforts

In the last 24 hours, Eric Griego has raised over $56,000 and secured the endorsement of one of the leading national voices for Wall Street reform, Congressman Alan Grayson.

The surge in donations and the Grayson endorsement occurred as donors and New Mexico voters flocked to the only candidate in the race for New Mexico's 1st district who has firmly committed to reject any cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits and ensuring that the Wall Street bankers who broke the law go to jail.

Over the next four days Griego's campaign plans to make over 15,000 phone calls and knock on 5,000 doors during 300 volunteer shifts with the help of its grassroots army of volunteers -- which includes dozens of seniors attracted to Griego's steadfast opposition to any cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid.

Tomorrow, Griego's campaign will hold a rally headlined by the two co-founders of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor, to gather dozens of these grassroots volunteers to Get-Out-The-Vote at 10:30 AM at campaign headquarters located 929 4th Street SW, Albuquerque, NM.  PCCC has nearly 10,000 members in New Mexico’s First Congressional District.

"Grassroots donors and volunteers in New Mexico and across the country are flocking to Eric Griego in the closing hours of this campaign because they know that he's the only candidate committed to protecting Social Security and Medicare benefits and hold to Wall Street accountable," said Ed Yoon, campaign manager.  "While our opponents continue working on their slimy attack ads, our grassroots volunteer team is focused on knocking on the doors and making the phone calls it will take to send Eric Griego, a proven progressive, to fight for us in Washington."

Building even more momentum, Griego’s campaign was also endorsed by Congressman Alan Grayson, a national leader for Wall Street reform.  Grayson sent out an email to his supporters on Griego's behalf, allying Griego even closer to leaders in Congress fighting real accountability for Wall Street bankers.  The email focused on Griego's extraordinary biography as an unlikely success story if not for his close family and the benefit of key programs that help working families like Social Security, Head Start and Pell Grants.

Excerpt from an e-mail where Griego tells his own personal story: (Full text of email below.)

I grew up and I still live in the Barelas neighborhood, a working-class Hispanic area near downtown Albuquerque. The average household income in the area is about $20,000.

My personal values come from watching my mother struggle. Despite all of her hard work, and all of our hard work starting at a very young age, we would not have made it without society's investments in us, through programs like Headstart, public schools, public colleges, Pell Grants, etc.

My mom was able to retire, thanks only to Social Security, modest savings, and help from us. She had decent healthcare, thanks to Medicare, which she had paid into her whole working life.

As an elected official I have always fought, and I always will fight, for families like mine.

The response to the email and endorsement was overwhelming raising $28,000 for the campaign in 24 hours.

The full text of Alan Grayson’s e-mail:

Dear friend,

This is former Congressman Alan Grayson. I'm going to let Eric Griego, a progressive candidate for Congress in New Mexico, explain this one himself:

"I grew up and I still live in the Barelas neighborhood, a working-class Hispanic area near downtown Albuquerque. The average household income in the area is about $20,000.

My brother, two older sisters and I were raised by my single mom. My mom was a housewife for 10 years, until my father left her in 1969. Then she had to join the workforce, with only a high school diploma.

My mom had to work two minimum wage jobs to get by. She was a secretary by day, and she worked as a cocktail waitress at the Disabled American Veterans hall on weekends. We all worked from the age of 13, or younger, to help support ourselves and the family. I sold newspapers in front of churches and intersections. My brother and sisters worked in restaurants.

We had only three rooms at home. My sisters slept in the same bed. My brother and I slept on couches in the living room.

Even with all of us working, we still had to rely on food stamps and free school lunches to have enough to eat. We wore second-hand shoes, collected in local shoe drives. Our only Christmas gift many years was a basket from the Knights of Columbus.

In 1970, my mom enrolled me in the Headstart Program. That changed both my life and hers. I learned to read and write, and my mother could focus on work, knowing I was in a safe place.

Thanks to state schools, my sisters and I became the first ones in our family to finish college, and even obtain graduate degrees. We all were able to do that only because we received scholarships, Pell Grants and student loans.

My personal values come from watching my mother struggle. Despite all of her hard work, and all of our hard work starting at a very young age, we would not have made it without society's investments in us, through programs like Headstart, public schools, public colleges, Pell Grants, etc. My mom was able to retire, thanks only to Social Security, modest savings, and help from us. She had decent healthcare, thanks to Medicare, which she had paid into her whole working life.

My mom died ten years ago, but in the last years of life she lived with dignity, and love. As an elected official I have always fought, and I always will fight, for families like mine."

The latest poll shows Eric Griego TIED in next Tuesday's Democratic primary in New Mexico. Your support can help to put him in Congress. Please donate $3 today.

We're all in this together.

Courage, Alan Grayson