The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) unveiled its top targets for 2016 on Wednesday with two members of the Florida delegation on the list.
With 19 Democratic incumbents in their sights, the NRCC is taking aim at Democrats U.S. Reps. Gwen Graham and Patrick Murphy in the Sunshine State.
As Nancy Pelosi continues to pull her smaller and weaker caucus of House Democrats to the far left, we are going to make sure that these vulnerable Democrats are held responsible for their disastrous policies, said Katie Martin, a spokeswoman for the NRCC, on Wednesday. As demonstrated in the past several elections, House Democrats have been oblivious to the will of the American people and it is time to end their toxic agenda which is bankrupting middle-class families.
The NRCC is running a website targeting the vulnerable Democrats as it launches its efforts against them.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is more than aware of the NRCCs efforts. Graham and Murphy were named as Frontline Democrats last week by the DCCC, a program focused on keeping vulnerable incumbents in the House. Twelve other Democratic incumbents in the House also received the same designation.
While there are more Republicans than Democrats in his district, Murphy is a proven winner, having defeated U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., in a close contest in 2012 before routing former state Rep. Carl Domino in November, despite it being a good year for Republicans in Florida and across the nation.
But Graham, one of only two Democrats across the nation to beat Republican congressional incumbents in November, could be more vulnerable, having beaten the gaffe-prone U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla., by less than 3,000 votes in November.
The DCCC is targeting two Florida Republicans -- U.S. Reps. Carlos Curbelo and David Jolly -- in the early stages of the 2016 election cycle.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
