Tim Canova is a progressive Democrat running a primary challenge against Debbie Wasserman Schultz – the Democratic National Committee chairwoman –  in Florida’s 23rd congressional district.  Canova is a law professor as well as a banking and finance expert. He served as an aide to the late U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas in the 1980s, and as an adviser to U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders in 2011. He has also endorsed Bernie Sanders’ 2016 Presidential campaign for the Democratic nomination – as has this blog.

Since launching his campaign, Canova has been the beneficiary of wide spread grassroots support from progressives all around America and today he has revealed that he has received over 26,000 individual contributions in just under three months. The total amount raised so far by the Canova campaign amounts to $557,000. Similar to how Bernie Sanders has garnered the support of large progressive organizations such as MoveOn and Democracy For America, two of the nation’s largest unions, the Communication Workers of America and National Nurses United, have endorsed Canova.

His opponent – Wasserman Schultz – has adopted a variety of positions which have forced a large amount of Democrats to reflect upon her progressive credentials. Her support of the de-regulation of the predatory lending industry, for example, stands out among a myriad of issues which have left-leaning, Floridian Democrats concerned. In contrast to her pursuit of right-wing policies, Canova has being strong in his criticism of her backing of the TPP, her protecting of loan sharks and more of her policies which contradict the policies of the Democratic party.

In addition to her controversial policy positions, the DNC chair has also been criticized by Bernie Sanders supporters for her seemingly clear favoritism displayed towards his opponent, former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton. Among the critiques leveled at Wasserman Schultz are the perceived rigging of the Democratic debate schedule, the mismanagement of the committee’s resources as well as the data breach debacle. If the aforementioned rigging of debates to favor Hillary Clinton was to be true, it would mean Schutlz has neglected her responsibility to act in an unbiased manner as the DNC chair.

Following the creation of Canova’s campaign, many potential supporters worried  that the fact that he was not taking corporate donations or creating any SuperPACs would significantly hurt his chances at unseating his opponent. The opposite has been the reality, just as Sanders has out-raised his opponent through an unprecedented amount of individual campaign contributions, Canova has also broken records by receiving donations from over 20,000 individuals inspired by his grassroots campaign.

While Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has been forced to rely on the support of large corporate interests to fund her political ambitions, Canova has capitalized upon the hope he has instilled in many Democrats through his principled stances by making them the sole financial contributors to his campaign. In fact, while the DNC chair has accumulated $246,500 from SuperPAC contributions this year alone, Canova has proven his lust for serious campaign finance reform by rejecting any financial help from large corporations.

As Canova – an emerging progressive icon – described in an article he recently wrote, very few pundits in the mainstream media would have expected how successful his campaign would be,”When we launched this campaign, we had no political infrastructure and were outnumbered financially against Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s corporate donors”, he continued, “But you have helped to level the playing field despite a system that is fundamentally rigged against progressives, or anyone who has the courage to challenge the status quo on behalf of working Americans.”

Not only is Canova the head of the fastest growing grassroots campaign for Congress in the United States of America, but he has also managed to raise more than any first quarter for any first-time candidate in the history of South Florida – a remarkable achievement.

For those of you who want to, the Canova campaign accept campaign contributions through this mechanism. The much anticipated primary between Canova and the DNC chair is a mere 4 months away and is quickly approaching. The clash is not just a primary battle – it is a referendum of ideas, should the Democratic move in a progressive or centrist direction? Should it be a party that stands by the people or one that is beholden to special interests?

The political deck is undeniably stacked against the surging Canova, symbolized must vividly by the fact that he was denied access to the Democrats’ voter file up until very recently, an example of a major obstruction which was deliberately placed in Mr. Canova’s road to victory. Anyone supporting Bernie Sanders in his campaign for President, or who identifies with left-leaning ideologies, needs to help Canova in any way possible – whether that is donating or campaigning – to send a clear message to the Democratic establishment that we want accurate and progressive representation, not corporatism.

You can find out about other candidates who have opted the policies and spirit of Bernie Sanders’ political revolution by liking out Facebook page, following us on Twitter and checking out our interviews with them on Soundcloud.