Jewish Democrats Respond to the State of the Union by Endorsing 25 Freshman Democrats

WASHINGTON — In response to President Trump’s State of the Union Address, the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) issued the following statement and announced its first round of endorsements for candidates running in the 2020 election. These 25 candidates are the first of several waves of endorsements that JDCA will unveil during the 2020 election cycle.

JDCA Executive Director Halie Soifer issued the following statement:

“Tonight, we witnessed a State of the Union address delivered by a president whose egregious wrongdoings are clear to the American people and whose policies, rhetoric and behavior are antithetical to Jewish and American values. Instead of dissecting President Trump’s State of the Union address, we are putting the pieces of our country back together by electing Democrats who share our values. We don’t accept the state of the union as President Trump outlined tonight, and instead are focused on changing the state of our union by laying the groundwork for Democratic victories in November.

“Were it not for the remarkable Democrats who flipped the House in 2018, Congress would have had no ability to conduct oversight of an increasingly dangerous president. That is why JDCA’s first wave of endorsements focuses on maintaining Democratic control of the House. After watching the State of the Union address and understanding that President Trump doesn’t represent the views and values of American Jews, we are taking direct action to protect our country, bring about change, and elect Democrats who represent our values.”

Ron Klein, Chairman of the Board of Directors for JDCA, added that, “We are proud to have helped elect these candidates in 2018, and we will do all we can to fight for their reelection in 2020. By investing in key districts and states and mobilizing voters in support of Democratic House candidates, JDCA is helping to create the state of the union that we all want for our future. We look forward to endorsing additional House candidates, as well as those running for the Senate and ultimately the White House.”

The endorsements are just one part of JDCA’s overall 2020 strategy, which has already included releasing two hard-hitting ads calling President Trump the biggest threat to American Jews.

JDCA will continue to expand its campaign efforts by mobilizing Jewish voters through new state and local chapters, including on college campuses, and by leveraging the influence and expertise of its Board of Directors and Next Generation Leadership Council. JDCA’s on-the-ground power in 14 target states will energize Jewish voters in support of Democratic candidates.

Soifer added, “In 2020, you can count on JDCA to effectively advocate for the values of Jewish Democrats, including support for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, opposition to anti-Semitism in all of its forms, and other key issues driving the Jewish vote. Through JDCA’s endorsements in key districts and states – and by harnessing the power of our newly-formed chapters, Next Generation Leadership Council and college campus fellows – JDCA is creating political change in 2020 that’s consistent with Jewish American values.”

The candidates endorsed by JDCA today are:

Colin Allred (TX-32)
Cindy Axne (IA-3)
Sean Casten (IL-6)
Jason Crow (CO-6)
Joe Cunningham (SC-1)
Antonio Delgado (NY-19)
Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06)
Andy Kim (NJ-3)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-02)
Mike Levin (CA-49)
Elaine Luria (VA-2)
Tom Malinowski (NJ-7)
Lucy McBath (GA-6)
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26)
Dean Phillips (MN-3)
Katie Porter (CA-45)
Max Rose (NY-11)
Harley Rouda (CA-48)
Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5)
Kim Schrier (WA-8)
Donna Shalala (FL-27)
Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)
Elissa Slotkin (MI-8)
Haley Stevens (MI-11)
Jennifer Wexton (VA-10)