Mitch Perry
Since Hillary Clinton lost the election to Donald Trump three weeks ago, many Democrats have been disconsolate, still stunned to deal with the reality of a Trump presidency.
Pam Keith says she understands the sentiment, but says it’s time for Democrats to get active and start fighting back. The way she’s doing that is to travel late next week to help out the U.S. Senate candidacy of Foster Campbell in Louisiana. And she’s calling other Florida Democrats to join her.
“I think a lot of us Dems are heartsick and trying to channel all of that emotion into something constructive,” Keith said in an email to FloridaPolitics. “For the time being, there really isn’t anything we can do about Trump, other than gnash our teeth and pray that the Electoral college sees the light. But with respect to the Senate, there is something we can do. The runoff in Louisiana would’t be a run-off unless it was close, so adding whatever we can to the mix might actually get something positive done.”
With no senate candidate getting fifty percent of the vote in Louisiana on Nov. 8, Campbell made the runoff against Republican John N. Kennedy, the state treasurer. Campbell is a 69-year-old cattle farmer and public service commissioner. A survey taken last week by a GOP polling firm shows Campbell trailing Kennedy by double-digits.
When Keith announced on her Facebook page that she was intending to spend two days in Louisiana campaigning for Campbell, she asked if other Democrats would be willing to join her.
“We have gotten LOTS of positive feedback for folks who want to help, many of whom can’t travel but are eager to do phone banking. I think we will reach our 20 people goal based on what I’m seeing so far,” Keith says.
Keith is a former Naval Officer JAG and attorney who finished third in the Democratic race for U.S. Senator this summer. Though she didn’t come to defeating winner Patrick Murphy, but came close to knocking off congressman Alan Grayson for second place.
Keith says that she thought such a GOTV effort would be promoted by the Democratic National Committee or the various state parties. But that didn’t happen.
“Seeing no action on the part of either group, I just decided to see what I could do on my own. Bret Berlin has been immensely helpful and is now working with me to get this done. The Campbell team in Louisiana is very positive about getting our help.”
Between Oct. 20 and Nov. 20, he raised $2,490,939 from individuals and another $29,600 from political action committees, according to the report his campaign released on Tuesday.
