Dem science candidates in 2018

      We have been looking for a really good list and description of Dems running in 2018 and are not satisfied with what we have found as yet. We came across this list of Dems from Science Magazine -- maybe some or all of these are viable and appropriate candidates to support.

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/02/science-candidates-races-watch-2018?utm_campaign=news_daily_2018-02-22&et_rid=325139352&et_cid=1867443

The science candidates: races to watch in 2018

By Jeffrey MervisFeb. 22, 2018 , 2:00 PM

The 2018 U.S. elections have attracted unusual interest from the scientific community—and some researchers have decided to throw their hats into the ring. This table provides thumbnail sketches of some the candidates and races that the research community is watching, arranged by the dates of their state primaries. It is an initial list and by no means complete (all the candidates listed so far are Democrats, for example). The table will be expanded and updated regularly throughout the political cycle, which ends with the general election on 6 November. Let us know if you think there are other candidates we should be following, and why they warrant the community’s attention. Email dmalakof@aaas.org.

Date	District/Status	The science candidates	Race at a glance	Things to keep in mind
6-Mar	TX 7 (Tossup)	Jason Westin (D), clinical oncologist; *	A rising star in lymphona clinical trials at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, Westin faces a strong field in crowded Democratic primary. He's an active fundraiser.	Possible 22 May runoff. The seat is held by nine-term incumbent John Culberson (R), chairman of key science spending panel. Hillary Clinton (D) won the district in 2016.
6-Mar	TX 21 (Likely R)	Joseph Kopser (D), engineer/transit entrepreneur; *; Mary Wilson (D), former math professor	Kopser has significant lead in fundraising. Wilson lags him and other two Democratic challengers, all of whom are running on more progressive platforms.	The retirement of Lamar Smith (R), outgoing chairman of House science committee, after 32 years opens the door in an otherwise solidly Republican district.
6-Mar	TX 36 (Solid R)	Jon Powell (D), retired geologist	Powell is the underdog in two-person primary and hopes his low-key campaign can catch fire.	One of the most conservative districts in a red state.
20-Mar	IL 3 (Solid D)	Representative Daniel Lipinski (D), senior member of House of Representatives science committee	Lipinski is a political scientist, but he's a vocal backer of basic research. Activist Marie Newman represents his strongest primary challenger in years.	Many reproductive rights groups have backed Newman and oppose Lipinski's pro-life stance
20-Mar	IL 6 (Tossup)	Sean Casten (D), clean energy technnologist	Casten is a national leader in biowaste fuels industry. He faces a crowded Democratic field, including the former aide to the only Ph.D. physicist in the House of Representatives.	Casten's father is major player in refuse-to-energy conversion. Representative Peter Roskam (R) could be vulnerable in purple district.
20-Mar	IL 14 (Likely R)	Matt Brolley (D), civil engineer, and George Weber (D), retired chemical engineer	Neither man is well-known or well-financed, and the district is solidly Republican.	Representative Randy Hultgren (R) is a social and fiscal conservative, but also a strong supporter of basic energy research.
15-May	PA 7 (Leans D)	Molly Sheehan (D), biophysics postdoc at the University of Pennsylvania	Fundraising has been a challenge for Sheehan, but a major rival has suspended his campaign after being accused of sexual harassment.	A late retirement created an open seat. Court-ordered redistricting could benefit Democrats here, but a fight over the map could delay vote.
15-May	PA 6 (Leans D)	Chrissy Houlahan (D), industrial engineer, *	Houlahan has been a fundraising juggernaut and is a heavy favorite in the primary.	Representative Ryan Costello (R) is seen as extremely vulnerable to a strong challenge.
5-Jun	CA 25 (Tossup)	Jess Phoenix (D), geologist	Phoenix runs a nonprofit to catalog a tiny Mojave Desert plot. She hopes a savvy social media campaign can overtake heavyweight primary opponents.	District's clear preference for Hillary Clinton (D) imperils incumbent Representative Steve Knight (R).
5-Jun	CA 39 (Leans D)	Mai Khanh Tran (D), pediatrician, *; Phil Janowicz (D), former chemistry professor	Tran has combined a large loan with significant fundraisering; Janowicz is counting on doggedness and grassroots support to help him stand out in strong field.	This is an open seat in a district Hillary Clinton (D) won easily.
5-Jun	CA 45 (Leans R)	Brian Forde (D), tech entrepreneur, *	Forde is a former technology aide in Barack Obama's White House and is running a well-financed race in a crowded field.	Two-term Rep. Mimi Walters (R) saw district go for Hillary Clinton (D).
5-Jun	CA 48 (Tossup)	Hans Keirstead (D), former stem cell researcher and biotech CEO, *	A large war chest, visibility, and high-level connnections have made Keirstead the favorite.	The 15-term incumbent Dana Rohrabacher (R) is likely to seek chairmanship of science committtee if re-elected; District voted narrowly for Hillary Clinton (D).
5-Jun	MS 1 (Solid R)	Randy Wadkins (D), biochemistry professor	The Mississippi native keeps his University of Mississippi faculty position and faces only one opponent in the primary; his best hope in November is a wave election.	District demographics give huge edge to Representative Trent Kelly (R).
5-Jun	MT at-large (Likely R)	Grant Kier (D), geologist/geophysical engineer, *	Kier is an early favorite in the primary. He hopes to parley his strong conservation background with potent fundraising in November.	It's a statewide race against freshman Representative Greg Gianforte (R).
12-Jun	VA 5 (Likely R)	Roger Huffstetler (D), tech entrepreneur, *	Huffstetler leads fundraising in a crowded field. He is former chief of staff to a House of Representatives member from Massachusetts.	Freshman Representative Thomas Garrett (R) won easily in 2016, but Democrats hope to build on the 2017 state election results.
12-Jun	VA 10 (Tossup)	Julia Biggins (D), biotech scientist	Biggins faces a large, strong field in a purple district.	Freshman Representative Barbara Comstock (R) chairs the House of Representatives research panel.
26-Jun	MD 6 (Solid D)	Aruna Miller (D), transit engineer, *	Miller is a three-term state representative. She has significant fundraising and numerous endorsements.	The district gerrymandered to favor Democrats.
26-Jun	NY 1 (Likely R)	Elaine DiMasi (D), ex-Brookhaven National Lab physicist	DiMasi hopes to be a quick learner in building grassroots support.	Incumbent Representative Lee Zeldin (R) has a large and growing war chest.
7-Aug	WA 8 (Tossup)	Shannon Hader (D), former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention senior epidemiologist	Hader is a late entrant to a large, strong field.	It's an open seat.
11-Sep	NH 1 (Tossup)	Mindi Messmer (D), hydrologist/environmental activist	Messmer is a state representative. She served on the governor's task force investigating pediatric cancer cluster. There are large fields in both primaries.	It's an open seat in an evenly balanced district.

* Endorsed by 314 Action; Status is taken from The Cook Political Report

The science vote

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