Two Pro-Enforcement Democratic Incumbents Handily Defeat Primary Challenges

By Roy Beck

We have good results from Primary elections for two Democratic incumbent congressmen who bucked their Party leadership on immigration. Both faced vigorous Primary challenges from candidates backed by Democrats who said the incumbents were too centrist. We are well aware that Democrats who stand for reduced immigration levels will do better in the General elections, but we are particularly gratified to see that standing for sensible immigration also is a good political sell in Democratic Primaries.

And in the other Party, the Republican freshman who has earned the second best immigration grade of the entire 535-Member Congress beat back a Primary challenge from his District’s Party and business establishment. (More on Paul Broun below.)

SAVE Act Hero, Rep. Barrow, Wins In Georgia

I was especially excited to see Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.) win his Savannah District Primary. Having narrowly been elected to Congress in 2004, he had immediately established himself on immigration issues as a friend of the common working man and woman and the middle-class taxpayers.

He has earned the 11th best immigration-reduction grade among all Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Barrow is one of only a dozen Democrats brave enough to buck House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and sign the Discharge Petition to force a vote on the SAVE Act (sponsored by another freshman Democrat Heath Shuler of North Carolina).

At a NumbersUSA event this spring, Barrow gave a stirring speech about the importance of standing up for true Democratic Party values in protecting the most vulnerable workers in society. He said if the Democratic leadership won’t stand for the principles of protecting American workers from unfair foreign labor importation, he will always be willing to oppose his Party for the sake of the voters of his District.

 
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