In his second major wave of endorsements for the midterm election cycle, ex-president Barack Obama released Monday a list of 2018 candidates who have his blessing. The list includes candidates Abby Finkenauer and Gretchen Whitmer, two high-profile female candidates running in 2018 in an effort to seek change. "I'm so honored!" Whitmer, who is running for governor in Michigan, wrote on Twitter.
Wrote Obama on Twitter: "Today, I’m proud to endorse even more Democratic candidates who aren’t just running against something, but for something—to expand opportunity for all of us and to restore dignity, honor, and compassion to public service. They deserve your vote." This list brings the total number of 2018 candidates endorsed by Obama to more than 300.
For Whitmer, who is running against Republican attorney general Bill Schuette for the governorship, the moment is a game-changer. "Gretchen is proud to be endorsed by Barack Obama," read a meme posted by the gubernatorial candidate's Twitter account. (On Tuesday, one day after the endorsement, Whitmer was among a crowd of protesters who were hit by a truck, but Whitmer was not injured. She said in a statement that she was "incredibly sad" about the incident, which left several others with injuries.)
Obama also endorsed Elissa Slotkin and Haley Stevens, both running for Congress in Michigan, Arizona senate candidate Kyrsten Sinema, New York candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Vermont gubernatorial candidate Christine Hallquist, and Iowa congressional candidate Abby Finkenauer, among others.
In response, Finkenauer shared a throwback photo of when she met the then-Senator back in 2007:
Here's a full list of Obama's endorsements, per his Twitter feed:
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