WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Blue Dog PAC announced its endorsement of four candidates running in the competitive districts that will determine next year’s House majority: Jake Johnson in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District, Chaz Molder in Tennessee’s 5th, Mitchell Berman in Wisconsin’s 1st, and Bill Hill in Alaska’s at-large district.
Jake Johnson is a high school math teacher from southern Minnesota. Chaz Molder is the two-term mayor of Columbia in Middle Tennessee. Mitchell Berman is an emergency room nurse from rural Racine County, Wisconsin. Bill Hill is a Bristol Bay commercial fisherman and retired school superintendent from Naknek, Alaska.
“People want representatives who understand what it takes to make a living, support a family, and serve a community,” said Rep. Adam Gray, Chair of Blue Dog PAC. “Jake spent twenty years in the classroom, Chaz ran a city, Mitchell still works hospital shifts, and Bill made his living on the water before leading rural school districts. Their neighbors know them and trust them. These are the kinds of candidates who can win tough districts and make Congress look a little more like the country it represents.”
Jake Johnson (MN-01) said: “I’ve spent the last twenty years teaching math to kids in southern Minnesota, and the promise I make to my students — that if you work hard, you can build a good life — is slipping away the longer Washington sits on its hands. Our grassroots campaign started from nothing sixteen months ago, and tens of thousands of people across this district have now joined us because they want a representative who will bring down costs, take on corruption, and invest in our small towns. The Blue Dogs know just how important it is to have pragmatic problem-solvers who are willing to work with anyone to deliver for working families, and I’m grateful to have them standing with us on our campaign.”
Chaz Molder (TN-05) said: “I am proud to have the endorsement of the Blue Dogs because I know they support leaders who bring a responsible approach to governance. Their endorsement is a testament to the fact that, during my time as Mayor, I’ve focused on fiscal responsibility and issues that actually matter to our community. I will take that same approach to Congress, working to solve problems, achieve results, bring people together, and remain laser focused on helping our communities succeed. The Blue Dogs back leaders who deliver for the communities they serve, and I’m proud to have them in our corner.”
Mitchell Berman (WI-01) said: “I became an ER nurse because I wanted to take care of people. After twenty-three years in healthcare, including a decade at the VA serving veterans, I’ve watched too many patients struggle to afford treatment while the politicians who could fix it protect the insurance industry and their donors instead. I never imagined running for Congress, but working people across southeastern Wisconsin have built this campaign into something with real momentum, and I’m honored to have the Blue Dogs with us for the fight ahead.”
Bill Hill (AK-At Large) said: “I’ve fished Bristol Bay, taught school in Naknek and Juneau, and run rural school districts, and everywhere I go Alaskans tell me the same thing: the cost of gas, groceries, health care, and child care keeps climbing while the people we send to Washington cozy up to billionaires and special interests. My loyalty belongs to Alaskans and the Alaska way of life. I appreciate the Blue Dogs recognizing that everyday Alaskans deserve a representative who will put them first, every single time.”
These four endorsements bring the total number of Blue Dog-backed candidates to sixteen. 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.