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Today, the DCCC announced two additions to its Red to Blue Program for the 2022 cycle: combat veteran and County Executive Pat Ryan running in NY-18 following redistricting; and small business owner and community advocate Michelle Vallejo running in TX-15, where she’ll face Republican extremist Monica De La Cruz this fall.
“Pat and Michelle are dedicated public servants who will bring their heart for service with them to Congress,” said DCCC Chairman Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney. “While Republicans line their bench with extremists fixated on rolling back progress and banning abortion nationwide, Democrats are filling our team with fearless advocates for justice who will fight to protect a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions and address challenges families face by lowering costs, creating jobs, and demanding a more just country.”
DCCC adds candidates to its Red to Blue program after hitting significant benchmarks related to overall campaign infrastructure, fundraising, and on the ground engagement. The program arms top-tier candidates with organizational and fundraising support, strategic guidance, staff resources, candidate training and more.
About DCCC’s New Red To Blue Program Candidates:
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NY-19: Pat Ryan is a decorated combat veteran, small business owner, and county executive who is running to keep New York’s 18th District blue. Pat attended West Point and served two combat tours in Iraq as an Army intelligence officer. After leaving the military, he founded a small technology company which he grew to over 150 employees. As an executive, Pat worked to build partnerships with government and nonprofit organizations, implemented worker-focused policies like paid family leave and created a jobs-training program for veterans without college degrees, equipping them with tech skills to ensure they had high-paying jobs. In 2019, Pat was elected to serve as Ulster County Executive where he spearheaded the efforts to provide direct financial relief to small business and residents, build supportive and affordable housing, and re-invest in mental health services, all while never raising taxes.
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TX-15: Michelle Vallejo is a small business owner, community leader, and the people-powered candidate South Texans need to bring their voices to Washington. Michelle was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley and comes from a family of farm workers, immigrants, and entrepreneurs. Her family has run Pulga Los Portales, a local flea market and community hub, for nearly 25 years, and she now runs the business with her dad. When Michelle was a student at Columbia University, tragedy struck when her mother passed away following a 15-year-long battle with multiple sclerosis. Her mother’s passing and experience with the health care system changed Michelle’s life forever. Now, Michelle is honoring her mother’s legacy by fighting for a better future for all Texas families as a candidate for Congress. She brings a passion for community service and a love for her neighbors to everything she does, and she will bring that energy to Washington, D.C. as the first woman to represent TX-15.
Read more about DCCC’s Red to Blue Program here.
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