Democracy for America Endorses Challengers Emilio Huerta and Laura Moser for Congress

Democracy for America today endorsed two progressives running for the House of Representatives against Republicans in 2018. Emilio Huerta is running in California’s 21st District against David Valadao and Laura Moser is running in Texas’ 7th District against John Culberson. The news follows the national progressive organization’s first 2018 challenger endorsement yesterday, of Randy Bryce in his campaign against Paul Ryan in Wisconsin’s 1st District. Democracy for America has raised $1.8 million from its members for Bernie Sanders’ campaign last year, and over $60,000 in just a few months for John Ossoff’s special election earlier this year.

Democracy for America Chair Jim Dean on the endorsements:

“This is how we will kick the Republicans out of power in Congress: with candidates like Laura, Emilio, and Randy who are running on their progressive values and using their campaigns to expand the electorate in their districts.”

“Laura Moser didn’t wait until Trump was elected to start mobilizing hundreds of thousands of people across the country to get involved in the resistance. We desperately need more leaders like Laura who have the ingenuity and persistence to go beyond the way things have always been done. Our members are excited to help get her much-needed voice to Congress.”

“Emilio Huerta has been steeped in organizing his whole life, including decades spent empowering communities in the San Joaquin Valley to fight for fair treatment. That experience will be key to turning out people who have traditionally not voted. Flipping this district from Republican control doesn’t happen overnight, which is why we’re glad to stand with Emilio again as he continues the work he began last cycle.” - Jim Dean, Chair of Democracy for America

Laura Moser on the endorsement:

“I am absolutely thrilled to have DFA's endorsement -- the grassroots, people-powered know-how from a group like DFA will help ensure that our campaign is an indispensable organizing force in the Texas 7th, with impact in not just Houston but all of Texas for decades to come.”

Emilio Huerta on the endorsement:

"The battle for California’s 21st Congressional District will be one of the most important congressional races in 2018. As a life-long resident of California’s San Joaquin Valley, I am concerned that Washington will further erode economic opportunities and environmental safeguards for Valley residents. Congressman David Valadao (R) recently disregarded the interest of working families and voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. As a result, more than 120,000 residents in the 21st will be without health coverage. Enough! I will fight for expansion of health insurance coverage for all Americans, income equality, better paying jobs, comprehensive immigration reform, elimination of student loan debt, and safeguards for workers and the environment. I need your help to stop the reckless and catastrophic policies of Donald Trump and the Republican-dominated Congress."

Laura Moser is a long-time writer and journalist who turned to resistance activism following Donald Trump’s election. She began the activist organization Daily Action in response to the corruption and bigotry she saw coming from Capitol Hill. The organization, dedicated to giving people daily actions to resist the Trump administration, currently has around 300,000 members.

Emilio Huerta is the son of civil rights activist Dolores Huerta. His 20+ year career has been spent as a civil rights lawyer as well as a Court Appointed Child Advocate (CASA), general counsel of the Cesar Chavez Foundation, and a national representative for the United Farm Workers union. During his career he has established primary health care clinics in low-income areas in California and has developed more than $400 million in affordable housing across the United States.

Democracy for America is a member-driven, people-powered progressive PAC with more than one million members nationwide committed to taking on income inequality, money in politics, and structural racism. Since its 2004 founding, DFA members have raised and contributed more than $40 million and made more than 11.1 million volunteer calls to help successfully elect 917 progressive candidates nationwide.