June 5 Primaries: DFA watching California U.S. Senate, U.S. House, key District Attorney races
While today is one of the largest primary days of the 2018 cycle, much of the country's eyes, including Democracy for America's (DFA), are on the races in the bright blue, progressive state of California.
Today, DFA is paying particularly close attention to California's primaries for U.S. Senate, five U.S. House races that will be critical to helping Democrats retake the chamber in November, and six key fights for District Attorney essential to the battle for criminal justice reform in the state.
DFA-endorsed federal and local candidates running in competitive primary elections today include:
- Kevin de León (U.S. Senate - CA)
- Bryan Caforio (U.S House - CA 25th)
- Sam Jammal (U.S. House - CA 39th)
- Katie Porter (U.S. House - CA 45th)
- Mike Levin (U.S. House - CA 49th)
- Ammar Campa-Najjar (U.S. House - CA 50th)
- Diana Becton (Contra Costa County District Attorney)
- Dean Johansson (Yolo County District Attorney)
- Geneviéve Jones-Wright (San Diego County District Attorney)
- Patrick Kolansinski (Stanislaus County District Attorney)
- Noah Phillips (Sacramento County District Attorney)
- Pamela Price (Alameda County District Attorney)
DFA is also backing two incumbents, Ro Khanna (U.S. House - CA 17th) and Maggie Toulouse Oliver (Secretary of State - NM), in two less competitive primaries taking place today.
Even before he becomes the first Latino to represent California in the U.S. Senate, Kevin de León, who DFA endorsed in October of 2017, has proven critical to pushing five-time elected Senator Dianne Feinstein to new positions on the death penalty, the legalization of marijuana, and confronting Donald Trump's hate-fueled agenda more aligned with California's progressive voters.
In the races for U.S. House, DFA members been fierce advocates for Elizabeth Warren-ally Katie Porter in her fight for Congress in California's 45th District and have strongly supported Bryan Caforio (CA-25), Sam Jammal (CA-39), and Mike Levin (CA-49) since late 2017. More recently, DFA backed Ammar Campa-Najjar (CA-50) who's put up a strong fight as an inclusive populist champion in a traditionally Republican district.
In April, DFA launched it's "Criminal Justice Reform Champions" slate now with eleven endorsed candidates nationwide including six District Attorney candidates in California like Pamela Price, who is running for DA in Alameda County as a champion for police accountability and bail reform.
As a part of its work in the 2018 election cycle, Democracy for America 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 those it's backed in today's primaries -- 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 2004, DFA members have raised and spent more than $54 million and made more than 21.9 million volunteer calls to help successfully elect 917 progressive candidates nationwide.