But the DCCC declined.

Valenzuela is running against Air Force veteran Kim Olson, who won the first round of the primary by 10 points. The longtime incumbent, GOP Rep. Kenny Marchant, is retiring after winning by just 3 points in 2018 against an underfunded candidate. POLITICO rates the general election contest a toss-up.

“We urge you and the DCCC to nominate Candace Valenzuela, running in Texas’ 24th congressional district, to Red-to-Blue,” the minority lawmakers wrote in an April 24 letter obtained by POLITICO. “As a party that proudly fights for all Americans, we should continue to strive for the diverse representation our communities deserve. Texas’ 24th congressional district is a majority-minority district and should be represented by someone with ties to the community.“

The DCCC does not routinely endorse in open primaries, wary of alienating local voters by unfairly tipping the scales for a Washington-backed candidate. But the committee did so in a number of key 2018 races, including one in Texas, when officials thought the outcome of the primary would affect the party's ability to win the seat. In this case, Bustos has signaled confidence in both Democratic hopefuls.

The unusual ask comes from senior lawmakers who have been critical of Bustos’ record on diversity and willingness to back progressive candidates in the past. The letter comes nearly one year after Black and Hispanic Caucus members voiced displeasure with the DCCC’s handling of diversity in its ranks and efforts to prioritize minority candidates. Progressive lawmakers on the letter only recently came to a détente with Bustos over a “blacklist” that inhibits consultants from working with candidates who primary a sitting member of the Democratic caucus.

The political action committees representing the minority and progressive caucuses said they backed Valenzuela out of concern that Olson would lose to Republican nominee Beth Van Duyne in the general election, said Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Calif.), who heads the Hispanic Caucus campaign arm.

“It's very rare and probably unprecedented that a Democratic candidate has received a letter sent to the DCCC, to support that person in a primary,” Cardenas said in an interview.

The letter was signed by the heads of BOLD PAC, Congressional Black Caucus PAC, Aspire PAC, and the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC: Cardenas, Gregory Meeks (N.Y.), Grace Meng (N.Y.), Mark Pocan (Wis.), Pramila Jayapal (Wash.), and Jamie Raskin (Md.).

“We are disappointed that as of now, the DCCC is not getting involved in this primary,” Cardenas said. “We have to live our values and remain committed to electing people who reflect the district and experiences of the communities we're fighting to represent.”

Meeks echoed Cardenas' disappointment in a statement, noting that the “national exposure” that comes with being in Red to Blue would have helped their preferred candidate.

Bustos responded to the letter and connected with most of the signers, according to a DCCC aide. She made it clear that the committee would remain neutral in the race. The committee has worked closely with both Olson and Valenzuela and has internal data showing either could win the seat in November.

“The DCCC has not weighed in on any competitive Democratic primaries in the 2020 election cycle,” DCCC spokesman Cole Leiter said in a statement. “As she would with any requests from Members of the [House Democratic] Caucus, Chairwoman Bustos connected individually with the interested members, heard their thoughts, and took it into consideration.”

The PACs for minority caucuses formed a partnership in 2018 to jointly endorse candidates. The members wanted to focus largely on minority-majority districts where, for instance, "the Hispanic population might not be enough to be the margin of victory, but if you mobilize the black, Hispanic and Asian, electorate, maybe it would make a difference," said Meng, who leads the campaign arm for the Asian Pacific American Caucus.

The decision to use their collective power that year came after members noticed the first round of Red to Blue candidates were all white. Currently, of the 13 candidates on DCCC’s Red to Blue list, 10 are women and five identify as people of color. In the case of Texas’ 24th district, Latino, Asians and African Americans together account for more than half of the population.

Meng said Bustos and her staff have been “super responsive” when she raises concerns about “lack of diversity or lack of prioritizing diversity.”

“I hope we can continue on that path,” she added.

Valenzuela is a former school board member with a compelling personal story. She was homeless for part of her childhood, and speaks on the trail about sleeping in a kiddie pool outside a gas station for a time after her mom fled domestic abuse.

Olson, who came surprisingly close to ousting Texas’ Republican agriculture commissioner in 2018, has outraised and outspent Valenzuela. But her detractors say she brings significant baggage.

After serving in Iraq, she came under investigation by the Pentagon over whether she improperly profited from the reconstruction, an issue she discussed in her memoir and hinted at in her opening bio spot. House Republicans have signaled they will raise the issue again if Olson wins the nomination and have already dubbed her a “war profiteer.” But Olson has denied that charge and retired with an honorable discharge and no reduction in rank.

In a statement, Olson campaign spokeswoman Rachel Perry said her team is “confident that we will enter the general from a position of strength,” having outraised Valenzuela and Van Duyne.

“True to Colonel Olson's leadership style, she is focused on delivering for the constituents of TX-24, not courting D.C. establishment endorsements in the midst of a crisis,” Perry said.

Both candidates have some establishment backing. VoteVets has endorsed Olson, and EMILY’s List and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) are backing Valenzuela.

The seat has become much more favorable to Democrats in recent years. Mitt Romney carried it by 22 points in 2012, but Donald Trump carried it by just 6 points four years later.

Van Duyne is a former Trump administration official who worked in the Department of Housing and Urban Development after serving as mayor of Irving, Texas. She rose to prominence when she waged a campaign urging Texas to ban the use of sharia laws.

Last cycle, the DCCC used the Red to Blue program to tap favorites in crowded primary fields, most often in California where the all-party primary system threatened to box the party out of the general election in several targeted seats.

And in a suburban Houston seat, the committee dropped opposition research on a progressive candidate, Laura Moser, in the hopes of blocking her from securing a primary runoff slot. Moser made the runoff but lost the nomination to now-Rep. Lizzie Pannill Fletcher (D-Texas). The national attention surrounding the internecine squabble left some progressive groups outraged at the DCCC.

Cardenas said he’s ready to talk to Bustos “again and again, as long as there's sincere consideration.” But the DCCC, he added, is "not looking to get involved in this primary, although they've gotten involved in other primaries.”