WELCOMEPAC ENDORSES WILL ROLLINS IN CALIFORNIA'S 41ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
WelcomePAC, which works to elect moderate Democrats in conservative-leaning congressional districts, announced its endorsement of Will Rollins in California’s 41st congressional district. WelcomePAC invested more than $2 million in the 2022 election cycle supporting Rollins and Adam Frisch (CO-03).
“Will Rollins was one of the Democratic Party’s biggest overperformers in 2022. We’re thrilled to support him again this cycle as he grows a diverse, cross partisan coalition of voters and continues to build momentum in his race to defeat Ken Calvert,” said Lauren Harper Pope, co-founder of WelcomePAC.
Will Rollins said, "We are in striking distance of flipping this seat in 2024 because of those who believed in us starting in 2022, putting this district on the map and helping us build an infrastructure to run a successful campaign. There is no greater example of this long-standing support than WelcomePAC. I am proud to be part of 'Team Normal,' and when I get to Congress, I'll work across the aisle to build bridges and get things done. That's the Welcome Party way, and I'm honored to have their support once again in this tight rematch in 2024."
Welcome’s full write-up on the endorsement 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.