It has been a long primary season, but with our decisive victories Tuesday night in New Hampshire GQR is energized and ready for November.
As we all know, elections matter, and campaigns matter. Our strategic insights have made the difference between winning and losing; and our team is winning. We are winning elections in State Houses, Governors’ Mansions, the US Capitol and everything in between.
This year GQR is proud to have worked directly with 18 first-time candidates and more than 25 women who are running for office.
Just this week we watched as former State Senator Molly Kelly won a staggering 66% of the vote, securing the Democratic nomination for New Hampshire Governor. In another equally impressive victory, NH Executive Councilor and small business owner Chris Pappas garnered 42% of the vote in an 11-candidate field to win the nomination to succeed retiring Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter. If elected in November, Pappas will be New Hampshire’s first openly gay member of Congress.
These wins cap an extraordinary primary season where GQR worked with impressive candidates across the country. As we look toward November, we are humbled to be in this fight, shoulder-to-shoulder, with such an amazing group of leaders, first-time candidates, women and men of color and LGBTQ candidates who share our values and ideals.
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In May Theresa Gasper won 68% of the vote and secured the Democratic nomination in Ohio’s 10th Congressional District.
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Liz Watson took home nearly two-thirds of the vote in her Primary victory in Indiana’s 9th Congressional District.
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Anthony Brindisi has been a fighter for public school education and as the Democratic nominee in NY’s 22nd Congressional District – he is going to take that fight to Washington.
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In North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District Linda Coleman garnered 56% of the vote in her 3-way Primary and is leading her opponent in what has been a reliably Republican district.
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Our victory in Texas’ 7th Congressional District primary was hard fought, but Lizzie Fletcher put in the work and achieved the nomination.
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Iowa saw first-time candidate Deirdre DeJear win 51% of the vote, defeating a two-time congressional candidate to become the nominee for Secretary of State. Her victory in November will make her IA’s first African American statewide officeholder.
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We saw three big wins in New Jersey this primary season. Donald Norcross earned more than 84% of the vote, securing his nomination to serve his third full term in the First Congressional District. First-time candidates Tom Malinowski and Andy Kim locked up the Democratic nomination in NJ’s 7th and 3rd Congressional Districts.
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June brought victory to Michelle Lujan Grisham in her bid for the Democratic nomination for Governor of New Mexico, where she received over 66% of the vote. When Michelle wins in November she will be the nation’s first Democratic Latina Governor.
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Kim Schrier’s background as a pediatrician has put her at the forefront of solving problems and winning a spot on the ballot in Washington’s 8th Congressional District will put her skills to work for all of us.
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In Michigan and across the country Debbie Stabenow is standing up for families. She fights for the dignity of all people in all that she does. Victory in November will deliver her a fourth term in the US Senate.
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Michigan’s Elissa Slotkin has served our country with distinction, and now as the Democrat vying for the 8th Congressional District, this first-time candidate will bring principled leadership to Washington.
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Ned Lamont won an impressive Democratic Primary in Connecticut in August winning 81% of the vote.
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Candidates like Kara Eastman in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District who are committed to fighting for healthcare and job training are leading the way forward.
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August brought many successes to Minnesota this primary season. Tina Smith achieved a decisive victory with 76% of the vote. Amy Klobuchar achieved a remarkable 95% of the vote, securing the Democratic nomination to serve her third term in the US Senate. Dean Phillips rounded out our candidate hat trick securing his nomination too. Our work with the Minnesota Victory PAC to help Tim Walz win his Democratic Gubernatorial Primary with 43% of the vote achieved what we were looking for in the land of 10,000 lakes.
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Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District Democratic candidate Susan Wild won her primary because she believes in the power of community and wants to harness that power to work for working-class families in Washington.
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Democrats like Katie Hobbs, who as a state legislator fought for Medicaid expansion and the protection of voting rights, is now continuing that mission as the Democratic candidate for Secretary of State.
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Late August saw our team add four wins to the list. Florida’s Kristen Carlson and Nancy Soderberg both in 3-way primaries earned more than 53% of the vote to secure their nominations in the 15th and 6th Congressional Districts. Both Mary Barzee Flores and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell also picked up primary wins in Florida’s 25th and 26th Congressional Districts.
These fighters are on the ground everyday making our country stronger. Our work with state legislative caucuses in WA, CT and TN and our insightful research is making the difference in advocacy efforts from coast to coast.
We are in this game, we are ready for a fight and we are prepared to win.