This is from yesterday’s Washington Post (archive link after quote):
Thirteen Democratic House members and candidates announced their support Thursday for a centrist initiative aimed at pushing back against the party’s tilt toward democratic socialism.
[…]
“They should not be the face of our party,” said Jessica Killin, a Democratic candidate running in a competitive Colorado district. “We need to be organized and clear in our vision.”
Killin is one of the 13 who signed on to the “Promise to America” initiative that commits candidates to a set of centrist principles, including capitalism, fiscal discipline, strong borders and pride in the United States.
[…]
The other signatories [other than Killin, Rep. Tom Suozzi (NY) and Rep Adam Gray (CA)] who announced their support Thursday include candidates and incumbents running in competitive races, including several districts that Trump won. Reps. Kristen McDonald Rivet (Michigan), Susie Lee (Nevada), Maggie Goodlander (New Hampshire), Josh Gottheimer (New Jersey), Laura Gillen (New York), Don Davis (North Carolina), Janelle Bynum (Oregon) and Vicente Gonzalez (Texas) are all supporters. Candidates Marlene Galán-Woods in Arizona, Jamie Ager and Paul Barringer in North Carolina and Bobby Pulido in Texas also signed on.
I looked around a while to find any outlet other than the Post that had covered the story, but the quoted story is the only one I could find. Here’s the Promise to America website. It’s non-specific, but they clearly want a balanced budget, and they’re patriots.
These candidates are all running in tough districts. Most of them will probably be fine in this political environment, but the challengers are going to have to work hard to win.
Speaking of tough districts, I started blogging in 2006, covering a R+6 district. In 2008, the Democrat in the race won. Times have changed, but he didn’t do it by pissing left or promising to balance the budget. He centered healthcare as an issue, spoke out against the war in Iraq, and he put in the work, knocking on doors and engaging with the party committees in the district. He won by winning over voters.
The Promise to America organization, headed by a guy who ran WelcomeFest 2025, is not here for voters. The pablum promises and attacking the left are a reassurance to donors. The subtext is: “don’t worry, we’re not going to tax the rich or enact meaningful regulation.” I hope all of these candidates win, but I just don’t find the strategy of the organization they’ve joined compelling.
