Barack Obama pitched his latest wave of election day endorsements on Monday, October 1, with the listing of 260 candidates he’d encourage voters to get familiar with ahead of the upcoming midterms. The majority of those named are women and many would be considered young. In addition, there are a few hopefuls on the list who seem to represent a deliberate shift away from the Democratic Party establishment.
Among the figures who supporters may find to most radically represent Obama’s stated commitment towards “building a pipeline of diverse talent and elevating the next generation of leaders within the Democratic Party,” are self-proclaimed democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, former NAACP chief Ben Jealous, and left-of-center mayor of Tallahassee, Andrew Gillum.
Gillum took the news by storm after his recent victory in Florida’s Democratic primaries made him the first African-American to become a major party nominee for governor in the state. Fellow Bernie Sanders supporter, Jealous, was successfully carried by a similar surge of backers in his bid to run the Democratic ticket in Maryland’s gubernatorial race. And at age 28, Sanders disciple Ocasio-Cortez has been enjoying a sensational rise in the lead up to her New York race to become the youngest woman elected to Congress, according to USA Today .
Today, I’m proud to endorse even more Democratic candidates who aren’t just running against something, but for something—to expand opportunity for all of us and to restore dignity, honor, and compassion to public service. They deserve your vote: pic.twitter.com/NO5jnhX3XD
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 1, 2018
Other notables Obama is championing to make history in their respective races are Rep. Kyrsten Sinema in her challenge to become Arizona’s first woman elected to the U.S. Senate, Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley as she endeavors to be Massachusetts’ first black congresswoman, Jahana Hayes in her efforts to become both the first black Democrat and the first black woman elected to the House in Connecticut, and Vermont Democrat Christine Hallquist’s push to break ground as the nation’s first openly transgender gubernatorial candidate.
“The Democratic Party has always made the biggest difference in the lives of the American people when we lead with conviction, principle, and bold, new ideas. Our incredible array of candidates up and down the ticket, all across the country, make up a movement of citizens who are younger, more diverse, more female than ever before,” the New York Times cites Obama as saying in a statement addressing the endorsements he put forth on Monday. “They’re Americans who aren’t just running against something, but for something. They’re running to expand opportunity and restore the honor and compassion that should be the essence of public service,” he said.
In addition to ensuring that up to 60 percent of his chosen nominees were women, Obama added that he also made it a point to prioritize his backing at this time for candidates facing disadvantages due to unfair redistricting practices.
