FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 13, 2016
CONTACT:
Carolyn Fiddler
National Communications Director
[email protected]
DLCC RELEASES FINAL, EXPANDED INSTALLMENT OF 2016 ESSENTIAL RACES
List Grows from 45 to 52 to Accommodate Inspiring Candidates and Grassroots Groundswell
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Executive Director Jessica Post announced the final installment of DLCC’s 2016 Essential Races. This week’s list grew from 15 key contests to 22, bringing the total Essential Races list to 52 exciting candidates in key legislative chamber battlegrounds.
“Democrats are primed for major wins in state legislative chambers across the country on Election Day, and the candidates running in our Essential Races are a crucial element of DLCC’s success,” said Post. “This cycle’s down-ballot Democratic recruits are unprecedented in their diversity and quality. The success of these candidates will not only decide the balance of power in many states, but also help state legislatures better reflect the increasing diversity of the American electorate.”
The list of the final 22 Essential Races is below; you can find detailed bios and district information here. (You can find information on the first 15 Essential Races here and the second 15 here.)
With almost 6,000 state legislative districts on the ballot this November, identifying the most important races can be daunting. These campaigns are generally lower profile than those for Congress or governor, and public polling of individual districts is rare. At just 52 districts, our Essential Races list is a bare fraction of the competitive state legislative campaigns in 2016. A list of every top-tier state legislative campaign would run into the hundreds.
Rather, this list represents a relative handful of races deserving of broader attention. Some of them are races that will likely be the most competitive in their chambers. Others provide good bellwethers for similar districts elsewhere in the state.
Essential Races – Round 3
Daniel Hernandez – Arizona House District 2
Status: Democratic Incumbent; Republican Incumbent
Representative Eric Meyer, M.D. – Arizona Senate District 28
Status: Republican Open
Beth Tuuro – Florida House District 47
Status: Republican Incumbent
Jennifer Webb – Florida House District 69
Status: Republican Incumbent
Representative José Javier Rodriguez – Florida Senate District 37
Status: Republican Incumbent
Thomas Trehus – Minnesota House District 28B
Status: Republican Incumbent
Kip Fontaine – Minnesota Senate District 1
Status: Democratic Open
Matt Little – Minnesota Senate District 58
Status: Republican Open
Senator Scott Sifton – Missouri Senate District 1
Status: Democratic Incumbent
Representative Stephen Webber – Missouri Senate District 19
Status: Republican Open
Representative Zac Perry – Montana House District 3
Status: Democratic Incumbent
Garrett Lankford – Montana House District 25
Status: Democratic Open
Representative Margie MacDonald – Montana Senate District 26
Status: Republican Open
Leader Michael Sanchez – New Mexico Senate District 29
Status: Democratic Incumbent
Jane Campbell – North Carolina House District 98
Status: Republican Incumbent
Karla Rose Hanson – North Dakota House District 44
Status: Democratic Open
Tommy Greene – Ohio House District 16
Status: Republican Open
Janelle Bynum – Oregon House District 51
Status: Democratic Open
Tonia Moro – Oregon Senate District 3
Status: Democratic Open
Brian Smith – Wisconsin Senate District 14
Status: Republican Incumbent
Mark Harris – Wisconsin Senate District 18
Status: Republican Open
Stephen Skinner – West Virginia Senate District 16
Status: Democratic Open
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