This diary is going to highlight 18 Democratic House candidates who deserve our help. All of the candidates are running for re-election and their seats are considered in jeopardy by The Cook Report. Each of these candidates have voted with the party on key bills (voted Yes on the Stimulus, Cap and Trade, and Health Care Bills and voted No on the Stupak Amendment) and could really use our money and/or time.
Cook Category | Cook PVI | DIST. | Democratic Rep | GOP Opponent | Dem.COH (000)* |
Lean Dem | D+4 | CA-47 | Loretta Sánchez | Van Tran | 1,268 |
Toss-Up | R+6 | CO-4 | Betsy Markey | Cory Gardner | 1,508 |
Lean Dem | D+1 | FL-22 | Ron Klein | Allen West | 2,841 |
Toss-Up | R+4 | FL-24 | Suzanne Kosmas | Craig Miller | 1,284 |
Toss-Up | D+1 | IA-3 | Leonard Boswell | Brad Zaun | 734 |
Toss-Up | R+1 | IL-11 | Debbie Halvorson | Adam Kinzinger | 1,443 |
Lean Dem | D+3 | IL-17 | Phil Hare | Bobby Schilling | 856 |
Toss-Up | R+2 | MI-7 | Mark Schauer | Tim Walberg | 1,653 |
Lean Dem | D+2 | MI-9 | Gary Peters | Rocky Raczkowski | 1,928 |
Lean Dem | D+5 | NM-1 | Martin Heinrich | John Barela | 1,302 |
Toss-Up | D+2 | NV-3 | Dina Titus | Joe Heck | 1,205 |
Lean Dem | D+5 | OH-13 | Betty Sutton | Tom Ganley | 593 |
Toss-Up | D+1 | OH-15 | Mary Jo Kilroy | Steve Stivers | 934 |
Lean Dem | D+1 | OR-5 | Kurt Schrader | Scott Bruun | 915 |
Toss-Up | D+2 | PA-8 | Patrick Murphy | Mike Fitzpatrick | 1,775 |
Lean Dem | D+2 | VA-11 | Gerald Connolly | Keith Fimian | 1,274 |
Lean Dem | D+3 | WA-2 | Rick Larsen | John Koster | 864 |
Toss-Up | R+2 | WI-8 | Steve Kagen | Reid Ribble | 811 |
*COH information as of July 2010 from OpenSecrets.
Race Snapshots:
Note: Links for ActBlue in district (if available) and links for candidate's website in candidate's name
CA-47 - Loretta Sánchez
CO-4 - Betsy Markey - Betsy's first 2010 commercial deals with her opposition to the Wall Street bailouts:
FL-22 - Ron Klein - Ron Klein is running against Tea Partier Allen West who has said some truly crazy stuff:
"[A]s I was driving up here today, I saw that bumper sticker that absolutely incenses me. It’s not the Obama bumper sticker. But it’s the bumper sticker that says, ‘Co-exist.’ And it has all the little religious symbols on it. And the reason why I get upset, and every time I see one of those bumper stickers, I look at the person inside that is driving. Because that person represents something that would give away our country. Would give away who we are, our rights and freedoms and liberties because they are afraid to stand up and confront that which is the antithesis, anathema of who we are. The liberties that we want to enjoy."
West went on to call Islam a "very vile and very vicious enemy that we have allowed to come in this country because we ride around with bumper stickers that say co-exist."
FL-24 - Suzanne Kosmas - Showing all politics is local, Kosmas has a great video up about her work to save jobs at NASA, which is housed in her district:
IA-3 - Leonard Boswell - Iowa Democratic Party has new web ad attacking Zaun for an incident involving his ex-girlfriend:
IL-11 - Debbie Halvorson
IL-17 - Phil Hare
MI-7 - Mark Schauer Schauser's opponent, Walberg, is on video defending NAFTA because is has "supplied more jobs over time":
MI-9 - Gary Peters - The Peters campaign has been going after his opponent for being a birther:
"Rocky Raczkowski is backpedaling faster than a clown on a unicycle. Rocky is on tape supporting the birthers, confirmed it with POLITICO and again in The Detroit News and is now flip-flopping because he is slowly realizing that Oakland County residents expect their leaders to focus on solving the jobs crisis and fixing the economy, not pandering to fringe groups like the birthers to win votes," said Peters campaign manager Dan Farough.
NM-1 - Martin Heinrich - Here is Heinrich's ad focusing on his job votes:
NV-3 - Dina Titus - Dina's first ad addresses her work to stop foreclosures:
OH-13 - Betty Sutton
OH-15 - Mary Jo Kilroy - Kilroy's first 2010 ad:
OR-5 - Kurt Schrader
PA-8 - Patrick Murphy
VA-11 - Gerald Connolly - Here is video poking fun at the teabaggers and showing the GOTV operation already up and running for Connolly:
WA-2 - Rick Larsen Larson's opponent is teabagger Koster. Larson has a great video showing how extreme the teabaggers are:
WI-8 - Steve Kagen - Another commercial running against the Wall Street Bailouts:
National links for GOTV and/or Donations:
Organizing for America
Democratic Congressional Committee
Link to Local State Parties
UPDATED: david78209 was nice enough to create an ActBlue page with all of the candidates. Thanks!