WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Blue Dog PAC announced its endorsement of six Democratic candidates running in the competitive districts that will determine next year’s House majority: Brian Poindexter in Ohio’s 7th Congressional District, Zach Dembo in Kentucky’s 6th, JoAnna Mendoza in Arizona’s 6th, Leela Gray in Florida’s 13th, Sam Forstag in Montana’s 1st, and Blake Gendebien in New York’s 21st. All six are competing in the places Democrats have to win – not just where Democrats already have the advantage.
Brian Poindexter is an ironworker in northeast Ohio. Zach Dembo is a Navy veteran and federal prosecutor from the Bluegrass region of central Kentucky. JoAnna Mendoza is a Marine veteran from rural Pinal County, Arizona. Leela Gray is a brigadier general from Florida’s Gulf Coast. Sam Forstag is a smokejumper from western Montana. Blake Gendebien is a dairy farmer from New York’s North Country.
“These Blue Dog candidates didn’t spend their lives trying to get to Congress,” said Rep. Adam Gray, Blue Dog PAC Chair. “They spent their lives building and serving the communities they now hope to represent. Their neighbors knew who they were long before anyone in Washington did. That’s why they’re going to win. And that’s how we build a House majority that earns the trust of the American people.”
Brian Poindexter (OH-07) said: “I’ve spent close to twenty years in the Ironworkers, walking the high steel, as a union organizer, and for the past five years teaching apprentices our trade. I can tell you the people I came up with stopped expecting much of anything out of Washington a long time ago. What I hear at the hall and on the doors is that folks are working as hard as they ever have but are still coming up short at the end of the month. I’m proud to be endorsed by the Blue Dogs because my community deserves leaders who will put in the hard work alongside them. That’s what the Blue Dogs stand for, and when I’m in Congress, that’s what I’ll stand for too.”
Zach Dembo (KY-06) said: “I swore an oath to the Constitution four times, and every single time, it was to the law rather than to whoever happened to be in charge, which is why I left the Justice Department when I did. Those values didn’t begin with my military service – they were instilled long before that. As a ninth-generation Kentuckian from a family of Central Kentucky farmers, I was raised to believe that your word matters, hard work matters, and you’re accountable to your neighbors. I’m grateful to have the Blue Dogs’ support because they share those same values of principled, accountable leadership, and I look forward to working alongside them in Congress to fight for working folks.”
JoAnna Mendoza (AZ-06) said: “I served my country honorably for 20 years in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. I’ve led Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan, and had the honor of making the next generation of Marines as a Drill Instructor. I’m answering the call to serve again because families across our district are struggling due to the rising cost of groceries, housing, gas, and health care, and the career politicians in Washington couldn’t care less. Southern Arizona has gone too long without a representative who won’t buckle under party pressure, and I’m looking forward to working with the Blue Dogs to change that.”
Leela Gray (FL-13) said: “In my thirty years in the Army, including two combat deployments and a peacekeeping mission, nobody ever asked whether the mission in front of us was a Republican or Democratic one, because that’s not what matters when the stakes are real. Today, families across Pinellas and Pasco are watching insurance, housing, and grocery costs spike beyond what they can afford – I didn’t spend three decades in uniform to come home and accept that as the standard. That commitment to putting the mission ahead of politics is exactly why I’m honored to have the Blue Dogs’ support, and I look forward to working with them to deliver results in Congress.”
Sam Forstag (MT-01) said: “Whether you’re fighting fires or framing homes, working people don’t have the luxury of asking who someone voted for before doing our job. We show up and do the work. Meanwhile, politicians in both parties spend more time complaining about what’s wrong with the other side than doing the work to fix it. For working Montanans being priced out of our homes, our healthcare, our childcare, that’s not enough. I’m running to change that. That’s why I’m proud to have the Blue Dog endorsement. We share the belief that solving problems means doing the work, not pointing fingers, and I look forward to working with them in Congress to do just that.”
Blake Gendebien (NY-21) said: “I’ve spent the last year and a half driving every corner of this district, and the message I hear over and over is that Washington has forgotten about the North Country. I still farm for a living, and every day reinforces the same lesson: there are no shortcuts. You get up before sunrise, come home sunburned and worn out, but know at the end of the day you’ve done right by your community. The Blue Dogs believe that the same accountability you owe your neighbors at home is the accountability you owe the people who send you to Washington – and that’s why I’m proud to have their endorsement.”
These six endorsements bring the total number of candidates endorsed by Blue Dog PAC this cycle to twelve. The Blue Dog PAC works to support the House Blue Dogs, a coalition of House Democrats who stand for fiscal stability and national security. Blue Dogs embrace bipartisanship and work to find common sense solutions to the challenges facing our country. Blue Dogs have been at the center of the most important bipartisan policy agreements in Congress over the last 25 years.