That’s right, Sarah. As we’ve done in the previous two election cycles, FiveThirtyEight is once again tracking the success of candidates endorsed by progressive groups and progressive leaders to monitor the movement’s influence within the party. Their bag has certainly been mixed, with Nida Allam losing in North Carolina’s 4th district, despite heavy investment from progressives, and also Nina Turner’s loss in Ohio’s 11th District. But things are turning around. Summer Lee eked out a win in Pennsylvania’s 12th District, and in Oregon’s 5th District, Jamie McLeod-Skinner seemed poised to defeat the incumbent “Blue Dog” Kurt Schrader. And if Cisneros defeats Cuellar tonight, that will be another win for the progressive wing. Challenging incumbents who are out of step with their district or the party does seem to be paying off. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Marie Newman, Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush also ousted long-serving members of congress in their Democratic primaries.
