There are some of the "aggressive progressive" Democratic challengers we're watching. More at AfterDowningStreet.org. Special props to those who attended Netroots Nation in July 2008.
Progressive Democratic PACs (Other Progressive and Democratic PACs)
- BA: BlueAmerica
- BD: BushDemocrats (Democrats.com)
- DFA: Democracy For America
- DWT: Down With Tyranny
- ESC: Eschaton/Atrios
- JSt: JStreet
- MyD: MyDD
- NOW: NOW
- Olbd: OpenLeft Better Democrats
- OtB: Orange to Blue (DailyKos.com - criteria)
- PDA: Progressive Democrats of America
- PEN: People's Email Network
- SNA: SNAPPac/Students for a New American Politics
Progressive Endorsements
- ADS: AfterDowningStreet
- DWT: DownWithTyranny
| |
|
Challenger |
Incumb |
Prim
ary |
Pac |
Out of Iraq |
Wiretap |
Other |
| S |
AK |
Mark Begich |
Stevens (R) |
|
BA
DWT |
"gradual withdrawal" |
No |
5/14 poll: Begich 48, Stevens 43 |
| S |
ID |
Larry LaRocco |
open (R) |
|
|
within 12-14 months |
No |
|
| S |
KY |
Greg Fischer |
McConnell (R) |
5/20
lost |
BA |
Responsible
Plan |
|
|
| S |
KY |
Bruce Lunsford |
|
|
|
|
No |
|
| S |
ME |
Tom Allen |
Collins (R) |
|
BA
DWT
ESC
SNA |
|
No |
|
| S |
MN |
Al Franken |
Coleman (R) |
|
OtB
SNA |
|
|
|
| S |
NC |
Jim Neal |
Dole (R) |
5/6
lost |
BA |
ASAP |
|
vs. Primary opponent Kay Hagan:
opposed Mukasey
opposes telecom immunity
supports S-CHIP
opposes tax cuts for the rich |
| S |
NE |
Scott Kleeb |
Johans (R) |
|
ESC |
|
|
|
| S |
NH |
Jeanne Shaheen |
Sununu (R) |
|
NOW
SNA |
|
|
|
| S |
NM |
Tom Udall |
|
|
DWT
ESC |
|
No |
|
| S |
OK |
Andrew Rice |
Inhofe (R) |
|
BA
DWT
OtB |
ASAP but orderly |
No |
pro-choice, pro-gun, civil unions, mandatory health insurance |
| S |
OR |
Jeff Merkley |
Smith
(R) |
5/20
won! |
BA
DWT
Olbd |
now |
No |
universal health care, stop global warming, restore the Constitution, voter verifiable paper trail |
| S |
OR |
Steve Novick |
Smith
(R) |
5/20
lost |
|
|
|
|
| S |
TX |
Rick Noriega |
Cornyn (R) |
|
BA
DFA
DWT
OtB |
|
No |
|
| H |
AL03 |
Josh Segall |
Rogers (R) |
|
|
|
|
ePluribus Radio |
| H |
AK00 |
Diane Benson |
Young (R) |
8/26 |
DWT
NOW |
|
|
|
| H |
AZ01 |
Howard Shanker |
(open) |
9/2 |
BA
DWT |
|
No |
primary v. Ann Kirkpatrick, endorsed by DCCC |
| H |
AZ03 |
Bob Lord |
Shadegg (R) |
|
DWT
OtB |
|
|
|
| H |
CA03 |
Bill Durston |
Lungren (R) |
|
PDA |
|
|
|
| H |
CA04 |
Charlie Brown |
(open) |
|
BA
DFA
DWT
OtB |
|
No |
|
| H |
CA08 |
Shirley Golub |
Nancy Pelosi (D) |
6/3
lost |
PEN |
|
|
Impeach |
| H |
CA16 |
Cynthia Papermaster |
Zoe Lofgren (D) |
6/3
lost |
|
|
|
Impeach |
| H |
CA24 |
Mary Pallant |
Gallegly (R) |
6/3
lost |
ADS
MyD
PDA |
|
|
|
| H |
CA26 |
Russ Warner |
Dreier (R) |
|
BA
DWT |
|
No |
|
| H |
CA42 |
Ron Shepston |
Miller (R) |
6/3
lost |
BA |
|
|
|
| H |
CA46 |
Debbie Cook |
Rohrabacher (R) |
|
BA
DWT |
Responsible Plan |
No |
|
| H |
CA48 |
Steve Young |
Campbell (R) |
|
PDA |
phased withdrawal |
|
|
| H |
CA50 |
Cheryl Ede |
Bilbray (R) |
6/3
lost |
PDA |
|
|
|
| H |
CA50 |
Nick Leibham |
Bilbray (R) |
|
|
|
No |
|
| H |
CA52 |
Vickie Butcher |
(open) |
6/3
lost |
PDA |
phased withdrawal |
|
|
| H |
CA53 |
Mike Copass |
Susan Davis (D) |
6/3
lost |
PDA |
Out-of-Iraq Pledge! |
|
Defend the U.S. Constitution
Separation of Corporation and State
Repeal NAFTA |
| H |
CO02 |
Joan Fitz-Gerald |
(open) |
8/12 |
PDA
NOW |
|
|
|
| H |
CO02 |
Jared Polis |
(open) |
8/12 |
|
|
|
|
| H |
CO04 |
Betsy Markey |
Musgrave (R) |
|
NOW |
|
No |
|
| H |
CT04 |
Jim Himes |
Shays (R) |
|
BA
DWT
ESC
SNA |
|
No |
|
| H |
FL08 |
Corbett Kroehler |
Keller (R) |
|
PDA |
|
|
|
| H |
FL08 |
Alan Grayson |
Keller (R) |
|
BA
DWT |
|
No |
|
| H |
FL10 |
Samm Simpson |
Young (R) |
|
PDA |
|
|
|
| H |
FL12 |
Doug Tudor |
Putnam (R) |
|
DFA
DWT |
|
No |
just retired from the Navy as a chief petty officer and his wife is still on active duty (and deployable) |
| H |
FL15 |
Bob Bowman |
Weldon (R) |
|
|
|
|
|
| H |
FL18 |
Annette Taddeo |
Ros-Lehtinen (R) |
|
BA
DFA
DWT |
Responsible Plan |
|
FL-18 is the most Democratic leaning (R +4) of the three Miami cuban districts and Annette's campaign is both well-organized and well-funded.
Blog 7/23/08 |
| H |
FL24 |
Clint Curtis |
Feeney (R) |
8/26 |
PDA |
|
No |
|
| H |
FL25 |
Joe Garcia |
Diaz-Balart (R) |
|
BA
DFA
DWT
OtB |
|
No |
|
| H |
GA08 |
Bob Nowak |
Jim Marshall (D) |
|
|
|
No |
|
| H |
GA10 |
Bobby Saxon |
Broun (R) |
|
|
|
|
veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan |
| H |
GA12 |
Regina Thomas |
John Barrow (D) |
7/15 |
BA
Olbd |
"adamantly opposed to the occupation" |
No |
Barrow voted with Bush on HR 976 SCHIP; S 1927 FISA; HR 2956 Redeploy troops in 120 days; HR 2206 Iraq funding without withdrawal deadlines; HR 1591 Iraq benchmarks and withdrawal deadlines; HR 6 Repeal tax cuts for oil companies.
District is 45% African-American and African-Americans are 70% of the voters in Democratic primaries. |
| H |
GA13 |
Donzella James |
David Scott (D) |
7/15 |
ADS |
"would vote No on funding occupation" |
|
"supports impeachment"
2006 primary lost 67%-31% |
| H |
IA03 |
Ed Fallon |
Leonard Boswell (D) |
6/3
lost |
DFA
PDA |
|
|
As in his seven previous campaigns in the Iowa Legislature, all of which he won, Fallon is running a grassroots campaign that focuses on contacting voters through door-to-door canvassing and phone banking, as well as creative use of YouTube. Recent productions include a mockumentary “Campaigns of the Rich and Powerful” and a rap video on fiscal responsibility and tax reform. |
| H |
IL03 |
Mark Pera |
Dan Lipinski (D) |
2/5
lost |
BA
BD |
|
|
|
| H |
IL08 |
Randi Scheuer |
Melissa Bean (D) |
2/5
lost |
BD
PDA |
|
|
|
| H |
IL10 |
Dan Seals |
Kirk (R) |
|
OtB
SNA
NOW |
|
No |
|
| H |
IL11 |
Debbie Halvorson |
(open) |
|
JSt |
|
|
|
| H |
IL14 |
John Laesch |
open (R) |
2/5
lost |
BA
PDA |
|
|
|
| H |
IN06 |
Barry Welsh |
Pence (R) |
|
BA |
|
No |
|
| H |
IN09 |
Gretchen Clearwater |
Baron Hill (D) |
5/6
lost |
BA |
Out-of-Iraq Pledge! |
|
Civil liberties, equal rights and justice for all; Single payer universal healthcare; jobs @ living wage |
| H |
KY01 |
Heather Ryan |
Whitfield (R) |
|
|
|
No |
|
| H |
LA06 |
Michael Jackson |
Don Cazayoux (D) |
9/6 |
|
asap |
No |
Cazayoux was elected in a special election in 2008 and immediately became one of the strongest Bush Democrats. |
| H |
MD04 |
Donna Edwards |
Al Wynn (D) |
2/12
won! |
BA
BD
JSt
Olbd
PDA |
|
|
|
| H |
ME01 |
Mark Lawrence |
open (D) |
6/10
lost |
|
|
|
pro-impeachment |
| H |
ME01 |
Chellie Pingree |
open (D) |
|
NOW |
|
No |
|
| H |
MI07 |
Mark Schauer |
Walberg (R) |
|
BA
DWT |
|
No |
|
| H |
MI09 |
Gary Peters |
Knollenberger (R) |
|
BA
DWT
NOW |
|
No |
"I believe in civil rights and equality for all people and to me gay marriage is a basic human rights issue, one I feel very strongly about. When I take a position based on core principles, I'm not going to waiver from it" |
| H |
MN03 |
Ashwin Madia |
open (R) |
|
DWT |
|
No |
|
| H |
MO02 |
Byron DeLear |
Akin (R) |
|
|
|
|
pro-impeachment |
| H |
NC08 |
Larry Kissell |
Hayes (R) |
|
BA
DWT |
|
No |
|
| H |
NC09 |
Harry Taylor |
Myrick (R) |
|
PDA
NOW |
|
|
known for his courageous—and courteous—confrontation of President Bush in Charlotte in April 2006. |
| H |
NJ01 |
Mahdi Ibn-Ziyad |
Rob Andrews (D) |
6/3
lost |
PDA |
|
|
|
| H |
NJ05 |
Camille Abate |
Garrett (R) |
6/3
lost |
|
now |
|
local Moveon leader, pro-impeachment |
| H |
NJ05 |
Dennis Shulman |
Garrett (R) |
6/3
won! |
BA
DWT
JSt |
Responsible Plan |
No |
blind rabbi |
| H |
NJ07 |
Linda Stender |
open (R) |
|
NOW |
|
No |
|
| H |
NM01 |
Martin Heinrich |
(open) |
6/3
won! |
BA
DWT |
|
No |
|
| H |
NM02 |
Bill McCamley |
(open) |
6/3
lost |
|
|
|
primary v. multimillionaire oilman Harry Teague |
| H |
NY08 |
Adam Sullivan |
Jerrold Nadler (D) |
9/9
|
BD |
|
|
Impeach |
| H |
NY10 |
Kevin Powell |
Ed Towns (D) |
9/9 |
|
|
|
|
| H |
NY13 |
Steve Harrison |
Fossella (R) |
9/9 |
DWT
NOW
PDA |
now |
|
|
| H |
NY21 |
Darius Shahinfar |
open (D) |
9/9 |
|
|
No |
|
| H |
NY21 |
Tracey Brooks |
open (D) |
9/9 |
NOW |
|
|
|
| H |
NY25 |
Dan Maffei |
(open) |
|
BA
DWT
OtB |
|
No |
|
| H |
NY26 |
Jon Powers |
Jack Davis (D) |
|
BA
DWT
OtB |
|
No |
|
| H |
NY29 |
Eric Massa |
Kuhl (R) |
|
DFA
DWT
PDA
Olbd
OtB |
|
No |
|
| H |
OH02 |
Victoria Wulsin |
Schmidt (R) |
|
BA
DWT
NOW
SNA |
|
No |
|
| H |
OH03 |
Jane Mitakides |
Turner (R) |
|
NOW |
|
|
|
| H |
OH15 |
Mary Jo Kilroy |
(open) |
|
JSt
NOW
SNA |
|
|
|
| H |
OR01 |
Mark Welyczko |
David Wu (D) |
5/20
lost |
PEN |
|
|
Impeach |
| H |
OR03 |
Joe Walsh |
Blumenauer (D) |
5/20
lost |
PEN |
|
|
Impeach |
| H |
OR05 |
Nancy Moran |
(open) |
5/20
lost |
PEN |
|
|
Impeach |
| H |
PA15 |
Sam Bennett |
Dent (R) |
|
BA
DWT
NOW
Olbd |
|
No |
|
| H |
TN09 |
Steve Cohen |
|
|
BA
DWT
JSt |
|
|
primary by Harold Ford Jr. supporter |
| H |
TX10 |
Larry Joe Doherty |
McCaul (R) |
|
BA
DWT |
|
No |
|
| H |
VA04 |
Andrea Miller |
Forbes (R) |
|
DWT |
|
No |
progressive social activist
pro-impeachment
former MoveOn.org Regional Coordinator and
Dennis Kucinich Regional Coordinator |
| H |
VA05 |
Tom Perriello |
Goode (R) |
|
ADS
BA
DWT
Olbd
SNA |
|
No |
|
| H |
VA06 |
Sam Rasoul |
Goodlatte (R) |
|
|
|
|
|
| H |
VA10 |
Judy Feder |
Wolf (R) |
|
BA
DWT
NOW |
|
No |
Dean of Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute (1999-2007)
nationally recognized expert in health care policy |
| H |
VA11 |
Leslie Byrne |
(open) |
6/10
lost |
BA
NOW |
|
|
She opposed the war in Iraq from the start, will fight to make health care more affordable and more accessible, and has always supported a woman's right to choose.
primary v. developer/contractor Gerry Connolly |
| H |
WA03 |
Cheryl Crist |
Brian Baird (D) |
8/19 |
|
|
|
Impeach |
| H |
WA04 |
George Fearing |
Hastings (R) |
|
|
|
|
|
| H |
WA06 |
Paul Richmond |
Norm Dicks (D) |
8/19 |
|
|
|
Impeach |
| H |
WA08 |
Darcy Burner |
Reichert (R) |
|
BA
DFA
DWT
ESC
Jst
NOW
Olbd
OtB
SNA |
|
No |
|
| H |
WI01 |
Marge Krupp |
Ryan (R) |
|
NOW |
|
|
|
| H |
WY00 |
Gary Trauner |
(open) |
|
OtB |
|
No |
|
I urge all Democrats to take the unequivocal Out-of-Iraq Pledge:
I solemnly pledge to vote against any additional funds for the occupation of Iraq, except what is absolutely required to bring all our troops home. I recognize that I will be under tremendous pressure from Democratic leaders and the Corporate Media to fund various missions like "fighting terrorism" or "training Iraqi forces" or "protecting Iraqi democracy," but I will not waver. We have already spent far too much of our blood and treasure for a war and occupation based on never-ending lies, and I will not sacrifice one more American soldier's life or one more taxpayer's dollar for those lies.