Norman Solomon

Party: Democrat
State: California - 2nd District
What you need to know: Solomon is assembling a strong grassroots campaign in this congressional district located north of San Francisco.

Democrat - Challenger
Endorsed for U.S. House of Representatives by Council for a Livable World Candidate Fund

Norman Solomon has devoted his career to promoting peace and progressive social policies. He is now running in the Democratic primary to fill the seat left open by the retiring Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA). Woolsey has been a staunch advocate of peaceful foreign policies and we believe Solomon will be a worthy successor.

Solomon has been working to oppose nuclear weapons for more than three decades. In 1980, he wrote an article for The Nation on the need for a Comprehensive Test Ban. In 1984, he spent ten days in jail after organizing and participating in nonviolent blockades of the "white train" carrying nuclear warheads that were en route to Trident submarines in Puget Sound. In 1986, he participated in a protest alongside the director of the Alliance of Atomic Veterans inside the U.S. Embassy in Moscow calling for the Reagan administration to reciprocate Gorbachev's unilateral halt to nuclear testing.

Solomon is eloquent on the subject:

“To halt proliferation, the actions of the U.S. government must stop telling non-nuclear countries of the world, in effect, "do as we say, not as we do." Our government should adhere to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by pursuing in good faith the quest for nuclear disarmament. We must stop producing nuclear weapons and start taking them apart. Future generations and indeed all life on earth are depending on our resolve to free humanity from this unspeakable menace.”

Solomon was a staunch opponent of the Iraq war. When the George W. Bush administration was making its case for invading Iraq, Solomon led several peace-making trips to Baghdad, bringing along U.S. Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV) and former Senator James Abourezk (D-SD). The trip generated significant press coverage and a few days after it was finished, the Iraqi government announced it would readmit weapons inspectors to the country, which offered a glimmer of hope that war might be avoided. In December of 2002, Solomon led another trip to Iraq with actor Sean Penn to highlight the effects of the impending war on the Iraqi people.

Solomon is realistic about the effects the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have had not only on America’s stature on the world stage but also on our ability to confront the problems we face at home:

“We’re being depleted of resources for state and local government services. We need to redefine what national security is. It’s not national security to have our schools crumbling. I would argue that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have made us less secure. Protecting and enhancing our social safety net and promoting peace have never been more critical to the health and prosperity of our nation.”

Solomon will be a strong voice in Congress for principled and progressive foreign policies. He is assembling a strong grassroots campaign in this congressional district which is located north of San Francisco.

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