Democrats add Nancy Soderberg, CD 6 to ‘Red to Blue’ program

Democrat Nancy Soderberg‘s quest to flip Florida’s 6th Congressional District picked up some credibility and support Thursday when national Democrats announced they were adding her to their “Red to Blue” program.

Soderberg, a former U.S. ambassador, is seeking to claim the district stretching just south of Jacksonville down the coast and then through Volusia County into Lake County. Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis of Ponte Vedra Beach is running for Governor, rather than for re-election, and Democrats are mobilizing to capitalize on the likely open seat.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Ben Ray Luján, a congressman from New Mexico, announced Friday that Soderberg is being added to the DCCC’s highly competitive Red to Blue program. Soderberg is one of only 33 Democratic candidates in the country to receive this designation thus far.

Her campaign already has been assisted by DCCC staff. The Red to Blue designation means more, recognizing that she has surpassed goals for grassroots engagement, local support, campaign organization and fundraising.

She is not the only Democrat in the race; there are several others, including Robert Coffman of Palm Coast, Steven Sevigny of Ormond Beach, and John Upchurch of Ormond Beach. The leading Republican is Ponte Vedra Beach businessman John Ward, who has raised $755,000 through the end of 2017, and former state Rep. Fred Costello. Soderberg raised $544,000.

“Nancy Soderberg is a results oriented problem solver, which she has proven many times throughout her career, including her years of work as a national security expert, projecting American strength abroad,” Luján stated in a news release issued by the DCCC. “That’s exactly the kind of person that everyday Floridians deserve to protect their needs in Washington D.C. After working for years at the University of North Florida with the next generation of leaders, Nancy is running to bring her experience as a national security expert and a teacher to Congress. With her people-focused, grassroots campaign, Nancy Soderberg is doing the right things to win this open seat and give folks in North Florida a new voice in Washington.”

Red to Blue also is backing Lauren Baer in Florida’s 18th Congressional District along the Treasure Coast, and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in Florida’s 26th Congressional district, in South Florida.