WELCOME ENDORSES SIX TRUMP-DISTRICT DEMOCRATS
Ager, Bird, Pulido, Trone Garriott, Bohannan, and Rep. Gonzalez join Win The Middle slate - the only Democratic PAC effort focused exclusively on districts Harris lost
DECEMBER 10, 2025 – WelcomePAC, which supports Democrats in Trump-won congressional districts, is proud to announce new endorsements for the 2026 cycle: Jamie Ager (NC-11), Shannon Bird (CO-08), Christina Bohannan (IA-01), Sarah Trone Garriott (IA-03), Rep. Vicente Gonzalez and Bobby Pulido in the newly redrawn TX-34 and TX-15, respectively. They join the six candidates already on Welcome’s Win the Middle slate, bringing the total number of endorsed candidates for the 2026 cycle to 12.
Welcome recently released Deciding to Win, a report that analyzes what Democrats have gotten wrong in recent years and offers a blueprint for how the party can win again. All Welcome-endorsed candidates are deciding to win in districts Democrats need to win back the House.
In the 2022 and 2024 election cycles, Welcome invested more than $14 million supporting a dozen of the Democratic Party’s most over-performing U.S. House challengers and incumbents. All of Welcome’s 2024 slate overperformed Kamala Harris in Trump-won districts by an average of more than six points, demonstrating that candidates who “decide to win” the middle can beat expectations, even on red turf.
Independent analysis by Split Ticket confirms that WelcomePAC’s slate had the highest Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of any Democratic group in 2024.
Welcome Endorsees: +5.1 WAR (Average performance)
Blue Dog PAC: +4.5 WAR
New Dem: +2.0 WAR
Progressive Caucus: -1.3 WAR
Justice Democrats: -4.6 WAR
These candidates have proven track records of over-performance:
Christina Bohannan was one of the top over-performers in 2024, running 11.3 points ahead of a generic Democrat and 8.4 points ahead of Kamala Harris in the district.
Sarah Trone Garriott is the only Democrat in Iowa who has flipped two Republican-held state senate seats from red to blue. She first won an open seat in 2020, then beat sitting Senate President Jake Chapman in 2022 by more than 2 points in a district Republican Kim Reynolds carried at the top of the ticket by seven points, a nine-point over-performance. In 2024, she was the only Democrat to hold a Trump-won Iowa senate district.
Shannon Bird routinely brings in around 60% of the vote in her state house district. Bird formed the bipartisan Opportunity Caucus in the state house to create a space to discuss issues that matter most to voters, and she’s not afraid to stand up to her party on issues like public safety and protecting the jobs of Coloradans in the oil and gas industry.
Jamie Ager is a first-time candidate who will be an independent voice for the people of Western North Carolina. As fourth-generation farmer and self-proclaimed "Mountain Democrat,” Ager brings a deep connection to the region's rural communities and a commitment to pragmatic local leadership.
Vicente Gonzalez ran six points ahead of Kamala Harris in 2024 and over-performed a generic Democrat by 1.3 points. He’s consistently won close races in South Texas.
Bobby Pulido is another first-time candidate who brings a high level of name ID to the race given his career as a Tejano music star. Pulido’s high name recognition, deep cultural ties to the region, and willingness to call out why Democrats have lost support in South Texas make him a formidable challenger in a district that underwent significant change in the mid-decade redraw.
Welcome’s 2026 slate is deliberately pushing the limits of the Democratic Party brand by investing early in districts where a compelling centrist Democrat can make the district competitive.
Welcome co-founder Lauren Harper Pope said, “Welcome is committed to supporting Democrats who prove they align with the median American voter, and that is exactly who these candidates are. These challengers’ histories of over-performance, distinct differentiation from the Democratic Party brand, and pragmatic approach to governance bring much-needed nuance that will not only help us reclaim a Democratic House majority in 2026 but will allow the Party to be competitive in 2028.”
Jamie Ager said, “Our people in Western North Carolina are the best in the world, and I'm proud to be running to represent them. Folks here don't care about your political party — they care about your values and whether or not you have their back. I'm so appreciative of WelcomePAC's support in our effort to put place over politics and country over party.”
Shannon Bird said, "Throughout my time in the legislature, I've focused on lowering costs, improving public safety, and protecting healthcare. WelcomePAC is at the center of winning tough congressional districts with a laser focus on affordability and the issues that matter most. I'm honored to have their support.”
Christina Bohannan said, “What we need now more than ever is moderate leadership that will bring people together, no matter our differences of opinion. Last cycle, I overperformed Kamala Harris more than any Democratic challenger in the nation, and I did that by winning over more than 30,000 Trump voters. Iowans are fed up with the corruption and indifference of both parties. They are ready to chart a new path forward, with representatives who put their constituents first–not special interests, billionaires, or party politics.”
Sarah Trone Garriott said, “I’m honored to have the support of WelcomePAC as we work to change a broken political status quo that too often puts the interests of party insiders ahead of the needs of our communities. I’ve spent my life answering a call to serve, as a minister, a nonprofit leader, and a state senator, by showing up, listening, and bringing people together to solve big problems. I'm glad to have WelcomePAC as a partner as I work to bring that same spirit of service to Washington, to lower costs, tackle corruption, and make government work for Iowans again.”
“As a Party, we have to prove that we can do more than just talk junk about Trump and Republicans to regain trust with voters,” added Pope. “If we want to be competitive in more places, we must invest in the candidates who offer a compelling centrist vision for Democratic leadership.”
Rep. Vicente Gonzalez said, “Our federal government serves the American people best when we set aside politics and work together in a bipartisan manner to tackle the challenges our nation faces, such as the ongoing health care crisis and the rising cost of living," said Congressman Gonzalez. "I am honored to receive Welcome's endorsement because we need strong Democratic voices in Congress who are not afraid to break from party leadership and advocate for the best interests of South Texas families.”
Bobby Pulido said, “I’m grateful for Welcome’s endorsement and for backing candidates who can meet the moment. In South Texas, people don’t want partisan noise — they want someone who shows up, listens, and delivers. That’s the campaign we’re running, and that’s the kind of representative I’ll be. I’m proud to have Welcome in this fight with us.”
Texas’ new congressional map is engineered around the assumption that Hispanic voters will remain aligned with the GOP at Trump-era levels. According to Welcome, that premise is flawed.
Data from Welcome’s recently published Deciding to Win report shows that while Hispanic voters reject the national Democratic brand of cultural progressivism, they remain highly responsive to moderate, populist economic messages. Democrats can punish Republicans for overextending their reach with the new maps and reverse the much-discussed “Latino shift to Trump.”
In the 2024 election cycle, Welcome invested more than $12 million supporting a slate of 9 centrist Democrats running in districts Trump won in 2020. This slate, coined the “Win the Middle slate,” included over-performers like Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Rep. Mary Peltola, Rep. Jared Golden, Rebecca Cooke, Janelle Stelson, Whitney Fox, Will Rollins, and Adam Frisch.
ABOUT WELCOME:
In the 2022 and 2024 election cycles combined, Welcome invested more than $14 million supporting a dozen of the Democratic Party’s most over-performing U.S. House challengers and incumbents. Informed by our perspective on the inefficiency of the Democratic marketplace and the ballooning value of each Congressional seat, Welcome has consistently identified districts with viability that rating agencies have written off as unwinnable for Democrats. In 2024, Welcome supported a slate of nine centrist Democrats, including the Blue Dog caucus co-chairs. All of Welcome’s slate over-performed Kamala Harris in Trump-won districts by an average of 6 points.
Welcome was coined “a centrist insurgency” by The New York Times and has been featured in publications like PBS, Slate, Semafor, Politico, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, Slow Boring, and The Bulwark.
Welcome cultivates a centrist community and elevates Democratic Party leaders who improve the brand through its annual public gathering, WelcomeFest, and its Substack, WelcomeStack.