Here’s part two of an ongoing series in which we’re introducing you to Democratic candidates who are running as the ONLY Democrat in a race for Federal office against a GOP opponent. The following candidates are Democratic nominees in early primary states where filing deadlines have passed.
Three veterans, two small business owners, a public school teacher, an attorney, an international businessperson, a community activist, and a great-grandparent – that’s who these four Democratic candidates running for Congress in 2020 are. Be sure to go to the candidates’ websites, follow them on social media, consider donating to their campaigns, and most of all, spread the word!
Read Part 1 in the series here.
Alabama
CD-04
This seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Robert Aderholt
Democratic Nominee: Rick Neighbors
Army veteran Rick Neighbors will be another voice in Washington fighting for access to affordable healthcare, expanding economic opportunity and security to rural communities through technology, and bringing high-speed internet to rural America. He is a strong advocate for expanding access to affordable college education, having received his bachelor’s degree in political science after serving in the Army, with assistance from the GI Bill. Following his 35-year career in the apparel industry and international business, he earned an MBA and graduate certification in project management. He and his wife Judy have three children, five grandchildren, and four great granddaughters.
His opponent, Republican Rep. Robert Aderholt, voted against the Save The Internet Act of 2019, the Lowering Drug Costs Now Act and the Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act, and voted multiple times to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
- Learn more about Rick and his campaign here.
North Carolina
CD-13
This seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Ted Budd
Democratic Nominee: Scott Huffman
North Carolina native Scott Huffman is a husband, father of three, Navy veteran, business owner and community activist. After working in the Navy’s Joint Chiefs & Naval Communications Center, he opened a small business in his community. Those career experiences will make him a strong advocate for creating good paying jobs and providing a living wage to all Americans, protecting veterans’ benefits, and investing in public education.
In contrast, gun store owner Rep. Ted Budd voted against raising the minimum wage, against the Lowering Drug Costs Now Act, and for the Trump 2018 tax cut that has ballooned the national deficit to $1 trillion, twice what it was in 2015 under the Obama Administration.
- Learn more about Scott and his campaign here.
- And visit the Meet The Candidate: Scott Huffman piece on DemCast here.
Ohio
CD–02
This seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Brad Wenstrup
Democratic Nominee: Jaime Castle
Democratic candidate Jaime Castle is running for Congress to bring a new voice to Washington for the people of Ohio’s 2nd District. An Ohio native, she and her husband, Ben, have two children. While raising her children, she started a small business before returning to the classroom as a Cincinnati Public Schools teacher. She will be a strong advocate for improving America’s classrooms, thanks to her experience as a teacher and a parent.
Online publication FiveThirtyEight.com shows that in key votes, Republican Rep. Wenstrup has voted with President Trump 95% of the time. He has voted against the Equality Act, the Paycheck Fairness Act, and against the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act in both 2013 and 2017. And, despite being a medical professional, he has voted multiple times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would strip away healthcare access from millions of Americans.
- Learn more about Jaime and her campaign here.
CD- 14
This seat is currently held by Republican Rep David Joyce
Democratic Nominee: Hillary O’Connor Mueri
Hillary “Toro” O’Connor Mueri is a former Navy flight officer and an attorney from Painesville, Ohio. She was raised in a union family, by her schoolteacher and Ohio Education Association mom, and United Auto Worker dad. While earning her degree in aviation engineering at Ohio State University, she joined the Navy ROTC. She started flight school in 1999 and became a commissioned Naval officer, flying 12 combat missions in Iraq. After her service, she earned a law degree and focused her legal practice on aviation product liability, while also doing pro-bono work for people in need.
In a recent interview with Cleveland.com, a Rep. Joyce campaign spokesperson stated: “From protecting Lake Erie to combatting the opioid epidemic, no one works harder to deliver results for hardworking northeast Ohio families than Congressman Dave Joyce.” Yet, Rep. Joyce, like his Republican colleagues, has frequently voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act, against expanding background checks for gun sales, against the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, and more. And, while he did vote to protect the Great Lakes, a closer look at his environmental voting record shows multiple votes against environmental protections for other communities.
- Learn more about Hillary and her campaign here.
About Take A Seat America
As Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
That’s why Democrats must challenge every seat, even in so-called “red” or data-identified “un-winnable” districts. Let’s face it, any district is “un-winnable” if we concede the race before it begins. And if a Democrat doesn’t appear on the ballot, we lose far more than an election. We lose our voice in the community. If we’re not there to define ourselves and to advocate for our beliefs, others will be only too happy to do it for us, and not in a good way. And I’ve had just about enough of Republican lies. Haven’t you?
Take A Seat America fills that gap in our electoral strategy. As a DemCast partner organization, we share DemCast’s belief that challenging every seat, in every state, is essential. We promote Federal candidates looking to flip a GOP-held seat or to save a Democratic-held seat where there is no Democratic incumbent up for re-election. We hold a key position on the offensive line.
We do not endorse in primaries, but once primary filing deadlines pass and we identify seats where only one Democratic candidate has emerged, we’re there to help.
We’ll continue to track races across the country over the coming months, update our website with candidate information as Democratic nominees emerge, and share that information here on DemCast.
Please visit TakeASeatAmerica.org and click on The Map to explore our 50-state political action resource, filled with key dates, voter registration information, and links to ALL Democratic nominees running for GOP-held or open seats for Federal races across the country.
Then follow us on our social media platforms and, if you are inspired, make a small donation to help our effort.
Thanks for reading!
