The DSPolitical Ad Grants Program received over 140 applicants! All these candidates brought their own unique perspectives and challenges, but they all had one thing in common —  the drive to elect more Democrats to office this year!

Without further ado, we’re thrilled to announce the following 15 candidates as grant recipients.

		Clint Barras is running against Republican incumbent Jim Mooney in one of the most flippable red seats in Florida. Clint is endorsed by Florida Democratic Progressive Caucus, Florida Conservation Voters, Moms Demand Action, Swing Left, the Florida Democratic LGBT+ Caucus, and more! If Democrats flip enough House seats in Florida not only will the Democrats be able to work on redistricting but end more than two decades of Republican control over the state.
		Sarah Beeson is running against Republican incumbent John Albers who took office in 2011. Although this is a historically Red district, in 2018 Albers only won by 52.5% leaving room for a Democratic challenger! Sarah is the ideal candidate as a small business owner, working mother, and women of color to call out Albers partisan social views. Georgia District 56 is one of the most flippable seats in the Georgia Senate and we’re ready to turn it Blue.
		Monica Casanova is a first-generation Mexican immigrant running for office for the first time. She was an undocumented immigrant who received her citizenship in 2002. She’s running alongside two other progressive women to make Tippecanoe County blue. It moved from red to purple in 2018, and they’re working tirelessly to make the blue wave happen!
		Joanna Cattanach is mom, a public educator, and running for TX-138 for the second time. This district is one of the last 2 Republican-held districts in Dallas County with an incumbent backed by the NRA. Joanna is back and stronger than ever with support from a variety of organizations throughout Texas and the US!
		Kolbe Cole is a graduate of New Brighton Area High School and earned her Bachelor’s at Youngstown State University, where she studied Criminal Justice. She currently works as a program coordinator for youth in her community. She is running for office in Pennsylvania House District 10 against the current Republican incumbent, Aaron Bernstine to ensure her constituents have a voice that is representative of their communities and to address the outrageous gerrymandering across the state!
		Adam Dudziak is running against a Republican incumbent, Jamie Callender who is right in the middle of a large corruption scandal. Adam is an educator and high school principal who believes in our public school employees and students, and he will fight to ensure we bring more resources into Ohio’s education system.
		Alberto Enriquez is the Democratic and Independent party nominee for House District 06. He is a first-generation American who has lived in Medford for 32 years and worked as a reporter at the Mail Tribune, the local newspaper. When no one else stood up to run against Republican incumbent Kim Wallan, his moral compass led him to throw in his hat. He has the experience and skills to lead. OR HD 06 has been on the brink of being flipped for the last decade, and we believe that Alberto’s background and vision make this race highly competitive.
		Joshua Hicks has dedicated his career to giving back to the community, working at places like the People for the American Way Foundation, the Service Employees International Union, the League of Conservation Voters, and currently with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. He’s also served on the Pride Fund to End Gun Violence’s Young Professionals Board and is a member of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus. He’s committed to running a people-first campaign against his Republican opponent Cord Byrd. This is a highly competitive district in Florida that we can turn blue!
		Leo Jaramillo is a progressive Democrat who is being targeted by Republicans attempting to flip the District Red. If elected, he will be the 2nd LGBTQ person elected to the New Mexico State Senate, and the first for his district. Leo has been a longtime community advocate, serving as Rio Arriba County Commissioner for more than 8 years.
		Ann Johnson is one of the top candidates to watch in 2020. For the first time in a generation, Texas is actually in play for Democrats. On a local level, Texas has a good chance of flipping the state House of Representatives – they need only flip 9 seats to gain Democratic control. Ann’s race is one of the top targets for the Texas Democratic Party.  The district has elected Democrats at the top of the ticket for several cycles, but the Republican incumbent representative, Sarah Davis, has held on. This seat is one of the most flippable in Texas.
		Christian N. Johnson is a business owner, educator, and woman of color whose personal and professional experiences have prepared her for the challenge of unseating a 20-year Republican incumbent. The district where Christin is running is severely gerrymandered and her win would not only help with redistricting the state but providing a strong voice in Ohio’s legislative body.
		Keith Kolkow is a Community Organizer and founded Albany Oregon’s first Pride 4 years ago, and he serves on the City of Albany Landmarks Commission. He is an Air Force Veteran and an out member of the LGBTQ+ community. He is also staunchly pro-worker and pro-labor. The city of Albany is purple, with the current nonpartisan incumbent leaning conservative and the other challenger a QAnon supporter. Keith is an important voice for Albany, Oregon.
		Shea Roberts is running to flip Atlanta’s last Republican-held state house seat in the second most flippable race of the entire state. She is an attorney and small business owner who has served families and organizations in her district for over the past two decades.  This race is important because it’s the most viable seat leading the way to gain a Democratic majority in Georgia’s State House. Georgia will have a representative who will unabashedly fight fair elections, women’s rights, and to end gerrymandering ahead of redistricting in 2021.
		Mauree Turner, featured on DSPolitical’s 10 Black Candidates to watch, is the Democratic nominee for Oklahoma House of Representatives, District 88 in Oklahoma City. Mauree is a community organizer and works with the Campaign for Smart Justice to reform the criminal justice system in Oklahoma. Mauree is a young, queer, Black, Muslim woman. Electing Mauree will bring a much-needed perspective to Oklahoma’s legislative body, and to hold the margins for all the Democratic candidates in Oklahoma County.
		Claudette Williams retired from the Army in 2014, only to realize her duty as a citizen and a leader had not ended. She felt the need to serve her community in a new capacity—by advocating for a better Pennsylvania. She first ran for a Council Seat for the Borough of Mount Pocono, eventually becoming the President of the Council.  She’s ready and eager to continue giving back to this great Commonwealth in the State House of Representatives, with the same dedication she gave to the U.S. Army and to the Borough of Mount Pocono. She will be a leader and a voice for the citizens of the 176th District in the PA House of Representatives.