It’s 2018 all over again, and the path to a House Democratic majority may run through a slate of female first-time candidates with deep national security credentials.
This time around, one of the leading members of the 2018 class — Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) — is positioning herself as a mentor for that next generation of Democratic candidates.
Known as the Hell Cats, the group includes JoAnna Mendoza, who’s running to challenge Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.); Cait Conley, who hopes to take on Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.); Maura Sullivan, who’s seeking the open seat being vacated by Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.J.); and Rebecca Bennett, who’s vying to battle Rep. Tom Kean (R-N.J.).
“We’re sober, and we’re service-minded, and we are battle-tested, so to speak, and usually quite willing to be pragmatic,” said Houlahan, an Air Force veteran now caught up in the X video controversy (see above.). “People are just angry — they’re tired of watching people not get along, and they’re tired of the government not working.”
Houlahan said she’s held multiple calls, both individually and collectively with the group, providing guidance on the process of running a congressional campaign while taking care of oneself and messaging. All four seats are seen as competitive in the midterms.
“This wasn’t a planned endeavor. It was a friend chat group,” Conley, an Army veteran and former National Security Council official, said in an interview. “We don’t care how you register to vote or how you vote. We just care that we are a community first, that we are Americans first, and that is where our priority and loyalty lies.”
The candidates could also take lessons from lawmakers like Reps. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) and Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), as well as Govs.-elect Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), who leaned on their own national security backgrounds during their successful first runs for office in 2018.
The Hell Cat ranks could expand to include other national-security-minded Democratic candidates, such as former Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.). Luria is making a comeback attempt against Rep. Jen Kiggins (R-Va.), after being part of the inaugural group of female “badasses” elected to Congress in 2018.
Houlahan expects she’ll advise the Hell Cats through the course of their campaigns.
“A lot of what I’ve talked to them about has to do with their taking care of themselves, making sure they understand where their boundaries are and their red lines are — and making sure that they come into this and leave this whole people,” Houlahan said.
