Washington, D.C. – Today, ONE launched the “ONE Vote 2010 campaign, a bipartisan effort to engage candidates, elected leaders and voters alike in America’s fight against global poverty and preventable disease, and for good governance and accountability.  ONE Vote 2010 will target key open Senate seat races in Illinois, Ohio, New Hampshire, Florida, Indiana and other states to bring both sides of the political aisle together to invest in proven solutions that save lives and beat back extreme poverty.

The campaign builds on the success of ONE Vote ’08, which was active during the 2008 presidential primary and general election, earning historic commitments from all of the candidates including President Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. In 2008, ONE members made more than 1,000 direct one-on-one contacts with the candidates and got each of the candidates to go on the record in support of ONE’s issues.

“ONE Vote ’08 efforts in key states during the 2008 election elevated the profile of global poverty issues on the campaign trail like never before.”  U.S. Executive Director Shelia Nix said. “We’ve seen that when the United States steps up, takes aim at preventable diseases and works with poor countries in smart ways, we get tangible results measured in actual lives saved and improved incomes. This year, ONE Vote 2010 will work to urge continued leadership in the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, and for good governance and accountability.”

ONE Vote has state organizers on the ground in each of the targeted states working to build grassroots networks of community leaders and local ONE volunteers.  ONE Vote’s state teams will work over the next five months to raise awareness around the fight against global poverty and disease.

“ONE Vote’s state organizers have signed up more than 2,000 new members, and we’re just getting warmed up,” said ONE Vote Campaign Manager Keren Dongo. “I’m excited to see these strong early numbers confirm what I already know – Americans will continue to lead the world in the fight to provide assistance to those suffering from extreme poverty.  So many of our ONE volunteers are struggling to make ends meet, and yet they’re coming out in large numbers across the country to engage their candidates and their communities on these issues because they’ve seen what an impact our efforts have on the world’s poorest.”

Within the past month, ONE Vote’s teams have recruited hundreds of volunteers to participate in local community events and have presented ONE bands to almost all the Senate candidates in ONE Vote’s targeted states. Under Dongo’s leadership, the ONE Vote team will continue to work with local communities to advance our goals and underscore the importance of continued American leadership.