As you may have heard, there is a funding fight for DHS and how to rein in ICE goons who are occupying Minneapolis. There was a vote today and funding passed 220 to 207. 7 Democrats voted for it. That means if Democrats had stuck together, they, along with Thomas Massie could’ve stopped the bill and gotten more concessions.
I know about arguments that ICE is already funded by the One Big Bill from the summer, but this bill just handed ICE specifically another Ten Billion dollars for the year. I say, No Money, No Volunteering, and possible last minute primary challenges. Recommend if you agree. I’ll be adding info all evening.
I will be rapidly updating this list with more information about each person and their districts.
Update 1
I’m adding in the Partisan lean of each district. Not surprisingly, they lean somewhat Republican. This is according to the Cook Partisan Voting index which is based on the average of the Presidential elections.
Update 2
I’ve added in the filing deadlines for each candidate to see how long a primary opponent has to decide.
Update 3 — Why make a stink about this?
I know most of these folks are “frontline” Democrats, meaning that they are the ones that will win or lose us a house majority in a close election. But that’s part of the point. National Democrats need to know that not fighting ICE is going to lose the funding and man hours — in other words, hurt them politically. The pundit class will *tsk *tsk us about not understanding “centrism” and “voting your district”. What the elite members of the party need to understand is that people need a reason to change their vote. If they won’t fight ICE overreach when half the country now wants to abolish it, there is no reason to vote for them.
I understand moderating, but these Democrats chose the wrong issue to “moderate” on. The country hates government overreach. A fight here would’ve drawn more attention to the awful things by ICE the way the last shutdown drew attention to Healthcare. Democrats cannot shrink from fights- especially when the country already largely agrees with them.
Here’s what to do:
Having gathered info on the districts I believe the following should be done. I think ambitious politicians in Washington and New York need to be drafted to take on Perez, Suozzi and Gillen. For Cuellar, Davis, and Gonzalez, all three are victims to mid district gerrymanders and were in really tough positions. I say leave them to lose. Concentrate on bolder Democrats.
- Jared Golden
Maine 02 (R+4)
Turns out Jared Golden has already announced he’s retiring. He just really believed that ICE thugs is a good idea.
- Marie Gluesenkamp Perez
Washington 3rd (R+2)
Filing Deadline: May 8th
- Henry Cuellar
Texas 28 (R+2) Before Gerrymandering
Deadline Passed in December
After the Texas gerrymander, his district became one that voted for Trump by +11 and was close to even on Ted Cruz. This seems like a district that might have been salvageable in a blue wave. But I won’t be helping with money or time and encourage you to find someone else to help. If I lived in the district, I’d probably still vote blue to keep it close so that maybe someone else better will run here as a Dem.
- Tom Suozzi
New York 3rd (even)
Filing Deadline: April 6th
- Laura Gillen
New York 4th (D+2)
Filing Deadline: April 6th
- Don Davis
North Carolina 1st (R+1)
Deadline Passed in December — Bastard, probably why he felt safe selling out Minnesota, the party, and the country.
- Vicente Gonzalez
Texas 34 (even) Before Gerrymandering
Deadline Passed in December
His district went to an R+10 based on Trump 2024 vote because of Texas mid decade gerrymandering scheme. He’ll need our small dollar donations and volunteer hours to survive. He won’t get mine.
