Progressive grassroots group backing four Democrats in congressional races

The progressive  Democratic grassroots group Progressive Turnout Project announced Thursday it will be backing four Florida Democratic candidates, U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, Lauren Baer, Mary Barzee Flores, and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, in their 2018 campaigns for Congress.

Progressive Turnout Project, a Chicago-based political committee which has raised $14 million so far for this election cycle according to the Center for Responsive Politics, characterizes itself as a grassroots-funded organization focusing on “voter registration, early voting, no-excuse absentee voting, and restoring the Voting Rights Act.”

Murphy is a freshman Democrat from Winter Park seeking re-election in Central Florida’s Florida’s 7th Congressional District, challenged by Republican nominee state Rep. Mike Miller. Baer is challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Mast in the Treasure Coast’s Florida’s 18th Congressional District. Barzee Flores is challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart in South Florida’s Florida’s 25th Congressional District. Mucarsel-Powell is challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo in South Florida’s Florida’s 26th Congressional District.

All four are in tight or even uphill battles for districts being strongly contested by both Democrats and Republicans.

“We know that each of these candidates will fight for Floridians every day because that’s what they’ve been doing for years in their roles as leaders in their professional fields,” Progressive Turnout Project Executive Director Alex Morgan stated in a news release. “If we’re going to pass progressive legislation and restore critical components of our democracy like the Voting Rights Act, then we need to elect these four women on November 6.”