Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020 | 2 a.m.
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For Southern Nevadans, it can be a frustrating and helpless feeling to watch Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his cowardly Republican counterparts in Congress abet President Donald Trump in his assault on our democracy.
After all, we already did our part to blunt Trump’s authoritarian ambitions by electing a group of responsible and reasonable leaders to Congress — Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen in the Senate, and Dina Titus, Susie Lee and Steven Horsford to the House. Some of us may be wondering what else we can do.
Well, here’s some food for thought. Recently, we encountered an individual who channels his anger over the situation into something constructive by donating to out-of-state candidates who are challenging some of the Republican Party’s more odious leaders.
Instead of merely yelling at the TV or grinding his teeth, this person sends off donations to the opponents of the politicians who are making his blood boil.
So for example, when this individual sees McConnell rigging the rules for Trump in the impeachment process, he sends $5 or $10 to McConnell’s re-election challenger, Amy McGrath. It’s certainly not money wasted, for a couple of reasons. One, it helps the donor feel better. Two, McGrath is a worthy candidate who nearly knocked off a Repubican incumbent in 2018 when she ran for the U.S. House in a blood-red district. She’s also a Marine Corps veteran who became the first woman Marine to fly in an F-18 fighter jet in combat.
The donor has taken another proactive step by contributing to the Lincoln Project, an advocacy initiative founded by a group of national GOP strategists with the goal of cleansing their party of its anti-democracy forces. As the donor explains it, he believes the nation would be better served by the principled conservatives who once led the party than by the current leadership. His support for the Lincoln Project is not a Republican-versus-Democrat issue, he says, but rather a matter of the corrupt current GOP versus a noble vision of America where both sides protect our democratic principles.
The donor’s approach is interesting — a way for Americans from coast to coast to take direct action when they see someone jackhammering at our country’s democratic principles.
When it comes to campaign financing, there are no firewalls between state lines. That means Nevadans are free to contribute to candidates nationwide who are trying to oust Trump’s lapdog Republicans in Washington and ensure that the checks and balances in our system remain firmly in place.
It’s a way of sending a message: You won’t trample my Constitution without a fight.
So today, after being inspired by the donor’s approach to activism, we’re providing links to several candidates’ campaign sites, where readers can get more information on their stances on issues. For Nevadans who decide to go one step further and choose to donate, we’re providing links to web pages where contributions can be made.
Meanwhile, although Sens. Cortez Masto and Rosen aren’t facing re-election until 2022 and 2024, respectively, we’re including Southern Nevada’s House delegates on our list for readers who’d like more info and perhaps would care to donate to their re-election campaigns.
SENATE
Candidate: Amy McGrath
Opponent: Mitch McConnell, Senate majority leader, R-Ky.
McGrath’s website: amymcgrath.com/
Link to donation page: tinyurl.com/donate-mcgrath
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Candidate: Jaime Harrison
Opponent: Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee
Harrison’s website: jaimeharrison.com/
Link to donation page: tinyurl.com/donate-harrison
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Candidate: Sara Gideon
Opponent: Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine
Gideon’s website: saragideon.com/
Link to donation page: tinyurl.com/donate-gideon
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Candidate: MJ Hegar
Opponent: Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, described by Donald Trump Jr. as the president’s “biggest ally”
Hegar’s website: mjfortexas.com
Link to donation page: tinyurl.com/donate-hegar
HOUSE
Candidate: Kim Mangone
Opponent: Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., House Republican leader
Mangone’s website: mangoneforcongress.com
Link to donation page: tinyurl.com/donate-mangone
•••
Candidates: Phil Arballo and Bobby Bliatout
Opponent: Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif.
Arballo’s website: philarballo.com; Bliatout’s website: bobbybliatout.com
Links to donation pages: tinyurl.com/donate-arballo; tinyurl.com/donate-bliatout
•••
Candidates: Shannon Freshour, Mike Larsen, Jeffrey Sites
Opponent: Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, member of Trump impeachment defense team
Freshour’s website: shannon4ohio.com
Larsen’s website: ohiomike2020.com
Sites’ website: sitesforcongress.com
Links to donation pages: tinyurl.com/donate-freshour; tinyurl.com/donate-larsen; tinyurl.com/donate-sites
•••
Candidate: Russell Foster
Opponent: Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, member of Trump impeachment defense team
Website: foster4texas.com/
Link to donation page: tinyurl.com/donate-foster
Note: This is not a full list of candidates to these incumbents. In races where polling was available, the Sun chose the leading candidate(s).
THE LINCOLN PROJECT
Site: lincolnproject.us
Donation page: tinyurl.com/donate-lincoln
SOUTHERN NEVADA
Incumbent: Rep. Dina Titus
Website: dinatitus.com/
Donation page: tinyurl.com/donate-titus
•••
Incumbent: Rep. Susie Lee
Website: susieleeforcongress.com
Donation page: tinyurl.com/donate-lee
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Incumbent: Rep. Steven Horsford
Website: stevenhorsford.com
Donation page: tinyurl.com/donate-horsford