DFA supports 61 in final round of 2018 state legislative, state office “Purple to Blue” endorsements
Today, Democracy for America (DFA) announced its final 61 endorsements for state-level office in 2018. The endorsements include 41 candidates for State House, 17 running for State Senate, two running for New Hampshire's Executive Council, and one candidate running for State Auditor in Iowa.
DFA's 61 newly endorsed candidates for state-level office include:
- Dennis Harris (AK - House - District 32)
- Kyle Pierce (AL - House - District 28)
- Denise Garner (AR - House - District 84)
- Maureen Skinner (AR - Senate - District 35)
- Eloise Reyes (CA - Assembly - District 47)
- Faith Winter (CO - Senate - District 24)
- Will Haskell (CT - Senate - District 26)
- Matthew Lesser (CT - Senate - District 9)
- Baird Welch-Collins (CT - House - District 38)
- Tammy Garcia (FL - House - District 37)
- Vikki Garrett (FL - House - District 1)
- Carlos Guillermo Smith (FL - House - District 49)
- Phil Hornback (FL - House - District 58)
- Debra Kaplan (FL - House - District 31)
- Dawn Johnson (GA - Senate - District 47)
- Sandra Workman (GA - Senate - District 1)
- Chinita Allen (GA - House - District 44)
- Chris Benton (GA - House - District 131)
- Jasmine Clark (GA - House - District 108)
- Deborah Gonzalez (GA - House - District 117)
- El-Mahdi Holly (GA - House - District 111)
- Julie Jordan (GA - House - District 179)
- Sam Park (GA - House - District 101)
- Mary Robichaux (GA - House - District 48)
- Anita Tucker (GA - House - District 25)
- Aisha Yaqoob (GA - House - District 97)
- Rob Sand (IA - State Auditor)
- Aimee Cole (IN - House - District 37)
- Kevin Leineweber (IN - House - District 91)
- Ross Thomas (IN - Senate - District 41)
- Alex Van Dyke (KS - House - District 67)
- Josie Raymond (KY - House - District 31)
- Stephanie Chang (MI - Senate - District 1)
- Mindy Denninger (MI - House - District 46)
- Jon Hoadley (MI - House - District 60)
- Ernie Whiteside (MI - House - District 56)
- Mindy Kimmel (MN - House - District 16B)
- Maria Chappelle-Nadal (MO - House - District 86)
- John Kiehne (MO - Senate - District 26)
- Tim Barnsback (NC - House - District 86)
- Da'Quan Love (NC - House - District 4)
- Erica McAdoo (NC - House - District 63)
- Darryl Moss (NC - House - District 2)
- D. Cole Phelps (NC - Senate - District 1)
- Kris Rixon (NC - House - District 9)
- Caroline Walker (NC - Senate - District 35)
- Barbara Yates-Lockamy (NC - House - District 46)
- Brandon Medenwald (ND - House - District 41)
- Iz Piedra (NH - House - District 9)
- Debora Pignatelli (NH - Executive Council - District 5)
- Andru Volinsky (NH - Executive Council - District 2)
- Rachel May (NY - Senate - District 53)
- James Skoufis (NY - Senate - District 39)
- Andrew Gilchrist (NY - Assembly - District 135)
- Matthew Rettig (NY - Assembly - District 99)
- Marty Wilde (OR - House - District 11)
- Lois Herr (PA - Senate - District 48)
- Kyle Lacio (SC - Senate - District 20)
- Brenda Gilmore (TN - Senate - District 19)
- Jessa Lewis (WA - Senate - District 6)
- Lissa Lucas (WV - House - District 7)
DFA's endorsed state-legislative candidates are each part of its long-running "Purple to Blue" project, a multi-year effort dedicated to winning state House and Senate chambers across the country. In 2017, DFA's Purple to Blue project helped elect 27 inclusive populist leaders to state legislative chambers across the country; ran an independent expenditure campaign for a Washington State Senate candidate that was instrumental in helping flip the chamber; and fiercely backed Justin Fairfax in his effort to become Virginia's Lieutenant Governor and State Senate President.
Including today's endorsements, DFA has endorsed a total of 83 state-level candidates who will be on the ballot this November.
Chair Jim Dean on DFA's 2018 endorsements for State-level offices:
"The 83 leaders we're backing for state-level office this November are not only essential to flipping state legislatures from Purple to Blue, they're critical for pushing for inclusive populist reforms from Medicare for All to Debt-free college and criminal justice reform in states all across the country.
"After losing more than 1000 elected offices and over two-thirds of all state legislatures over the last decade, it's more important than ever to have leaders in state legislative and other key state-level elected offices putting forward a bold, progressive agenda and standing ready to hold this unimaginably corrupt administration accountable for its actions.
"Our state elected officials are on the front lines in the fight for racial and economic justice, and that's why Democracy for America's commitment to the 61 leaders we're endorsing today goes through election day and beyond. The progressive political change our country desperately needs starts in our state offices and we look forward to fighting alongside these leaders for years to come." -- Jim Dean, Chair of Democracy for America
As a part of its work in the 2017-18 election cycle, DFA intends to raise and spend more than $12 million in support of progressive candidates, make more than 2 million voter contacts, and support more than 250 candidates nationwide -- like state candidates endorsed today -- in running inclusive populist campaigns committed to turning out the New American Majority of people of color and progressive white voters in November.
Democracy for America is a member-driven, people-powered progressive PAC with more than one million members nationwide committed to taking on income inequality, money in politics, and structural racism. Since its 2004 founding, DFA members have raised and contributed more than $54 million and made more than 21.9 million volunteer calls to help successfully elect 917 progressive candidates nationwide.