Catch Fire Endorses

Imani Oakley For Congress

Montclair, NJ — Catch Fire — the progressive organization focused on building early support for Congressional candidates from marginalized backgrounds — endorsed Imani Oakley’s Congressional campaign on Wednesday.

“Early support will be key if progressives are going to have real electoral success in 2022,” Oakley said. “I’m grateful that Catch Fire is doing the necessary work to lift up progressives. Their endorsement is a strong vote of confidence that we can deliver the change our district needs.”

Oakley — a political organizer and well-known New Jersey pro-democracy activist — is running for Congress in New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District on a platform of ambitious environmental policy, economic mobility, criminal justice reform, housing justice, and healthcare for all. The incumbent, Rep. Payne Jr., has drawn criticism for funding ICE detention centers and taking money from some of the worst polluters in the fossil fuel industry. He is also known for having one of the highest absentee rates of any Congressperson.

Oakley’s campaign thanked Catch Fire for their trust and promised that the struggles of marginalized communities would be at the center of her campaign. This endorsement adds to the progressive coalition growing around Oakley’s campaign, including the national progressive organization Brand New Congress, Black Lives Matter activist Zellie Imani, Maplewood Deputy Mayor Dean Dafis, and Mt. Rainier Vice Mayor Scott Cecil.

“I am honored to be endorsed by true progressives like Brand New Congress, Deputy Mayor Dafis, Zellie Imani, and Vice Mayor Scott Cecil,” Oakley said. “Their support truly shows that all of our collective liberations are intertwined. As your representative, I will be an unyielding advocate for all marginalized people.”

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Imani Oakley is a long-time political organizer and pro-democracy activist running for Congress in New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District. The seat covers parts of Essex, Union, and Hudson counties. Her time working in New Jersey political spaces has made one thing clear: our state suffers from rabid corruption. Her campaign is dedicated to ending this system and lifting up working-class communities.