Five Democrats in competitive House primaries in four states were endorsed Friday by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a group pushing for liberal policies including the Green New Deal and expansion of Medicare and Social Security.
The group called the move a “show of progressive energy,” in a news release obtained by CQ Roll Call, and said its endorsements follow those by preferred presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren. The Massachusetts senator earlier this week endorsed two of the PCCC-backed candidates, Mondaire Jones in New York’s 17th District and Candace Valenzuela in Texas’s 24th. A third, Georgette Gómez in California’s 53rd, was endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Warren’s rival for the progressive mantle in the Democratic presidential primaries.
The PCCC also endorsed Jon Hoadley in Michigan’s 6th District and Mike Siegel in Texas’s 10th.
The two suburban Texas seats are top targets for Democrats in 2020. In the 10th District, Siegel is looking for a rematch against GOP Rep. Michael McCaul after losing to McCaul by 4 points in 2018. The 24th District is an open seat race since GOP Rep. Kenny Marchant is retiring. Valenzuela, a school board member, has the backing of EMILY’s List, but the race also features Air Force veteran Kim Olson, who VoteVets and New Politics have endorsed.
In Michigan, there has been speculation that Rep. Fred Upton, a former Energy and Commerce Committee chairman, would decide not run for an 18th term. Democrats have signaled they’re targeting the seat whether it’s open or not. Hoadley raised $208,000 in the final quarter of 2019, ending the year with $247,000 in the bank. Trump carried the district by about 8 points, and Inside Elections rates it Likely Republican.
The other candidates are running crowded primaries to replace retiring Democrats. Jones, who worked in Obama’s Justice Department, had initially been challenging Rep. Nita Lowey of New York in a primary, but she decided not to run for reelection. The race to succeed Rep. Susan A. Davis in California also features Sara Jacobs, who ran unsuccessfully for the nomination in the 49th District in 2018.
The endorsements will be followed by emails to the PCCC’s supporters, which the group said number nearly 1 million, asking for grass roots contributions to the candidates.
