Friends,

I want to start by thanking you for supporting Off the Sidelines. In these uncertain, turbulent times, it’s never been more clear that representation matters. I’m grateful for your commitment to electing more bold, principled women to Congress—particularly women of color.

Your support has fueled the campaigns of over 100 phenomenal candidates this year alone. Today, I invite you to get to know a few of the House members and candidates who are working hard to expand our majority. And it’s not just about 2020: Your investment in these leaders helps to build the pipeline of Democratic women in politics for a generation.

With gratitude,
Stefanie

AN EARLY 2020 VICTORY

Back in 2019, Kirsten was the first Democratic presidential candidate to endorse Marie Newman—a strong, progressive leader who challenged a anti-choice Democratic incumbent in the Illinois-3 primary. 

Marie Newman | Illinois’ 3rd District

• Marie Newman first challenged Democratic Rep. Dan Lipinski back in 2018, coming up 2.4% short in the primary. But we know that candidates who seek office more than once see dividends—particularly women candidates. It shows they’re serious, committed, and willing to run the gauntlet to get the job done. So when Marie threw her hat in the ring again this cycle, she won her primary.

• The bottom line: Illinois-3 is a reliably blue district. Thanks to you, Marie is on track to win this November. 

SEATS WE MUST DEFEND

In 2018, we made history by electing a Congress with more women than ever before; in fact, 90% of the women endorsed by Off the Sidelines won their races. Take a look at a few of the women up for reelection who need our help to hold their red and purple seats!

Lauren Underwood | Illinois’ 14th District

• Lauren Underwood is a nurse who became the youngest black woman elected to the House of Representatives when she flipped her seat in 2018.

• In her first two years, Lauren has already made her mark, serving in the Congressional Black Caucus and the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, and fighting to protect the Affordable Care Act. Now, Republicans are getting downright nasty, calling Lauren a “fake nurse” just as the COVID-19 pandemic was taking shape. 

• The bottom line: Lauren is up against a well-known self-funder in an R+5 seat—we can’t take this seat for granted.

Sharice Davids | Kansas’ 3rd District

• Sharice Davis is a history-maker in her own right. In 2018, she was one of the first two Native American women to be elected to Congress, and she is Kansas’ first openly gay member of Congress. 

• Thanks in part to Sharice, Kansas is becoming increasingly competitive, and this year, we’re helping Barbara Bollier flip Kansas’ Senate seat. Still, Kansas is a red state, and Donald Trump is expected to win there by more than 10 points.

• The bottom line: When she won in 2018, Sharice was the first Democrat elected from Kansas in more than a decade. It won’t be easy, but in order to keep the House, we have to re-elect Sharice. 

Xochitl Torres Small | New Mexico’s 2nd District

• Xochitl Torres Small is an advocate first. In New Mexico, she fought for clean water and a better environment for all. Then, she won a seat in the House—flipping her district from red-to-blue in 2018.

• Even though we think of New Mexico as a blue state, Xoch represents a very rural district, which means it's redder than the rest of the state and harder to campaign in (especially now).

• The bottom line: To keep our majority, Democrats have to win in red and purple areas, too, like New Mexico’s 2nd district. The non-partisan Cook Political Report rates this seat a “tossup”—we need to keep doing everything we can to help Xoch win reelection.

SEATS WE CAN FLIP

Betsy Dirksen-Londrigan | Illinois’ 13th District

• In 2009, Betsy Dirksen-Londrigan came face-to-face with the problems in America’s healthcare system when her son Jack was left in a medically-induced coma because of a tick bite. Thankfully, Jack emerged from the coma and is now doing well.

• Betsy took this first-hand knowledge of our healthcare system and brought it to the campaign trail as a candidate for Congress two years ago. She lost by just 2,000 votes. 

• The bottom line: Washington will be better off with Betsy’s perspective on healthcare, and this year, she’s going to beat her opponent, who has a long history of voting to repeal the ACA and eliminate protections for those with pre-existing conditions. 

Patricia Timmons-Goodson | North Carolina’s 8th District

• Patricia Timmons-Goodson is a lawyer and former Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. In 2016, Barack Obama nominated her to the federal bench—and Mitch McConnell blocked her nomination so that Donald Trump could fill the seat instead.

• Patricia has seen firsthand how partisan politics has stopped us from helping the families who need it most, and she’s decided to do something about it: She’s running for Congress.

• The bottom line: Patricia’s background and unique experiences have made this red seat one that we can win, and that’s why the DCCC JUST upgraded her seat to a top Red-to-Blue target. 

Claire Russo | Virginia’s 5th District

• Claire Russo has spent her life fighting for us. She joined the Marine Corps at 23 years old, became an intelligence officer, and was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

• Watch Claire’s newest ad about her experience as a survivor of military sexual assault and how she took on the military to fight for justice.

• The bottom line: We need hard-working young women like Claire who will bring much-needed perspective with them to the halls of Congress. Her primary is THIS month, and with Claire as the Democratic nominee, we can win this seat.