Search
Close this search box.

Netroots Nation Coming to Philly in 2019

TOP Left to Right: Gov. Tom Wolf, State Reps. Chris Rabb and Leanne Krueger-Braneky and Sen. Bob Casey. BOTTOM Left to Right: Mayor Marita Garrett, Chrissy Houlahan (candidate for PA-6), Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, and PFT President Jerry Jordan.

For Democratic presidential hopefuls, the road to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave will lead through Philadelphia.

Announced at Netroots Nation this weekend in New Orleans by Philadelphia City Councilwoman Helen Gym, the annual progressive conference will be taking their talents to Philadelphia for the 2019 meeting.    

This will be the group’s first return to Pennsylvania since their 2009 conference in Pittsburgh.

Netroots Nation comprises progressive elected officials, online organizers, grassroots activists and independent media makers, according to its website.

Philadelphia politico, attorney, and friend of PoliticsPA Adam Bonin helped steer the conference to the city of brotherly love.

“As someone who’s been involved in Netroots Nation since the beginning, it is a thrill to be able to bring America’s foremost progressive conference to my hometown in 2019,” said Bonin, who is a longtime Netroots Nation board member and former chair. “From elected leadership to the grassroots, this is a city that espouses progressive values and puts them into action. With the 2020 presidential election on the horizon, next year’s conference should be our largest, most inclusive, and best yet.”

This year’s event in New Orleans included speeches from 2020 hopefuls Sens. Cory Booker (NJ), Elizabeth Warren (MA), and Kamala Harris (CA).   

Gym, who made the announcement, touted her background in organizing and the challenges she has faced in Philadelphia.

“We’re the poorest big city in the nation, but we know that poverty and inequality don’t happen to us by accident,” Gym said during the speech. “They happen when our legislature fails to fund our public schools equitably.”

 

 

Gym has made public school education and defending Philadelphia’s Asian American community as a large part of her mission as a member of Philadelphia’s city council.

“I cut my organizing teeth in Philadelphia’s Asian American communities defying Mayors and developers that would seek Chinatown land for publicly funded stadiums and casinos,” Gym said.

Last year, Philadelphia announced that their public schools would once again return to local control, considered a huge victory for the progressives in the city.

“It was public school parents, youth, and teachers who spent almost two decades fighting a state takeover of public schools defying privateers, profiteers, and union busters and those corporate Dems who had declared public schools a dead end,” Gym said.

Gym concluded the announcement by showing a video that includes the welcoming of the conference to Philadelphia from multiple high ranking Democratic officials including Gov. Tom Wolf and Sen. Bob Casey.

 

 

“I was honored to announce that Netroots will be coming to Philadelphia in 2019,” Gym said in a statement. “Over 3,000 progressive activists will be bringing their energy, passion, and ideas here at a crucial moment in our nation’s history. As the birthplace of democracy and a proud sanctuary city that fought to restore local control of our schools, we can’t wait to welcome them and work together to create a more equitable and just politics.”

3 Responses

  1. Always great to see the Cradle of American Democracy get some love in the democratic process!

Email:
  • Do you agree that ByteDance should be forced to divest TikTok?


    • Yes. It's a national security risk. (60%)
    • No. It's an app used by millions and poses no threat. (40%)
    • What's ByteDance? (0%)

    Total Voters: 30

    Loading ... Loading ...
Continue to Browser

PoliticsPA

To install tap and choose
Add to Home Screen