Last year, as Democrats were dealt big setbacks in federal races nationwide, a small crop of well-funded candidates in Florida picked up 15 school board seats that had been targeted by conservative groups in competitive counties.

Now, the obscure organization that backed those Florida candidates is planning a substantial expansion to cover more than half the country.

Pipeline Fund, a left-leaning group that helped funnel more than $1 million, plus support and training, into the Florida races, is vying to establish itself as a liberal counter to the sprawling down-ballot infrastructure on the right that has helped Republicans notch wins on school boards, in county offices and in local judicial races.

Those Florida victories “kind of wiped the floor with Moms for Liberty,” said Denise Feriozzi, the co-founder and executive director of the Pipeline Fund, referring to the conservative parents rights group that has focused intently on gaining influence at the hyperlocal level.

Her remarks were part of her keynote address this week at the Pipeline Fund’s private conference in Philadelphia.