2018 Congressional Recruitment/Fundraising/Ratings Megathread

[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.

[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.

[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.

[socaldem]

DCCC is looking to draft Hamilton County Commissioner, Todd Portune, to challenge Steve Chabot in the OH-01. Chabot's gone down in a wave before, but his district is more conservative now.

Portune would be a strong recruit and would probably put the seat in play, but we have a strong bench in Hamilton County either way. 

Oddly, one poster on Daily Kos claimed that Portune was "cool" because he is gay. He's not. Gay.

Another questioned his ability to run because of his physical handicaps.

Jeez.

[socaldem]

Tim Canova says he's going to challenge Debbie W Schultz again lol

Tim Canova is the one Democrat who would make me consider voting for DWS.

[socaldem]

Damn...

Cerilli out for PA-14

http://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/13421727-74/gina-cerilli-ends-bid-for-congress-the-timing-just-wasnt-right

I saw that she was teasing a race on Twitter and thought she would've been the best Dem candidate and could have made the race a potential toss-up. I wonder if the tension with the local Democratic Party was too much or if this decision is based on disappointment in Lamb's numbers in non-Allegheny County areas.

Reelection does seem like a better bet for her.

I see that former PA-12 candidate Tom Prigg is also in. He's a veteran and a scientist but doesn't seem like a good fit for PA-14.

An emphasis on science and global-warming is not the winning ticket in coal country.

Still hoping someone will step up to kick around Saccone some more in the new district...

[socaldem]

Here's what I'm thinking could get on the DCCC battlefield next:

AZ-05 Biggs
AZ-08 OPEN (Franks)
CA-08 Cook
CA-42 Calvert
FL-03 Yoho
FL-08 Posey
FL-12 Bilirakis
FL-15 Ross
GA-12 Allen
IA-04 King
IL-16 Kinzinger
IN-05 Brooks
MI-02 Huizenga
MI-03 Amash
MS-03 OPEN (Harper)
NE-01 Fortenberry
NV-02 Amodei
NC-05 Foxx
NC-06 Walker
NC-07 Rouzer
OH-02 Wenstrup
OH-16 OPEN (Renacci)
OK-05 Russell
OR-02 Walden
SC-01 Sanford
SC-07 Rice
TX-02 OPEN (Poe)
TX-03 OPEN (Johnson)
TX-06 OPEN (Barton)
TX-10 McCaul
TX-22 Olson
TX-24 Marchant

I thnk they're already targeting TX-02

SC-01
MS-03
TX-10
TX-22

and the CA races seem the most promising...

Dems should aim for a total wipe-out in CA. If its two Dems for Gov and Senate and no GOPers in any competitive statewide offices, why should Republicans even bother to show up to vote in downballot races for rubberstamps for Trump, a President even Californian Republicans don't like.

Looking forward for CA to look like Massachusetts soon. Plus the demographics of the GOP seats are getting more and more diverse real fast....