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Democrats trying to unseat each other II

‘It’s a disgrace’: Progressives take aim at Buffalo mayor’s DNC post - POLITICO
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown infuriated progressives with his winning write-in campaign last week against the democratic socialist who beat him in the primary.

Now prominent left-wing Democrats are calling for the veteran New York mayor’s head, urging Democrats to strip Brown of his position on the Democratic National Committee.

“When you pull a stunt like this, somebody wins a primary, a working-class woman, and you go to every rich donor in both parties to fund a write-in campaign … it’s a disgrace,” said Larry Cohen, chair of the Bernie Sanders-aligned group Our Revolution.

Cohen, a DNC member himself, said he plans to organize an effort to press Democrats to remove Brown from his post on the national committee. And on Monday, India Walton, the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for Buffalo mayor, threw her weight behind the move: “Not only do I support the DNC revoking Byron Brown's post; I believe it would set a dangerous precedent not to,” she said in a statement to POLITICO.

...
The divide among the Democratic factions, which is also playing out in battleground states like Nevada, Pennsylvania and Arizona, is one of multiple challenges facing the party ahead of what are expected to be grueling midterm elections in 2022. And the intraparty feuds are only likely to multiply next spring, when left-wing and moderate Democrats face off in primaries across the country.

"This, to me, sounds like another case of sour grapes out of Our Revolution," said Jon Reinish, a New York-based Democratic strategist. “I think that progressives are feeling cornered, which is why you’re seeing a lot of the lashing out. … Where Democrats did badly and it was a bad night [in last week’s election], a lot of it was a loud and clear message from voters that people feel the party is going too far to the left.”
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2022 Midterms: Charles Booker and Other Candidates to Watch | Teen Vogue
  • Charles Booker, KY Sen - vs. Rand Paul
  • Jessica Cisneros, TX-28 - vs. Henry Cuellar
  • Rana Abdelhamid, NY-12 - vs. Carolyn Maloney
  • Morgan Harper, OH Sen - vs. Tim Ryan in the primary for this open seat
  • Maxwell Frost, FL-10 - for an open seat
  • Brittany Ramos DeBarros, NY-11 - vs. Nicole Malliotakis
  • Imani Oakley, NJ-10 - vs. Donald Payne, Jr.
  • Malcolm Kenyatta and John Fetterman, PA Sen - open seat
  • Mandela Barnes, WI Sen - vs. Ron Johnson, who may or may not run again
Of these, JC is the most-endorsed at 5, and BRDB at 4, in a list of progressive candidates and their endorsements that I'm maintaining.
 
Sean Casten and Marie Newman in Illinois 2022 election | WBEZ Chicago
But already, control for the 6th Congressional District is shaping up as a potentially big-money and nasty fight in the family — the Democratic family. Freshman U.S. Rep. Marie Newman, of LaGrange, and second-term U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, of Downers Grove, are vowing to compete against one another for the same southwest and west suburban Chicago turf.

...
Both rose to power by beating establishment opponents. Last year, on her second try, Newman toppled a political dynasty by narrowly defeating eight-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, whose father had represented the region in Congress since 1983. And in 2018, Casten beat six-term GOP U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam for control of a district that had been in Republican hands for decades.

Now, given the new developments in Springfield, it’s fair to say both Casten and Newman are still in shock about what happened to their existing districts. It’s also fair to say they’re both displeased with Springfield Democrats.

“I think it’s got all of us in the Illinois delegation scratching our heads as to what was driving the folks in Springfield,” Casten said.
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Then redistricting for the House and how it shoved SC and MN together in the same district. MN now lives in Chuy Garcia's district, and she doesn't want to run against CG. Not only SC but also MN is displeased with that decision, and MN did some last-minute lobbying to get it changed. It was not successful.

Neither SC nor MN seem to want to run against the other one of the two, but both are in the race.

MN:
“I was born in the Beverly neighborhood, grew up in Palos. I have lived in the southwest or western suburbs my entire life. So if you had to tailor-make a district for me, this brand-new district called Illinois 6, which is primarily my current district, is the right one for me to run in,” she said. “Just because I live a block outside doesn’t mean anything.”

In a subtle dig at her new Democratic rival, Newman said, “What I don’t think Sean is aware of is that this brand new district is very different from his old district. But I assume he’s a smart guy. He’ll look at it and think about it.”
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SC:
“The operative question that none of us can really answer is why was a map created that left a friend in such a difficult situation, where she either has to decide to run against a very popular member of the district she lives in, Chuy Garcia, or to run in an empty seat that she’s got no history of representing, or to run for a seat that’s got some of the community she used to represent but isn’t in her district,” Casten said.

“I can’t imagine having to make that choice myself. … I’m sympathetic to the issue,” he continued. “The good news is that we’re both friends. We respect each other. And all told, I’d rather run against someone who I respect than someone I don’t.”
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SC says that it's a "disrespectful" affront to the suburban women who elected him, but MN is a ... suburban woman.

MN is ready to fight if necessary.
“Moving forward, we’ll see how this goes. You know, we’re a long way away from petitions,” she said alluding to the March deadline for candidates to file nominating petitions for the June 28, 2022 primary.

“I am running for sure,” she continued. “My team is fully assembled. I have an enormous on-the-ground constituency. So we’re ready to go on, and we’ll see if Mr. Casten stays in the race.”
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Shahid Buttar's in the race again for 2022. Shahid Buttar for Congress (@ShahidForChange) / Twitter

Shahid Buttar for Congress on Twitter: "Are you tired of ..." / Twitter
Are you tired of Democrats falling in line behind a wealthy dynasty politician promoting Republican policies of the past and blocking progressive priorities?

The future demands our solidarity in the present.

Join us!

We came closer in 2020 to unseating Pelosi than anyone in her 34 year career, despite:
📌character assassination
📌weaponized Islamophobia
📌patronage networks
📌a 15:1 fundraising gap
📌a 142:1 gap in media coverage

Your support levels the playing field.

Pelosi has conceded policy to only 1 challenger in 34 years.

We won 6 victories in 2020 bigger than a seat in Congress: policies that passed the House over her initial objections.

1️⃣Justice in Policing
2️⃣Protecting Right to Organize
3️⃣&4️⃣impeachment
5️⃣funding USPS
6️⃣war powers

We support calls to #CancelStudentDebt. Pelosi doesn’t.

We support #HousingForAll. Pelosi is a wealthy landlord.

We won >81,000 votes in 2020 to replace her, more than any challenge she has ever faced since going to DC.

Want to help expand our reach to 115k?

RT, like, reply!
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SB then states policies that he supports and that he claims NP doesn't: Medicare For All, Green New Deal, Executive Accountability, Legalize Cannabis, End Mass Incarceration, End Mass Surveillancem Abolish I.C.E., Stop Funding War

At her age, NP might want to retire, write her memoirs, and enjoy her ice cream.

Shahid Buttar - Ballotpedia

SB vs. NP so far:
  • 2018 primary: SB 3rd at 8.5%, 4 others after him
  • 2020 primary: NP 74.0%, SB 13.0%, 4 others
  • 2020 general: NP 77.6% SB 22.4%
 
Paula Jean Swearengin #PeoplesParty on Twitter: "I am beyond ashamed that I supported & believed in these people. The biggest scam of the century was #JusticeDemocrats & the #FraudSquad. They used people's struggles to get these liars in power & didn't think we would notice when they turned their back on their promises." / Twitter
noting
Nick is a Fred Hampton Leftist 🥋 on Twitter: "AOC lying to her supporters in order to turn them into Democrats. I have no idea how people can defend this" / Twitter

noting
The Recount on Twitter: "“America is back … as a leader in climate action.” — Rep. @AOC (D-NY) at #COP26. (vid link)" / Twitter

But
The Recount on Twitter: "Rep. @AOC (D-NY) says “No, we have not recovered our moral authority” on climate action following the Trump administration. (vid link)" / Twitter

She's been Instagramming on her attendance there, and she voted against the bipartisan infrastructure bill because it was too supportive of fossil fuels.

Which is what PJS might want. What *does* she want?
 
This Veterans Day, Don’t Just Thank Us, Fight Alongside Us for Change – Brand New Congress by Brittany Ramos DeBarros, candidate for NY-11, and herself a veteran
I’ve been home for almost a decade now and Veterans Day still brings a flood of painful memories and complex emotions. Every year there are parades, festivities and politicians posing for photos. And every year, as we’re trotted out like props by both political parties, I wonder how many more Veterans have been created by endless, expensive wars, and how many more of us have died at home lacking adequate care and support that some claim is “too expensive.”

Please don’t misunderstand me, the acknowledgement is important and I’m incredibly grateful for the services and resources I do have access to as a Veteran that many others don’t have.
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Cherfilus-McCormick ‘Apparent Winner’ of District 20 Democratic Primary – NBC 6 South Florida

"Final but unofficial results showed Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick ahead of former Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness"

Ahead by 5 votes.
Health care company CEO Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is the apparent winner of the Democratic primary for Florida's District 20.

Cherfilus-McCormick led former Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness by five votes, according to Broward Elections Supervisor Joe Scott.

"I'm excited. I think now it's sunk in, so this is a very exciting moment," Cherfilus-McCormick told NBC 6 at her victory party in Miramar. "I'm also overwhelmed because people came, they voted, and I know it's a huge responsibility."

...
On Friday, Broward and Palm Beach county elections officials announced the final, unchanged vote for the top two finishers after a machine and hand recount, including overseas ballots. Cherfilus-McCormick issued a statement on Twitter claiming victory after the recount.

...
Cherfilus-McCormick loaned her campaign more than $3.7 million and far outspent the other Democrats in the race. She wound up with 11,662 votes to 11,657 for Holness. The result won't be official until the Department of State certifies them Tuesday.

If elected, Cherfilus-McCormick would be the first Haitian American Democrat in Congress.

"This is an opportunity for us, the Haitian American community," she said. "What we should do, how to move forward, lots of questions about how to fill that void."
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She advocates a universal basic income of $1000 / month for anyone earning less than $75,000/year "during major economic recoveries or necessities."
On Thursday, Cherfilus-McCormick sued the canvassing board over three mail-in ballots, asking the judge to not include them in the final tally.

...
Cherfilus-McCormick insisted the three came in after that deadline.
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November 4.
Meanwhile, Holness said he will consult with lawyers soon about a possible lawsuit. Twelve ballots were rejected by the canvassing board because they could not prove they were active overseas military members. Holness says he believes they were disenfranchised.
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About her opponent in the general election,
Businessman Jason Mariner won the Republican primary, but he is considered a longshot to win the general election.

Mariner, an advertising executive and self-described “America First” conservative candidate, served time behind bars on numerous charges, including felony theft, burglary and cocaine possession. He was open during his campaign about his criminal background, and has described himself as someone who "turned their life around."

Cherfilus-McCormick agreed he should have that second chance.

"I think it's going to be an interesting run," She told NBC 6. "Especially with someone like him with that kind of past because you can see the honest truth."
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Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, JD on Twitter: "I am proud to be recognized tonight as the Democratic nominee for Florida's 20th Congressional District following Alcee Hastings' legacy of fighting for the rights and welfare of the common person. This is an enormous honor to carry. Official statement to come. #FL20" / Twitter

From a former Florida Congressional candidate:
Jen Perelman on Twitter: "My friend will be the next congressional representative of FL-20! (pic link)" / Twitter

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, JD | National Alliance for the Advancement of Haitian Professionals
Before joining Trinity Health Care Services, Sheila worked as a project manager for New York City Transit Authority in the Capital Programs & Environmental Sustainability division managing over 2 million dollar projects. In 1999, she launched her career with Trinity Health Care Services, Inc. which led to several promotions and achievements. Sheila was named Chief Executive Officer and Corporate Counsel in 2010.

In 2018, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick became the first Haitian American woman to run for Congress in Broward and Palm Beach County. She was part of a national movement of women committed to taking back the House of Representatives for working families. Although, she did not win the Primary, Sheila made history when she secured close to 30% of the votes within 3 months from a 26-year incumbent and only spent $30k.

...
Sheila’s family is her proudest achievement. Before joining forces with her husband, Sheila was a single mother for twelve years. During that time, she raised her daughter alone while completing course work while working towards a Master’s in Business Administration and putting herself through law school with her daughter’s learning disability. Sheila was told that her daughter would never be able to attend a regular school. Out- of- pocket medical expenses piled up. But together, they persisted in the face of adversity. (Today her daughter is enrolled in an honors pre law program preparing to pursue a career in law).
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Sheila For Congress

Home | People's Prosperity Plan - seems like another SCMC campaign site.

Her success even got on CNN: Businesswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is apparent winner of Florida primary for late Alcee Hastings' seat - CNNPolitics
Cherfilus-McCormick and Holness emerged as the top choices for voters in a crowded primary to replace Hastings, a civil rights icon and the state's first Black federal judge. The race for the relatively safe blue seat attracted 11 Democrats, including state Reps. Bobby Dubose and Omar Hardy.

The Hastings family endorsed Holness, but he was outspent 10 to 1 by the self-funded Cherfilus-McCormick, who pumped a staggering $3.7 million into her race. Cherfilus-McCormick had mounted unsuccessful primary challenges against Hastings for the seat in 2018 and 2020.

Florida Democrats have expressed displeasure at Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, for scheduling the election so long after Hastings' death, leaving the majority Black district without representation for nine months.
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i feel really bad for Kyle Kulinski. this is the thanks he gets. : seculartalk

Back in 2018, when Paula Jean Swearengin lost the WV Senate D primary to Joe Manchin, she tweeted
Paula Jean Swearengin #PeoplesParty on Twitter: "Team #PaulaJean2018 can't thank each and every one of you enough for your support! This past year has been a wonderful experience! The revolution continues! We will continue to fight and work hard for the future that we deserve!
#UniteOurFight" / Twitter

Then
Secular Talk🎙 on Twitter: "You have nothing to be ashamed of. Manchin drowned you in corporate cash and the media refused to cover you. You're a true patriot and your vision for this country will win in due time. Thank you for your inspiring campaign. The fight continues. (link)" / Twitter

Then in 2020, KK supported PJS again.
Secular Talk🎙 on Twitter: "Support @paulajean2020! One of the original @justicedems! (link)" / Twitter
Referring to the Justice Democrats.

Then most recently, this happened.
Secular Talk🎙 on Twitter: "It's very healthy that the online left is split between 2 camps: the AOC over-defense squad and the AOC derangement syndrome types. For the record I despise you all." / Twitter

Paula Jean Swearengin #PeoplesParty on Twitter: "@KyleKulinski It's easy for you criticize now when you helped build the "progressive" illusion." / Twitter

Paula Jean Swearengin #PeoplesParty on Twitter: "@KyleKulinski PS. We don't like your fake grifting ass either." / Twitter

LIVE: PAULA JEAN Swearengin CALLS KYLE KULINSKI A SELLOUT GRIFTER! - YouTube by The Progressive Voice, Sep 21:

"Justice Democrat candidate Paula Jean Swearingen called Kyle Kulinski, host of Secular Talk, a grifter, along with AOC & the Squad."

Back in 2018 May 8 when she and PJS were running for office,
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Just got off the phone with #WVSen candidate @paulajean2018.
1 year ago, Paula + I met and decided together to run for office in 2018.
We knew that the Bronx and West Virginia had more in common than folks want to admit.
Today is her Election Day. And she has made us so proud. (link)" / Twitter

Paula Jean Swearengin #PeoplesParty on Twitter: "⚡Flashback to when @AOC acted liked the rest of us matter.
We knew that the Bronx, West Virginia & people across this country had more in common than folks want to admit.
Where is the #OGAOC?" / Twitter

Then she grumbled about how AOC won't talk to her anymore and how AOC has given money to corporate Democrats.

Paula Jean Swearengin #PeoplesParty on Twitter: "I am beyond ashamed that I supported & believed in these people. The biggest scam of the century was #JusticeDemocrats & the #FraudSquad. They used people's struggles to get these liars in power & didn't think we would notice when they turned their back on their promises." / Twitter

-

As to KK,
Angel Rivera #FreeAssange #FreeDanielHale 🇵🇷🇺🇲 on Twitter: "@paulajean2020 @KyleKulinski Seems to me that Kulinski is just appealing to one person…Krystal Ball. That’s the only person’s opinion he seems to care about." / Twitter

Krystal Ball?
Krystal Ball on Twitter: "They don't call me Krystal Ball for nothing!😉 (vid link)" / Twitter
"This suit is always 5 seconds away from dropping some ethnic slur" - referring to President Biden

Showing her on her talk show, Breaking Points, with Saagar Enjeti. Both of them had been on TheHill's Rising, but quit some months back. KB also does a talk show with KK, "Krystal, Kyle, and Friends".

 Krystal Ball - KB ran as a Democrat for VA-01 back in 2010, only to lose to Republican incumbent Rob Wittman.

I recall her saying that that was because her father was a crystallographer.
 
Michelle Wu 吳弭 on Twitter: "Just arrived! 👀 (pic link)" / Twitter - picture of her business card

The Chinese in her Twitter handle: Wú mǐ

Image Alt Bot on Twitter: "@hearing_girl A photo of a business card with a gold Boston seal and "MICHELLE WU" in English and Chinese, then the word "Mayor" in English and in Spapnish, Haitian Creole, Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, [1/2]" / Twitter

Image Alt Bot on Twitter: "@hearing_girl Arabic, French, Russian, and Somali. [2/2]" / Twitter

Cindy Lu on Twitter: "@hmxabi @wutrain I imagine usage varies depending on location, but l'Académie francaise now recognizes usage of "madame la maire" (changing their 2014 position that it should be ”madame le maire”). And it looks like they don’t recommend the term “mairesse”. (link)" / Twitter

🐪🐪👨‍🦯 on Twitter: "@wutrain Congratulations Michelle, the somali one should read: "Duqa Magaalada" duqa is used for both genders just like Mayor is used for both; "duqta" is not even a real word! also fun fact: "Duqa Magaalada"literally means the "Elder of the city"" / Twitter

Furat A Saleem on Twitter: "@wutrain Congratulations Michelle! Just a note that the Arabic translation should read العمدة not العميدة. This one means (Dean-Academic) or (Brigadier-Military)." / Twitter
aleumda "mayor", aleamida "dean"

JaninedeNovais on Twitter: "@wutrain Beautiful, with “Mayor” translated in all the languages *including* Cabo Verdean. This made my day 🇨🇻!!!" / Twitter

😇 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬🍃🍂 on Twitter: "@wutrain Congratulations! 🎉 Mayor | Thị Trưởng Michelle Wu 🌝" / Twitter
Thị Trưởng "Mayor" in Vietnamese

José Santos Woss on Twitter: "@wutrain Looks great! Felicitaciones Alcaldesa!" / Twitter
"Mayor" (f) in Spanish

fjajji on Twitter: "@wutrain Congratulations 🙏🏼👏🏼 ‘mabrook’ please note that the Arabic translation is incorrect.. the one on the card reads “dean” as in a dean of a university." / Twitter

kekefleur on Twitter: "@wutrain Mes Félicitations Madame la Maire WU! Felicitasyon Majistra WU" / Twitter
"My congratulations Madam Mayor" (French), "Congratulations Mayor" (Haitian Creole)


But 80 years ago in NYC, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia could speak 7 languages: German, Yiddish, French, Italian, Croatian, Hungarian, and Hebrew.
 
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick's win is now officially certified, and it's gotten some attention outside of Florida.
Health care CEO wins Florida congressional race by 5 votes
Cherfilus-McCormick, 39, loaned her campaign more than $3.7 million and far outspent the other nine Democrats in the race. She has spent more than a decade as CEO of Trinity Health Care Services, which provides in-home care. She is a married mother of two.

“This is an exciting time for our district,” Cherfilus-McCormick said in a statement. “It was imperative that our district has someone who understands and represents the unique complexities of our culturally diverse community. I appreciate everyone who supported me in this process and now it’s time to get to work."
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Florida officials certify 5-vote victory in primary for Alcee Hastings' seat | TheHill
Though she will still technically face four other candidates in the Jan. 11 special election, including Republican Jason Mariner and Libertarian Mike ter Maat, Florida’s 20th District tilts so heavily Democratic that Cherfilus-McCormick’s primary win is seen as a near-guarantee that she’ll succeed Hastings in Congress.

Hastings died in April after a nearly 30-year career in Congress. Cherfilus-McCormick, a health care executive, previously challenged him for his seat twice, first in 2018 and again in 2020.
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Five votes decide winner of House Democratic primary after Florida recount - The Washington Post

"Holness, who was close to Hastings, claimed that the congressman had quietly endorsed him before his death, but other candidates questioned whether that qualified as an endorsement."

SCMC was supported by Brand New Congress, and as for her spending much more than Dale Holness and barely winning, was DH supported by outside PAC's?

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick - Ballotpedia
  • 2018: AH 73.8% SCMC 26.2%
  • 2020: AH 69.3% SCMC 30.7%
  • 2022: SCMC & DH 23.2% others 17.7% 14.8% 7.0% 5.9% 3.4% 1.3% 0.9% 0.7%
 
The Sunrise Movement - We Are The Climate Revolution is now endorsing candidates for 2022. Its first candidate: Jessica Cisneros of TX-28, in south Texas. It earlier endorsed Nina Turner, but she lost.

JC now has 6 endorsements by the orgs I'm tracking. NT had 5, 4 candidates, Shervin Aazami CA-30, Kina Collins IL-07, Brittany Ramos DeBarros NY-11, and Odessa Kelly TN-05, have 4, 7 candidates have 3, 19 have 2, and 41 have 1. A factor of 2 with each one less endorsement.
 
Jessica Cisneros on Twitter: "I am honored to be @PPact’s first U.S. House endorsement. While Texans live under the shadow of #SB8, Rep. Cuellar continues to turn his back to our community.

It’s time South Texas has a representative that will fight tirelessly for our health care and reproductive freedom. (pic link)" / Twitter
That's the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Henry Cuellar is the last remaining anti-abortion Democrat in the House, with Dan Lipinski, the second-to-last, having been primaried by Marie Newman last year.


I like this:
Charles Booker on Twitter: "It’s not about big government vs. small government. It’s about a government that actually works for everyday people vs. a government that only works for the rich.

It is time your government finally works for you." / Twitter
He's running for the Democratic nomination for KY Sen, where the winner will be up against the incumbent, Republican Rand Paul, son of Ron Paul.
 
What ‘The Squad’ Tells Us About Progressives’ Ability To Win Voters Of Color | FiveThirtyEight

(their 2018 initial victories, then their victories and setbacks in 2020 and 2021...)
As a result, the buzz over the Squad’s initial wins in 2018 has largely been replaced by a narrative that progressives struggle with people of color, and that Black voters especially prefer more moderate candidates. But the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

We looked back at the Squad’s initial primary wins, and found that they’ve often won sizable blocs of nonwhite voters, especially when they have had strong ties to those communities (or at least stronger than their opponent). But at the same time, they haven’t necessarily performed well with all voters of color in their district. In fact, our analysis found that — despite each member’s very different path of Congress — each Squad member’s wins required a multiracial coalition of both white and nonwhite voters. We only found one instance without a clear racial pattern.
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The article has ternary diagrams of the ethnic composition of the precincts in each district, with each marker having a color that indicates how well each candidate did.

AOC did well among white and HIspanic voters, but not as well among black voters.

Rashida Tlaib did well among Arab Americans, listed as white in the diagram. She also did well among Hispanics, but not as well among blacks. Her main opponent, Brenda Jones, is black, and it was a battle of the favorite daughters.

Ilhan Omar did well among blacks and Hispanics but not as much among whites.

Ayanna Pressley did very well among black voters but not as much among whites and Hispanics.

Jamaal Bowman did well among blacks and Hispanics and not as much among whites.

Cori Bush did the best among white voters, because her predecessor, Lacy Clay, was supported by a lot of older black voters. But she nevertheless got a lot of support from younger black voters and black civil-rights activists. Among white voters, she did well among progressives -- and maybe among some conservatives who didn't want Lacy Clay yet again.
In sum, the Squad members’ coalitions have been all over the map. While some members (Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib and Bush) did better in whiter precincts, others (Pressley and Bowman) did better in predominantly nonwhite areas. And in one case (Omar) there was no obvious pattern (at least in her initial election).

Even with these differences, though, it’s clear that voters of color aren’t an automatic vote for the establishment-aligned candidate (as Capuano, Engel and Melton-Meaux can attest). Instead, in all the Squad’s primaries, it seems that voters of color opted for the candidate who had a deeper connection to their respective communities. And that shouldn’t be surprising. It makes a lot of sense, actually: Voters vote for the representative who they feel best represents them.
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During her run to unseat AOC last year, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera (MCC) claimed that AOC didn't meet with her constituents, even though she has done a lot of that. She even organized food assistance to her constituents last year, and participated in delivering some of it. I remember when she helped push a wagon of some of it with her staffers.

Morgan Harper on Twitter: "Spent the morning in Marietta where 30% of people live in poverty. We need to turn up and support each other—especially on days like this. The senior housing facility we delivered Thanksgiving meals to—it was clear how almost everyone I met was deeply lonely. (pic link)" / Twitter
 
Cori Bush on Glitzy Pelosi Wedding Officiation: 'That's More Her Lane I Guess'
  • Cori Bush drew a sharp contrast with Nancy Pelosi, who officiated an oil heiress's lavish wedding.
  • "She's in a position of power, and that's more her lane I guess. That's where her focus is," she said.
  • Bush also declined to say whether she'd back Pelosi in potential future leadership elections.
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Cori Bush Is Fed Up With The Democrats, Too
Cori Bush set out to make Congress more reflective of activism outside Washington. But in an institution with hierarchical power structures, how much say does she have?

...
Bush is only about one year into her first term and is already one of the highest-profile progressives in the House of Representatives. If you saw the 2019 Netflix documentary Knock Down the House, which captured Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s winning campaign against a powerful Democratic incumbent, you also saw Bush’s losing 2018 primary challenge in the Midwest. If you heard of the lawmaker who camped out on the Capitol steps over the summer and was widely credited with winning an extension of the eviction moratorium, you’ve heard of Bush as she is today. Most recently, Bush was one of six House Democrats to vote against the infrastructure bill President Joe Biden signed into law on this month, withholding her vote not in objection to the bill, but in objection to the fact that Democrats had moved forward with it before the social programs bill progressives had been promised they would pass alongside it.

Bush is determined not to fit in. Her office describes her as a “politivist,” someone who is both a politician and an activist, trying to change the system from within. She’s willing to criticize party leaders like Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and ridicule party moderates like Sen. Joe Manchin. She’s not in Congress to move up in leadership, she says, or hoard institutional power.

... Historically, the approach to winning people over in the halls of Congress has more often been trying to butter up the person you want on your side. Bush has little patience for that.
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She prefers to be an activist.
“I don’t wear those same glasses that she wears,” Bush says of Pelosi. “For me, I’m not a woman first, I’m Black first. I don’t care about party lines the way that she does. I don’t care about looking like I’m leading, or care about being the one that is staying within — like, just playing the game.”

The weekend of the House infrastructure vote, Pelosi flew back to San Francisco and officiated the ritzy wedding of Ivy Getty, an heir of the oil fortune. Asked what she made of it, Bush prefaces by saying that she “didn’t know who those people were until I saw people talking about it,” and she ends with saying Pelosi officiating “didn’t really move me either way.”

“My purpose is to lift up those that have been marginalized and oppressed and overlooked. And she’s in a position of power, and that’s more her lane I guess. That’s where her focus is,” Bush says. “People see things differently than others, and I have learned to not condemn people for the way they see things when they haven’t gone through the things that I’ve gone through. Like I can’t change their experiences, the only thing that I can do is expose them to mine, or those of others that they may not know or understand.”
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About President Biden,
“He has to deliver a substantial win to the Black community as it relates to policing. He has to, because this is not even about just looking good, this is about saving lives,” she says. Bush hadn’t given thought to whether Biden should run for reelection, but says it would be up to him. Days after Bush's interview, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that Biden intends to run for reelection.
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Brittany for Congress 🔥 on Twitter: "New profile in @thenation!
We’re building something special in Staten Island & Brooklyn—a coalition of everyday, working people tired of being counted out & told to settle. We’re the majority! We’re already powerful & we’re going to #FlipNY11 together!🔥✊🏼(link)" / Twitter
noting
Brittany Ramos DeBarros Took on the War Machine. Now She’s Running for Congress. | The Nation
"Can an anti-war ex–Army officer defeat a centrist Dem and a Trumpian Republican in New York City’s most conservative district?"
As the war in Afghanistan drew to a long-overdue end, a veteran of that conflict campaigned to represent Staten Island and South Brooklyn in Congress. At a street fair in the Bay Ridge neighborhood in August, Brittany Ramos DeBarros, 32, wore a white skirt over dark leggings, light blue Asics, big hoop earrings, and a T-shirt adorned with her new campaign logo. She talked to her potential constituents about housing, Covid-19 relief, and registering to vote. Her staff ran a bubble machine and handed out candy to the kids.
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Then comparing her to the likes of AOC and Cori Bush.
DeBarros’s likely primary opponent, Max Rose, is also a veteran of the Afghanistan War. But as a conservative, pro-cop Democrat, he is a natural antagonist for this movement.

Rose, whom the media and political class are already hailing as a “comeback kid” even though he has not yet announced his candidacy, held the seat for a single term, before losing to rabid Trumpist Nicole Malliotakis. Rose and Malliotakis ran dueling TV ads in 2020, each trying to outdo the other in pro-police conservatism—a contest which, not surprisingly, the more right-wing candidate won. Malliotakis’s message was a simple anti-liberal one: “Max Rose: Talks like one of us. Votes like one of them.” She joined the 147 GOP House members who attempted to overturn Joe Biden’s election, and days after the January 6 riot, although Malliotakis condemned the violence, she was still tweeting about voter “fraud.”
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From govtrack.us ideology scores for 2020, MR's score was 0.43 -- he was one of the more conservative Democrats.
In 2018, DeBarros went door-to-door to persuade people to vote for Rose, but now she’s opposing him on a progressive platform. And this time the election has a new twist. If DeBarros beats Rose, she will face Malliotakis. If she beats Malliotakis as well, DeBarros will show that working-class, anti-war left politics can defeat not only the spiritless mediocrity of mainstream Democrats but also the dangerous extremism of the far right. It’s an exciting idea, but largely untested.
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Hard to tell, because similar candidates have mainly run in heavily Democratic districts, either primarying incumbents or else running for open seats. The main example I can think of is Katie Porter.
Prognosticators are not yet calling the seat for a Democrat. Richard Flanagan, a political scientist at CUNY’s College of Staten Island, told me he expects redistricting to add a few Democrats but not many. Besides, he pointed out, Democrats nationally are expected to struggle in the midterms. He said Malliotakis was the favorite but added a self-deprecating caveat: “I am serving up a big, hot bowl of conventional wisdom that bold challengers occasionally do tip into my lap.”

One factor that might tip that bowl over: This month’s elections were bad for normie Democrats. Most prominently, the avowedly centrist Democrat Terry McAuliffe lost the gubernatorial race in Virginia, with many Biden voters flipping Republican. There is so much distress in centrist circles over recent results like these that it’s possible that some conservative Democrats, like Rose, might decide not to run in 2022.
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Jamaal Bowman on Twitter: "I am so proud to endorse my sister @JCisnerosTX in TX-28!

At a time when reproductive justice might take a 50 year lapse, immigration continues to be a human rights crisis and our planet's wellbeing declines, we need fighters like her in Congress.

Jessica is ready! (vid link)" / Twitter
then
Jessica Cisneros on Twitter: "Watching @JamaalBowmanNY, a public educator of more than 20 years, run a people-powered campaign & win despite all odds was inspiring.

I'm incredibly honored to have the Congressman’s endorsement as we try to do what he was able to do for his community for our South TX families. (pic link)" / Twitter

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Jessica Cisneros on Twitter: "Today, we officially filed for the Texas primary election.

My name is Jessica Cisneros, I’m an immigration attorney, the proud daughter of immigrant farm workers & I’m running for Congress.

We have 85 days to bring the change our families deserve. Let's finish what we started! (vid link)" / Twitter

She called Rep. Henry Cuellar a sellout to big-money interests and an opponent of things that his district needs.

In 2020, she lost to HC in the D primary: 48.2% - 51.8%.

I think of Marie Newman vs. Dan Lipinski:
  • 2020: 47.3% - 44.7% - (others) - 5.7% - 2.3%
  • 2018: 48.9% - 51.1%
Cori Bush vs. Lacy Clay:
  • 2020: 48.5% - 45.6% - (others) - 5.9%
  • 2018: 36.9% - 56.7% - (others) - 3.4% - 2.9%
 
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