WELCOMEPAC ENDORSES MARIE GLUESENKAMP PEREZ TO DEFEND WASHINGTON’S THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
WelcomePAC, which works to elect moderate Democrats in conservative-leaning congressional districts, announced its endorsement for Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez as she defends her seat in Washington’s third congressional district. WelcomePAC invested more than $2 million in the 2022 election cycle supporting Democrats Will Rollins (CA-41) and Adam Frisch (CO-03).
“Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez is one of the Democratic Party’s biggest overperformers, beating extremist Joe Kent in a seat Trump won by 4 points,” said Lauren Harper Pope, co-founder of WelcomePAC. “Her record in Congress speaks for itself: MGP proves she’s committed to representing the interests of the people of Washington’s third, and she’s willing to vote independently of the liberal priorities held by the Democratic Party to do that.”
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez said, "Whether working across the aisle to invest in the trades and secure our border or fighting to protect a woman’s right to make their own healthcare decisions, I’ve been an independent voice for Southwest Washington since day one. I’m proud to be endorsed by WelcomePAC because they know truth lies in nuance, and we cannot afford to let the political center be taken over by far-right extremists.”
Welcome’s write-up on the endorsement and the district can be found on its Substack, WelcomeStack.
ABOUT WELCOMEPAC:
WelcomePAC launched in November 2021 to build a “Justice Democrats for the Center" by recruiting and backing brand-differentiated Democratic challengers with the capacity to defeat democracy-undermining GOP incumbents on their home turf. Operating in three geographies (CO-03, CA-41, Ohio), WelcomePAC identified districts where voters were not given an alternative - where Democrats were "Conceding Democracy" by not supporting credibly funded challengers. By elevating candidates and messengers who appeal to swing voters in center-right districts, WelcomePAC supported two of the most over-performing challengers and is now partnering with the team of the third challenger.
These were districts where Nate Silver gave Democrats just a 2% to 5% chance of winning.
California-41: boosted the bipartisan credentials and Republican endorsements of former Gov. Schwarzenegger aide Will Rollins. Ranked 3rd most over-performing Democratic campaign in any GOP district. Silver rated this race as "Solid Republican" with a 5% chance of flipping.
Colorado-03: conducted polling, primary election voter engagement, and party-switching voter identification for independent-turned-Democratic Adam Frisch. Vote went to recount and was rated 2nd most over-performing Democratic campaign in any GOP district. Silver rated this race as "Solid Republican" with a 3% chance of flipping.
Analysis and perspective can be found in The Bulwark (continued electoral importance of Never Trumper voters), The New York Times (missed opportunities in the 2022 cycle), and The Washington Post (split ticket voters). Weekly reflections on the broader context of our work can be found on our Substack.
In 2022, WelcomePAC invested more than $2 million in three targeted geographies in its inaugural cycle informed by our perspective on the inefficiency of the Democratic marketplace and the ballooning value of each Congressional seat.