We are pleased to present our complete slate of congressional endorsements for 2022. Most of our candidates are in margin-of-error-tight races facing incumbent Republicans. We believe our endorsees have the vision and skills to serve as important leaders on national economic and political reform issues in Congress. Our honorable mentions are those leaders in Congress, who are in safe seats.
U.S. Senate
U.S. House of Representatives
Honorable Mentions
U.S. Senate
Race Rating: Toss Up
Sherrod has dedicated his life to fighting for Ohioans and the Dignity of Work — a concept inspired by the work and writings of Pope Leo XIII and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It’s the belief that hard work should pay off for everyone, no matter who you are, where you live, or what kind of work you do. Whether you punch a clock or swipe a badge, earn a salary or make tips, are raising children or caring for an aging parent.
Born and raised in Mansfield, Ohio, Sherrod saw firsthand how corporations lobbied for tax breaks and bad trade deals that shipped Ohio jobs overseas. He has opposed unfair trade deals that hurt Ohio workers and why he stood up to his own party to lead the opposition against NAFTA. Sherrod believes that when you love your country, you fight for the people who make it work. He’s never been afraid to stand up to corporations and special interests to level the playing field for Ohioans — from standing up to Wall Street to taking on Big Pharma. He has worked with both parties to pass some of the most significant legislation in recent years, and he continues to work across the aisle to hold corporations accountable.
U.S. House of Representatives
Race Rating: Toss Up
DCCC Endorsed
Total Amount Raised: Gray $1.6 M / Duarte $2.6 M
In 2022, Adam Gray ran a tough race against Freshman Representative John Duarte, losing by less than 600 votes, the second-closest Congressional race in the country. This race was one of the last races to be called in the 2022 elections and is currently rated a toss-up by Sabato’s Crystal Ball, Cook Political Report, and Inside Elections. Adam has been named to the DCCC’s Red to Blue list for 2024, a sign of just how competitive this race will be. This key flip opportunity is critical to bringing a Democratic Trifecta back to Capitol Hill.
Adam Gray was born and raised in Merced and has represented his hometown in the California State Assembly since 2012 when he ran in response to the Recession. Champion of bipartisan commonsense solutions, he founded the California Problem Solvers Caucus in the State Assembly. Gray worked across the aisle to get nearly $3 billion to build new water storage to ensure California families have access to water. He helped secure $2 million to create the VOLT Institute in Modesto, which provides high-skill job training, helping to grow his district’s economy.
Race Rating: Toss Up
DCCC Endorsed
Total Amount Raised: Salas $1.8 M / Valadao $1.8 M
Rudy Salas served five terms as a California State Assemblymember and he is now setting his sights on unseating Representative David Valadao. CA-22 covers most of Kings Country and parts of Tulare and Kern Counties in the San Joaquin Valley. Rudy was born and raised in the Central Valley and became the first Latino Bakersfield City Council Member. In 2022, he challenged Representative Valadao, losing the general by about 3,000 votes. Joe Biden won this district by nearly 13% in 2020 and this seat is a critical flip opportunity for Democrats in California.
In Salas’ time as a California State Assemblymember, he fought to increase workers’ wages and ensure farmworkers were eligible for overtime pay. He will fight to expand job training and apprenticeship programs, invest in broadband infrastructure, and crack down on corporate price abuse to promote economic growth throughout the Central Valley. Salas is enthusiastic about defending the Affordable Care Act and expanding Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing care for seniors.
Race Rating: Toss Up
DCCC Endorsed
Total Amount Raised: Salas $1.8 M / Valadao $1.8 M
George Whitesides is a first-time candidate in CA-27 against Representative Mike Garcia who has represented the region since 2020. The district includes much of northern Los Angeles County including Santa Clarita, the Antelope Valley, and the San Fernando Valley. Whitesides worked for the Presidential Transition Team for former President Barack Obama and subsequently served as Chief of Staff for NASA.
As a business leader and former CEO of Virgin Galactic, he has created hundreds of jobs in the district and is enthusiastic about generating good-paying, local jobs. Whitesides is passionate about the use of technology to shape the future from combating wildfires to exploring space and founded our nation’s first organization dedicated to combating the megafire crisis, Megafire Action. Whitesides is strongly pro-choice and will vote to protect Social Security and Medicare in Congress.
Race Rating: Toss Up
DCCC Endorsed
Total Amount Raised: Rollins $4.7 M / Calvert $4.3 M
Will Rollins is a former federal prosecutor who focused on counterterrorism and counterintelligence. He’s running for Congress to continue fighting back against the threats to our democracy. His opponent, Ken Calvert, was among the extremist Republicans who challenged the 2020 presidential election results. Will first ran against Calvert in the 2022 election and handed Calvert the closest midterm of his 30+ year career. In their 2024 rematch, Will cleared a primary field and has set both district and national fundraising records as he seeks to flip this seat in November and help Democrats retake the House majority.
Rollins recognizes the importance of infrastructure investment to California’s economy and that the cost of housing continues to be an issue both in California and the rest of the country. He knows that expanding housing to allow for a more competitive market is a crucial step toward improving economic outlooks for working-class Americans.
Race Rating: Lean D
DCCC Endorsed
Total Amount Raised: Min $2.2 M / Baugh $2.3 M
California State Senator Dave Min is a first-generation Korean-American who wants to ensure that future generations have a fair shot at the American Dream. CA-47 shifted to contain Orange County including Irvine and Huntington Beach. Endorsed by Representative Katie Porter, who has held the seat since 2019, Min has a long history of delivering on progressive priorities including holding Wall Street accountable as an Enforcement Attorney for the Securities and Exchange Commission. Min is one of the country’s leading experts on banking and housing policy.
As a State Senator, Min is on Committees relating to Appropriations, Banking and Financial Institutions, and Budget and Fiscal Review, among others. Dave Min is an enthusiastic supporter of efforts to stop stock trading by members of Congress.
Race Rating: Toss Up
DCCC Endorsed
Total Amount Raised: Rollins $4.7 M / Calvert $4.3 M
Michelle Vallejo first ran to defeat Representative Monica de La Cruz in 2022 to represent the Rio Grande Valley, which runs along the west of Hidalgo County. While Cook Report lists the district as Likely R under new redistricting, Senator Cruz would have lost the district by 12 points in his last election. Central to her campaign is her personal connection to economic hardship. With just two percent of Congress coming from a working-class background, voices like Vallejo’s are crucial for a Congress that looks like the people it represents.
Vallejo’s top policy priorities are affordable, high-quality health care, protecting and expanding social security and Medicare, ensuring workers are fairly compensated for their work, and investing in our future by protecting against climate change and providing affordable education options from college to trade school.
Race Rating: Toss Up
DCCC Endorsed
Total Amount Raised: Landsman $2.1 M / Sonza $267 K
A former public school teacher and non-profit leader, Freshman Congressman Greg Landsman has spent his career fighting for children and families, having successfully led the Preschool Promise which now provides two years of quality preschool for Cincinnati’s three and four-year-olds. OH-01 includes Cincinnati and all of Warren County.
Congressman Landsman believes in the rights of workers to organize for better wages and benefits. He supports strengthening protections for workers seeking to unionize. As a part of the City Council, Landsman successfully fought for wage increases and hazard pay for first responders. Congressman Landsman has sponsored numerous bills to support working-class children including the Child Care Small Business Insight and Improvement Act of 2023, and the Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act of 2023.
Race Rating: Toss Up
DCCC Endorsed
Total Amount Raised: Sykes $2.4 M / Coughlin $460 K
Representative Emilia Sykes is a freshman representative who previously served in the Ohio House of Representatives for eight years. She is now running to represent OH-13, which includes the city of Youngstown and areas east of Akron. Throughout her career, she has fought for middle and working-class families. Currently, Sykes sits on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee where she uses her position to promote economic prosperity for Ohio and for our nation.
As a freshman Congresswoman, Sykes sponsored the Raise the Wage Act to help wages keep up with inflation. She has continued to support efforts to protect democracy with votes on the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. Representative Sykes understands the foundational importance of education in our economy. She co-sponsored the EDUCATORS for America Act and the American Teacher Act to provide students, educators, and schools with the resources they need to provide a robust education to all students.
Race Rating: Lean D
DCCC Endorsed
Total Amount Raised: Sorensen $2.8 M / McGraw $525 K
Representative Eric Sorensen is a freshman and the only meteorologist in Congress. He has represented Peoria and stretches from Rockford to Bloomington-Normal since 2023. His passions for science and the environment make him an expert on the effects of climate change.
Representative Sorensen is on the House Committee on Agriculture and uses his position to advocate for farmers, to expand markets for agricultural goods, to ensure crops are insured against extreme weather, and to keep America’s farmers in business for generations to come. Sorensen understands that American farmers are the backbone of the economy. He co-sponsored the Flood Resiliency and Land Stewardship Act which sought to expand the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) to fight back against flooding and drought problems.
Race Rating: Toss Up
DCCC Endorsed
Total Amount Raised: Davis $2.1 M / Buckhout $1.9 M
Freshman Representative Don Davis is seeking a second term on Capitol Hill after 20 years of public service as a State Senator and mayor of Snow Hill. Representative Davis’ district, which begins east of the Research Triangle Park and includes Wilson and Henderson, is the only seat in the North Carolina delegation that is not rated solidly Democratic or Republican after the most recent redistricting.
Representative Davis, representing the district since 2022, is focused on rebuilding the economy to work better for rural Americans, bringing back good-paying jobs, supporting small businesses, and strengthening North Carolina’s agriculture in the face of extreme weather. These priorities are essential to building an economy that works for Eastern North Carolina. This Congress he co-sponsored the critical Rural Telehealth and Education Enhancement Act of 2023.
Honorable Mentions
Race Rating: Solid D
Total Amount Raised: Waters $576 K / Williams $0.00
Hailing from southern Los Angeles, Representative Maxine Waters has become one of the most well-known Democrats in Congress for her relentless persistence during floor debates and committee hearings. Representing this area of Los Angeles since the early 1990s, Congresswoman Waters has cultivated leadership skills in both herself and colleagues to fight for progressive causes.
Representative Waters now serves as the Chair of the powerful House Financial Services Committee, where she initiated countless key hearings on issues ranging from oversight of the financial system to the housing crisis to student loans to the pandemic recovery. Her tenure as committee chair has brought these crucial issues to the forefront of debate and helped secure the passage of critical legislation out of committee including various sanctions on Russia and the committee’s portion of the American Rescue Plan. Representative Waters sponsored the Strengthening Housing Supply Act of 2024 which sought to support the construction of affordable housing via the Community Development Block Grant.
Race Rating: Safe Democratic
Race Rating: Solid D
Total Amount Raised: Doggett $719 K / Sharon No Results
Representative Doggett has served in the US House of Representatives since 1995, championing progressive economic issues while representing much of Austin, Travis County, and southern Williamson County. As Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, Rep. Doggett has fought to lower the cost of prescription drugs and to increase access to affordable healthcare.