NATIONAL

PRIORITY CAMPAIGNS

Governor Deval Patrick— Campaigning in three-way race for second term.

Joyce Elliott for Congress — Wins June 8 Run-off.

Kamala Harris for California AG —Wins June 8 Primary.

Mac D’Alessandro for Congress — New primary challenge to Stephen Lynch (MA-9)

UPDATES

Colleen Hanabusa positioned to win in fall, Hawaii-1

Manan Trivedi wins Primary in Pennsylvannia-6

Terri Sewell wins Primary in Alabama-7

Yvette Brown for Lt. Governor of Ohio

Libby Mitchell wins Maine Primary.

FL-17 Open Seat Marlienne Bastien
CA-33 Open Seat Karen Bass
KS-4 Open Seat-R Raj Goyle
HI-1 Open Seat Colleen Hanabusa

IL-10 Open Seat-R Dan Seals
NH-2 Open Seat - D Ann McLane Kuster
  Primary September 14, 2010
AL-7 Open Seat Terri Sewell

Progressives have opportunities to replace Republicans and solidify the progressive wing of the Democratic party.

For details, you may contact the research team at the Partnership by clicking here.

Candidates

FL-17 Open Seat Marlienne Bastien is running in a strong Democratic district to replace US Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-FL) who is running for US Senate. If elected she would be the first Haitian American elected to the Congress. Bastien is a leading activist in the Haitian community. She’s the founder and Executive Director of Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami, Inc. (Haitian Women of Miami), providing services and leading advocacy for the Haitian community. Bastien’s grassroots campaign will have a galvanizing effect on the district and Haitian immigrant community of Florida. She will face incumbents in the primary and is a longshot. View campaign website. Primary Election August 24, 2010. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

CA-33 Open Seat Karen Bass is running in a strong Democratic district to replace retiring incumbent Diane Watson who is supporting Bass. Bass just resigned her post as Speaker of the California Assembly after announcing her run. Bass is recognized as an active and strong leader. First elected to the California State Assembly in 2005, she was Majority Floor Leader, California State Assembly, 2006-2008 and became Speaker of the California State Assembly in 2008. She has received very high scores from civil rights, environmental, family and elderly, labor, LGBT, and women’s advocacy organizations. View campaign website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

MA-9 Mac D’Alessandro is running in the Democratic primary against incumbent Stephen Lynch (D). D’Alessandro is a progressive and the New England Political Director of the Service Employees International Union. He is pro-choice and supports expanding membership in labor unions. He thinks teachers need to be involved directly in education reform, opposes vouchers for private schools, and thinks Charter Schools are not improving public education. He supports the withdrawal from Iraq and will work to end the war in Afghanistan. View campaign website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

AR-2 Joyce Elliot is exciting progressives in Arkansas.  If she ultimately wins in November, she will be the first African American to represent Arkansas in Congress.  She is the current Majority Leader in the Arkansas Senate and has been a champion for public education since 2000 when she was first elected to the State Assembly.  A public school teacher for 30 years, she has worked consistently to close the achievement gap and prevent Charter schools from undermining public schools.  She receives high scores from advocacy groups for her work on education, to help the poor, protect civil liberties, reform the juvenile justice system, increase voter participation and ensure that every vote counts.  She won the May 18th primary with and beat fellow Democrat Robbie Wills in the run-off June 8th  (54%-46%).  Elliott will face Republican Tim Griffin vying to fill the seat vacated by retiring Dick Stryder (D). Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

KS-4 Open Seat-R Raj Goyle is running for an open seat vacated by Rep. Tiehrt (R) who is running for US Senate. Goyle is Indian American and currently represents an historically Republican state legislative district, beating a three-term incumbent in 2006. A sitting State Representative, in the legislature, Goyle has been a champion of public education and the environment, voted against pro-coal legislation, opposed restrictive voter identification measures, and opposed repeal of in-state tuition for undocumented residents. He supports campaign finance and ethics reform, providing greater access to health care and is pro-choice. Goyle is campaigning on an agenda around job creation, wind power and public education. He’s a progressive who has voted to maintain Kansans’ pre-existing rights to bear arms, so long as law enforcement did not oppose the measures. View campaign website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

HI-1 Open Seat Colleen Hanabusa is sole Democrat running to fill the seat vacated by US Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D) to run for Governor. Hanabusa placed second in the winner-take-all Special Election May 22, behind Republican Honolulu City Councilor Charles Djou who won with just 39%. Democrats split the remaining 60% with Hanabusa collecting 31% ahead of competing Democrat Ed Case, who will not run in the fall primary. Hanabusa was the first Asian American woman to preside over a state legislative chamber becoming Senate President in 2008. She is endorsed by labor, women’s and environmental organizations along with U.S. Sens. Dan Inouye and Dan Akaka. Primary Election September 18, 2010. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

IL-10 Open Seat-R Dan Seals (IL-10) won the February 2 Democratic primary and will face Republican Robert Dold in the November General Election. The winner will take the place of retiring Republican incumbent Mark Kirk, who is running for US Senate. The district supported both Kerry and Obama in 2004 and 2008. Seals ran against Kirk and lost in 2006 and 2008. He has supported withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan, but has not issued a statement on the President’s troop increase. He supports a national health insurance program, investments in public education, and is pro-choice. View Seals campaign website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

NH-2 Open Seat-D Ann McLane Kuster (NH-2) is running to replace US Rep. Paul Hodes (D) who is running for US Senate. Kuster issued a statement opposing the President’s proposed increase in troops in Afghanistan. She is a solid progressive and was an early Obama endorser and leader of Obama’s New Hampshire campaign. Kuster is pro-choice and her priorities are healthcare reform, access to higher education and a clean energy economy. Kuster will face moderate Katrina Swett in the Democratic primary. Primary Election September 14, 2010. View campaign website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

AL-7 Open Seat Terri Sewell won the Primary June 1 with 37% and will move into the Primary Run-off July 13 with Shelia Smoot who placed second with 29%. The winner of the run-off will likely be joining Congress from this Democratic district. Sewell was born and raised in the district in Selma. She went to Princeton and Harvard Law School, and has practiced law in New York City and since 2004 in Birmingham. She’s led efforts to address domestic violence and helped establish the first domestic violence court. Departing incumbent Rep. Artur Davis (D) ran for Governor of Alabama, losing in the primary. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Races to Watch

CA-03 A Race to Watch. Amri Bera (D) is running to challenge incumbent Republican Dan Lundgren. Beri is a first generation Indian American and a medical doctor. He was recently added to the Democratic Party’s Red to Blue program.

FL-25 Open Seat A Race to Watch. Incumbent Republican Mario Diaz-Balart is switching districts and running in a safer Republican district, FL-21. 2008 Democratic challenger Joe Garcia is running and Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle is also being recruited. Primary Election August 24, 2010.

LA-02 Sitting-R A Race to Watch. State Representative Cedric Richmond (D) was the first to announce a candidacy to defeat Republican Anh Joseph Cao, who unseated the then indicted, and recently convicted, Congressman William Jefferson (D) in 2008. Cao is considered the single most vulnerable Republican nationally. State Rep. Juan LaFonta formally announced his candidacy in November. Both Democrats are sitting State Reps from New Orleans.

PA-06 A Race to Watch. Manan Trivedi won the May 18 Democratic primary and will challenge incumbent Republican Jim Gerlach. Trivedi is Indian American, a medical doctor and Iraq veteran.

First-term and Contested Re-elections

Progressive Leaders

André Carson (IN-07)
Donna Edwards (MD-04)
Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15)
Ben Luján (NM-3)
Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1)
Dina Titus (NV-03) D

Tammy Baldwin (WI-2)
Keith Ellison (MN-5)
Raúl Grijalva (AZ-7) — Co-Chair, Progressive Caucus
Chaka Fattah (PA-2)
Mazie Hirono (HI-2)
Michael Honda (CA-15) — Chair, Asian Pacific Caucus
Barbara Lee (CA-9) — Chair, Black Caucus
John Lewis (GA-5)
Doris Matsui (CA-5)
Gwen Moore (WI-4)
Linda Sanchez (CA-47)
Jan Schakowsky (IL-9) — Chair, Women’s Caucus

Supporting progressive incumbents we help leverage influence and their ability to set the agenda and win policy.

The Progressive Caucus is the largest in Congress and includes 81 members in the House, out of 255 Democrats, and one in the Senate, Bernie Sanders. The following 18 progressive Members of Congress have leadership roles and represent emerging constituencies.

Candidates

Rep. Tammy Baldwin (WI-2) was first elected in 1998. Baldwin has issued a statement opposing the President’s increase in troops for Afghanistan. She represents a strong progressive district and she votes faithfully. She voted against the Iraq war in 2002. She supports the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), has voted consistently for full funding of public education and against vouchers for private schools. She voted to expand health care and provide economic opportunities for low and moderate income people. She’s a leader for LGBT people led the fight to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and pro-choice. She sits on the House Energy and Commerce, and the Judiciary committees. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Rep. André Carson (IN-7) was elected to Congress in 2006 and was re-elected in 2008. He is an African American and the only person of color from Indiana in Congress. The second Muslim to be elected to Congress, Carson is a strong supporter of public education, , is pro-choice and is a co-sponsor of EFCA. He sits on the Financial Services Committee and supports ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He voted to expand health care. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Rep. Donna Edwards (MD-4) won her election in 2008 after defeating incumbent, fellow African American Democrat Al Wynn, in the primary. She has emerged as a strong leader of Congressional progressives. She helped draft the Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq and has voted against Supplemental appropriations for funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that lack timetables for withdrawal. Overall she has one of the best voting records in the top progressive tier. She’s strong on election reform, was a leader for the public plan in health care reform, supports EFCA, is pro-choice, and solid on the environment. A supporter of Israel, her criticism of Israeli military policy has drawn a primary challenger. Edwards was recently named one of four Co-Chairs of the DCCC’s Red to Blue program. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Rep. Keith Ellison (MN-5) is African American and the first Muslim elected to Congress. He was first elected in 2006 and represents a strong Democratic district faithfully. He sits on the House Financial Services, and Foreign Affairs committees. He is taking a leadership role in progressive politics, introducing health care cost control legislation and protections for renters in mortgage foreclosures. Rep. Ellison supports federal funding for education, EFCA and has voted to end the Iraq war and for expanded health care. He introduced legislation in March to create 1 million jobs. Rep. Chaka Fattah (PA-2) was elected in 1994 and sits on the House Appropriations Committee. He is a leader for greater federal funding public education, the “Opportunity to Learn” campaign and has voted against vouchers for private schools. He supports EFCA, is pro-choice and has voted in favor of defense cuts, increasing social and infrastructure spending, and to expand health care. He is against torture of detainees and nuclear proliferation and supports ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Voted against authorization in 2002, and has voted in favor of setting timetables for withdrawal. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Rep. Chaka Fattah (PA-2) was elected in 1994 and sits on the House Appropriations Committee. He is a leader for greater federal funding public education, the “Opportunity to Learn” campaign and has voted against vouchers for private schools. He supports the public plan in health care, EFCA, is pro-choice and has voted in favor of defense cuts, increasing social and infrastructure spending. He is against torture of detainees and nuclear proliferation and supports ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Voted against authorization in 2002, and has voted in favor of setting timetables for withdrawal. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Rep. Raúl Grijalva (AZ-7) is the new Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus. A Latino, he represents a solidly Democratic district faithfully. He opposed any increase in troops in Afghanistan. First elected in 2002, he sits on the House Education and Labor, and Natural Resources committees. He has voted consistently for expanding opportunity and the middle class, against vouchers for private schools and in favor of fully funding public education and is pro-choice. He was a leader for the public option in health care reform, EFCA and comprehensive immigration reform providing a path to citizenship. He voted to expand health care, against the war in Iraq, supports withdrawal from Iraq and cutting military spending and unnecessary weapons systems. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Rep. Mazie Hirono (HI-2) was elected in 2006 from a strong Democratic district and votes accordingly. She sits on the Education and Labor, and the Transportation and Infrastructure committees and champion’s education, renewable energy, and environmental protection issues. Rep. Hirono recently helped secure the right of self-governance for native Hawaiians. She is pro-choice, supports ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and has voted in favor of setting timetables for withdrawal. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Rep. Michael Honda (CA-15) is a strong progressive whose Congressional votes are in line with the solidly liberal Democratic district he represents. Now in his sixth term, he the sits on the House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch. He is also Chair of the Asian Pacific American Caucus. Honda is a leader driving comprehensive immigration reform in the House, and introduced legislation in 2009 to allow gays and lesbians to sponsor permanent partners of the same sex. He favors limits to black carbon, CO2 from diesel fuel and wood, and is pro-choice. Honda voted to expand health care, against the Iraq War resolution in 2002 that started the War and opposes the war in Afghanistan.Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15) is in one of the most competitive districts in the country. She won her 2008 election by 311 votes, picking up an open Republican seat in a very competitive district. Kilroy began in politics on the Columbus School Committee and went to higher office as a County Commissioner. She ran against the Republican House incumbent in 2006, losing narrowly. She sits on the Financial Services and the Homeland Security Committees. She is a co-sponsor of EFCA, supports Fair Trade policies and will be a strong advocate for public education, raising the minimum wage, and is pro-choice. In this very competitive district, re-election will depend on turnout of Obama voters: i.e., youth and people of color. She supports ending the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15) is in one of the most competitive districts in the country. She won her 2008 election by 311 votes, picking up an open Republican seat in a very competitive district. Kilroy began in politics on the Columbus School Committee and went to higher office as a County Commissioner. She ran against the Republican House incumbent in 2006, losing narrowly. She sits on the Financial Services and the Homeland Security Committees. She is a co-sponsor of EFCA, supports Fair Trade policies and will be a strong advocate for public education, raising the minimum wage, and is pro-choice. In this very competitive district, re-election will depend on turnout of Obama voters: i.e., youth and people of color. She supports ending the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-9) is Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, former Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and a founder of the Out of Iraq Caucus. She is also the Honorary Chair of the OneVoice Leadership PAC, fundraising and delivering support to elect new progressives to the House. Rep. Lee leads efforts for withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan and has voted against all Supplemental appropriations for war funding lacking timetables for withdrawal, and is pro-choice. She is opposed to any increase in troops in Afghanistan and is a leader of efforts to prevent the increase. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Rep. John Lewis (GA-5) was first elected in 1986 and sits on the House Ways and Means Committee. He voter to expand health care, has voted consistently against vouchers for private schools and in favor or greater federal funding of public education. He supports EFCA and has consistently supported measures to expand the middle class and extend opportunity to low and moderate income people. He is pro-choice and supports ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, voted against war authorization in 2002 and has voted in favor of setting timetables for withdrawal. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Rep. Ben Luján (NM-3) a first-term Democrat, he was elected with 57% of the vote. Rep. Luján has joined the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Native American Caucus and the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition. He has voted consistently progressive, supports withdrawal from Iraq, and EFCA, and voted to expand health care. He is on the House Homeland Security, and the Science and Technology committees. Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation, Rep. Luján has made climate change and renewable energy efficiency a priority. He is pro-choice and supports ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and timetables for withdrawal.Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-5) is in her third term and is a leading progressive Asian American from a strong Democratic district who votes accordingly. She sits on the important Rules, and Energy and Commerce committees. She's a supporter of EFCA, funding for public education, signed the Health Care for America Now principles for the public plan and voted to expand health care, and prioritizes children's health care. She is pro-choice and supports ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, voted against authorization in 2002 and has voted in favor of setting timetables for withdrawal. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-5) is in her third term and is a leading progressive Asian American from a strong Democratic district who votes accordingly. She sits on the important Rules, and Energy and Commerce committees. She's a supporter of EFCA, funding for public education, signed the Health Care for America Now principles for the public plan and voted for the House healthcare bill, and prioritizes children's health care. She is pro-choice and supports ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, voted against authorization in 2002 and has voted in favor of setting timetables for withdrawal. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Rep. Gwen Moore (WI-4) won election in 2004 and was the first African American woman elected Wisconsin State Senator in1992. Rep. Moore is an emerging leader, seasoned and principled. She represents a strong liberal district in Milwaukee and votes accordingly. In May 2009, changes Rep. Moore authored to expand the federal government's ability to prevent homelessness became law. She is pro-choice and supports ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, voted against authorization in 2002 and has voted in favor of setting timetables for withdrawal. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Rep. Linda Sanchez (CA-39) is a progressive elected in 2002. She represents a strong Democratic district and votes accordingly. She is on the House Judiciary and Ways and Means committees. She is a sponsor of the Gender Equity in Health Premiums Act, which seeks to prevent health insurance companies from charging women higher premiums than men ("gender rating"), and is leading with bills to prevent bullying in schools and on-line. She has voted against vouchers for private schools and for federal funding of public education. She is pro-choice and supports ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, voted against authorization in 2002 and has voted in favor of setting timetables for withdrawal. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL-9) is currently Vice-Chair of the Women’s Caucus and Chief Deputy Whip of the Democratic Caucus and serves on the House Energy and Commerce, and Intelligence (Permanent Select) committees. She introduced legislation February 23 to eliminate private security contractors in war zones. First elected in 1998 after a career as activist and community organizer, she has called for an investigation into torture in Iraq. Rep. Schakowsky he is a sponsor of the Gender Equity in Health Premiums Act to prevent health insurance companies from charging women higher premiums than men ("gender rating"). She has voted against vouchers for private schools and in favor of federal funding of public education. She is pro-choice and voted against authorization in 2002 and has voted in favor of setting timetables for withdrawal. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1) is in one of the most competitive districts in the country. She will face a serious Republican challenge in November from Republican Frank Guinta, Mayor of Manchester or Republican National Committeeman Sean Mahoney, a business leader and Tea Party supporter. Shea-Porter won with little money and great field organizing in 2006, and won again in 2008 in a re-match with the former Republican incumbent. She serves on the House Armed Services, Education and Labor, and Natural Resources committees. Shea-Porter wants to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and is a leader on family and medical leave, military pay fairness, and veterans’ issues. She is a strong supporter of the federal TRIO programs that help students overcome class, social, and cultural barriers to higher education, and Upward Bound programs that help low income and people with disabilities enter and graduate from college. In April 2009, she received the Shirley Chisholm Award from the New England Education Opportunity Association for her commitment to TRIO. She is pro-choice and has voted for federal funding of public education, EFCA and has voted for expanding health care and against Supplemental appropriations without timetables for withdrawal. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1) is in one of the most competitive districts in the country. She will face a serious challenge from Republican Frank Guinta, Mayor of Manchester in 2010. Shea-Porter won with little money and great field organizing in 2006, and won again in 2008 in a re-match with the former Republican incumbent. She serves on the House Armed Services, Education and Labor, and Natural Resources committees. Shea-Porter wants to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and is a leader on family and medical leave, military pay fairness, and veterans’ issues. She is a strong supporter of the federal TRIO programs that help students overcome class, social, and cultural barriers to higher education, and Upward Bound programs that help low income and people with disabilities enter and graduate from college. In April 2009, she received the Shirley Chisholm Award from the New England Education Opportunity Association for her commitment to TRIO. She is pro-choice and has voted for federal funding of public education, supports the public option in health care reform, EFCA and has voted against Supplemental appropriations without timetables for withdrawal. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Rep. Dina Titus (NV-3) will face a serious challenge in 2010. Titus was elected to Congress in 2008 with 47%, defeating 3-term incumbent Republican Jon Porter (42%). The district is leaning Democratic but a likely target for Republicans in 2010. Titus is a Professor at the University of Nevada. She sits on the House Education and Labor Committee and two education subcommittees, the Homeland Security, and the Transportation and Infrastructure committees. She wants to make early childhood education widely available, fully fund No Child Left Behind, and make college less expensive by pushing for expanded student aid through direct lending rather than through banks. She voted to expand health care, endorses EFCA, is pro-choice and supports ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

For details, you may contact the research team at the Partnership by clicking here.

Paul Hodes (D-NH)

If elected, these candidates would preserve the Democratic majority in the Senate and bring new progressives into the Senate.

Candidates

Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH) [Open Republican seat] unseated incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Charlie Bass in 2006. In 2008, Hodes won his first re-election battle with 57%. He has voted consistently for expanding opportunity and opening the middle class, and for federal funding of public education. He is pro-choice and supports the public option in health care reform and EFCA. He supported New Hampshire's same-sex marriage efforts. He supports an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A victory in this race would be an important pickup for Democrats in the Senate. View campaign website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Barbara Boxer (D-CA)

Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

Your support of progressive incumbents in the Senate will add to their leverage and influence, enhancing their ability to advance a progressive agenda on Capitol Hill.

Candidates

Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA) is up for re-election to her fourth term. She was first elected to the US Senate in 1992. She is a progressive champion and leader. She opposes the President’s proposal to increase in the number of troops in Afghanistan. She is most well known for her work on environmental issues and climate change. She sits on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation, the Environment and Public Works, and the Senate Foreign Relations committees. She is pro-choice and supports withdrawal from Iraq and voted against war authorization in 2002. She has voted against vouchers for private schools and for fully funding public education, and she has also sponsored a number of bills requiring paper receipts from electronic voting machines, but has disappointed advocates of statehood for Washington DC. View official website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) has voted consistently progressive since her appointment to the US Senate, replacing Hillary Clinton, now US Secretary of State. She ranks in the top tier of Senate progressives. She is pro-choice and has voted to expand health care, to expand the middle class and supports opportunity for low and moderate income people. She supports a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, the DREAM Act and an end to workplace raids. She voted to expand health care, supports EFCA, greater federal funding for public education and equal pay for women. View official website. Primary Election September 14, 2010. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

Governor Deval Patrick (D) Massachusetts

Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz (D) Vermont

State Senate Elizabeth "Libby" Mitchell (D) Maine

Candidates

Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz (D) is running for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Vermont. Markowitz is a solid progressive who has served as Secretary of State since 1998, and was the first woman elected to the office. She’s been a leader opening state government to Vermont’s people and ensured that elections count every vote. She is pro-choice and is running to lead Vermont into a clean energy future, responsible and sustainable forestry, and preserving Vermont’s character and quality of life. View campaign website. Primary September 14, 2010. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute!

State Senator Elizabeth "Libby" Mitchell (D) won the Democratic primary June 8 and will face Republican Paul LePage and Independent Eliot Cutler in November.  First elected to the legislature in 1974 she has served as both Speaker of the House and Senate President.  She is a strong advocate for public education, environmental protection and renewable energy, equal marriage, a woman’s right to choose, universal health care and other progressive policies. View campaign website.

Gov. Deval Patrick (D) is running for re-election for Governor of Massachusetts. Patrick is only the second African American ever to be elected Governor in the United States. He is pro-choice and has pushed a progressive agenda while wrestling with an entrenched legislative leadership and the worst economic crisis in decades. His achievements include major advances in clean and renewable energy initiatives, reorienting state environmental, housing and transportation funding priorities toward “smart growth,” and shifting the state’s approach to homelessness away from shelters to permanent housing. View campaign website. Visit Maria’s List ActBlue to contribute! Support diversity initiative at Mass Democratic Party.

Races to Watch

Yvette Brown (D-OH) A Race to Watch. Brown has been selected by Gov. Strickland (D) for Lt. Governor. Brown is founding President of the Center for Child and Family Advocacy and was a Judge at the Ohio Franklin County Common Pleas Court.

Linda Chavez-Thompson (D-TX) A Race to Watch. Chavez-Thompson won the Democratic primary for Lt. Governor. The former US Secretary of Labor and Vice-President of the AFL-CIO is backed widely by Texas’ progressives.

For details, you may contact the research team at the Partnership by clicking here.

District Attorney Kamala Harris (D) California

A Donor Strategy to Put Progressives in the Lead

Early support of progressives helps to shape the race. We start our search for viable progressive candidates and then focus on candidates who promote peace, democratic participation, public education, public financing of elections, fair and progressive taxes, candidates who represent low-income and people of color, and candidates in with whom our clients can maintain relationships.

Deliver your contributions through a progressive champion who represents a low and moderate-income district and is a leader on your priorities. She gets credit for delivering contributions to other candidates, to the DCCC or DSCC, and that raises her status and influence in the Congress and the party.

Make campaign contributions to a Leadership PAC sponsored by an elected incumbent. Leadership PAC funds are spent on other candidates. One example is “One Voice,” which supports a strategic and principled progressive woman of color asserting leadership, bolstering viable progressive challengers and vulnerable progressive incumbents. Rep. Barbara Lee is the Honorary Chair.

Add more value to your contributions: bring the achievements of the candidates you support to the attention of Democratic Party leadership. Advocate for Party dollars to support the campaigns of progressives. Remind Party operatives there are money and votes in going progressive.

For details, you may contact the research team at the Partnership by clicking here.

Top

Listing Criteria: Progressive Leaders & Candidates

1. Has a progressive policy agenda and voting record.

2. Leads on critical issues: ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; supporting public education, the public option in health care reform, the employee free choice act, fair trade, and has played critical leadership roles driving a particular progressive cause.

3. Helps achieve greater proportional numbers for Women and People of Color.

4. Grows voting block for low and moderate income communities.

5. Protects vulnerable progressives, recently electeds and seizing easier opportunities.

For details, you may contact the research team at the Partnership by clicking here.

Political Trends

• 2008 most diverse electorate in US history.

• Democratic control of Congress and Presidency.

• Democratic trend in party identification, Independents grow as largest group and lean Democratic.

• Progressive policy gets traction: health care reform, immigration reform, improving public education, Employee Free Choice Act, the green economy and renewable energy.

For details, you may contact the research team at the Partnership by clicking here.

Strategic Political Goals

• Democrats and Progressives need to drive an agenda that motivates the Democratic base and new constituencies, prepping these voters for the 2010 midterm elections.

• Progressives and Democrats need to win the 2010 mid-term referendum to ratify the new Democratic agenda. The midterm elections will be a referendum on the new political agenda and the outcome will propel or restrict the progressive agenda.

• Democrats who are obstructing the progressive agenda need to be challenged on the issues in their districts and primary challenges should be supported where strategically viable.

• Winning control of State’s legislatures is critical to winning a progressive majority. House districts drawn by Republicans slow the consolidation of a progressive center-left majority in the congress, a majority that will be more likely after the 2010 census and the next round of redistricting.

The research selection criteria for federal candidates prioritizes viable candidacies that: 1. include progressive women and people of color; 2. expand and sustain Democratic majorities; 3. increase representation of low and moderate-income communities; and, the outcome of which could be changed by financial contributions.

Democratic Pick-Up Attempts

Democratic Freshmen Re-elected

Judy Baker (MO-09) lost 47% - 50% Lutkemeyer
Diane Benson (AK-AL) lost Primary
Sam Bennett (PA-15) lost 41% - 59% Dent
Darcy Burner (WA-08) lost 48% - 52% Reichert
Joe Garcia (FL-25) lost 47% - 53% Diaz-Balart
Jim Himes (CT-04) won 51% - 48% Shays
Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15) won 50% - 50% Stivers
Ashwin Madia (MN-03) lost 41% - 48% Paulsen
Dan Seals (IL-10) lost 46% - 54% Kirk
Annette Taddeo (FL-18) lost 42% - 58% Ros-Lehtinen
Dina Titus (NV-03) won 48% - 42% Porter

Yvette Clarke (NY-11) won 92% - 7% v. Carr
Keith Ellison (MN-5) won 71% - 22% Davis-White
Paul Hodes (NH-2) won 57% - 41% Horn
Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1) won 52% - 46% Bradley
Peter Welch (VT-AL) won 100% uncontested
Ciro Rodriguez (TX-23) won 56% - 42% Larson

Progressive Leaders

Barbara Lee (CA-9) won 87% - 10% Hargrave
Dennis Kucinich (OH-10) won 57% - 39% Trakas
Jim McGovern (MA-3) won 100% uncontested
Gwen Moore (WI-4) won 100% uncontested
Linda Sanchez (CA-47) won 69% - 26% Avila
Jan Schakowsky (IL-9) won 75% - 22% Younan
Hilda Solis (CA-32) won 100% uncontested

Democratic Retentions

Chellie Pingree (ME-01) won 55% - 45% Summers
Jared Polis (CO-02) won 62% - 34% Starin
Andre Carson (IN-07) won 65% - 35% Campo
Donna Edwards (MD-04) won 86% - 13% James

Challengers, Open Seats and Retentions

Incumbents

Tom Allen (ME) lost 39% - 61% Collins
Al Franken (MN) won 42% - 42% Coleman
Jeff Merkley (OR) won 49% - 46% Smith
Rick Noriega (TX) lost 43% - 55% Cornyn
Jean Shaheen (NH) won 52% - 45% Sununu
Mark Udall (CO) won 53% - 42% Schaffer
Tom Udall (NM) won 61% - 39% Pearce

Tom Harkin (IA) won 63% no Republican opponent
Jack Reed (RI) won 73% - 27% Tingle