Warren endorses 20 Democratic women for down-ballot races

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Wednesday announced endorsements for 20 women running for congressional, state and local offices, including a number of Democrats in hotly contested races.

Warren wrote in an email to her supporters that the candidates will help enact “big structural change in 2021” and are “fighting to put power in the hands of the people.”

“If we all do our part this year, a new slate of leaders will take office next January. They’ll be a breath of fresh air and a burst of energy in the fight to make our economy, our government, and our democracy work for everyone, not just the rich and powerful,” Warren said.

“Together, we can elect Democrats who support bold solutions, rather than temporary fixes and short-term deals — who will fight for bold reforms to get through this crisis, and who will address the root causes of how we got here.”

Included among the endorsees are women running in some of the most-watched House races in the country, including Democratic Reps. Sharice Davids (Kans.), Lauren Underwood (Ill.), Abby Finkenauer (Iowa) and Katie Porter (Calif.), all of whom flipped GOP seats in 2018.

Warren is also backing a number of non-incumbents, including Christy Smith, who is running to replace former Rep. Katie Hill (Calif.), Gina Ortiz Jones, who is campaigning to replace outgoing Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas), and Candace Valenzuela, who is running in another GOP-held seat in Texas. 

Nebraska Democrat Kara Eastman is also included in the list of endorsees. Eastman, a progressive, is running in a competitive primary against a moderate Democrat to win the chance to face off against Rep. Don Bacon (R) in November.

The endorsements also cover a number of local races, including Sarah McBride, a transgender activist running for a state Senate seat in Delaware, a contest Warren says will be particularly important in during the coronavirus pandemic.

“This November, statewide and state legislative elections will be especially critical as we recover from the coronavirus crisis in the short term and rebuild our economy in the long term,” Warren wrote. 

Warren does not solicit financial contributions for the 20 women but does ask her supporters to fill out a survey detailing how they intend to help the endorsees. She also indicated she will unveil more endorsements in the future.

Warren, who dropped out of the White House race in March, still boasts a hefty email list after suspending her presidential campaign and holds sway among progressive supporters. 

Republicans were quick to pounce on Warren’s endorsements as supposed evidence that the Democrats in tight races are embracing the “socialist” policies of Warren.

“Massachusetts socialist Elizabeth Warren gave her seal of approval to Abby Finkenauer today, with an official endorsement,” the National Republican Congressional Committee said in a press release on Finkenauer’s race. “We already know Abby supports Warren’s Medicare for All plan to ban employer-provided health insurance, but which other parts of Warren’s socialist agenda did Finkenauer promise to support in exchange for her endorsement?”