Obama announces ‘first wave’ of 2018 midterm endorsements

“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,” Obama said in a statement. “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. But first, they need our votes — and I’m eager to make the case for why Democratic candidates deserve our votes this fall.”

[Also read: A tale of two campaigns: Midterm elections 100 days out]

Obama did not weigh in the New York governor’s race, where former “Sex and the City” star Cynthia Nixon is challenging Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also did not get a mention. The political newcomer beat incumbent Rep. Joseph Crowley in June’s primary.

Obama is expected to campaign in several states in the lead up to the midterm elections. He will announce a second round of endorsements before Nov. 6, his office said.

In response to the endorsements, the Republican National Committee blamed Obama for a “weak” Democratic Party.

“No one’s more to blame for how weak today’s Democratic Party is than President Obama. He cost them over 1,000 legislative seats, decimated their state parties and voters rejected his policies at the ballot box less than two years ago,” RNC spokesman Michael Ahrens said in a statement.

See the “first wave” list below:

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)