Jane Kleeb, the founder of Bold Nebraska and incoming Democratic state chairwoman, has been named one of 11 directors of a new national political organization that will push a progressive agenda modeled by Sen. Bernie Sanders in his presidential campaign.
The organization, called Our Revolution, will work to stop the proposed Trans-Pacific free trade agreement and support campaigns like the battle against the Dakota Access Bakken pipeline in North Dakota and Iowa.
Kleeb's own initiative, which has spread its roots beyond Nebraska to form the Bold Alliance, has been active this week in opposing the proposed pipeline after a successful campaign against the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline in Nebraska.
Our Revolution will "show you can be one foot in the party and one foot in grassroots activity" in support of progressive causes, she said Wednesday.
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Kleeb, who will step into the role of Democratic state chairwoman in December, supported Sanders in Nebraska's Democratic presidential caucus, which he won last March. Kleeb now supports Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.
Supporters of Sanders' progressive agenda "tried to think of how we could continue (without) creating some super PAC like most political figures do," she said during a phone interview.
"We decided to create a grassroots organization that will work on issue campaigns and connect to down-ballot candidates" who support progressive causes, she said.
"I think we are all Democrats, but this organization is not formally tied to the Democratic Party," Kleeb said.
Our Revolution expects to be "on the front lines with tens of thousands of volunteers and millions of supporters," it stated in a news release after sharing its launch online with more than 400,000 viewers.
"We will support movements organizing around the critical issues facing us," the organization said.
"We will back candidates in primaries and general elections.
"We will back ballot measures that help create a 21st century democracy and help get big money out of politics, as well as other issues that promote racial, environmental and economic justice."