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Press Release: Assembly Candidate Tony Thurmond leads in fundraising and wins endorsements of Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune and All Major Primary Election Opponents

From the Tony Thurmond Campaign
Friday August 08, 2014 - 12:02:00 PM

Tony Thurmond, candidate for Assembly, District 15, continued to build a powerful lead in a week that saw a wave of good news and new supporters to his campaign.

In the last seven days, Thurmond:

  • Reported fundraising totals 30 percent higher than his opponent and more cash-on-hand leading into the critical late summer / early fall phase of the campaign.
  • Won the endorsements of Pamela Price, Sam Kang and Clarence Hunt โ€“ all the major candidates in the primary election who did not advance to the runoff โ€“ and all the candidates of color and all the Democratic candidates.
  • Won the endorsement of the Contra Costa Times and Oakland Tribune โ€“ the major news organizations of the district.
 

These powerful indicators of Thurmond's momentum come on the heels of a recently released poll by Oakland-based EMC Research that showed Thurmond with a narrow lead over his opponent and more room to grow his share of the vote. Thurmond is not only first in the polls, but also has a strong lead in grassroots campaigning, already launching the November election effort with a voter registration and activation town hall in Richmond, the first of a series of events in every corner of the district to drive turnout and voter engagement. 

Thurmond has served as a member of the Richmond City Council and the West Contra Costa County Board of Education. He currently works at the Lincoln Child Center and has been active in CEO Youth, an innovative program working to improve school attendance and reduce dropout rates. Previously, Thurmond served as Executive Director of Beyond Emancipation, a non-profit that provides oversight and mentoring to help former foster youth make successful transitions into adulthood.  

In addition to the Contra Costa Times and Oakland Tribune and all the major opponents from the primary election, Thurmond has earned the endorsements of leading Democrats including Attorney General Kamala Harris, Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, Congressman George Miller, as well as the California Nurses Association, California Teachers Association, California Professional Firefighters, SEIU-CA, California State Legislative Black Caucus, California Latino Legislative Caucus, Black Women Organized for Political Action and scores of local elected officials and community leaders.