Thirteen Georgetown undergraduate alumni are running for congressional seats in the Nov. 6 midterm elections. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) (CAS ’74, MED ’78), one of three alumni in the Senate, is the sole graduate up for reelection this cycle, while Corey Stewart (SFS ’91) is running against incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) in Virginia. Six Georgetown alumni are running for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives, while five undergraduate alumni are newcomers to congressional races. Dan Feehan (SFS ’05) is running for Minnesota’s 1st District, James Maxwell (CAS ’71) is running to represent New York’s 25th District, Xochitl Torres Small (SFS ’07) is running for New Mexico’s 2nd District and Lori Trahan (SFS ’95) is looking to represent the 3rd District of Massachusetts. Meanwhile, George Scott (SFS ’84) is looking to unseat incumbent Scott Perry (R) in the 10th Congressional District race in Pennsylvania.
U.S. Senate:
John Barrasso (CAS ’74, GRD ’78)
Barrasso (R) is running for reelection to represent Wyoming in the U.S. Senate, a seat he has held since 2007. Endorsed by President Donald Trump, Barrasso is the fourth-ranking Senate Republican and co-authored a letter urging Trump to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement as part of an effort to reduce restrictions on carbon emissions and natural gas production.
Corey Stewart (SFS ’91)
Stewart (R) is looking to unseat Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) in the race to represent Virginia in the U.S. Senate. Stewart lost his bid for Governor of Virginia in 2017 and has drawn media attention for his support of gun rights, the history of the Confederate flag and President Trump’s administration.
U.S. House of Representatives:
Henry Cuellar (SFS ’78)
Incumbent Cuellar (D) faces libertarian Arthur Thomas in the race for Texas’ 28th District, a region south of San Antonio. Cuellar has represented the district since 2005 and co-chairs the Blue Dog Coalition of moderate Democrats. Currently, Cuellar faces a complaint from his previous deputy chief of staff claiming she was fired for her pregnancy.
Debbie Dingell (SFS ’75, GRD ’98)
Dingell (D) is running for Michigan’s 12th District, which includes Ann Arbor, Mich., where she has served as representative after succeeding her husband, John Dingell, who previously held the seat, in 2015. Dingell’s platform focuses on affordable healthcare and expanding broadband internet access, according to Michigan Radio.
Dan Feehan (SFS ’05)
U.S. Army veteran Feehan (D) is facing fellow newcomer Jim Hagedorn (R) in the race for Minnesota’s 1st District seat. Feehan has served in the Obama administration as acting Assistant Secretary of Defense and seeks to expand job opportunities for farmers and military veterans.
Pramila Jayapal (CAS ’86)
Jayapal (D) is running for reelection as Washington’s 7th District representative, a seat she has held since 2017. The Seattle Times-endorsed politician is an advocate for progressive causes, particularly immigrant rights.
James Maxwell (CAS ’71)
Maxwell (R) is running against fellow newcomer Joseph Morelle (D) to represent New York’s 25th District. Maxwell has served as the chief of neurosurgery at Rochester General Hospital since 1998 and is campaigning to combat the opioid epidemic and provide high-quality health care to his district.
Stacey Plaskett (SFS ’88)
Plaskett (D) is running unopposed for the Virgin Islands’ non-voting congressional seat. The incumbent has served as representative since 2015, and is on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Committee on Agriculture, among others.
Francis Rooney (CAS ’75, LAW ’78)
Rooney (R) is running for a second term representing the 19th District of Florida in the U.S. House of Representative. Former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See and Former CEO of Rooney Holdings, Rooney worked to restore Everglades National Park during his first term in office.
George Scott (SFS ’84)
The U.S. Army veteran Scott (D) faces incumbent Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) in the race for Pennsylvania’s 10th District seat. Scott beat out fellow alumna Shavonnia Corbin-Johnson (SFS ’14) by 1.4 percentage points in the Democratic primary, according to Ballotpedia, and told The Hoya in February that his decision to run was motivated by frustration with the current political climate.
Xochitl Torres Small (SFS ’07)
Torres Small (D) is facing fellow newcomer Yvette Herrell (R) in a tight race for the 2nd District of New Mexico after predecessor Steve Pearce (R) announced his campaign for Governor. The attorney is focused on reducing poverty in her district, advocating economic equality and public education reform.
Lori Trahan (SFS ’95)
Trahan (D) is running to represent the 3rd District of Massachusetts in a race with no incumbent after a district-wide recount reaffirmed her victory in the Democratic primary. Endorsed by The Boston Globe, Trahan is focused on initiatives to build economic opportunity for working-class families.
Filemon Vela (CAS ’85)
Vela (D) is running for reelection as Texas’ Representative from the 34th District, a seat he has held since 2013. A member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a moderate faction of the Democratic party, Vela has criticized President Donald Trump’s administration for its construction of a border wall.
