Nationally, PDA is a political action committee that supports progressive issues and candidates. The Tucson Chapter—which has 800+ members—had its inaugural meeting in February 2011. Most PDA members are registered Democrats, but PDA welcomes Independents, Greens, and other liberal thinkers to join forces and work for change. PDA works both within and outside the Democratic Party. What does PDA st
and for? PDA has seven core issues. Locally and nationally, PDA has Issue Organizing Teams (IOTs) that meet regularly by teleconference or in person to discuss ideas and strategize tactics to move the progressive agenda forward. PDA’s core issues are:
• Medicare for All/Single Payer
• Clean and Fair Elections
• Immigration Reform
• End the Wars/Redirect the Funding
• Economic and Social Justice
• Global Warming/Climate Change
• Accountability of Elected Officials and Ending Corporate Personhood
How is PDA Tucson organized? Locally, PDA has a steering committee made up a chapter coordinator, IOT leaders, collaborators from affiliated organizations, and a communications/social media specialist. PDA Tucson holds 3-4 membership meetings a year in Tucson and meets with other Arizona PDA chapters in conjunction with the Arizona Democratic Party’s Progressive Caucus. People who belong to IOTS meet approximately once a month; plus, PDA national organizes nationwide teleconferences which allow members from multiple cities to share ideas. Local members also participate in political actions and events organized by PDA national and our affiliated organizations—Labor, National Nurses United, MoveOn.org, New Priorities Network, Border Action Network, Connect the Dots, and others. How can I get involved?
• Check out the background information about PDA and its core issues on PDA’s national website. (http://www.pdamerica.org/)
• Sign up for PDA at the national and local levels at the same website.
• Participate in local meetings and at least one IOT.
• Participate in the Change for Change funding program (https://www.pdamerica.org/payments/give/donate).
• Connect with PDA national, PDA Arizona, and PDA Tucson on facebook. (http://www.facebook.com/PDATucson)
• Follow and participate in local events publicized on PDA Tucson’s blog (http://pdatucson.blogspot.com) and page
• Support PDA’s affiliated organizations
• Vote for progressive candidates and hold all elected officials accountable.
• Work for progressive change at all levels. Local PDA Contacts
Phil Lopes, Chapter Coordinator
Richard Brodesky, Economic and Social Justice IOT Leader
Barbara Warren, Global Warming/Climate Change IOT Leader
Rick Graap, Clean and Fair Elections IOT Leader
Drs. Eve Shapiro and Chuck Katzenberg, Medicare for All IOT Leaders
Pamela J. Powers, Communications/Social Media
Locally, PDA supports the work of and collaborates with Border Action Network on immigration reform, with New Priorities Network on the end wars/redirect the funding initiatives, and with MoveOn.org on accountability and ending corporate personhood. PDA Tucson blog: http://pdatucson.blogspot.com
PDA e-mail: [email protected]
PDA on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PDATucson
Paid for by Progressive Democrats of America (http://www.pdamerica.org)
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
05/16/2026
