Progressive Caucus Says It Will Grow to More Than 105 Members
The Congressional Progressive Caucus, a group of members of Congress who share progressive policy goals, said it will welcome more than 25 new members in the next Congress, according to The Guardian. That would take the group from 100 members in the current Congress to more than 105.
The caucus said it will welcome a record number of new members who won in districts that voted for Donald Trump. Two of the newcomers are Randy Villegas, who won a California House seat in a district Trump carried by two points in 2024, and Katy Padilla Stout, who won a Texas seat in a district Trump carried by 15 points. Both are set to join the caucus. Sam Forstag won a Montana seat that Trump carried by 11 points.
The caucus endorsed nine candidates in competitive races where Republicans were defending seats that Democrats were trying to win. Six of them won. Villegas, a progressive, was endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders, according to the Associated Press.
Six candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, a left-wing organisation, also won House seats in districts that are safely Democratic. Four of those winners appeared at the caucus's press conference: Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez of New York, Donavan McKinney of Michigan, and Chris Rabb of Pennsylvania.
The results are part of a broader shift in the House. Democrats won control of the chamber by flipping more than three dozen Republican-held seats, according to CBS News. Democrats are set to control both chambers of Congress when the new session begins in January.
Other Democratic groups also expanded. The centrist New Democrat Coalition had 114 members and is expected to add about 39, 30 of them from flipped seats, according to The Guardian. Third Way, a centrist think tank, said candidates backed by the New Democrats, the Blue Dog Democrats and WelcomePAC flipped 31 Republican-held House seats, 25 of them in districts Trump won.
The Progressive Caucus is led by Greg Casar, its chair. Ilhan Omar is its deputy chair, and Jesus "Chuy" Garcia serves as its whip, the member who coordinates votes. On its website, the caucus lists three priorities: a fair economy, universal health care and climate justice.
