Statehouse News Bureau

“Several Republican former leaders from around Ohio are coming out in support of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Tim Ryan… The collection of Republican former leaders was sponsored by the Welcome PAC, a political action committee that supports Democratic candidates with the mission of expanding the party’s tent.”

The Boston Globe

“What Kerr is calling for is a sort of venture capitalist’s approach to politics — identifying and betting on a bunch of long shots with the expectation that many will flop, but a few will produce spectacular returns. That’s the aim of an organization he cofounded called The Welcome Party.”

Ohio Capital Journal

“With November’s election looming, a group of Republicans are hitting the campaign trail this week. But instead of stumping for the GOP, they’ll be encouraging voters to back the Democrat, Tim Ryan, in Ohio’s race for U.S. Senate. They’re working with an organization called Welcome PAC which emphasizes Democratic Party outreach to independents and ‘future former Republicans.’”

WVXU

“Stich and Gibbs are among a growing group of present and former Republicans who have joined WelcomePAC, a committee organized by Democrats for the sole purpose of trying to convince Republican and independent voters to jump ship and vote Democratic in the mid-term election.”

Sidney Daily News

“The Wednesday event in Lytle Park was the first leg of a multi-prong ‘Think for Yourself Ohio’ statewide roadshow organized by WelcomePAC, an effort by moderate Democrats to build a big-tent party that reaches out to and welcomes Republicans and independents in Ohio and across the country.”

Cincinnati Enquirer

“The Republican Party has lost its way, and I’m proud to be working with organizations across our state, like WelcomePAC, that are committed to elevating candidates who can protect our state and our democracy from the GOP’s radicalized positions.”

The Well

“If moderates like Manchin want to maximize their impact and reach ahead of and beyond the midterms — and give the Democratic Party the credibility it desperately needs with voters in the middle — they’ll need to take a page out of the far-left’s playbook and show they have real ground game.”

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“We need to elect candidates who are not hard partisans, have the ability and the credibility to think independently, run with an independent brand, and represent their districts and not their parties.”

The Press-Enterprise

“‘Why is no one paying attention to Ken Calvert and Will Rollins?’ said Lauren Harper, The Welcome Party’s co-founder, in describing the political action committee’s thinking. ‘We’re like, dude, [Calvert] is beatable.’”

The Plain Dealer

“WelcomePAC, a political action committee created last year to help elect moderate Democrats, has been working to recruit and assist Democratic legislative candidates in Ohio running in districts that lean Republican but where ex-President Donald Trump underperformed in 2020.”

Elyria Chronicle Telegram

“Democrat Regan Phillips was one of 17 Ohio House of Representatives candidates endorsed by WelcomePAC on Monday.”

The Bulwark

“My colleagues and I launched WelcomePAC last fall to recruit and support these brand-differentiated Democrats who can win crossover voters and beat authoritarian Republicans across the country on their home turf.”

The New York Times

“Rollins has drawn about $65,000 in support from Welcome PAC, a relatively new Democratic-aligned outfit that applies insurgent tactics to support center-left candidates in swing districts.”

The Washington Post

“Lauren Harper, a co-founder of the Welcome PAC, an organization that promotes a ‘big-tent’ Democratic Party, said Democrats should train resources on competitive races. ‘We can’t just focus our energy on the people who are driving us bananas,’ she said. ‘It’s a matter of us not using our money as wisely as we could.’”

CNN

“‘We get so caught up on the super villains that we don't focus on the villains,’ said Lauren Harper, the co-founder of Welcome PAC, a group that has tracked this pattern and works to expand the reach of the Democratic Party.”

The Bulwark

“WelcomePAC identified 21 newly-drawn districts where Trump won with 54 percent or less of the vote in 2020. These are seats that some Democrats, such as Rep. Jared Golden, have proven are winnable by appealing to center-right voters. In the majority of those districts—16 of 21—no Democratic challenger entered 2022 with more than $100,000 cash on hand.”

Norwalk Reflector

“The WelcomePAC is part of an effort to create a ‘bigger tent’ Democratic Party which does not impose purity tests and where everyone is welcome, said Lauren Harper, one of the co-founders of the PAC.”

The Plain Dealer

“Voters in the center, center-left, and center-right still hold a majority position in America, but these voices of moderation are not being heard in the extremist-dominated chaos that has consumed Capitol Hill and statehouses across the country.”