How does a law school professor defeat a 32-year incumbent for a seat in the Maryland State Senate? How does he then go on to win the Democratic primary to succeed former Congressman Chris Van Hollen, despite being outspent by more than 9 to 1 in the most expensive Congressional primary in U.S. history? If you’re freshman Congressman Jamie Raskin, you did it by mobilizing scores of young people through a fellowship program he created called Democracy Summer.

Students participating in Democracy Summer have been involved in other campaigns. For example, last year Democracy Summer trained and mobilized 52 students for the state legislative races in Virginia and the Special House Election in Georgia. This year will be the biggest yet in the program’s history. Democracy Summer plans to train and deploy more than 300 college and high school students in a dozen swing Congressional districts in the Mid-Atlantic region, focusing on PA and New Jersey, which Raskin calls the “key battlefield in the fight of our lives.”

That’s why Democratic Jewish Outreach PA has invited Congressman Raskin to speak at a brunch we’re hosting on Sunday, March 4. He will be discussing “How to Take Back Congress in 2018: Mobilizing America’s Youth to Win Elections in Swing Districts in Pennsylvania and Beyond.” We’re fortunate to have Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-2) joining us as well. Congressman Evans will introduce his colleague and moderate the Q&A session to follow Congressman Raskin’s remarks.

The brunch is scheduled for 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM on Sunday, March 4, at Pipeline Philly in The Graham Building, 30 S. 15th Street, 15th Floor, Philadelphia. Tickets are $40 per person. College and high school students can attend for free, if they present their school ID at the door. To register and pay online, visit secure.actblue.com/donate/jraskin-djop. If you prefer to pay by check, please make it payable to Democratic Jewish Outreach and send it to P.O. Box 451, Fort Washington, PA 19034. You can also pay at the door.

About Congressman Raskin

Jamie Raskin was elected to Congress in November 2016. Though just a freshman, he has already secured several leadership posts, including Vice-Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, Freshman Representative on the House Democratic Steering & Policy Committee, and Vice Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

He also has been a professor of constitutional law at American University for three decades. Prior to Congress, Raskin served three terms in the Maryland State Senate. He has also written several books, including the Washington Post best-seller, Overruling Democracy: The Supreme Court versus the American People.