Friend,

As you know, our mission for this cycle is to take the fight to the January 6th insurrectionists and their allies in every congressional election. So while Marjorie Taylor Greene continues to embarrass herself in Congress, we're taking a hard look at this year's upcoming special elections.

This year, we have two specials in Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District and Utah’s 2nd.

Despite being a near-lock for Democrats, the Rhode Island special election is incredibly fraught with 6 Republican candidates, 9 independents, and 10 Democrats. The district is rated D+12 by Cook, and David Cicilline won the seat by over 28% before resigning to run the Rhode Island Foundation. Biden won the district by over 29%. Given those margins, this is not a race we’re currently looking to invest in, but we are keeping a close eye on the September 5th primary. You can learn more about the candidates here.

At first glance, Utah-2 looks almost as lopsided for Republicans. The district is rated R+11, and Trump won by 17%. Outgoing Congressman Chris Stewart won his reelection campaign by 25% before declaring his intention to resign. Stewart was also an original member of The 147 members of Congress who incited the January 6th insurrection by voting against certifying Biden’s 2020 victory.

But Utah Democrats recognize their unique opportunity to take back a congressional seat and shock the nation. They have successfully executed the increasingly rare tactic of uniting behind a candidate early and nominating them at convention. While three Republicans have to duke it out for their party's nomination, former teacher and current Utah State Senator Kathleen Riebe gets to skip her primary and start focusing on the general election two months early.

In the modern political era, party conventions have become processional formalities, and for good reason. In theory, we agree entirely that voters should select candidates, not party bigwigs. But we also respect Utah Democrats for making an exception to get a head start in a challenging special election. It’s precisely the kind of bold and out-of-the-box thinking we need to defeat every insurrectionist-friendly politician in every district, no matter how red.

Kathleen Riebe is exactly the kind of candidate we love to support. She’s a teacher who comes from a family of public servants. She began her political career by joining her local school board before running for state senate where she sits on the education committee. Riebe is passionate, running for the right reasons, and not afraid to fight hard to win in deep-red Utah.

So please, support Kathleen and the Operation 147 Congressional Fund with a donation today, and let’s show the insurrectionists that no congressional district is safe, not even in Utah.

-Operation 147