Political Positions
Democracy for America's status on various social and economic issues places the organization firmly on the left of the American political spectrum. Although they often endorse and advocate for Democratic Party candidates, DFA opposes the official Democratic Party on issues such as their support of a system of public health care in the United States is also to the left of many national and state Democratic lawmakers.
DFA's liberal policies have led them to oppose established Democrats whose policies contradict their own. In 2006, the group supported Ned Lamont over incumbent Sen. Joseph Lieberman in Connecticut's primary and general elections. Lamont eventually won the primary election, but lost the general election to Lieberman, who ran as an independent. That year, DFA also supported political newcomer Carol Shea-Porter in her successful Democratic primary and general election victory in New Hampshire's 1st congressional district. In 2008, the group supported newcomer Donna Edwards in her upset primary victory against former Rep. Albert Wynn of Maryland's 4th congressional district
During the 2008 Minnesota Senate election between Al Franken and Norm Coleman, Democracy for America partnered with the Progressive Change Campaign Committee for the "Donate a Dollar a Day to Make Norm Go Away". Through the campaign, participants give a donation of a dollar a day for every day Norm Coleman continued to contest the results of the election, which he lost to Franken following an official state-wide recount. The campaign has raised more than $150,000 to "help progressive candidates run effective campaigns and win."
In 2010, DFA launched their "Primaries Matter" campaign with the goal of electing better Democrats into office, instead of just any Democrat. In the Pennsylvania Democratic primary, DFA endorsed Joe Sestak in his successful primary challenge to incumbent Senator Arlen Specter, who switched to the Democratic Party in April 2009 after 44 years as an elected Republican. DFA also endorsed Democratic challenger Elaine Marshall in North Carolina's Democratic primary run-off for U.S. Senate. Marshall went on to beat fellow Democrat Cal Cunningham, who was endorsed by national party leaders. DFA got deeply involved in the Democratic run-off in Arkansas as well, backing challenger Lt. Gov. Bill Halter in his race against incumbent Senator Blanche Lincoln. Halter went on to lose, but only by 4% in a state that went overwhelmingly to John McCain in the 2008 presidential election.
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