This morning, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) named 26 House members to the 2014 Democratic Frontline Incumbent Retention Program, and the list includes Georgia Blue Dog Democrat John Barrow.
The Frontline Incumbent Retention Program is a campaign effort to protect the Democratic Party’s most vulnerable House members. The program helps the incumbents with get-out-the-vote efforts, strategy and fundraising.
Barrow is familiar with the initiative, which protected him in his last 2012 campaign. Barrow’s 12th congressional district was redrawn after the 2010 census and now includes more GOP areas making it an easy target.
Before the 2012 election, Barrow was named one of the National Journal’s top 10 most endangered Democrats.
The 2012 election was a success for Barrow, who won by seven points. However, a weak opponent in state Rep. Lee Anderson and President Barack Obama’s presence on the ticket contributed more than anything else to the surprisingly easy win.
Barrow is a centrist Democrat and a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of fiscally conservative Democrats.
“We call this program Frontline for a reason – these Members are on the vanguard of protecting and expanding the middle class,” Israel said in a written statement released Tuesday morning. “While the 2014 campaign will be dominated by a strong offense taking on the Tea Party Republican Congress, our success begins with our Members. These battle-tested men and women have proven time and again that they can win because no one better reflects the values of their districts.”
Full list of the Frontline members:
Rep. Ron Barber, Arizona’s 2nd District
Rep. John Barrow, Georgia’s 12th District
Rep. Ami Bera, California’s 7th District
Rep. Timothy H. Bishop, New York’s 1st District
Rep. Julia Brownley, California’s 26th District
Rep. Cheri Bustos, Illinois’ 17th District
Rep. Lois Capps, California’s 24th District
Rep. Suzan DelBene, Washington’s 1st District
Rep. Bill Enyart, Illinois’ 12th District
Rep. Elizabeth Esty, Connecticut’s 5th District
Rep. Pete Gallego, Texas’ 23rd District
Rep. Joe Garcia, Florida’s 26th District
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, Arizona’s 1st District
Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, New Hampshire’s 2nd District
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, New York’s 18th District
Rep. Dan Maffei, New York’s 24th District
Rep. Jim Matheson, Utah’s 4th District
Rep. Mike McIntyre, North Carolina’s 7th District
Rep. Patrick Murphy, Florida’s 18th District
Rep. Bill Owens, New York’s 21st District
Rep. Scott Peters, California’s 52nd District
Rep. Raul Ruiz, California’s 36th District
Rep. Brad Schneider, Illinois’ 10th District
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, New Hampshire’s 1st District
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona’s 9th District
Rep. John F. Tierney, Massachusetts’ 6th District
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