The very rich GOP Senate candidates
When I first ran for the Oregon legislature, hardly anybody knew who I was. And I was running against two former state representatives who many people knew.
To win, it was clear that I had to engage with voters one-on-one. So, I printed flyers on my home computer, laced up my jogging shoes, and knocked on the doors in my district.
By talking to people on their front steps about their daily lives and hearing their struggles, I learned how I could best represent them. I won because I listened.
As the son of a union millwright and the first person in my family to go to college, I know why it's so important to have representatives who listen to, understand, and stand up for regular folks and push back against the powerful and privileged.
When I look at the field of GOP Senate candidates across the country, I see ultra-wealthy MAGA Republicans writing checks from their personal fortunes to fund their campaigns against grassroots Democratic opponents. Instead of engaging with voters, they're trying to buy elections.
Make no mistake: this was an intentional decision by national Republicans to back candidates with enormous personal fortunes because they're struggling for campaign cash against our slate of wonderful Democratic incumbents and their strong grassroots support.
Let's take a closer look at some of the Trump-endorsed, mega-rich Republicans running in highly competitive races against our battleground Democratic incumbents to try and flip the Senate:
- In Pennsylvania, David McCormick, the former chief executive of Bridgewater Associates, one of the largest hedge funds in the world, is challenging Democratic Senator Bob Casey. McCormick is worth between $116 million and $290 million!
- In Wisconsin, Republicans are running Eric Hovde, the chairman and chief executive of Sunwest Bank, a $2.8 billion commercial lender, to challenge Senator Tammy Baldwin. Hovde is the owner of a $7 million home in Laguna Beach, California. He's already spent over $4 million of his own money on advertising and digital ads.
- In Montana, Republican Tim Sheehy is running against Senator Jon Tester. While Sheehy is trying to brand himself as an average Joe, his company, Bridger Aerospace, is valued at $869 million.
These self-funding Republican candidates running in key swing races are trying to buy their way into office and drown out the voice of the people by writing checks to their campaigns. Our grassroots support and momentum can make up the difference for our Democratic incumbents, and if we activate our grassroots team now, we can hold the Democratic Senate Majority.
Can I count on your support by pitching in whatever you can today?
Onward!
Jeff
