NewDem Action Fund Sees Momentum Building Behind Pragmatic Democrats

WASHINGTON – The New Democrat Coalition Action Fund announced Friday that it is expanding its commitment to building on the party’s majority in the U.S. House of Representatives by throwing its support behind 10 additional candidates.

The Fund, formed by members of the New Democrat Coalition, announced formal endorsements of six new candidates:  Alyse Galvin, Alaska-AL, Carolyn Bourdeaux, Ga.-07, Hillary Scholten, Mich.-03, Deborah Ross, N.C.-02, Pat Timmons-Goodson, N.C.-08, and Kate Schroeder, Ohio-01.

In addition, it added four new candidates to its Watch List, including Sara Jacobs, Calif.-53, Kathleen Williams, Mont.-AL, Amy Kennedy, N.J.-02, and Desiree Tims, Ohio-10.

“The question is no longer whether Democrats will hold the House, but actually how much we will be able to expand our majority,” said Rep. Ami Bera, Chair of the NewDem Action Fund. 

“Pragmatic Democrats across the country have put us in this position by making once reliably red districts increasingly competitive. For the last year, NewDems played a huge role in changing the House battlefield by supporting these candidates and elevating these races,” Bera said.

The latest moves by the Fund come a year after the NewDem Action Fund launched its “Frontier” program to expand the Democratic majority, making it the first ideological caucus to endorse 2020 challengers even as many races were still emerging and well before candidates were added to the DCCC “Red to Blue” program.

With these additions, the NewDem Action Fund has backed 27 candidates to date.

The candidate-oriented “Frontier” program supports candidates at two stages. The first level of support is a “Candidate Watch List” for promising candidates the Action Fund has not previously endorsed. The second level is full endorsement.

In 2018, the NewDem Action Fund  helped deliver the Democratic majority in the House by flipping 32 of 40 net seats blue and injecting roughly $18 million into the fight to elect House Democrats.

Endorsed Frontier Candidates:

• Alyse Galvin, Alaska-AL

• Hiral Tipirneni, Ariz.-06

• Christy Smith, Calif.-25

• Margaret Good, Fla.-16

• Carolyn Bourdeaux, Ga.-07

• Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, Ill.-13

• Christina Hale, Ind.-05

• Hillary Scholten, Mich.-03

• Deborah Ross, N.C.-02

• Kathy Manning, N.C.-06

• Pat Timmons-Goodson, N.C.-08

• Dan Feehan, Minn.-01

• Jackie Gordon, N.Y.-02

• Kate Schroder, Ohio-01

• Eugene DePasquale, Pa.-10

• Wendy Davis, Texas-21

• Sri Kulkarni, Texas-22

• Gina Ortiz Jones, Texas-23

• Carolyn Long, Wash.-03  

Watch List Candidates:

• Sara Jacobs, Calif.-53

• Jill Schupp, Mo.-02

• Kathleen Williams, Mont.-AL

• Amy Kennedy, N.J.-02

• Desiree Tims, Ohio-10

• Hillary O’Connor Mueri, Ohio-14

• Christina Finello, Pa.-01

• Cameron Webb, Va.-05