Former President Barack Obama endorses 81 candidates in U.S. midterms, says he's 'eager' to get involved

John Fritze | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Obama endorses 81 Democrats Former President Barack Obama is throwing his weight behind a long list of Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.

WASHINGTON – Former President Barack Obama announced endorsements Wednesday of 81 Democratic candidates in the November midterm elections, and said he is "eager" to help his party gain seats in a contest widely seen as a referendum on President Donald Trump.

While Obama did not mention Trump by name, he said in a statement outlining his plans that he wanted to lend his status to help candidates who would fight for shared opportunity, help repair alliances abroad and further a commitment to justice.

He described his picks as "diverse, patriotic, and big-hearted."

Obama weighed into races for governor, the House of Representatives, Senate and also for state legislative seats. He backed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who would be the nation’s first African-American female governor if elected, Nevada Senate candidate Jacky Rosen and scientist Sean Casten, who is running in a tossup House district in Illinois.

He backed California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom's bid for governor, Susan Wild, who is running for a vacant, previously Republican-held seat in Pennsylvania and Ohio gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray.

He also endorsed in races in Colorado, Iowa, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Texas.

Today I’m proud to endorse such a wide and impressive array of Democratic candidates – leaders as diverse, patriotic, and big-hearted as the America they’re running to represent: pic.twitter.com/gWzalQhFas — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 1, 2018

Obama has kept a relatively low profile since leaving office last year, and many Democrats have been keen to get the president – still widely popular within the party – onto the campaign trail. Democrats are battling for control of the House, and need to flip a net 23 seats to take over that chamber. They face a more daunting challenge in the Senate, where Republicans hold a two-seat majority but where Democrats are struggling to defend seats in several states that Trump won in 2016.

“I’m confident that, together, they’ll strengthen this country we love by restoring opportunity that’s broadly shared, repairing our alliances and standing in the world, and upholding our fundamental commitment to justice, fairness, responsibility, and the rule of law," Obama said in a statement.

"But first, they need our votes – and I’m eager to make the case for why Democratic candidates deserve our votes this fall.”

California

Gavin Newsom (Governor)

Eleni Kounalakis (Lt. Governor)

Josh Harder (U.S. House, CA-10)

TJ Cox (U.S. House, CA-21)

Katie Hill (U.S. House, CA-25)

Katie Porter (U.S. House, CA-45)

Harley Rouda (U.S. House, CA-48)

Mike Levin (U.S. House, CA-49)

Ammar Campa-Najjar (U.S. House, CA-50)

Buffy Wicks (State Assembly, District 15)



Colorado

Jared Polis (Governor)

Dianne Primavera (Lt. Governor)

Phil Weiser (Attorney General)

Jena Griswold (Secretary of State)

Tammy Story (State Senate, District 16)

Jessie Danielson (State Senate, District 20)

Brittany Pettersen (State Senate, District 22)

Faith Winter (State Senate, District 24)

Dylan Roberts (State House, District 26)

Dafna Michaelson Jenet (State House, District 30)

Shannon Bird (State House, District 35)

Rochelle Galindo (State House, District 50)

Julie McCluskie (State House, District 61)



Georgia

Stacey Abrams (Governor)

Sarah Riggs Amico (Lt. Governor)

Matthew Wilson (State House, District 80)

Shelly Hutchinson (State House, District 107)



Illinois

J.B. Pritzker (Governor)

Juliana Stratton (Lt. Governor)

Kwame Raoul (Attorney General)

Sean Casten (U.S. House, IL-6)

Brendan Kelly (U.S. House, IL-12)

Lauren Underwood (U.S. House, IL-14)



Iowa

Deidre DeJear (Secretary of State)

Tim Gannon (Secretary of Agriculture)

Kristin Sunde (State House, District 42)

Jennifer Konfrst (State House, District 43)

Eric Gjerde (State House, District 67)

Laura Liegois (State House, District 91)



Maine

Louis Luchini (State Senate, District 7)

Laura Fortman (State Senate, District 13)

Linda Sanborn (State Senate, District 30)



Nevada

Jacky Rosen (U.S. Senate)

Susie Lee (U.S. House, NV-3)

Steven Horsford (U.S. House, NV-4)



New Jersey

Andy Kim (U.S. House, NJ-3)

Tom Malinowski (U.S. House, NJ-7)



New Mexico

Debra Haaland (U.S. House, NM-1)

Daymon Ely (State House, District 23)

Natalie Figueroa (State House, District 30)



New York

Antonio Delgado (U.S. House, NY-19)

Anna Kaplan (State Senate, District 7)



North Carolina

Wiley Nickel (State Senate, District 16)

Ron Wesson (State House, District 1)

Terence Everitt (State House, District 35)

Julie Von Haefen (State House, District 36)

Sydney Batch (State House, District 37)

Rachel Hunt (State House, District 103)



Ohio

Richard Cordray (Governor)

Betty Sutton (Lt. Governor)

Steve Dettelbach (Attorney General)

Kathleen Clyde (Secretary of State)

Zack Space (Auditor)

Aftab Pureval (U.S. House, OH-1)

Jill Schiller (U.S. House, OH-2)

Phil Robinson (State House, District 6)

Stephanie Howse (State House, District 11)

Mary Lightbody (State House, District 19)

Beth Liston (State House, District 21)

Allison Russo (State House, District 24)

Erica Crawley (State House, District 26)

Tavia Galonski (State House, District 35)

Casey Weinstein (State House, District 37)

Taylor Sappington (State House, District 94)



Pennsylvania

Madeleine Dean (U.S. House, PA-4)

Susan Wild (U.S. House, PA-7)

Tina Davis (State Senate, District 6)

Liz Hanbidge (State House, District 61)

Carolyn Comitta (State House, District 156)



Texas

Adrienne Bell (U.S. House, TX-14)

Colin Allred (U.S. House, TX-32)