Colin Allred and Amy McGrath—the Democratic nominees for Texas' 32nd and Kentucky's 6th congressional districts, respectively—both recently attended fundraisers at the home of motivational speaker Laura Gassner Otting, who has said the United States is a racist country and written "F**k the Bible voters" on Facebook.
Allred and McGrath, who have positioned themselves as centrists, are listed as part of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's "Red to Blue" program. The program provides "top-tier candidates with organizational and fundraising support to help them continue to run strong campaigns." Allred attended a fundraiser at Otting's house on Sept. 25, and McGrath, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps, had her event there on June 25, according to the Washington Examiner.
Otting, who previously served as a political appointee for the Bill Clinton White House before working for several nonprofits, is a professional motivational speaker. According to her website, Otting "helps innovators, idealists, and critics get 'unstuck' in their thinking."
Since President Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016, Otting has attacked Christians and white males on Facebook. The day after the 2016 presidential election, Otting wrote, "Who knew that America was even more sexist than it was racist? And jeez, is it racist."
In August 2017, Otting castigated men, specifically white males, Bible voters, and people who did not vote all in one post.
Otting has donated thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates running for the House and Senate during the 2018 election cycle, including $3,700 for Sen. Doug Jones' (D., Ala.) Senate committee, $1,000 for Rep. Jacky Rosen's (D., Nev.) Senate bid, $1,000 for Rep. Beto O'Rourke's (D., Texas) Senate bid, and $2,700 for McGrath's campaign.
According to the Cook Political Report, both Kentucky's 6th and Texas' 32nd districts lean Republican—R+9 and R+5, respectively—the Examiner noted. McGrath is vying to unseat incumbent Republican Rep. Andy Barr (Ky.), and Allred is challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Pete Sessions (Texas).