For years now, the American people have watched our Congress vote in lockstep with a Bush White House intent on driving our nation into war, debt, environmental disaster, and the failure of our public schools and healthcare system.

For the sake of the next generation, we need a new way of doing things. These are times that demand a different type of leader. Creative. Honest. Innovative. Practical. And full of fresh ideas.

Meet Sam Bennett.

Sam, 50 years old, from Allentown, Pennsylvania, has been tackling her community’s problems for 30 years with a pragmatic, creative spirit. As a civic leader, she has confronted issue after issue with the tenacity, ingenuity, and new ideas that you simply don’t see in career politicians.   
 

• High schoolers were graduating from her hometown’s schools without the necessary job skills. Sam started the William Allen Construction Company where students learned valuable trade skills and a work ethic – while still in school – helping them to graduate.


• The beautiful old houses of Allentown were falling into disrepair, causing neighborhoods to deteriorate into blight and crime. Sam started a non-profit to reward homeowners who repaired and maintained their homes, bringing up the quality of life in communities. Her non-profit, Properties of Merit, took its progress statewide last year.


• The city’s annual spring arts fair, called Mayfair, was running badly in the red and on the verge of going bankrupt. Her business sense honed as an entrepreneur and corporate executive, Sam took the helm and within a year, brought the festival back into solvency – and back to life.

These are just a few of Sam’s achievements in her community. During this time, she has worked as a corporate executive, raised her three children, restored the Historic Benner Home in Allentown, and operated a chocolate-chip cookie business that employed developmentally disabled adults.

This year, Sam is challenging Republican Charles Dent for the 15th Congressional District. Dent has voted with George Bush 80 percent of the time in Congress – votes that were not only bad for our country’s people and economy, but also wrong.

Please get involved in this campaign. Donate, volunteer, tell your friends. And remember to vote on November 4th. America needs a new type of leadership.

Here is some information about the campaign:

• Sam's campaign is considered one of the top 20 emerging races in the country, according to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Keep up the momentum and donate today.  


• Thanks to a grassroots petition drive, Sam Bennett filed for candidacy with almost 3,000 signatures. She won an uncontested primary in April.


• Momentum for Sam is building. Word is getting out that a truly committed community leader and Democrat is mounting a serious challenge to Congressman Dent. With the strong backing of labor, the four county Democratic party chairs in her district, and commitments from elected officials, we can do this. We need your support as well, both by giving money at this crucial early stage, volunteering, and spreading the word. 


• Word is also getting out there about Dent’s voting record in Congress – pro-oil-company, pro-big-business, with a poor voting record on the environment, children's healthcare, and the welfare of our veterans. How bad is his voting record? You can look it up here: http://www.progressivepunch.org/

Allentown's own Sam Bennett is precisely the right kind of person to take on Charlie Dent.