Veteran Charlie Brown Wins VoteVets.org $5000 Run-Off

By VoteVets.org  |  Press Release
PUBLISHED: March 24, 2008

WASHINGTON – Charlie Brown, who is running to fill the open seat in Congress now held by Rep. John Doolittle (CA-4), will be receiving a $5000 check from VoteVets.org, for winning an internet run-off this past week.  Brown, along with six other veterans, were endorsed by VoteVets.org last week.  While each of the candidates was promised $1000 from the group, VoteVets.org allowed members to select, online, which candidate would get a maximum allowable $5000 contribution.


Jon Soltz, an Iraq War veteran and Chairman of VoteVets.org said, “Charlie Brown demonstrated two things this week.  First, like each of our endorsed candidates, he has incredible grassroots support, which make him a very formidable candidate in this election.  And, second, that there is a real thirst for the voice of the veteran to go to Congress and set this nation on a more responsible course, when it comes to Iraq, the war on terror, and veterans’ care.”


VoteVets.org is not releasing the final tally of votes, but thousands voted in the online run-off.  The other candidates in the run-off were Jill Morgenthaler, Bill Cahir, Eric Massa, Steve Sarvi, Doug Denneny, and Mike Lumpkin.

Named for his father's WWII Artillery Battery, Charlie Brown served for 26 years in the Air Force -- flying rescue helicopters in Vietnam, reconnaissance missions around the world, and working with intelligence collection assets in some of the world's most volatile hot spots -- including Iraq.  Charlie's wife Jan was an Air Force nurse and his son is on active duty with the Air Force, having already completed four rotations in Iraq.

While many politicians offer empty sound bites, Charlie Brown is a battle-tested warrior who leads by example to solve problems.  He's donating 5% of every dollar he raises through his campaign to organizations helping veterans and families in need.

VoteVets.org PAC, founded in 2006, has helped elect four veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) to Congress. They are Reps. Patrick Murphy, Joe Sestak, Tim Walz, and Chris Carney. It has endorsed five additional candidates this cycle, has donated the maximum to each of them, and helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for them, including tens of thousands of dollars online: Rick Noriega, running for US Senate in Texas; Jon Powers, running for Congress from New York; John Boccieri, running for Congress in Ohio; Ashwin Madia, running for Congress in Minnesota; and Adam Cote, running for Congress in Maine.

The group does not consider party affiliation in its endorsement. However, candidates must oppose George W. Bush's disastrous policy i