Amherst resident and democratic candidate for United States Senate Ed O’Reilly can now add a valuable endorsement to his campaign. O’Reilly, who is mounting what his campaign describes as a “grassroots effort” against current Massachusetts senator and former presidential candidate John Kerry, recently received the endorsement of the national political organization Progressive Democrats of America.

PDA describes itself on its Web site as a group that seeks to “build a party and government controlled by citizens, not corporate elites – with policies that serve the broad public interest, not just private interests.” Its members have included prominent anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan and Massachusetts Representative Jim McGovern, among several other members of congress.

The PDA states that the endorsement of its Massachusetts chapters is based on O’Reilly’s endorsement of the progressive agenda, which is described by PDA Communications Coordinator Laura Bonham as “a platform that will serve Massachusetts families and communities well -single-payer healthcare for all, a swift, safe and orderly withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, a secure sustainable energy future and an economy that serves the interests of American workers.”

O’Reilly’s campaign manager, Peter Vickery, feels the endorsement will have a very helpful impact on the campaign. “Local activists are essential for ensuring that a campaign such as ours will get on the ballot,” he said. “Having PDA activists increasingly involved on the ground is very beneficial for a grassroots campaign like ours.”

The endorsement came just before the Massachusetts state democratic caucuses yesterday. The democratic caucuses are when party members all over the state come together to elect delegates to the statewide convention in Lowell, which will be held this June.

For O’Reilly’s campaign to continue, he will need at least 15 percent of the votes at the June convention so he can get on the September primary ballot.

Mike Fox can be reached at [email protected].