2018 Congressional Recruitment/Fundraising/Ratings Megathread

[Gass3268]

VA-10: Democrats top choice, State Senator Jennifer Wexton, jumped in to challenge Comstock
TX-32: Former NFL player Colin Allred launches campaign to challenge Pete Sessions
KS-03: Jay Sidie is fundraising for another shot at Yoder


Regularly-updated retirement / open seat spreadsheet (DKE):  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12RhR9oZZpyKKceyLO3C5am84abKzu2XqLWjP2LnQDgI/edit#gid=0


-----------

Mod note (1/1/2018):  Added open seat / retirement spreadsheet link

[socaldem]

VA-10: Democrats top choice, State Senator Jennifer Wexton, jumped in to challenge Comstock
TX-32: Former NFL player Colin Allred launches campaign to challenge Pete Sessions
KS-03: Jay Sidie is fundraising for another shot at Yoder

We can do better in KS-03...

I'm hoping we find solid recruits for CA-10, CA-21, and CA-39.

[Hindsight was 2020]

Solomon Ortiz Jr. is thinking about running for his dad's old seat (currently held by Blake Farenthold) of the courts redistrict the map https://www.texastribune.org/2017/04/18/2018-texas-congressional-races-begin-take-shape/?utm_campaign=trib-social-buttons&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

[publicunofficial]

Angie Craig is reportedly looking for a rematch in MN-02

[socaldem]

VA-10: Democrats top choice, State Senator Jennifer Wexton, jumped in to challenge Comstock
TX-32: Former NFL player Colin Allred launches campaign to challenge Pete Sessions
KS-03: Jay Sidie is fundraising for another shot at Yoder

We can do better in KS-03...

I'm hoping we find solid recruits for CA-10, CA-21, and CA-39.

The DCCC should be knocking down Rudy Salas' and Josh Newman's doors for CA-21 and CA-39 respectively. Rudy Salas just got stripped of his Assembly committee assignments, so now would be an opportune time for the DCCC to dangle the prospect of Congress in front of him.

Rudy Salas is the optimal recruit for CA-21. He just lost his Assembly Committee chairmanship for voting against Jerry Brown's gas tax increase--perhaps that will push him to run for congress where I'm sure the Democrats will be much more welcoming to a moderate member...

Newman's win was a total fluke. Dems would be much better off in CA-39 with Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, a former Fullerton City Councilmember. She won a resounding victory in a tough race this year, centered on the Orange County portion of the district.

Though he is based more in Merced County, Assemblyman Adam Gray would be a good get for CA-10, or perhaps, we could rerun the astronaut John Hernandez or State Sen. Cathleen Galgiani.

[Hindsight was 2020]

Why is Wexton the top recruit anyway?

[Gass3268]

Why is Wexton the top recruit anyway?

Here's what DKE had:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Sounds like this could be a busy primary however:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[MalaspinaGold]

Speaking as someone who lives in Newman's district, I wouldn't exactly call him a fluke. He beat former Irvine mayor Kang in the top-two primary, who was the establishment choice. Newman ran a pretty good campaign in the primary, and had very good signs. Chang was also a top-tier recruit. My one-man focus group (my dad), is a much bigger fan of Newman than Kang. Besides which, I don't see him losing during a Trump presidential year. If he wants to run for higher office, he has plenty of time. I could see Quirk running against (though unlikely after having just been reelected), but my dad would prefer Jay Chen run again. Other than that, the bench is pretty thin.
Edit: Oh yeah and Obama endorsed Newman, which isn't common for state legislative races.

[socaldem]

Speaking as someone who lives in Newman's district, I wouldn't exactly call him a fluke. He beat former Irvine mayor Kang in the top-two primary, who was the establishment choice. Newman ran a pretty good campaign in the primary, and had very good signs. Chang was also a top-tier recruit. My one-man focus group (my dad), is a much bigger fan of Newman than Kang. Besides which, I don't see him losing during a Trump presidential year. If he wants to run for higher office, he has plenty of time. I could see Quirk running against (though unlikely after having just been reelected), but my dad would prefer Jay Chen run again. Other than that, the bench is pretty thin.
Edit: Oh yeah and Obama endorsed Newman, which isn't common for state legislative races.

Okay, I'll take your word for it on Newman. I mean, he won a tough campaign so he must have done something right. But, needless to say, he didn't have the profile that you would really expect for a winning candidate for state senate in California...

I agree that Jay Chen would also be potentially an interesting candidate. I was quite disappointed in Murdock's showing. I thought that as a mayor of one of the conservative areas of the district, he had a good profile to make a dent in Royce's numbers....but he didn't really get very far.

La Habra Mayor Rose Espinoza? Fullerton's Jesus Silva? The problem with the Dem-leaning areas of LA County is they are unincorporated and don't have city officials--except GOP-leaning Diamond Bar and Walnut.

[heatcharger]

Why is Wexton the top recruit anyway?

She simply has the highest name ID for any Democrat in the district considering she represents a large swath of Loudoun and some parts of Fairfax. Outside of her and Kathleen Murphy, the State House rep in the district Comstock used to represent, the Democratic bench is kinda weak here.

Comstock is also more cunning than you'd imagine, and Wexton is easily the best campaigner of the bunch to counter her.

[Virginiá]

Democrats partner with political newcomers aiming to create anti-Trump wave in 2018 midterms

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democrats-partner-with-political-newcomers-hoping-to-create-anti-trump-wave-in-2018-midterms/2017/04/21/91514ec8-2502-11e7-bb9d-8cd6118e1409_story.html

-

Some names mentioned there

[Hindsight was 2020]

I do wonder why NY seems to have a recruitment problem and we don't hear about a people like Stephanie A. Miner hungry to Katko or Bellone wanting King like we are hearing about in California or Virginia

[Hindsight was 2020]

Because Bellone is probably waiting until King (who is unbeatable) retires. He'd be the favorite in an open seat

Probably but my point was NY is still blue heavy an hates the Donald but dems seem to have a an early recruiting problem here

[cinyc]

Because Bellone is probably waiting until King (who is unbeatable) retires. He'd be the favorite in an open seat

Probably but my point was NY is still blue heavy an hates the Donald but dems seem to have a an early recruiting problem here

NY-2 doesn't hate Trump.  It voted 53-44 for Trump.  Suffolk County and the south shore of Nassau County that is in NY-2 isn't as heavily blue as you think.

[Hindsight was 2020]

Because Bellone is probably waiting until King (who is unbeatable) retires. He'd be the favorite in an open seat

Probably but my point was NY is still blue heavy an hates the Donald but dems seem to have a an early recruiting problem here

NY-2 doesn't hate Trump.  It voted 53-44 for Trump.  Suffolk County and the south shore of Nassau County that is in NY-2 isn't as heavily blue as you think.

I know it's not heavy blue but King has been making mistakes like Lee Zeldin in skipping town halls that look really bad

[cinyc]

Because Bellone is probably waiting until King (who is unbeatable) retires. He'd be the favorite in an open seat

Probably but my point was NY is still blue heavy an hates the Donald but dems seem to have a an early recruiting problem here

NY-2 doesn't hate Trump.  It voted 53-44 for Trump.  Suffolk County and the south shore of Nassau County that is in NY-2 isn't as heavily blue as you think.

I know it's not heavy blue but King has been making mistakes like Lee Zeldin in skipping town halls that look really bad

Really bad to whom?  The 10 people who know he's skipping town halls?  It hasn't been much of an issue here, where most congressmen are pretty anonymous because there are too many of them to constantly show up on the NYC metro TV news.  At least King pops up on TV from time to time, usually when national security issues come up.

King is the very definition of an entrenched incumbent.  He can get away with skipping town halls and not draw a good opponent.  His seat swung toward the Republicans last cycle, not against them (Obama won the district in 2012).  Zeldin can't get away with that as easily.

[heatcharger]

VA-5: Roger Dean Huffstetler announces a run

Don't know much about this guy other than that he's a Marine and a Iraq War vet from Charlottesville, and that he has 72.9k followers on Twitter already.

I'm just happy to see some more Gen X/Millennial Democrats getting into the ring finally.

[Ridge]

Four Democrats in CA-45. Four! And the race hasn't even come close to filling up yet.

[The Other Castro]

IA-3: Pete D'Alessandro will announce a bid on Tuesday. He was the top Iowa staffer for Bernie Sanders in 2016.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/25/pete-dalessandro-congress-iowa-bernie-sanders-staffer

[Shameless Lefty Hack]

IA-3: Pete D'Alessandro will announce a bid on Tuesday. He was the top Iowa staffer for Bernie Sanders in 2016.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/25/pete-dalessandro-congress-iowa-bernie-sanders-staffer

Endorsed to the ends of the earth.

[The Other Castro]

CA-22 (Nunes, R): Andrew Janz (D), prosecutor for the Fresno County District Attorney’s office says he will run.

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/4/25/1655146/-Daily-Kos-Elections-Live-Digest-4-25#update-1493133645000

VA-10 (Comstock, R): Dorothy McAuliffe (D), wife of Gov. Terry McAuliffe, is weighing a run.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/dorothy-mcauliffe-wife-of-va-governor-is-testing-the-waters-for-a-congressional-run/2017/04/25/7fdf9ac4-2920-11e7-be51-b3fc6ff7faee_story.html?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.a91581534ca5

[Brittain33]

VA-10 (Comstock, R): Dorothy McAuliffe (D), wife of Gov. Terry McAuliffe, is weighing a run.

Oh for the love of God

[heatcharger]

VA-10 (Comstock, R): Dorothy McAuliffe (D), wife of Gov. Terry McAuliffe, is weighing a run.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/dorothy-mcauliffe-wife-of-va-governor-is-testing-the-waters-for-a-congressional-run/2017/04/25/7fdf9ac4-2920-11e7-be51-b3fc6ff7faee_story.html?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.a91581534ca5

I highly doubt it, and she wouldn't beat Wexton in a primary or in a convention.

[publicunofficial]

State Rep. Carol Ammons has formed an exploratory comittee for a run in IL-13. Ammons' seat is in the Champaign-Urbana area, and received an endorsement and funding from Bernie Sanders in her last election.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

State Rep. Carol Ammons has formed an exploratory comittee for a run in IL-13. Ammons' seat is in the Champaign-Urbana area, and received an endorsement and funding from Bernie Sanders in her last election.

Unelectable, we need Andy Manar