Congressional Democrats Wade into South Florida Primary
Leading congressional Democrats aren’t on the ballot in next week’s primary but they have skin in the game as South Florida voters hit the polls.
As early as last summer, Nancy Pelosi was backing Annette Taddeo’s bid to topple freshman Republican Congressman Carlos Curbelo.
Praising Taddeo as a “voice for hard-working South Florida families,” Pelosi went to bat for her in emails sent out last June. Pelosi isn’t the only high profile Democrat behind Taddeo as New Mexico Congressman Ben Ray Lujan, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), is also supporting her.
But Taddeo, who has never won a single one of her several bids for elected office, is engaged in a close primary battle with former Congressman Joe Garcia who Curbelo beat in 2014. That being the case, the Taddeo camp has been cranking out fundraising emails from Pelosi, showing the House minority leader’s support.
In the emails, Pelosi made an “urgent request” to Florida Democrats as she urged them “to help Annette Taddeo turn Florida blue” and insisting the race was “important.” Pelosi also insisted Taddeo was “in the best position to beat extreme GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo."
But Pelosi and Lujan aren’t the only congressional Democrats with something on the line in the primary. Garcia reeled in the support of the New Democrat Coalition PAC (NewDemPAC) and its chairman Washington Congressman Derek Kilmer earlier this month.
"Congress needs common sense leaders who believe in the power of American ingenuity and are committed to pursuing policies that will unleash economic growth, keep our economy competitive, and our national secure,” said Kilmer when NewDemPAC threw its support behind Garcia. “Electing Joe Garcia and other NewDemPAC-endorsed candidates will help get Congress back on track."
“It is an honor to receive the endorsement of NewDemPAC,” Garcia said. “The biggest challenge facing South Floridians is still the economy, which is why I look forward to working alongside the NewDems to advance innovative solutions that create jobs, raise wages and expand the middle class. Investing in infrastructure, renewable energy and our workforce is the new Democratic way.”
Consisting of more than 50 members of the Democratic congressional caucus--including Gwen Graham, Patrick Murphy and Debbie Wasserman Schultz from the Florida delegation--NewDemPAC is also backing Val Demings and Darren Soto for Congress in the Sunshine State.
Source: Sunshine State News