Former progressive candidate Amy Vilela (D) told Hill.TV on Tuesday that she faced “immense” backlash from inside and outside the Democratic Party after she announced her 2018 congressional bid.
“We announced via video, and there was a lot of negative backlash,” Vilela, who lost in the Democratic primary for Nevada’s 4th Congressional District, told host Krystal Ball on “Rising.”
Vilela is featured in the new Netflix documentary, “Knock Down the House,” which follows female progressive candidates, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), on the 2018 campaign trail.
“You see the part in the movie where Alexandria is talking about people saying, ‘How dare you? How dare you challenge somebody who is already so established?’” Vilela asked.
“I think all of us on some level had that immense, like, pushback, and the anger,” she continued.
“So not only were you facing another party, but you were facing the anger within your party, and trying to overcome that and push forward on the issues,” she said.
“It was scary. It was — at times it was disheartening and sad, but you have to always remember your ‘why?’ and keep on pushing forward,” she added.
Last year’s midterm elections marked a historic year for female candidates, with a historic number of women running for office in local, state and national races.
“Knock Down the House” premieres Wednesday on Netflix.
— Julia Manchester
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