Meet some of our featured candidates and learn more about our leaders in Congress.
We need you to vote for Democrats up and down the ballot - for the President and for Congress. We need just 25 seats to win back the House - and your support will make the difference.
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Tony Cardenas is running for Congress with an extensive record of creating jobs and standing up for the middle class.
After becoming the first Latino to represent the San Fernando Valley in California's legislature, Tony quickly used his position as chairman of the
Assembly budget committee to cut through red tape and institute reforms that made Los Angeles more business friendly, which ushered in a period of
job growth that the area had not seen in almost a decade. He's also been relentless in his efforts to make communities safer by pioneering the
most comprehensive anti-gang violence initiative in the country and by co-writing the Schiff-Cardenas Crime Prevention Act, which helps troubled
youths avoid gang life and put more police officers on city streets. Following an impressive win in the June primary election, Cardenas is on track
to continue his fight for hardworking families in the San Fernando Valley in Congress.
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A rising star in the Democratic Party, Joaquin Castro is among the best and brightest of the next generation of
Latino leaders. Joaquin graduated with honors from Stanford University and went on to receive his Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School.
He then pursued his commitment to public service by getting elected to the Texas House of Representatives at age 28. Not forgetting his
humble upbringing, Joaquin has been a relentless advocate of making the American dream achievable for hard working families and
underprivileged children. He used his position in the state legislature to fight for expanding access and affordability of higher education
to students. And in understanding the importance of a great education, he personally raised money to send underprivileged youths on college
visits. Joaquin ran uncontested in the Democratic primary for Texas' 20th congressional district and is now poised to continue his efforts
in Washington. |
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Pete Gallego has been a effective leader in the Hispanic community and in the Texas Legislature for decades. As
the leader of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus and as the chairman of numerous legislative committees, Pete helped secure billions
of dollars in funding for America's public schools. And while he's been successful on this and several other issues including immigration
and criminal justice, Pete has also demonstrated a remarkable ability to work across the aisle to solve problems. He's worked with both
Democrats and Republicans on building schools and roads, expanding access to healthcare, protecting water quality, and creating jobs.
Pete is ready to take his proven record and unwavering determination to Washington to continue the fight for the middle class and those
working to get into it. |
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As a twelfth-generation New Mexican, Michelle Lujan Grisham heralds from a long and proud tradition of service to the hardworking families
of New Mexico. Her grandfather Eugene Lujan was the first Hispanic Chief Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court. Her father Buddy Lujan
served the Santa Fe community as a dentist who frequently provided free care to those who couldn't afford it. Michelle eagerly embarked on
a career path to serve her community as well. Shortly after graduating from law school, Michelle worked for the Lawyer Referral for the
Elderly Program of the State Bar of New Mexico where she fought to protect seniors from foreclosure, scam artists, and neglect. Because of
her efforts, Michelle was appointed to head the New Mexico State Agency on Aging, and became the state's first Secretary of Aging and Long
Term Services. Michelle is the Democratic nominee in New Mexico's 1st district after winning a closely contested primary election.
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The son of a railroad man and a politically active mother who worked on behalf of veterans, John Hernandez learned early on
the importance of hard work and leadership. After working at a grocery store to pay his way through college, John went on to become
President of the Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The organization won numerous awards and achieved national recognition
for helping small businesses during John's tenure. John is now running for Congress in the central valley so that he can continue
supporting small businesses, the middle class, and those striving to get into it. John's race promises to be very competitive.
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Few candidates embody the American dream like Jose Hernandez. Coming from humble beginnings, Jose spent much of his childhood working
alongside his parents and siblings picking crops in California. Young Jose aspired for more, however, and with the encouragement of his
parents he pursued his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut. Jose first worked as an engineer where he was instrumental in developing
life-saving mammograms that have helped countless women detect breast cancer in its early stages. In 2004, his hard work paid off when he
was accepted by NASA and went on to serve as a flight engineer aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. Jose is now seeking to keep the American
dream alive for the next generation by fighting for hardworking families in Congress as a representative from California's 10th district.
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John Oceguera developed a strong sense of community, responsibility, and perseverance from a young age. Raised
by a single mother, John's family didn't have much and often counted on him to make ends meet. John helped support his family and worked
his way through school by mowing lawns, umpiring ball games, and taking up various other odd jobs to contribute to the family savings. The
values John learned growing up led him to become a firefighter in North Las Vegas, eventually working his way through the ranks to Assistant
Fire Chief. John continued his public service in the Nevada State Assembly, where his colleagues unanimously elected him Speaker of the
Nevada Assembly. Now, John is seeking to continue his service in Congress. After an impressive victory in the Democratic primary, he'll
square off against Republican incumbent Joe Heck in Nevada's very competitive 3rd district. This race promises to be one of the most
competitive in the country. |
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Dr. Raul Ruiz's story is as improbable as it is inspiring. As the son of migrant farm workers, Raul was raised in a low-income household in
the Coachella Valley. And while he learned from an early age that a great education is a critical part of achieving the American dream, the
high cost of college tuition was a daunting obstacle for Raul and his family. With grit and determination, he walked from business to
business in the Coachella Valley to ask for help paying for his tuition, promising that he would one day return to the area and use his
education to help others. Indeed he has - after graduating magna cum laude from UCLA and Harvard Medical School, Ruiz returned to Coachella
to work as an ER doctor in the area's only non-profit hospital. Dr. Ruiz then founded the Future Physicians Leaders program, which supports
underprivileged students who want to become doctors and return to their community to serve. Dr. Ruiz is ready to start a new chapter of
service in Congress and faces a competitive election this fall against Republican incumbent Mary Bono Mack.
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Juan Vargas has been a dedicated public servant for decades. Despite being born into poverty, Juan benefitted
from scholarships and went on to earn impressive academic credentials that culminated in a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School - where
he was classmates with Barack Obama. Juan began serving disadvantaged communities soon after by joining the Jesuits, a Catholic religious
order, where he spent years focusing on the health and welfare of children and issues of social justice. Juan later entered the realm of
public service after first getting elected to the San Diego City Council, and then to the California legislature. As a public servant, Juan
fought tobacco advertising directed at children, led efforts to ban smoking in children's playgrounds, and authored legislation to keep
violent sex offenders off the streets. He is looking forward to continuing to serve southern California as a U.S. Congressman.
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Filemon Vela has been active in law, public service, and politics at the grassroots level for decades. Filemon
heralds from a family committed to service - his late father served as a United States District judge and his mother was the mayor of
Brownsville. He is looking to continue that service in Washington D.C. as a tireless advocate of hardworking Texas families, small
businesses, and senior citizens. Filemon is determined to be a pragmatic and influential voice for South Texas as a Representative for
Texas' 34th district. |
| Paid for by the Democratic Congressional Campaign
Committee Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee | dccc.org |
