Former President Barack Obama is backing 260 Democrats ahead of the country’s midterm elections on November 6. He released his second wave of 2018 midterm endorsements which features Democratic candidates from across the country.
“Over the next several weeks, we have a chance to elect lots of talented diverse, patriotic candidates who represent what’s best in the American spirit,” Obama wrote on Facebook. “So if you don’t like what’s going on right now, don’t boo. Vote.”
Obama released his first wave of endorsements in August backing 81 candidates accompanied with the tweet: “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.”
Today 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: pic.twitter.com/gWzalQhFas
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 1, 2018
Among those Democrats to get a shoutout in Obama’s latest round of endorsements is 28-year-old rising star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who brands herself a “Democratic Socialist” and who beat her more experienced opponent Democratic Congressman Joe Crowley for the Democratic primary in New York’s 14th Congressional District.
Sharice Davids who is running in Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District also received Obama’s endorsement. Davids would become the first Native woman ever to serve in Congress should she win.
President Trump has also released his formal endorsements list ahead of the midterms and has taken to his communication medium of choice, Twitter, to reveal who he’s endorsing. Unlike Obama’s curated first and second wave lists, Trump has chosen to show his support for each candidate in separate tweets.
His endorsement list includes Republican House candidate Jay Webber who is running in the 11th District of New Jersey who Trump believes “is outstanding in every way” because he is “Strong on Borders, loves our Military and our Vets. Big Crime fighter” which is why he has the President’s “Full and Total Endorsement!”.
.@JayWebberNJ is running for Congress in the 11th District of New Jersey. He is outstanding in every way. Strong on Borders, loves our Military and our Vets. Big Crime fighter. Jay has my Full and Total Endorsement!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 20, 2018
Trump is also endorsing Diane Harkey who is running for Congress in the 49th Congressional District, a woman who has been accused of profiting from her former husband’s Ponzi scheme that defrauded elderly and other investors from 2000 to 2008, according to the Times of San Diego. Nevertheless, the President publicly endorsed the “extraordinary woman of great accomplishment & potential”.
.@DianeHarkey is an extraordinary woman of great accomplishment & potential. She is running as a very popular Republican for the Congressional seat of my friend Darrell Issa-with his complete support. Diane is strong on crime, loves our Military & Vets-has my total Endorsement!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 21, 2018
To assist voters Fox News has compiled Trump’s midterm endorsement list ahead of the elections.
Although Obama has tried to keep a relatively low-key existence since leaving office last year, the elections have seen him back amidst the campaign frenzy and using his high political profile to help the Democrats secure wins.
He took to Facebook to deliver this message to his 55 million followers:
“The antidote to government by the powerful few is democracy by the organized many.
If you get involved, and engaged, and knock on some doors, and talk with your friends, and argue with your family members, and change some minds, and vote – then something powerful happens. Change happens. Hope happens. With each new candidate that surprises you with a victory, a spark of hope happens. With each new law that helps a kid read, or a poor family find shelter, or a veteran get the support he or she has earned, hope happens. With each new step we take in the direction of fairness, and justice, and equality, and opportunity, hope spreads.
I believe that can be the legacy of your generation. You can be the generation that stood up and reminded us just how precious democracy is, and just how powerful it can be when we fight for it. I believe you will. Because I believe in you. And I’ll be right there alongside you, every step of the way.”
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Title image credit: Flickr
