The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee says they have surpassed their recruitment goals for the year, spotlighting 60 candidates in Republican-held and open seat districts as they try to regain control of the House in 2012.
The DCCC's milestone comes after a week in which they've had particular recruitment success. The party has picked up top-tier recruits in California, Oklahoma, Indiana, Florida and Wisconsin in recent days as they search for the 25 seats they need to win back the majority.
The DCCC's milestone comes after a week in which they've had particular recruitment success. The party has picked up top-tier recruits in California, Oklahoma, Indiana, Florida and Wisconsin in recent days as they search for the 25 seats they need to win back the majority.
In California, former astronaut Jose Hernandez, the son of migrant farm workers who didn't learn English until he was a teen, announced this week he'll run against freshman Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., in a district that looks much better for Democrats after redistricting.
Democrats also landed assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Wallace to run in the open seat race to succeed retiring Rep. Dan Boren, D-Okla. While this GOP-leaning district will be a tough one for Democrats to hold, if they are able to, it will take someone with Wallace's moderate, pro-gun and religion-friendly background to do so.
Other top candidates announcing already this month: retired Brig. Gen. Jonathan Georgeagainst Rep. Todd Young, R-Ind., in the 9th District; former state Rep. Keith Fitzgeraldagainst Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., in the 13th District; and business consultant Jamie Wall against Rep. Reid Ribble, R-Wis., in the 8th District.
Republicans were quick to point out that several of the candidates had run in 2010 and fallen short or were former members who were defeated last cycle.
"It's embarrassing for any candidate to be grouped with someone as crazy as Alan Grayson, but the biggest vulnerability for everyone on this list is that they all fully support President Obama's job-destroying agenda," said National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Joanna Burgos.
DCCC chairman Steve Israel said Democrats have "the wind now at our backs." He credited Rep. Allyson Schwartz, who heads recruiting for the DCCC, with picking up candidates ahead of schedule. "Buyer's remorse has set in with Independent voters across the country who are reject the Republican agenda that ends Medicare and fails to create jobs while protecting special interests and the ultra wealthy at the expense of the middle class and seniors," Israel said in a statement. Meanwhile, Democrats are happy with results from two new surveys that show them leading in Congressional contests. A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Democrats winning the generic ballot test by eight points, 48 percent to 40 percent, while an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll showed voters preferring a Democratic Congress by a 44 percent to 41 percent margin.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/blogs/hotlineoncall/2011/10/dccc-touts-hitting-recruitment-goal-13
Democrats also landed assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Wallace to run in the open seat race to succeed retiring Rep. Dan Boren, D-Okla. While this GOP-leaning district will be a tough one for Democrats to hold, if they are able to, it will take someone with Wallace's moderate, pro-gun and religion-friendly background to do so.
Other top candidates announcing already this month: retired Brig. Gen. Jonathan Georgeagainst Rep. Todd Young, R-Ind., in the 9th District; former state Rep. Keith Fitzgeraldagainst Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., in the 13th District; and business consultant Jamie Wall against Rep. Reid Ribble, R-Wis., in the 8th District.
Republicans were quick to point out that several of the candidates had run in 2010 and fallen short or were former members who were defeated last cycle.
"It's embarrassing for any candidate to be grouped with someone as crazy as Alan Grayson, but the biggest vulnerability for everyone on this list is that they all fully support President Obama's job-destroying agenda," said National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Joanna Burgos.
DCCC chairman Steve Israel said Democrats have "the wind now at our backs." He credited Rep. Allyson Schwartz, who heads recruiting for the DCCC, with picking up candidates ahead of schedule. "Buyer's remorse has set in with Independent voters across the country who are reject the Republican agenda that ends Medicare and fails to create jobs while protecting special interests and the ultra wealthy at the expense of the middle class and seniors," Israel said in a statement. Meanwhile, Democrats are happy with results from two new surveys that show them leading in Congressional contests. A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Democrats winning the generic ballot test by eight points, 48 percent to 40 percent, while an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll showed voters preferring a Democratic Congress by a 44 percent to 41 percent margin.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/blogs/hotlineoncall/2011/10/dccc-touts-hitting-recruitment-goal-13