“This has us all pissed off.”
“This has us all pissed off.”
And just like that, perennial losing candidate Annette Taddeo has started a civil war in the House Democratic Caucus with members who are upset that the DCCC is supporting her over ex-Rep. Joe Garcia in the FL-26 Democratic primary. No NRCC commentary needed. Enjoy!
“This has us all pissed off. You have to be kidding me? What did [Joe Garcia] do wrong? What did he do to deserve this?” – Rep. Juan Vargas
“The decision has prompted protest from members about a number of primaries, sources said, with the Garcia-Taddeo race topping the list.”
“The primary has also caused a rift among senior Hispanics in Congress.”
“Other Latino members of the caucus are unhappy with how things are playing out.”
“It doesn’t make sense whatsoever for the DCCC to engage on one side of this.” – Rep. Filemon Vela
“[Rep. Tony] Cárdenas has previously lent his name to a fundraiser for Taddeo but said he is now supporting Garcia.”
Cárdenas ‘finds the DCCC’s endorsement process ‘inconsistent’ and called it ‘unfortunate’ that the official campaign arm is sticking with Taddeo now that Garcia is campaigning.”
NRCC Comment: “Annette Taddeo is such a bad candidate that senior Democratic members of Congress are publicly revolting against the DCCC for supporting her candidacy. But hey, good for Taddeo for consistently putting her own interests ahead of everyone else’s – even if it throws the House Democratic Conference into turmoil.” –NRCC Spokesman Chris Pack
Garcia vs. Taddeo primary fight drives rift between House Dems
POLITICO
By Lauren French
February 19, 2016 – 10:48AM
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/annette-taddeo-joe-garcia-primary-219490
A contentious Florida primary pitting a former congressman against a popular state politician has sparked tensions among rank-and-file House Democrats after the party’s campaign arm didn’t endorse the former member.
Rather than backing former Rep. Joe Garcia — who lost his seat in 2014 to Florida Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo — the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee endorsed his primary opponent, Annette Taddeo.
That’s got Garcia’s allies in Congress up in arms.
“This has us all pissed off. You have to be kidding me? What did [Joe] do wrong? What did he do to deserve this?” said California Rep. Juan Vargas. “We have no problem with [Taddeo] running, but she shouldn’t get any help. You don’t leave a brother out there like this.”
But lawmakers close to the DCCC argue their obligation is to win seats for Democrats, not reflexively favor former members, and contend that Taddeo has a better shot at winning back the Republican-held seat.
Garcia supporters are taking matters into their own hands, even raising money for Garcia — essentially going against the party’s preferred candidate. Next Wednesday, 17 Democratic lawmakers will hold a top-dollar D.C. fundraiser for Garcia. According to an invitation obtained by POLITICO, the Democrats, including fellow Florida Rep. Patrick Murphy and Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, a member of the influential House whip team, are asking donors for $1,000 to co-host the event.
Texas Democrat Rep. Filemon Vela, a Garcia supporter, said it “doesn’t make any sense whatsoever for the DCCC to engage on one side of this.”
He added, “This is a matter of loyalty to someone who served with me and for someone who did a good job for the party while he was there. It makes no sense.”
Taddeo, who was Charlie Crist’s running mate when he ran for governor in 2014, entered the race for Florida’s 26th congressional district close to a year ago after being heavily courted by national Democrats. The seat, which leans Democratic but includes a chunk of independent voters who helped catapult Curbelo to Congress, is a prime pick-up opportunity for Democrats this cycle.
But Vargas and Vela both questioned why DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Lujan (D-New Mexico) backed a Jan. 30 fundraiser for Taddeo when they say Garcia was signaling he’d enter the race. Sources familiar with the conversation said Garcia told the DCCC several times in 2015 that he hadn’t made up his mind about running for reelection.
Ultimately, Garcia formally announced his intention to run in early February of this year after the state’s Supreme Court finished re-drawing boundaries for congressional districts. Lawmakers close to him say the former congressman wanted to see how the legal battle played out before he jumped into the race. And sources close to Garcia noted that he announced in past cycles in January and February as the Florida primary isn’t until August.
The DCCC has historically shied away from primaries but opted to endorse in six races this cycle to bolster candidates they think can win in November. The decision has prompted protest from members about a number of primaries, sources said, with the Garcia-Taddeo race topping the list.
But the DCCC has aggressively defended its choice to add Taddeo to its influential “Red to Blue” program. That program helps new candidates connect with national fundraisers and gives a boost for Democrats running in the most contested districts.
And sources aligned with Taddeo note that Garcia told the Miami Herald in February 2015 “”I am not running for any public office” — clearing the way, they argued, for new Democrats to enter the race.
Since first meeting with the DCCC last year, Taddeo has racked up an impressive list of supporters among senior Democrats. Former DCCC chairman Rep. Steve Israel (D-New York) has endorsed her, and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has donated $4,000 through the Californian’s leadership PAC.
“I strongly support Chairman Lujan’s assessment that Annette Taddeo is our strongest candidate…. I was proud to endorse her and continue to believe she is uniquely positioned to recapture this congressional seat and is among the best candidates in 2016,” said Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.)
Meredith Kelly, a spokeswoman for the DCCC, said the choice came down to who could win against Curbelo.
Rep. Denny Heck, the Washington Democrat who helped recruit Taddeo, said it was in the DCCC’s “best interests” to back her. Taddeo has also picked up endorsements from SEIU and Emily’s List. Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos said Taddeo has being “doing all the right things.”
“Part of is it looking at the big picture here. Annette got into this race in April…she’s been working very hard for just shy of a year,” said Bustos, a DCCC recruitment chair. “I think it would be unfair to Annette….for us to turn our backs. We recruited her.”
The Garcia campaign declined to comment for this story.
Shaun Daniels, a senior advisor with Taddeo, said she “aligns with [the districts’] values..[and] can forcefully stand up on issues, and who will turn the page on the legacy of scandal and corruption. Annette is the only candidate who meets that standard.”
The primary has also caused a rift among senior Hispanics in Congress. The BOLD PAC — the campaign arm behind the Congressional Hispanic Caucus — endorsed Taddeo when Garcia hadn’t yet entered the race. Democrats like Rep. Linda Sanchez, the chairwoman of the CHC, are squarely in Taddeo’s camp. But other Latino members of the caucus are unhappy with how things are playing out.
California Rep. Tony Cárdenas, the chair of BOLD PAC, said in an interview he hasn’t ruled out a new endorsement now that Garcia has officially entered the race. Cárdenas has previously lent his name to a fundraiser for Taddeo but said he is now supporting Garcia.
There are no formal rules for the PAC that would stop them from re-endorsing or endorsing two candidates in a primary, Cárdenas said, adding that the Garcia campaign is currently going through the group’s endorsement assessment process.
The California Democrat praised Garcia’s “fortitude,” saying he’s needed in Congress.
“We did endorse Annette…and at the time she was the only viable Latina in the race…but now, personally, I’m endorsing Joe Garcia,” he said.
He added that he finds the DCCC’s endorsement process “inconsistent” and called it “unfortunate” that the official campaign arm is sticking with Taddeo now that Garcia is campaigning.
The Garcia campaign released an internal poll this week noting that he has a 10-point lead on Taddeo among respondents — with a larger advantage among women, a key voting bloc in the district. Allies of Garcia argue that this invalidates the DCCC’s arguments that Taddeo is a better-bet in November. Lawmakers close to Taddeo note that she has relatively paltry name recognition compared to Garcia and being 10 points down with six months left until the primary points to an advantage for her.