CIVPAC has endorsed Sen. Shelley Moore Capito for reelection to the United States Senate from West Virginia.
Capito’s strongest case is her demonstrated commitment to constitutional democracy, her support for Ukraine and the international order, and her record of bipartisan governing. She is also substantially closer to CIVPAC on economic and health-care policy.
The endorsement is not without reservations. We disagree with Capito on reproductive freedom and are troubled by her position on presidential war powers in the current conflict with Iran.
CIVPAC has endorsed Sen. Cory Booker for reelection to the United States Senate from New Jersey.
We have significant policy disagreements with Booker, particularly on health care and economic policy. But his commitment to constitutional democracy, congressional responsibility, bipartisan legislation and American leadership abroad makes the choice in this race unusually clear. Booker is also considerably closer to CIVPAC’s positions on reproductive freedom and immigration reform.
His Republican opponent, Justin Murphy deserves credit for his service in the United States Navy and for his forthright statement of his conservative principles. But Murphy’s refusal to accept the lawful result of the 2020 presidential election presents a threshold institutional problem that outweighs ordinary policy disagreements.
Byrd offers Wyoming voters a substantially stronger commitment to constitutional government, congressional independence, and the principle that limits on executive power must apply regardless of which party controls the White House. Although we have reservations about his readiness for the office, we believe those concerns are outweighed by the importance of institutional integrity in this race.
This is not an endorsement without reservations. Collins has too often supported President Trump when stronger independence would have been welcome. But in recent months she has also shown that she is still willing to break with her party on important institutional and policy questions, including voting against Todd Blanche for attorney general, opposing continued military action against Iran without congressional authorization, and challenging parts of the administration’s tariff and immigration policies.
Her Democratic opponent, Troy Jackson, is a serious candidate with substantial experience in Maine government. We agree with his support for Ukraine, but his positions on Medicare for All, abolishing ICE, eliminating the Senate filibuster and restructuring the Supreme Court move well beyond the pragmatic reforms CIVPAC favors.
We do not endorse Collins without reservations, but in this race we believe she is clearly the better choice.
Cooper is not a perfect fit for CIVPAC. We disagree with him on some economic and education policies, and Republican Michael Whatley is closer to us on several issues, including school choice and parts of immigration and energy policy.
But Cooper brings a long record of competent statewide leadership, experience governing with a Republican legislature, and demonstrated willingness to reach bipartisan agreements. He has also supported Ukraine, taken a pragmatic approach to immigration, and shown a healthier understanding of the institutional role of an elected official.
Whatley, by contrast, has made loyalty to President Trump central to his campaign and previously echoed unsupported claims about widespread fraud in the 2020 election.
Elections require choices among the candidates actually running. On balance, Cooper is clearly the better choice.
Centrist Independent Voter has endorsed Representative María Elvira Salazar in the August 18 Republican primary for Florida’s 27th Congressional District.
CIVPAC disagrees with Salazar on several important issues, including abortion, President Trump and parts of Republican economic policy. But her work on the bipartisan Dignity Act demonstrates a willingness to confront a difficult national problem with detailed, politically realistic legislation.
Working with Democratic Representative Veronica Escobar, Salazar has advanced an immigration proposal combining stronger border enforcement and employment verification with legal status for qualifying long-term undocumented residents. She has also defended that approach despite criticism from within her own party.
Her opponent, V. Michael Arias, presents a serious and generally reasonable agenda, but Salazar has the stronger demonstrated record of bipartisan legislating.
CIVPAC has added four endorsements in the August 18 primaries in Alaska, Florida and Wyoming. We have also updated and reaffirmed our endorsement in today’s Democratic Senate primary in Michigan.
Alex Vindman for the U.S. Senate in Florida
CIVPAC endorses retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman in Florida’s Democratic Senate primary.
Vindman brings national-security expertise, personal courage and a demonstrated commitment to constitutional government. His willingness to report Donald Trump’s effort to pressure Ukraine—despite the predictable risk to his military career—provides unusually strong evidence that he would place his constitutional obligations ahead of partisan loyalty.
CIVPAC endorses former Representative David Jolly in Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial primary.
Jolly offers governing experience, political pragmatism and the ability to appeal to Democrats, independents and former Republicans. Although we disagree with several parts of his platform, he presents a credible alternative to both Florida’s right-wing political establishment and a mirror-image politics of the left.
CIVPAC endorses retired Army Colonel Kevin Christensen in Wyoming’s Republican primary for the state’s open at-large House seat.
Christensen combines military and public-land-management experience with fiscal seriousness, respect for congressional authority and an explicit rejection of MAGA politics. He offers Wyoming voters a traditional conservative alternative to candidates who define Republican loyalty primarily as loyalty to Donald Trump.
CIVPAC endorses former Representative Mary Peltola in Alaska’s nonpartisan Senate primary.
Peltola has demonstrated political independence, bipartisan credibility and a willingness to place Alaska’s economic and regional interests ahead of national Democratic orthodoxy. Her support for Ukraine, responsible energy development and democratic institutions makes her an unusually strong Democratic Senate candidate.
CIVPAC has also updated and reaffirmed its endorsement of Representative Haley Stevens in today’s Michigan Democratic Senate primary.
Mallory McMorrow’s withdrawal leaves voters with a direct choice between Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed. Stevens offers greater federal experience, stronger support for Ukraine, a more responsible position on Israel and better prospects of holding this closely contested seat in November.
These candidates are not identical, and CIVPAC does not agree with any of them on every issue. Each nevertheless offers the strongest available combination of competence, political independence, institutional responsibility and ability to govern beyond a partisan base.
CIVPAC has endorsed former Governor Mark Sanford in South Carolina’s August 11 special Republican primary for the United States Senate.
Sanford is not a conventional centrist, and CIVPAC has important disagreements with him—particularly on abortion. But he offers qualities that have become increasingly rare in the Republican Party: genuine concern about federal debt, support for competitive markets and free trade, respect for constitutional limits and demonstrated independence from Donald Trump.
Sanford opposed Trump’s tariffs, challenged the party’s growing reliance on presidential loyalty and lost his congressional seat after publicly criticizing Trump. His record gives us reason to believe that he would approach the Senate as a member of an independent branch of government rather than as an automatic vote for the president.
He has made serious personal and political mistakes. South Carolina voters have previously considered those failures and returned him to public office. We believe his experience, fiscal seriousness and political courage make him the strongest candidate in the Republican field.
CIVPAC has endorsed Aly Richards in Vermont’s August 11 Democratic primary for governor.
Richards is the more practical and responsible choice over economist Amanda Janoo. Although CIVPAC disagrees with Richards on the appropriate size and role of state government, she has demonstrated an ability to build coalitions, turn policy goals into workable legislation and confront the costs and practical limitations of government programs.
The contrast is particularly clear on health care. Both candidates support government-guaranteed universal primary care, but Janoo proposes a substantially more expensive state-funded system supported by large income-tax surcharges. Richards has rejected that approach as economically and politically unrealistic and has emphasized preserving federal and insurance funding rather than shifting the full cost to Vermont taxpayers.
Richards also offers a more practical approach to Vermont’s housing shortage, workforce problems and stagnant population. Her emphasis on increasing housing construction, improving administration and adopting policies that can actually pass the legislature makes her the stronger Democratic nominee.
This endorsement applies only to the Democratic primary. CIVPAC will evaluate the general election separately after voters choose a nominee to face Republican Governor Phil Scott.
CIVPAC has endorsed Maurice Mercer in the August 11 Democratic primary for Alabama’s 6th Congressional District.
Mercer is a former Pelham City Council president with experience in business, small-business ownership and local government. His platform combines support for competitive markets and reduced unnecessary regulation with secure borders, humane immigration reform, accountable law enforcement and respect for religious freedom.
He is an unusually strong fit for CIVPAC. Rather than treating corporations, profits or law-enforcement officers as presumptive enemies, Mercer emphasizes competition, opportunity, constitutional rights and practical cooperation among government, business, workers and local communities.
Alabama’s 6th District is heavily Republican, and Mercer would face a difficult general election. That is not a reason to ignore his candidacy. Political organizations should help elevate thoughtful centrists even when their path to victory is narrow. Candidates such as Mercer can broaden their parties, improve political debate and offer voters a meaningful alternative to both right-wing and left-wing politics.
