The worst of the worst:

Kim Daniels, the top of the heap

Kim Daniels, Florida, HD-14

Primary Date: August 18

She has got to go!

The GOP doesn’t even bother running anyone in this district north of Jacksonville, because Kim Daniels is everything they could ever want. Although the district is heavily blue, with nearly 60% of residents being registered Democrats, she is a reliable Republican vote. She’s also corrupt as hell.

Daniels rose to prominence after she created her own “church” that’s heavy on merchandising and tithing, yet also has exorcisms and faith healings. Divorce proceedings revealed the depth of her hustle, and the “church’s” role in financing Kim’s extravagant lifestyle. She’s given herself the title of “Apostle,” and not only claimed that prophets like herself knew Hurricane Irma was coming, but that it was “God’s will.” And that’s just the start.

There’s more, but I think I’ve made my point. Unfortunately, there are several challenges when unseating an incumbent. One factor is a disengaged electorate, many of whom just vote for the Democrat already in office. Another factor is low turnout, which is typical for primary elections. Remember, the primary is the entire election here, so we need a serious influx of help to combat her GOP money as well as get the word out about her between now and the Aug. 18 primary.

Daniels has two primary opponents so far. Please support them if you can!

Angie Nixon, challenging Kim Daniels

Angie Nixon just entered the race on March 7. She’s very well known in Duval County as an active community organizer, and stepped down as the first vice chair of the Duval County Democrats to run. Nixon is a real progressive, and she has also been field director for multiple social justice organizations across the state. She has already been endorsed by 90for90.

Her website is http://angienixon.com/

Connell Crooms, another challenger

The other Democrat running is Connell Crooms. Crooms is a deaf activist involved with multiple progressive organizations. He gained notoriety after being brutally beaten and arrested by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Charges were dropped against Crooms after the community protested. He then made an unsuccessful independent bid for city council. He has many issues he is passionate about, which are well-documented on his website.

http://www.connellcrooms.com/

Unfortunately, incumbent Kim Daniels is well-funded by prominent GOP donors. This is shaping up to be an open primary, where any registered Republican can vote. What will close the primary? If an independent jumps in. Amazingly, the Florida GOP is always able to keep its primaries closed, because an independent candidate always emerges. They file as candidates, but nobody ever hears from them after that. Strange, isn’t it?

Remember, Floridians: Aug. 18 is the primary. With early voting, you can vote a few days earlier. Either way, make sure you do your part to defeat Daniels!

The Worst:

Worst: Dan Lipinski

Dan Lipinski, Illinois, CD-3

Primary Date: March 17

This district, covering a southwestern portion of greater Chicago, is dark blue. Bernie Sanders won the primary in 2016 by an 8-point margin, and Hillary Clinton won the general by a 15-point margin. However, you would never know this from their representative: Dan Lipinski is more right-wing than many Republicans.

How right-wing? He is staunchly anti-choice. He co-chairs the Pro-Life Caucus and was the featured speaker alongside Donald Trump at the March for Life rally in Washington, D.C. He supports Trump on immigration, and voted against the Dream Act.

In other words, he’s a perfect Republican who can be counted on to vote with the GOP in this solid blue district. If you are wondering how he got into office in the first place, it’s pure shenanigans. His daddy, who held the seat before him, withdrew from the race after the primary and then urged Party leaders to appoint his son to replace him. Just like Kim Daniels in Jacksonville, Lipinski's incumbency gives him a head start.

Challenger Marie Newman

Lipinski and his father, Bill, have represented this area for a combined 19 terms. We can’t let the younger Lipinski make it 20. His challenger in 2018, Marie Newman, shook the establishment and came within a point of beating him. She’s running again.

She has been endorsed by MoveOn, Democracy for America, Justice Dems, and several other groups— including Daily Kos. Newman has a large grassroots following and is an actual Democrat. She is focused on developing the growing green economy, as well as infrastructure, public transportation, and jobs training. In the closest race of his career, Lipinski has attacked her as you would expect a Republican would: with false smears and by labeling her a “socialist” with “coastal elite friends.”

Support the real Democrat in this race: https://www.marienewmanforcongress.com/

There are two more declared Democrats in the race: Charles Hughes and Rush Darwish. The primary is this Tuesday, March 17.

Worst: David Scott

David Scott, Georgia, CD-13

Primary Date: May 19

David Scott holds a powerful position on the House Financial Services Committee, which is the worst place to be for someone so deep into the pockets of the payday lending industry. In return, he has gone so far as to plagiarize one of their lobbyists during a hearing on new rules to stop payday lending abuse. Attendees thought it odd that Scott couldn’t stop praising the predatory industry, until Scott outed himself by reading the following line: “They’ve all received positive feedback from our borrowers.” That assertion would make sense coming out of a lobbyist, but not a congressman.

He needs to go for many reasons. Let’s count a few.

For getting tens of thousands of dollars to shill for the shady payday lending industry , which targets communities of color in his greater Atlanta district

For consistently supporting the rollback of Dodd-Frank protections

For voting to subsidize risky Wall Street derivatives trades

subsidize For voting to allow car dealerships to charge higher prices to people of color

voting to allow car dealerships to charge to people of color For publicly backing GOP incumbents for reelection

For siding with the GOP on environmental issues, from supporting the Keystone XL pipeline to voting against everything from clean water standards to pesticides pollution

For voting with the GOP on foreign policy: He opposed the Iran nuclear deal, and was one of just five House Democrats to vote for continuing arms sales to Saudi Arabia even with their war on civilians in Yemen.

This district is highly Democratic, and people of color make up 70% of the population. They deserve better.

Challenger Michael Owens

Thankfully, there is a strong alternative. Michael Owens is a county Democratic chair, an expert in cyber security, and a community activist. The Owens campaign has a far different approach than the incumbent: “I want to make sure that we stop allowing and supporting policies that are directly attacking our black and brown communities,” the former Marine says. His website is https://owensforcongress.com/

The primary is May 19.

Eliot Engel

Eliot Engel, New York, CD-16

Primary Date: June 23

Eliot Engel has been in office since 1977, yet his district has gotten significantly younger and more diverse since then.

If your district borders Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s district and has a Partisan Voting Index of +24 Democrat, then why are you suffering this guy?

Really, why? Engel is a disaster. Here’s a sampling of his “accomplishments.”

Both of his challengers have distinguished education backgrounds, and both are Muslim. Jamaal Bowman is a middle school principal from the Bronx who’s been endorsed by the progressive group Justice Democrats, which supported AOC’s historic 2018 run.

Challenger Andom Ghebreghiorgis

His website is https://www.bowmanforcongress.com/

The other challenger is Andom Ghebreghiorgis, a special education teacher born to parents who immigrated to the U.S. from Eritrea. His website is https://www.andomforny.com/

It will be a wonderful day indeed if either Bowman or Ghebreghiorgis unseats the Islamophobic career congressman on June 23.

The Pretty Bad:

Before I end, I need to mention one more Democrat I would have loved to have seen primaried: Cheri Bustos (IL-17). The reason? Bustos took over the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) in 2019. Her term has been marked by chaos, but she is most known for implementing a blacklist policy against consultants, organizations, and vendors who support a primary candidate against a Democratic incumbent, no matter who that incumbent is, or how much they deserve to be primaried.

Bustos has steadfastly refused to change this rule. It makes no sense when constituents are being forced to choose between a right-wing Democrat and a Republican. This rule doesn’t help our blue majority: it endangers it.

Sadly, there is no official primary challenger against Bustos, though there is a write-in campaign for a guy who didn’t qualify. His name is easy to remember: Spanky Edwards. If you have to do a write-in campaign, at least that’s easier to spell than write-in winner Lisa Murkowski.

I understand conservative Democrats serving in certain districts, but true blue districts need true blue representation. And we’re going to get it, either with or without the party’s help.

My list is by no means complete. There are plenty more congressional candidates I could mention, and I’m sure there are countless terrible state legislators that I have missed. Please let me know your list of bad Democrats in the comment section. If anything, I do hope this inspires everyone to take a little bit of time to find out who your incumbents really are before ignoring the primary in your district.

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