• Former President Barack Obama on Wednesday endorsed a “first wave” of Democratic candidates for the 2018 midterms.
  • Obama’s list of 81 endorsements notably did not include the rising star of the Democratic party, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
  • He’s reportedly expected to announce another round of endorsements in the future and will campaign in several states before Election Day.

Former President Barack Obama on Wednesday endorsed a “first wave” of Democratic candidates for the 2018 midterms.

Obama tweeted, “Today I’m proud to endorse such a wide and impressive array of Democratic candidates – leaders as diverse, patriotic, and big-hearted as the America they’re running to represent.”

He continued: “I’m confident that, together, they’ll strengthen this country we love by restoring opportunity, repairing our alliances and standing in the world, and upholding our fundamental commitment to justice, fairness, responsibility, and the rule of law. But first, they need our votes.”

Obama's list of 81 endorsements, which includes 48 women, notably did not include the rising star of the Democratic party, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

Ocasio-Cortez has been at the forefront of discussions surrounding the future of the party after her shocking victory against longtime Rep. Joe Crowley in the New York Democratic congressional primary in June. The self-declared Democratic socialist, who also worked on Sen. Bernie Sanders campaign, ran on a platform that puts her far to the left of many establishment Democrats.

A number of reporters noted Ocasio-Cortez's absence from the list on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/esaagar/status/1024697522844065796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfwhttps://twitter.com/PhilipWegmann/status/1024694828301512709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Though he endorsed her back in May, Obama's list also did not include Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The incumbent senator has clashed with Democratic party leaders in California, who have backed State Sen. Kevin de León over her.

Obama is reportedly expected to announce another round of endorsements in the future and will campaign in several states this fall before Election Day, which falls on November 6 this year.

Here's the full list of people Obama endorsed on Wednesday:

California Gavin Newsom (Governor) Eleni Kounalakis (Lt. Governor) Josh Harder (U.S. House, CA-10) TJ Cox (U.S. House, CA-21) Katie Hill (U.S. House, CA-25) Katie Porter (U.S. House, CA-45) Harley Rouda (U.S. House, CA-48) Mike Levin (U.S. House, CA-49) Ammar Campa-Najjar (U.S. House, CA-50) Buffy Wicks (State Assembly, District 15) Colorado Jared Polis (Governor) Dianne Primavera (Lt. Governor) Phil Weiser (Attorney General) Jena Griswold (Secretary of State) Tammy Story (State Senate, District 16) Jessie Danielson (State Senate, District 20) Brittany Pettersen (State Senate, District 22) Faith Winter (State Senate, District 24) Dylan Roberts (State House, District 26) Dafna Michaelson Jenet (State House, District 30) Shannon Bird (State House, District 35) Rochelle Galindo (State House, District 50) Julie McCluskie (State House, District 61) Georgia Stacey Abrams (Governor) Sarah Riggs Amico (Lt. Governor) Matthew Wilson (State House, District 80) Shelly Hutchinson (State House, District 107) Illinois J.B. Pritzker (Governor) Juliana Stratton (Lt. Governor) Kwame Raoul (Attorney General) Sean Casten (U.S. House, IL-6) Brendan Kelly (U.S. House, IL-12) Lauren Underwood (U.S. House, IL-14) Iowa Deidre DeJear (Secretary of State) Tim Gannon (Secretary of Agriculture) Kristin Sunde (State House, District 42) Jennifer Konfrst (State House, District 43) Eric Gjerde (State House, District 67) Laura Liegois (State House, District 91) Maine Louis Luchini (State Senate, District 7) Laura Fortman (State Senate, District 13) Linda Sanborn (State Senate, District 30) Nevada Jacky Rosen (U.S. Senate) Susie Lee (U.S. House, NV-3) Steven Horsford (U.S. House, NV-4) New Jersey Andy Kim (U.S. House, NJ-3) Tom Malinowski (U.S. House, NJ-7) New Mexico Debra Haaland (U.S. House, NM-1) Daymon Ely (State House, District 23) Natalie Figueroa (State House, District 30) New York Antonio Delgado (U.S. House, NY-19) Anna Kaplan (State Senate, District 7) North Carolina Wiley Nickel (State Senate, District 16) Ron Wesson (State House, District 1) Terence Everitt (State House, District 35) Julie Von Haefen (State House, District 36) Sydney Batch (State House, District 37) Rachel Hunt (State House, District 103) Ohio Richard Cordray (Governor) Betty Sutton (Lt. Governor) Steve Dettelbach (Attorney General) Kathleen Clyde (Secretary of State) Zack Space (Auditor) Aftab Pureval (U.S. House, OH-1) Jill Schiller (U.S. House, OH-2) Phil Robinson (State House, District 6) Stephanie Howse (State House, District 11) Mary Lightbody (State House, District 19) Beth Liston (State House, District 21) Allison Russo (State House, District 24) Erica Crawley (State House, District 26) Tavia Galonski (State House, District 35) Casey Weinstein (State House, District 37) Taylor Sappington (State House, District 94) Pennsylvania Madeleine Dean (U.S. House, PA-4) Susan Wild (U.S. House, PA-7) Tina Davis (State Senate, District 6) Liz Hanbidge (State House, District 61) Carolyn Comitta (State House, District 156) Texas Adrienne Bell (U.S. House, TX-14) Colin Allred (U.S. House, TX-32)