Run, Mama Run: Meet the Candidates

Georgia House of Representatives
District #39
Primary: July 31, 2012

Alisha Thomas Morgan made history at age 23 by becoming the first African-American to serve in the Georgia House of Representatives for Cobb County. Running for a sixth term.

From her website:

Alisha Thomas Morgan made history at age 23, by becoming the first African-American to represent Cobb County in the Georgia House of Representatives (District 39). Now 33, she is serving in her fifth term and remains one of the youngest and most vocal female members of the entire Georgia General Assembly. An author, powerful political voice, inspirational speaker and empowering trainer, Morgan is poised to be one of the most influential women of the 21st century.

In 2010, Morgan released her first book, No Apologies: Powerful Lessons in Life, Love & Politics.

Based upon her personal philosophy and real-life journey, this novel is an unapologetic narrative that speaks truth to power and offers lessons learned throughout Morgan’s political passage. Since the book’s debut, Morgan has continued to gain local and national acclaim.

She has been featured in national publications and media outlets including Ebony Magazine’s “Nation’s 30 Leaders who are under 30”, AOL Black Voices’ “America’s Young Civil Rights Heroes” list, and Essence Magazine’s fifteen women of the “New Power Generation.” Other media clips include a feature article in Marie Claire magazine called “I Made it By 30 and You Can Too!” and quotations in the New York Times, The Washington Post, and on CSPAN and BET.

 

South Dakota
State Senate District #15
INCUMBENT
Primary: Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Senator Angie Buhl was first elected to the state Senate in 2010 at the age of 25, making her the youngest woman ever to serve in South Dakota's Senate. chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Prior to her legislative service, Angie worked as a non-profit consultant with a variety of organizations, most recently with Equality South Dakota.

From her website:

Senator Angie Buhl is a proven advocate and leader and has committed her life to working for others.  She was first elected to the state Senate in 2010 at the age of 25, making her the youngest woman ever to serve in South Dakota's Senate.  Elected from District 15 in the heart of Sioux Falls, Sen. Buhl serves on the Judiciary, Commerce & Energy, Retirement Laws, and Interim Rules Review Committees, and is the chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus.  When the legislature is not in session, she works as a small business consultant, serving small businesses and their employees in a wide range of industries.

 

Angie is actively involved in the Sioux Falls community, including as a volunteer for Children's Care Hospital and School and through Junior League of Sioux Falls.  She is also a member of the Sioux Falls Young Professionals Network, National Women's Political Caucus of South Dakota, and the Young Elected Officials Network.

 

Prior to her legislative service, Angie worked as a non-profit consultant with a variety of organizations, most recently with Equality South Dakota.  As an adoptee, she is also concerned with issues surrounding adoption in South Dakota. A 4th generation South Dakotan, Angie was born in Aberdeen and raised in Yankton, where her family has owned a small business for over 25 years. In 2007, she earned her bachelors of science cum laude from the University of South Dakota, having studied psychology and music.

 

In the 2011 legislative session, Angie worked on a variety of issues on behalf of South Dakotans, including employment protections for seniors and veterans, protecting children from toxic chemicals, adoption issues, and women's rights.

 

 

US House of Representatives
Arizona District #1
Primary: August 28, 2012

Was Representative until defeated in 2010 - looking to take seat BACK. One of her primary opponents is another pro-choice, progressive female, Wenona Benally Baldenegro.

From WIKIPEDIA:

Kirkpatrick was born and raised on an Apache Indian reservation near McNary, Arizona.[3] She is a graduate of Blue Ridge High School, the University of Arizona, and the University of Arizona College of Law.[4]

In 1980 she became Coconino County’s first woman deputy county attorney, and she later served as city attorney for Sedona. She was a member of the Flagstaff Water Commission. In 2004, she taught Business Law and Ethics at Coconino Community College."[5]

In 2004, Kirkpatrick was elected to represent the 1st Legislative District and took office in January 2005. Kirkpatrick was elected to a second term in the state House in 2006.

This district includes Flagstaff and the Hualapai, Havasupai, Hopi, Navajo and San Juan Southern Paiute Nations. She helped pass voluntary all-day kindergarten and contribution limits to candidates for office and worked to crack down on meth dealers and cut taxes for veterans.

In the US House of Representatives, Kirkpatrick served as the ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, as well as the Education K-12 Committee and Natural Resources Committee.

From her website:

During her term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Ann’s results stood out in Congress, seeing more of her bills and amendments signed into law than almost any other freshman representative. Ann’s hard work created jobs, helped small businesses, hired more border patrol agents, and protected veterans and seniors in Greater Arizona.

As a member of the Small Business, Veterans' Affairs, and Homeland Security committees, she delivered substantive progress for Greater Arizona's working families and small businesses, including championing critical job creation projects for her district. Among her hallmark achievements were successful measures to give seniors a cost of living adjustment (COLA) during the downturn, kick-starting economic development on tribal lands by repealing the Bennett Freeze, and securing $600 million in new border security funding to expand the border patrol. And to make her own small contribution to paying down our crippling national debt, Ann voluntarily returned 5% of her salary to the Treasury and returned over $100,000 in unspent congressional office funds.

US House of Representatives
New Hampshire, District #2

Ann McLane Kuster comes from a political family: Her mother was a New Hampshire State Senator and her dad was Mayor of Concord and ran for Governor as an Independent in 1972.

From her website:

Ann McLane Kuster has spent her life bringing people together to strengthen New Hampshire – as an adoption attorney, a public policy advocate, an author and an active volunteer in the state nonprofit community.

She has been actively involved in a number of significant health and education policy issues, including the creation of the UNIQUE College Savings Program to help families save for their children’s college education and the Medication Bridge Program to make free medication available to low-income families.

Annie was born and raised in Concord, NH. Her parents were community leaders – her mother Susan McLane was a State Senator and pioneer for women in New Hampshire politics, and her father Malcolm was a prominent attorney who served as Mayor of Concord, on the Executive Council, and ran for Governor as an Independent in 1972.

Annie graduated from Dartmouth College in 1978, in the third class with women, and received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1984.

Active in community service, Annie has served on the Board of Trustees of many community organizations, including the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, the Capitol Center for the Arts and Child and Family Services of New Hampshire. She was a founder of the Women’s Fund of New Hampshire and served on the Board of the Tucker Foundation at Dartmouth College to encourage community service. For her work, Child & Family Services honored Annie with the “Voice for Children” award. She also received the “Champion for Choice” award from NARAL Pro-Choice New Hampshire for her work as an adoption attorney.

With her mother Susan, Annie co-authored a book entitled “The Last Dance: Facing Alzheimer’s with Love and Laughter,” and after her mother’s death, she toured the state with her father speaking about aging, Alzheimer’s, and family care. As a result, Annie received the Rainbow Award from Riverbend Community Mental Health Center in 2008, celebrating those who raise awareness of mental-health issues in New Hampshire.

Over the past 25 years Annie helped hundreds of New Hampshire families adopt children, and she was a member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. In January 2011, Annie founded Newfound Strategies LLC, a consulting and training practice that works with nonprofit clients to maximize their effectiveness and sustainability. Newfound Strategies consults with nonprofit clients in New Hampshire and beyond with a focus on fundraising and grassroots outreach to build organizational strength and capacity.

 

In 2010, Annie was the Democratic nominee for Congress in the Second Congressional District of New Hampshire, narrowly losing by just 3,551 votes (1%) in one of the closest open-seat races in the country.

She lives in Hopkinton with her husband Brad, an environmental attorney, where they raised their sons Zach, a recent college graduate, and Travis, who attends college in Hanover, NH.

Justice
14th Court of Appeals, Texas
Primary: May 29, 2012

Texas Court of Appeals candidate Barbara Gardner is a regular on state and national lists of top attorneys.

From her website:

Upon learning that there are 10 openings on the 1st and14th Courts of Appeals, which presents an opportunity in 2012 to have a majority of Democrats on both courts, Barbara decided to run for Hon. John Anderson’s bench, who is retiring from the 14th Court of Appeals.  While this is a major challenge with the race covering 10 counties, most of which are dominated by Republicans, it is the very type of challenge that motivates Barbara.  At stake is the opportunity to create more balance on the courts, which now have 17 Republicans and only 1 Democrat.

Barbara’s accomplishments are many, but some of which she is proudest are:

• “Best Lawyers in America” (Employment Law), 2007-2011


• One of “Top Lawyers,” Corporate Counsel, 2008-2011


• One of “Texas Super Lawyers,” 2007-2011


• One of “Texas’ Best Lawyers,” 2009-2011


• One of “Houston’s Top Lawyers,” 2006, 2007


• One of “Top Lawyers for the People,” 2007


• Board Certified in Labor & Employment Law


• $10 Million Judgment 2009 – Padron v. GSF Energy


• Law Clerk for Federal District Court


• Interviewed by Fox Television News


• Preeminent rated in Martindale Hubbell


• Graduated Number 1 in Law School Class


• Principal and one of the founders of Tucker, Vaughan, Gardner & Barnes


• Former Partner with Mandell & Wright, Predecessor of Tucker Vaughan


• Former Associate of Bracewell & Patterson (now “Bracewell & Giuliani”)


• President of Texas Democratic Women of Harris County 2010 – present

 

US House of Representatives
New Hampshire #1
Primary: September 11

Shea-Porter is trying to regain seat lost to Tea Party Republican Guinta in 2010. Faces 3 in Democratic primary on September 11.

From WIKIPEDIA:

Shea-Porter grew up in the Seacoast Region of New Hampshire, attending local public schools, and graduating from the University of New Hampshire. She earned a bachelor's degree in social services and a master's degree in public administration. A social worker by profession, she directed senior centers in New Orleans and Maryland. She attributes her decision to run for Congress to her experience as a volunteer relief worker in New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when she was shocked by what she perceived to be the federal government's slow response to the disaster.

As a member of the Armed Services committee, Shea-Porter has been active in veterans' issues. Shea-Porter supports a clean and renewable energy policy to decrease U.S. reliance on foreign energy sources and agrees with a number of the objectives of financier and oil magnate T. Boone Pickens on these matters including continuance of emissions trading measures, a system already in effect for her constituency in the form of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative begun in 2003 by Republican governor George Pataki of New York.[7] She voted for the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

Shea-Porter voted for the Affordable Health Care for America Act in 2009, and was active in efforts to close the "donut hole" in Medicare reimbursements for senior citizens. She received a perfect score of 100% from the New Hampshire Association for Retired Americans for her support for 10 issues supported by the special interest group,[10] referencing her votes in favor of blocking Social Security privatization, lowering Medicare costs, expanding access to affordable health care, stopping oil price gouging, and protecting voting rights.

Following the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, many members of Congress held town hall meetings throughout their districts in an effort to explain and, in some cases, defend their votes. Shea-Porter, like several of her colleagues, found herself on the defensive at two such events held in Portsmouth and Bedford. A Londonderry man who repeatedly shouted down Shea-Porter and others was even removed by security. The lack of civility was noted by members of the event as well who, while disagreeing with Shea-Porter, wanted their concerns addressed in a more composed atmosphere.

US House of Representatives
Illinois District #17

East Moline Alderwoman Cheri Bustos lost both her brother and her sister-in-law to cancer recently, because of inadequate health coverage. This is a major reason why she's running for Congress.

From her website:

After working in journalism and during her career in health care, Cheri decided to serve as a strong, independent voice for the community of East Moline.  She served as an Alderwoman on the City Council in East Moline, Ill.  Her top priority -- economic development – led to her founding and chairing the East Moline Downtown Revitalization Committee. Evidence of her success is seen in a more vibrant downtown area where dilapidated buildings have been demolished to make room for new development such as a Community Health Care clinic, now under construction.  She is also a past member of the East Moline Citizens Advisory Committee and the East Moline Plan Commission.

Cheri’s sister-in-law, Barb, died more than a year ago without health insurance.  Barb and her husband both worked full-time but couldn’t afford health insurance.  When Barb got sick, she couldn’t afford the most effective cancer treatment she needed.   Even those with insurance aren’t immune. A few months later Cheri’s brother, Danny, died, leaving a wife and two daughters.  He had a good job and was fully insured.  Yet his health plan wouldn't cover his treatment because he had cancer that required an experimental drug.  Cheri will fight for people like Barb and Danny.  They are a major reason why she is running Congress.

Cheri is currently President of the board of directors of the Women’s Connection, one of Illinois’ largest women’s membership organizations. She is a past volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters-Quad-Cities; Junior Achievement of the Heartland in the Quad-Cities; Two Rivers YMCA in Moline, Ill.; and United Way of the Quad-Cities Area, where she served on the Community Investment Committee.

Incumbent
State Senate
Idaho District #19

Strongly education-focused, with anti-ed reform agenda.

From her website:

Boise – Cherie Buckner-Webb, a fifth generation Idahoan and long-time Boise activist and businesswoman, is a candidate for State Representative from Legislative District 19, Seat A. Ms. Buckner-Webb filed for the Democratic primary scheduled for May 25. The general election follows in November.
“I can no longer stand idly by while the educational and economic future of our state is jeopardized by wrangling over less precarious matters while substantive support for critical issues falls behind,” Buckner-Webb said in a statement.

“I cannot watch as educational funding is pared back to levels that are not adequate. We must value the contributions of our teachers and compensate them appropriately as they equip the citizens of today and tomorrow to compete in this global economy. I am dedicating myself to making these wrongs right. As an experienced business professional and community activist, I will use my voice in the Legislature to advocate for fairness for all citizens, for a business environment that contributes to a strong economy and for conservation and environmental policies that benefit all,” Ms. Buckner-Webb said.

Ms. Buckner-Webb is a small business owner and founder of Sojourner Coaching. As a community volunteer, she serves as a board member of the Boise State University Foundation, a member of the Idaho Commission on the Arts, and president of the Idaho Black History Museum.

She has been involved with a number of other organizations, including the Silver Sage Girl Scout Council, the Epilepsy Foundation of Idaho, the Idaho Human Rights Education Center, and the State of Idaho Mental Health Advisory Board.

She is a recipient of the Jefferson Award for Public Service, the Hewlett-Packard Award for “Distinguished Leadership in Human Rights,” and the Idaho Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. Additionally, she is an accomplished gospel, jazz and blues vocalist.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree from George Fox University and a Master of  Social Work from Northwest Nazarene University. She is married to the Reverend Henry Webb and is the mother of two sons.

US House of Representatives
Iowa District #4
Primary: Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Iowa's former First Lady, now running for Congress. From her announcement speech, posted on her website:

"As First Lady of Iowa for eight years, I had the privilege of traveling our state. I visited more than 500 Iowa libraries to promote literacy and early education. And in each small town and rural community, I recognized the same values as Mount Pleasant. I truly feel that each small town in Iowa is MY hometown.

I want my children and grandchildren – yes, I have one grandchild and another on the way – to have the same opportunity to grow and thrive in the Iowa I grew up in – where people know you and care about you and don’t hesitate to help you out.

To make sure that opportunity remains for families like yours and mine, I am announcing my candidacy to be your representative in Congress.

I believe in the future of our small cities and rural communities. As I’ve traveled the 4^th District these past few months, I’ve seen a lot of positive things we can build on.

I am running for Congress because I believe the federal government has a role to play in helping our communities – large and small – survive and prosper. But that role must be focused – and sensible.

Our current federal budget deficit offends me as a child of Iowa. My father was a small-town lawyer who started his practice from scratch. He built his business helping family farmers and preparing tax returns over many years.

My mother was a homemaker who helped my dad during tax time every year.

Like a lot of Iowa families, much of what we ate came from our own garden. If you couldn’t eat it when you picked it, you canned it or froze it.

So I know the value of a dollar, including the ones we pay in taxes. And it offends me when those hard-earned dollars are wasted or given away to those who don’t need them.

But it also offends me when some of the wealthiest people in this country and some of our most profitable corporations are not asked to pay their fair share in taxes. It’s like showing up at the potluck without bringing a covered dish.

Like so many problems our nation is facing today, the answer won’t be found at one extreme or the other. We can’t solve our budget problems with all cuts or all tax increases. The answer lies somewhere in the middle.

In the Midwest, we know compromise isn’t a bad word – we need to be finding more common ground in Washington, not less.

And we cannot break our promise to the senior citizens of our country, who depend on the Social Security and Medicare programs they’ve paid into.

As I traveled the 4^th District, I heard great concern from Iowa seniors about the Medicare changes recently passed by the House of Representatives. One gentleman told me that, at 80 years old, he doesn’t want to start shopping around for his health insurance.

I firmly believe that we can save Medicare without turning it into a voucher program that costs seniors thousands more each year to get the care they need. And as the representative for this district, I will fight to preserve it.

Another concern I heard from seniors was about the farms and businesses they had built. Many are ready to pass them on, but are worried there won’t be anyone to inherit them.

This matched the concern I heard from many of our younger people and their parents. They are anxious about the economy and worried about paying for college and finding jobs that will keep them here.

We can’t survive as a state or community if we keep losing our young people – or families who have lived here for years but leave to find opportunity elsewhere.

Over the course of this campaign, I will lay out my vision of how we can preserve and promote job opportunities across Northwest and north central Iowa. I will be specific about how the federal government can help or hurt in that effort. But I can tell you a few things I already know:

First, we have the hardest working people in the world. This work ethic is part and parcel of being an Iowan. If they can’t find work here, Iowans will go someplace else to find it. We need to give our people the skills required for good jobs today and an opportunity to use them. 

That means we must continue to invest in education.  

I’ve been a teacher for over 30 years, and I see our goals and challenges through the lens of education. From pre-school to community college or a university, education is the key to opportunity and success. Fortunately, education has always been a priority in Iowa. In the global economy, it must be a priority for our nation.

Second, our future growth depends on our ability to make connections. In some cases, that means bringing our towns and businesses closer to a four-lane highway – and finally finishing Highway 20. 

In other cases, it means expanding the ability to market and grow our businesses through access to high-speed Internet. Government can help us forge these connections, which are essential in keeping our businesses and communities alive.

And third, we need to build on the innovations all around us. In every Iowa community I visited during my listening tour, there were exciting developments. Old businesses are being revitalized. New businesses are being created.

In Carroll, I met a family that operates a winery. They’ve added a large facility in the downtown for banquets and celebrations. It’s a small, entrepreneurial business that employs nearly 60 people and contracts with local farmers to grow the grapes for the wines it produces.

In Emmetsburg, I visited a cutting-edge ethanol plant that just received a major loan guarantee from the Department of Energy to expand its operations and create even more efficient fuel. In Galva, they’re creating a cluster of ethanol plants and researching the co-products to develop a higher value feed for cattle and other livestock.

These innovations are occurring not just in our ag sector, but in other businesses, too.

In Forest City, I visited a company that custom-makes small implements. One of their products was just used to pick up large trees and put them in the ground at the 9-11 memorial site in New York City.

Sure, there have been some economic setbacks along the way. But with Iowa spirit and resilience, the people and towns I visited have not let it stop them.

In Blencoe – in Harrison County – I just visited some Iowa farmers with half their fields underwater because of the historic floods. Despite their recent hardship, they remain undaunted – like their ancestors who settled our state. With some help from the federal government and their own hard work and dedication, they’ll soon be back on their feet and doing God’s work of feeding the world.

In Charles City, where the Winnebago plant shut down, a new company has started hiring workers to manufacture large tires in that same plant.

In Spencer, where their commercial air service moved away, they’re applying to the federal government to use the airfield for testing unmanned vehicles.

All of these ventures will create jobs that won’t be moved because they have roots in Iowa. And government can help them grow and succeed – not by weighing them down with unnecessary rules and regulations, but by helping to supply the infra-structure they need – good roads and high-speed Internet and community colleges producing skilled workers.

But to keep Northwest and north central Iowa thriving, we need to aim even higher.

We have more wind turbines in this district than anyplace in the country outside of Texas. Why can’t some of their 8,000 component parts be made right here in Northwest and North Central Iowa? 

We have servicemen and women returning from deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan – many with strong technical skills.  Why can’t they be trained to service these wind turbines?

We have niche manufacturers able to make custom products for large businesses. Why can’t we extend our highways -- and our information highway -- to help them market their products to the world? 

Achieving these goals will require a partnership between our public and private sectors. I’m running for Congress to help build those partnerships, so we can guarantee the future of Iowa’s communities and all the families who live there.

And speaking of partnerships, there’s another thing my listening tour taught me. Iowans are sick of the partisanship and finger-pointing that has poisoned our politics and blocked progress.

They want us to be civil in our dealings with each other – the same kind of civility they show to their neighbors.

Now, we have differences in Iowa. But we don’t let them divide us. I like to say that if I didn’t have Republican friends in Mount Pleasant, I wouldn’t have many friends. But even when we have disagreements, we never stop talking to each other. And we know it takes compromise to get important things done.

That’s what Iowans want and expect from our government. They want our leaders in Washington to lower their voices and raise their sights.

I’m not entering this campaign to run AGAINST someone. I’m running FOR something – the idea that we can still work with one another on behalf of the common good.

I want to work with Democrats and Republicans and everybody in between for jobs and opportunity for Iowa workers and financial security for Iowa seniors. I don’t want to score points. I want to make progress – with common-sense ideas and a willingness to compromise to get things done.

You know, my hometown of Mount Pleasant has two highways that intersect, but there’s never been a stoplight at that intersection. To avoid a crash, approaching drivers are forced to slow down and look each other in the eye to avoid a crash.

I think that’s what we need more of in Washington – leaders willing to slow down and talk to each other, regardless of party or ideology. We need leaders willing to work together and to appreciate the other person’s point of view.

That’s how we’ve always gotten along in Iowa. And that’s how we will make sure that our values endure.

Thank you very much. And I’ll see you on the campaign trail!"

 

US House of Representatives
Washington, District #1
Primary: August 1, 2012

One of four Democrats running in primary - the other female pro-choice candidate is Laura Ruderman.

Darcy Burner is a former Microsoft group program manager and a veteran of other campaigns for the seat in District #1. She is pro-healthcare, reproductive freedom, marriage equality and Wall Street accountability.

US House of Representatives
South Carolina, District #4
Primary: Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Deb is one of the few #Occupy activists actually running for office: she was one of the organizers of #Occupy Spartanburg.

From her website:

• "I stand for Living Wages in South Carolina, not for exploitation of Cheap Labor.


• I'm for preserving our Social Safety Nets like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, not austerity cuts for those in need while the wealthiest continue to get 'breaks'.


• I stand for regulations that protect the environment and consumers, not'anything goes' for profit.


• I’m for students, working people, and genuine small businesses, not privatization or favoring those who can afford lobbyists and lawyers to help them avoid taxes and leave us, average American working families and small businesses, footing the bill.


• I'm for Social, Civil, and Economic Justice for all, not control of the many by a few."

INCUMBENT
Water Commissioner
Cook County, IL

From Debra Shore's website:

Chicago native Shore is running for a second term on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, a little-known agency with the vital mission of managing the city's water supply.

Shore's varied background includes work at the Better Government Association and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and environmental activism in the Chicago region.  In 2003, Debra was selected as a participant in the Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership, a program designed to recruit and groom women to run for office. After working on a number of other political campaigns, Debra ran for a position on the board of commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago in 2006. She came in first in a field of nine candidates in the Democratic primary and began her first term in December 2006.

In addition to her elected position, Debra has been active in her community, serving on the board of Congregation Sukkat Shalom in Wilmette, and as vice chair of the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute. Debra is also a member of the Women’s Board of the University of Chicago and the board of the Great Lakes Protection Fund.

Debra lives with her partner, Kathleen Gillespie, in Skokie, and has a 27 year-old son, Ben, who recently earned a Master’s degree in architecture from the University of Washington. Over the years, she has climbed 42 of the 54 mountains in Colorado more than 14,000 ft. high. She wishes she could play bluegrass banjo.

US House of Representatives
California District #51
Primary: June 5, 2012

Former state Senator Moreno-Ducheny is running in the newly created 51st District.

From her website:

Denise was born in Los Angeles and raised in La Habra, California.  She went to Pomona College, studied Spanish in Mexico and economics in Sweden and received her Juris Doctorate from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles. Denise started her public service as a Trustee for the San Diego Community College District where she was a Founder and Chair of the Association of Latino Community College Trustees.  In 1994 she was elected to the California State Assembly where she served for 6 years followed by 8 years in the California State Senate.  In both houses of the Legislature she was the first woman and first Latino to Chair the Budget and Fiscal Review Committee.  During her years in the State Legislature she served on the California State Coastal Conservancy, the Workforce Investment Board, and the K-12 Curriculum Commission.

In Congress she will continue her leadership role in the areas of job creation and affordable health care while protecting seniors from unfair budget cuts to Medicare and Social Security and providing our children with a first rate education system that will allow them to compete in a global marketplace.  She is also a strong advocate for ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and bringing our brave men and women home.  Denise will stand up to the special interests who have dominated our politics and continue her fight for what’s in the interests of working men and women.

 

INCUMBENT
State Assembly
New York District #103

Didi Barrett was elected to Assembly just on March 20 in a special election. She needs to win again in November to keep her seat.

From her website:

Didi Barrett is a community activist and longtime leader of not-for-profit organizations in the Hudson Valley and New York. She is a seasoned and accomplished coalition builder, strategist and planner.

Didi spearheaded the creation of theDutchess Girls Collaborative to support local girls and young women. She helped launch and is a board member of the North East Dutchess Fund (NED) of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, which focuses on improving life in the six towns of northeastern Dutchess County. She helped create the pioneeringNED Corps program, with Dutchess Community Action Partnership, to deliver social services to this rural region and serves on its affiliated Latino Roundtable. She is a trustee of the Anderson Foundation for Autism and a founder of the emerging Anderson Leadership Program. Didi is on the board of the Millbrook Education Foundation and has twice served as coordinator for Millbrook’sCommunity Day.

Didi is passionate about the agricultural, natural, and cultural resources of the Hudson Valley and their critical importance as economic engines and job generators. She is a member of the advisory boards for Poughkeepsie Plenty, a food justice project; the Poughkeepsie Farmer’s Market alliance with Walkway Over the Hudson; and SEED (Smart Eating Every Day), a healthy lifestyle project for children and families tailored to rural communities. She has been a consultant to the Hudson Valley resident professional theater company Half Moon Theatre.

Didi’s family has deep roots in the Hudson Valley, and a long involvement with Dutchess and Columbia counties. In 1938, her grandfather and great-uncle bought a farm in Ancramdale, which still remains in the family. Didi’s husband, David Barrett, grew up in the Hudson Valley town of Middletown. The couple has two children, Alec and Annabel.

A blogger and former journalist, Didi’s other affiliations have included Girls Incorporated of NYC (founding chair); New York Women’s Foundation, Planned Parenthood of NYC, the Women’s Campaign Forum and NARAL Pro-Choice New York (former board member) and the American Folk Art Museum (trustee emeritus).

 

US House of Representatives
Nevada, District #1
Primary: September 11, 2012

Running for seat currently held by Democrat Shelley Berkley, who is running for Senate. Previously served in Congress 2008-2010 from Nevada's Third District.

From her website:

She taught American and Nevada government classes at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for 34 years, until her retirement in June 2011. She represented the people of Senate District 7 in the Nevada Legislature for 20 years, serving as the Democratic Minority Leader from 1993 to 2008.

Dina was elected to the US House of Representatives from Nevada's Third Congressional District in November 2008. She served on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Education and Labor Committee, and the Homeland Security Committee.  She also served as Whip for the Western states and was a member of numerous issue caucuses during the 111th Congress.

During the course of her political career, Dina has focused on protecting those most vulnerable – children, seniors, and the disabled. A teacher herself, she has always made quality education for all a priority and has been a strong advocate for the arts.  Dina has worked tirelessly on issues to protect our environment and its creatures, push renewable energy development, and create more sustainable communities.

Outside of academia, Dina served as a member of the United States Civil Rights Commission. One of only eight members nationally, Dina was appointed to the Commission by Senator Harry Reid. The Commission meets monthly in Washington and addresses issues as diverse as voting rights, accommodations for people with disabilities, and discrimination in women’s sports on college campuses.

Dina has received numerous awards from various state and local organizations, but one of her proudest moments came in 2006 with the dedication of the Dina Titus Estates, an innovative affordable housing complex for persons with disabilities, in recognition of Dina's tireless advocacy.

US House of Representatives
Connecticut District #5
Primary: August 14, 2012

Esty is one of three primary candidates vying for Democratic incumbent Christopher Murphy's seat as he seeks to replace Joe Lieberman in the Senate.

From her website:

As an attorney and educator, Esty has focused on issues critical to the well-being of Connecticut’s families: health care, Social Security, and Medicare policy. As a town councilor, she ensured that budget surpluses were used to pay down debt and establish a Rainy Day Fund, while providing property tax relief to seniors and strong support for our public schools.  As a state legislator, Elizabeth made her mark as a deficit hawk, taking on her own party leaders for responsible budgeting and cutting her own pay by returning 10% of her salary to taxpayers.

Elizabeth has never been afraid to stand up for what she believes, no matter how tough the fight.  She has a long record of advocacy for pro-choice causes, volunteering for Planned Parenthood while in college, and authoring Supreme Court briefs for medical providers.  Elizabeth proudly voted in the legislature to ensure full marriage rights and benefits to gay couples.

United States Senate
Massachusetts
State Primary: September 6, 2012

Elizabeth Warren is the architect of the Consumer Protection Agency, running against Senator Scott Brown -- the Tea Party candidate who won Teddy Kennedy's seat.

Warren's race against Brown will likely be one of the more expensive ones in 2012, as PACs aligned with the financial sector pour money in to prevent her from legislating new oversight over their actions - much as they blocked her appointment as head of the agency she created.

From her website:

She got married at 19, and after graduating from college, started teaching in elementary school. Her first baby, a daughter Amelia, was born when Elizabeth was 22.

When Amelia was two, Elizabeth started law school. Shortly after she graduated, her son Alex was born. She practiced law out of her living room, but she soon returned to teaching. Elizabeth has been a law professor at Harvard for nearly 20 years and has written nine books, including two national best-sellers, and more than a hundred articles. National Law Journal named her one of the Most Influential Lawyers of the Decade, and she has been honored by the Massachusetts Women’s Bar Association with the Lelia J. Robinson Award.

In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Elizabeth served as Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Her independent and tireless efforts to protect taxpayers, to hold Wall Street accountable, and to ensure tough oversight of both the Bush and Obama Administrations won praise from both sides of the aisle. The Boston Globe named Elizabeth Bostonian of the Year in 2009 for her oversight efforts.

She is widely credited for the original thinking, political courage, and relentless persistence that led to the creation of a new consumer financial protection agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She led the establishment of the agency, building the structure and organization to hold accountable even trillion-dollar financial institutions and to protect consumers from financial tricks and traps often hidden in mortgages, credit cards and other financial products.

 

Attorney General
Oregon
State Primary:  May 15, 2012

Rosenblum served as a judge on the state Court of Appeals 2005-2011. She's the first woman in Oregon to run for the office of AG.

From her website:

Ellen has spent her entire legal and judicial career in Oregon. She practiced law for 14 years, served as a federal prosecutor, and has 22 years of experience as both an appellate and trial judge.

Ellen began practicing law in 1975 at a small law firm in Eugene after graduating from the University of Oregon. Five years later she became a U.S. Assistant Attorney for the District of Oregon. As a federal prosecutor she specialized in financial crimes. In 1989, she was appointed to the Multnomah County District Court.

Former Governor Barbara Roberts later appointed Ellen to the Circuit Court, and is now endorsing her candidacy for Attorney General.

Most recently, Ellen served as a judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals from 2005-2011. During her time as a judge she presided over thousands of cases involving Oregon citizens—from small claims to more serious crimes.

Throughout her career, Ellen has been a strong advocate for the legal profession and for diversity and access to justice—locally and nationally. Her areas of expertise include business and consumer litigation, domestic relations, class actions, misdemeanor and felony crimes, state and federal constitutional law, products liability, and juvenile disputes among others.

 

US House of Representatives
South Carolina, District #7
Primary: June 12, 2012

Tinubu is a career educator , business leader and former state legislator.

From her website:

Bromell Tinubu is currently a teaching associate in the College of Business Administration at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina. She is also Chair & CEO of Bromell Tinubu Group, LLC, a family business that specializes in community economic development.

She began her teaching career at her former high school in 1974 and in higher education as a professor of economics in 1986 at Spelman College (Atlanta, Georgia) where she earned tenure in 1992. Her past leadership positions include State Representative (HD-60 Georgia General Assembly), President of Barber-Scotia College, Chair of the Economics Department at Spelman College, member of the Georgia Board of Education, member of the Atlanta City Council, Atlanta mayoral candidate, member of the City of Atlanta Board of Ethics, Spelman College Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees, member of the Commission for the Future of Clemson University, and CEO of Atlanta Cooperative Development Corporation, a city-created entity she founded in 1996.  As a state representative, she was a member of the Intergovernmental Affairs, Interstate Cooperation, and Small Business and Job Creation committees.  She is a member of the 1996 class of Leadership Atlanta and was appointed Associate of the Thurmond Institute of Government and Public Affairs at Clemson University in 1987.

Awards and Recognition

Bromell Tinubu has received numerous honors and awards for her community and public service. She has been listed among Who’s Who in Black Atlanta (2001, 2003), Atlanta Business League’s 100 Most Influential Black Women (1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003), Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Most Influential Georgians (2001), and Essence Magazine’s 25 Women Who are Shaping the World (2005). She received Spelman College’s Fannie Lou Hamer Community Service Award (1998) and the college’s Community Service and Public Policy Award (2000). She is also a recipient of the Winnie Mandela Humanitarian Award for Public Service (2001).

 

US House of Representatives
California, District #35
State Primary: June 5, 2012

Currently a State Senator, Gloria Negrete McLeod is running in a new district in the Inland Empire.

From her website:

Elected to the Senate in 2006, Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod proudly represents the 32nd Senate District.  The 32nd District stretches over two counties and includes the cities of Colton, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Rialto, San Bernardino, portions of Chino, and the unincorporated communities of Bloomington and Muscoy in San Bernardino County, and the entire City of Pomona in Los Angeles County.

Senator Negrete McLeod chairs the Public Employment and Retirement Committee (PERS) in the State Senate.  The committee
has jurisdiction over and considers legislation affecting state and local non-school public employees and public employee retirement.

In addition to serving as Chair of the PERS Committee, the Senator also is a member of the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development, Legislative Ethics, and Veterans Affairs Committees.

A recent appointment as Co-Chair of the Joint Legislative Budget Conference Committee will allow Senator Negrete McLeod to find state budget savings and achieve pension reform.

As a State Senator, Negrete McLeod is actively involved in the cleanup of groundwater contamination.  A legislative priority is to improve the quality of California's current water supply, ensuring there is a reliable plan in place that will adequately provide for the State's growing water needs.

Since arriving in Sacramento, ensuring affordability and access to higher education, enhancing the quality of health care, improving our current transportation system to promote efficient goods movement while reducing traffic congestion, and promoting the growth of quality employment opportunities for residents of the Inland Empire and all Californians have been among Senator Negrete McLeod’s legislative priorities.

As a 42-year resident of the newly drawn Congressional District, Senator Negrete McLeod has been an active member in her community for nearly four decades. From 2000 to 2006 she represented the 61st District in the State Assembly.  She served as the President of the Chaffey Community College Board and was a board member for five years before being elected to the State Legislature.  She and her husband Gilbert L. McLeod, a retired police lieutenant, have 10 children, 27 grandchildren, and 18 great grandchildren.

US House of Representatives
New York, District #6
State Primary:  September 11, 2012

If elected, Meng would be the first Asian American House member from New York.

Statement from her website:

"I made the choice to run for Congress because there’s something wrong in Washington.

At a time of great national need, Republicans in our Capitol have embraced partisanship instead of progress; sound bites instead of substance; and extremism instead of effectiveness.

Queens families deserve better.

I’m running for Congress to get Washington working for us again – passing the Buffett rule so millionaires can’t get away with lower tax rates than teachers, laborers or secretaries. We need to fight back against the GOP’s wrong-headed agenda of putting profit before people. We need to invest in our crumbling infrastructure, making America safer, and creating much-needed jobs in our communities. And we need to be strong in our foreign policy, blocking terror states like Iran from ever developing nuclear weapons that they could use against long-term allies like Israel.

Those will be my priorities as your Congress member, and that’s why I ask for your support.

Since launching my campaign just a few weeks ago, I’ve been honored by the outpouring of support we’ve received. Congressman Joe Crowley and the Queens County Democratic Party, Emily’s List, the Hotel Trades Council, UFCW Local 1500, and elected and community leaders from throughout the district, borough and city have all enthusiastically endorsed my candidacy, and have been working hard to help me present my vision of what Queens families need from our next Congress member.

Throughout this very diverse district, I’ve been struck by the fact that all of our communities basically want the same things – good jobs, safe neighborhoods, quality schools and fair treatment from Washington. As our next Congress member, I will do everything in my power to make sure that these are available to every family throughout our borough.

As the mother of two active, wonderful boys, and as the wife of a busy husband, I worry about schools, childcare, and making ends meet.

As a public interest lawyer, I am committed to organizing our communities to press for the protection of unions, and to reign in the menacing political activity of corporations and Wall Street.

As an Assemblywoman, I am dedicated to government as a force for accomplishing good in our lives, and to working in government to stand against Republican attacks on women’s access to healthcare and our social safety net.

As a woman, I am running to improve the woefully inadequate statistic of women comprising only 17% of Congress, yet over half America’s population.

Queens is the most diverse spot in America. How our neighborhoods differ is not as important as how they’re similar. We all want the best for our children and work hard to build a life for our families and to take care of our parents when they need us. We want jobs and careers that provide a reliable paycheck and provide dignity. We want a level playing field and help when we need it. We deserve a government, and elected officials, that share these priorities and will always put others first."

US House of Representatives
Florida, District #6
State Primary: August 14, 2012

Beaven is a veteran of the US Navy. She is running her campaign on a shoestring against a well-funded Republican incumbent, Jack Mica.

From her website:

Heather Beaven has a record of service to our country and every generation of her family has served since the American Revolution.

A strong fighter for the middle class families of northeast Florida.During her naval service, Beaven was a cryptologist who was awarded a Navy Achievement Medal and selected by President Bill Clinton to serve on the USS Kinkaid, a Spruance-class destroyer, making her one of the first 10 female sailors to sail on a combat-ready vessel.

Her husband, Douglas, is an Army Reservist who is set to deploy to Afghanistan this summer. Beaven explained her late entry into the congressional race because she and her husband and children have been preparing for that mission.

Beaven is a University of Missouri and University of North Florida graduate with a master’s degree in public administration.

In 1997, at the age of 28, she was appointed by Kansas Gov. Bill Graves, a Republican, to oversee the Workforce Investment Act, Veteran Employment and Training Services, and other labor and workforce training programs.

Beaven continues her commitment to her community here in Flagler and Volusia County by mentoring and educating youth. She is the CEO of The Florida Endowment Foundation, a non-profit educational enrichment program where she focuses all of her energy on helping 5,000 young Floridians to finish school and learn the valuable job skills that they need to become successful adults.

Beaven and her husband, Douglas, have two daughters – Olivia and Bella.

United States Senate
North Dakota
State Primary: June 12, 2012

Former state Attorney General, running for Kent Conrad's seat.

From her website:

As a crime-fighting attorney general, Heidi Heitkamp battled drug dealers, protected senior citizens from scams, and worked to keep sexual predators off our streets and away from our kids, even after their prison terms are up.

Her reputation as an advocate for the people grew when she served as a leader in the national settlement with the tobacco companies that required them to tell the truth about smoking and health, and pay restitution to the states. That settlement has so far brought $336 million to North Dakota for successful programs to reduce teen smoking and support schools and water supplies throughout the state.

Today, as a director of the one-of-a-kind Dakota Gasification synfuels plant, she’s a champion for North Dakota’s energy industry. Heidi believes we need to use all of North Dakota’s rich energy resources wisely, creating and keeping high-paying jobs right here. She believes in reducing our dependence on oil from the Mideast and investing in the sustainable, renewable power sources of the future, including harnessing North Dakota’s abundant potential for wind and solar power. And she believes energy companies should do their fair share to build the infrastructure that North Dakota needs to support a thriving energy industry.

Heidi will bring her North Dakota values to the U.S. Senate. She says there are too many extreme politicians in Washington willing to hold our economy hostage to advance their narrow political agenda. Heidi says it’s time to put country first, put politics aside and work together to cut government spending, balance the budget, create jobs and get our economy back on track—while protecting North Dakotans.

Incumbent
State Treasurer
North Carolina

Incumbent Cowell is running for re-election. She has been endorsed by pro-choice Women's Campaign Fund and Team Lillian.

Former financial analyst Janet Cowell has been in her post as state Treasurer for 10 years, and is the first female to hold this office in her state.

From her website:

Known for her independence and commitment to doing what is right regardless of politics, Cowell has transformed the Department of State Treasurer, bringing in experts from outside government and instituting reforms critical to North Carolina’s long-term fiscal health.

Under her executive leadership as Treasurer, North Carolina has maintained a triple-A Bond rating for strong financial and debt management practices, and is recognized as one of only seven states to earn the rating by Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s Investment Services, and Fitch Ratings.

Despite the tough economic climate, North Carolina is ranked as the 5th-best funded pension in the country (Pensions & Investments.)

Cowell oversees more than 70 billion dollars in pension fund investments for the 850,000 teachers, firefighters, and public employees of North Carolina.

As of January 1, 2012, Cowell has stepped up to oversee the State Health Plan, recognizing an opportunity to provide enhanced governance and accountability of critical health benefits provided to the 650,000 members in North Carolina.

US House of Representatives
South Carolina, District #3
Primary: June 12, 2012

"Citizen Candidate" van den Hurk is trying to finance her campaign without taking corporate money.

From her page on BeYourGovernment.com:

"Small business owner, freelance translator in French/English, jewelry designer and activist, graduated from Illinois State University, 1978, French. Married to Peter van den Hurk, Ph.D., Environmental Toxicology, Clemson University. We have three children, my daughter Airynn Strout, 23, and Peter’s children, Jurriaan van den Hurk, 20 and Karlotta van den Hurk, 17. After volunteering in South Korea from 1978 to 1982 as an English teacher, returned to the US in 1983 to work in South Carolina. Worked as a graphic designer in public relations until my daughter, Airynn, was 8. Started my business in jewelry design and antiques in 2004 till 2011. Currently candidate for Congress in the 3rd Congressional District of South Carolina."

US House of Representatives
Florida District #13
Primary: August 14, 2012

St. Petersburg native Ehrlich hopes to unseat Rep. Bill Young -- longest serving Republican in the House.

From her website:

Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Jessica was brought up with a deep commitment to the local community instilled by her parents, Charles and Jacquelyn. Jessica first left home to attend Vanderbilt University before moving to New York City to pursue career opportunities. Living through the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Jessica was compelled to seek out public service through the justice system. Jessica left New York to attend Southern Methodist University Law School, during which time she clerked for the Chief Judge of the U.S. Federal Court for Middle Florida in Tampa and held a fellowship in human rights law.

Jessica Ehrlich returned home to St. Petersburg to practice law with her father before receiving an opportunity to work for then Congressman Clay Shaw (R-FL) on the Social Security Subcommittee of the Committee on Ways and Means. Jessica then served as counsel for U.S. Representative Stephen Lynch (D-MA) on the Financial Services Committee. Jessica left Washington to return to the private sector where she developed technology to help businesses better understand the legislative process.

When Jessica’s father was diagnosed with a terminal blood disease, she returned to St. Petersburg. Since his passing in 2010, Jessica has devoted herself to fulfilling his legacy of service to her local community. The daughter and grandaughter of Holocaust survivors, Jessica has served on the New York board of the United Nations Fund for Women, is an active member of the Shorecrest Preparatory School alumni association, and developed a college scholarship in her father’s name.

US House of Representatives
Ohio, District #3
State Primary:

The five-term state representative was Ohio's first female Speaker of the House. She's running in the new 3rd Congressional District.

From her website:

Joyce Beatty worked her way through college to become an educator, healthcare administrator, business owner, and leader in our community. After graduating with a B.A. from Central State University and receiving her masters degree from Wright State University, Joyces began her career as the Executive Director of Montgomery Countys Human Services levy overseeing millions of dollars and later as a tenured professor at Sinclair College. As a result of her time in these fields, Joyce understands that education and healthcare are core elements needed to give individuals the opportunity to succeed.

Joyce went on to become a successful business owner opening a management training company that trained non-profits to deliver services more efficiently to vulnerable community members. She later opened a small retail business in downtown Columbus that is still in operation today.; As Joyce became a successful business owner, she, once again, became active in the business community by establishing multiple organizations that encouraged business ownership among women and created economic opportunity.

In 2000, Joyce Beatty was selected by her peers to serve in the Ohio House of Representatives. She went on to be elected to serve 5 terms representing the city of Columbus. During her tenure, she rose to become the 1^st female Democratic House Leader in state history and was instrumental in passing legislation that improved the climate for economic development; fought foreclosures, championed STEM and financial literacy education as a part of the Ohio Core Curriculum and helped women without insurance receive lifesaving cancer screenings. Her work on securing screenings for uninsured women gained her recognition throughout the healthcare community and Komen for the Cure - Columbus gave her their public service award in 2008.

Joyce has been involved in federal issues and recently Ohio was awarded $400 million in Race to the Top funds.  Joyce developed and brokered a partnership with the state to receive millions in grant funds through Race to the Top school improvement grants.  She has been an advocate for federal healthcare issues and serves on the national American Heart Association Board.

After leaving the Ohio House Joyce Beatty joined the Ohio State University as Senior Vice President of Outreach and Engagement where she promoted community, business, and economic development; promoted healthcare collaborations; and led global initiatives for the university.

Joyce Beatty is married to Otto Beatty, Jr., a Columbus attorney, businessman, and former State Representative.  She is the stepmother of attorney Otto Beatty III and Judge Laurel Beatty.

Joyce is running in the new Franklin County-based, 3^rd Congressional District and looks forward to representing the constituents of the 3^rd Congressional District.

US House of Representatives
Ohio, District #7

Healy-Abrams's campaign in District 7 was just named an "emerging race" by the DCCC - which means they think she can gain traction against Tea Party opponent Bob Gibbs (who has been re-districted).

The Canton, OH businesswoman has some powerful connections, including Canton's Mayor, William J. Healey II, who happens to be the candidate's brother -- and former Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, who is treasurer of the Healy-Abrams campaign.

 

US House of Representatives
California District #26
State Primary: June 5 , 2012

Current state Assemblywoman is running for an open seat in a newly created District against two other Democrats and GOP State Senator Tony Strickland -- and a well-known former Republican now running as a centrist independent -- a nightmare scenario for progressives, according to MoveOn's Daniel Mintz, who told the Los Angeles Times:

"There could turn out to be no Democrat on the ballot in November in a district the party could win."

From her website:

Since being elected to the State Assembly in 2006, Brownley has delivered for Ventura County. Her accomplishments on behalf of the county’s residents include bringing significant funding for technical job training to the California State University Channel Islands to get people back to work and leading the effort to clean up toxic waste from the Santa Susana Field Laboratory to keep our families healthy and safe.

Brownley has also dedicated her life to improving our schools, colleges and universities. Julia first became involved in education when she joined the PTA to improve the local school her daughter Hannah and her son Fred were attending.  Julia went on to run for School Board because she thought our schools could do better for all kids. As a School Board President and one of California’s leading education advocates, Julia helped increase student performance in local schools, fought to cut administrative spending to put more resources in the classroom, gave schools more local control and pushed to make sure every student has a quality teacher.

Brownley believes it is a moral and economic imperative that we fix our broken health care system and ensure access to affordable, quality health care for all Californians. In the State Assembly, Julia fought to regulate health insurance companies so they can’t hike up premiums on consumers without approval from the state’s Insurance Commissioner.

An effective advocate for women, Brownley is a leader in preventing domestic violence, strongly supports a
woman’s right to choose, and will fight to make sure health insurance companies cover contraception, prenatal and preventive care for everyone.

Attorney General
Pennsylvania
Primary:

If she wins, Kane will be the first female AG in PA history.

From her website:

As an Assistant District Attorney for Lackawanna County, Kathleen began in the child abuse/sexual assault unit spending several years prosecuting gruesome cases of physical and sexual abuse of children and adults. Simultaneous to the duties of this unit, Kathleen specialized in cases involving elder abuse, prosecuted white-collar criminals, and exposed abuses in Orphans’ Court. Due to her distinguished service, she was selected as the Deputy to head the county’s first Insurance Fraud Task Force.  In addition, she has contributed to pioneering law enforcement programs, like Lackawanna County’s Mental Health Court, in order to solve problems through other effective and collaborative methods of law enforcement, not just prosecution.

Born and raised in Scranton PA, Kathleen’s working class upbringing contributes heavily to her work ethic. A graduate of the Scranton public school system, Kathleen continued her education at The University of Scranton and Temple University School of Law in Philadelphia.  Her legal career began with civil litigation with the firm of Post & Schell, P.C. in Philadelphia before returning home to accept a position as an Assistant District Attorney in the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office.

US House of Representatives
Pennsylvania, District #8

Attorney Boockvar is trying to unseat Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, one the 10 worst Congressmen fighting against Planned Parenthood. The Washington Post estimates he is one of the most vulnerable people in Congress.

From her website:

Kathy has dedicated her career as an attorney and mediator to helping Pennsylvanians protect their jobs, their Social Security, and their families. She began her career as a Legal Services attorney, representing low-income, disabled, and senior citizen clients, as well as victims of domestic violence, in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley.

Later, Kathy founded and maintained a small law practice for 11 years, representing countless workers, families, and small businesses in Pennsylvania, helping them with everything from jobs and employment to Social Security, from pensions and insurance to disability and estate planning. As a small business owner, Kathy understands the importance of fiscal responsibility, budgeting, and oversight. She has experienced firsthand the challenges that small business owners face: making payroll, keeping the bills paid, maximizing revenue, and assessing which expenditures are essential and which are discretionary.

 

US House of Representatives
Wisconsin, District #2
Primary: August 14, 2012

Kelda is running for the seat currently held by Tammy Baldwin, who is running for US Senate.

From her website:

Rep. Roys is a two-term legislator representing Wisconsin’s diverse 81st Assembly District in Northwestern Dane County. An influential and effective lawmaker and campaigner, she was elected to chair the Assembly Democratic Caucus in only her second term.

Rep. Roys was one of the most vocal opponents of Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to strip workers’ rights from public employees, and became a recognizable figure during the historic protests. As Caucus Chair, Rep. Roys led the Assembly Democratic caucus in their fight against Governor Walker and the Republicans’ conservative agenda this session.

An expert in women’s health policy, Rep. Roys served as Vice-Chair of the Committee on Health & Healthcare Reform, and she currently serves as Ranking Member on the Committee on Elections & Campaign Finance Reform and the Committee on Consumer Protection & Personal Privacy. Her record of legislative success includes authoring legislation on reproductive rights, health care, consumer protection, children’s health, government accountability, workplace safety, economic justice, fiscal responsibility, election reform, and access to the courts, among other areas.

Prior to being elected to office, Rep. Roys served four years as Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, the political leader of the state’s reproductive rights movement. Kelda developed the organization’s innovative and successful efforts to expand emergency contraception access through state and local legislation, including Madison’s landmark emergency contraception ordinance. Under her leadership, Wisconsin passed the first pro-choice law in three decades, the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act, despite an anti-choice Assembly.

Rep. Roys received her J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Wisconsin Law School, focusing on civil rights and international law. Kelda practices law at Wheeler, Van Sickle & Anderson, a small Madison firm, where she works with individuals and small businesses. In law school, she worked for the prestigious Wisconsin Innocence Project, helping to free innocent people from prison, and pass legislative reforms to prevent wrongful convictions.

US House of Representatives
Florida, District #22
Primary: August 14, 2012

Jacobs is running against pro-choice candidate Lois Frankel in the primary; the winner will go against Allen West in November.

From her website:

Current Broward County Commissioner Kristen Jacobs has testified before Congress as an expert on water quality issues and moderated a White House discussion on climate change issues in 2009. She is Chair of the White House National Ocean Council's Governance Coordinating Committee, which advises the President on local government perspectives on ocean policy.

 

US House of Representatives
Arizona, District #9
State Primary: August 28, 2012

State Senator Sinema is a former social worker, attorney and was named one of Time Magazine's "40 under 40"  in 2010.

From Wikipedia:

Born in Tucson, Arizona, to conservative Mormon parents, Sinema moved to Phoenix in 1995. She attended Brigham Young University on a Benson Scholarship and earned a bachelor's degree in social work in 1994. She then attended Arizona State University where she earned a masters degree in social work in 1999 and then a Juris Doctor in 2004.

She was a social worker in the Washington Elementary School District before becoming a criminal defense lawyer. In 2001, she ran for the Phoenix City Council District 8. In a nine candidate race, she ranked last with just 2% of the vote.

She served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 2004-2010, then

She won re-election in 2004 (30%),[7] 2006 (33%),[8] and 2008 (38%).[9]
In 2010, she retired in the State House and ran for a seat in the Arizona Senate. Sinema defeated Republican Bob Thomas 63%-37%.[10]

In 2006 she co-chaired Arizona Together, the statewide campaign that defeated Proposition 107, which would have banned the recognition of same-sex marriage and civil unions in Arizona.[11] In 2008, she also led the campaign against Proposition 102, a narrowed down version of Proposition 107.[12] Proposition 102 was approved by 56% of voters in the general election on November 4, 2008.

She was Assistant Leader to the Democratic Caucus.

A supporter of Barack Obama's presidential campaign, Sinema was a delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.[13] In July 2009, she published her first book, entitled Unite and Conquer: How to Build Coalitions That Win and Last.

In 2010 she was picked as one of Time Magazine's "40 Under 40" saying "In an epic election cycle, a new generation of civic leaders is already at work trying to fix a broken system—and restore faith in the process. Meet the rising stars of American politics".

 

US House of Representatives
Washington, District #1
State Primary: August 1, 2012

One of four Democrats in August 1 primary - the other pro-choice female candidate is Darcy Burner.

From her website:

Laura was first elected to the State House in 1998, only the third Democrat to ever be elected from the 45^th Legislative District.  She was the Vice Chair of the Technology, Telecommunications, and Energy Committee, and also served on the Appropriations, Rules, and Health Care Committees.  In addition to her committee assignments, Laura served as the Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus.    In her three terms in the legislature, Laura won Legislator of the Year and other awards from many organizations, and especially for her work on health care and on women’s rights.

In 2000 Laura had the distinguished honor of becoming the first Democrat ever to be re-elected in this swing district.  Her proven ability to win the votes of Independents and moderate Republicans will serve her well in a Congressional race.

Prior to her service in the Legislature, Laura worked at Seattle Repertory Theater for a year, and then for almost 5 years at Microsoft, managing software and technology projects.

 

Incumbent
County Board
Arlington County, Virginia

Garvey settled in Arlington County after a stint teaching in the Peace Corps. The former teacher and school board member won her seat on the County Board in a March special election. Running for a full term in November.

From her website:

Women seem chronically under-represented in Virginia’s government.  There are currently no female members of Congress from Virginia.  Women compose only 18% of the House of Delegates and  about 20% of the Virginia Senate, a statistic that will drastically declined after this year’s elections.  Meanwhile, women are nearly 51% of Virginia’s population according to the US Census Bureau.  After the 2007 campaign, a group of like-minded women and I founded GWEN (Get Women Elected Now)  to encourage progressive women in  Northern Virginia to run for public office.  Our goal is to promote women candidates for local offices here in Northern Virginia, educate first-time candidates, and volunteer our help to get them elected.

What Keeps Me Going

We all have aspects to our lives that, over time, prove to be invaluable in surviving the ups and downs life sends us.  For me it is music, bicycling, my Quaker faith, the outdoors, friends, family and community.

I have played classical piano since childhood and took up voice lessons in my 40′s.  While I am strictly amateur, time spent at the keyboard or singing has always helped clear my head and my heart.  A piano was our second major purchase when we returned from Peace Corps, after our car.

While Kennan was an athlete, I was not, but he showed me the joy of physical exercise when we bought a tandem bike and rode over 5,700 miles together, including several Bike Virginia rides. Now I ride my own bike, and will always be grateful for that gift of cycling.  Bicycling still clears my heart and my mind and keeps me feeling well.

My roots are Philadelphia Quaker. The Quaker peace testimony, belief that God resides within each and every person and emphasis on meditation and reflection renews me, challenges me, and makes me a better person.

Kennan’s sudden death and various health issues, including my recent treatment for breast cancer, have brought home to me how important friends and community are to our health and well-being.  At times, I could not have survived without the practical and emotional support of my family and my community. I discovered the Washington Transplant Community because Kennan was a tissue donor.  They have supported me, and I try to support their work of advocating for organ and tissue donation, which truly gives the gift of life.  Over the years, family, close friends and the broader community have come to my aid again and again. I cannot thank them enough and hope that my public service helps repay the debt I owe to be blessed with so much love and support.

Sheriff
Leon County, Florida
Primary: August 14, 2012

Lisa is the former Deputy Chief of Police for Florida State University.

From her website:

Lisa A. Sprague is the President and CEO of Sprague Consultants and Investigations, a professional security consulting service, and serves as a sworn reserve officer with the Department of Environmental Protection in the Training and Standards Division.  Prior to opening her consulting firm, Lisa served as the Deputy Chief of Police for Florida State University and the immediate past president of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administration.  Lisa has over 30 years of law enforcement experience.

Lisa received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Miami and her Master’s Degree from Columbia College.  A resident of Tallahassee, Lisa is a well-respected member of the community and was recently named one of the “25 Women You Need To Know.”

 

US House of Representatives
Florida District #22
State Primary: August 14, 2012

Frankel is running against pro-choice candidate Kristin Jacobs in the primary; the winner will go against Allen West in November.

From her website:

Mayor Lois Frankel is a seasoned public servant with a record of bringing jobs and opportunity to South Florida. After serving 14 years in the Florida state legislature, Lois became mayor of West Palm Beach in 2003. In eight years as mayor, she worked tirelessly to bring jobs and opportunity to the city.

During challenging economic times, Lois oversaw the remarkable revitalization of the downtown district and made West Palm Beach a more attractive place for companies to do business.

Since she was elected, thousands of new residents and scores of new businesses now call West Palm Beach home. Major projects underway are projected to bring thousands of new jobs with positive economic impact over the next decade.

Lois has been a champion for seniors, families and small businesses. She is dedicated to protecting Social Security and Medicare. She believes in tax breaks for middle class families and closing loopholes for Big Oil companies.

As mother who has watched her son, a proud Marine veteran, go to war, Lois knows what it’s like for families to sacrifice. She will work tirelessly to make sure Congress’ priorities serve Florida’s families.

US House of Representatives
California District #52
State Primary: June 5, 2012

There's opportunity to defeat Republican Brian Bilbray in California's new 52nd District in east San Diego County.

From her website:

After her father retired from a 20-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps, Lori’s parents moved the family home to San Diego for good and settled in Clairemont in the 1960s. Lori’s experience as the daughter of a career Marine would later influence her legislative work on behalf of active-duty service members, veterans and military families.

After retiring from the Marine Corps, Lori’s father Frank joined the staff of the San Diego Evening Tribune in 1966, becoming one of the paper’s best-known and respected reporters. Lori’s mother, Virginia, was an active school and community volunteer who encouraged Lori to become involved in public causes from an early age.

Among the many bills penned by Lori during her time in the Legislature, one of the most notable is her work co-authoring California’s landmark Global Warming legislation. She served in the Environmental Caucus and was considered one of the state’s most influential environmental voices. In six years in the Assembly, Lori proved her commitment to conserving and protecting California’s natural resources, earning a 100% Sierra Club environmental voting record.

Serving on the Veterans Committee, Lori wrote several pioneering pieces of legislation for veterans and military families.

Lori is particularly proud of AB 599, a law which ensures California’s veterans have increased access to mental health services.

In 2006, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed Saldaña’s California School-Age Military Dependants Act, designed to ease the difficulty military dependents face when transferring between school districts within California.

This was followed in 2009 by the Military Families Educational Opportunities Act, relieving bureaucratic roadblocks military children face when transferring into California schools from states with different academic, placement, testing and graduation requirements.

For her work on behalf of veterans, Lori was named the 2006 Legislator of the Year by the California Association of County Veterans Service Officers.

Governor
New Hampshire
State Primary September 11 , 2012

State Senator Hassan entered public service as an education commission appointee of Governor Jeanne Shaheen.

From her website:

Maggie Hassan began her career in public service in 1999 when Governor Jeanne Shaheen asked her to serve as an advocate on the Advisory Committee to the Adequacy in Education and Finance Commission. Her experience as an attorney along with her role as the parent of two children, one of whom has severe disabilities, enabled her to provide a unique perspective as the commission did its work.

In 2004, Maggie was first elected to the New Hampshire Senate, winning one of the most competitive districts in the state. During her six years in office, she was selected by her colleagues to serve as both President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader of the State Senate. She served as chair of both the Commerce committee
and the Public and Municipal Affairs committee. She also served on the Finance committee and was vice chair of the committee on Energy, Environment and Economic Development.

Maggie was instrumental in passing marriage equality in New Hampshire. The Concord Monitor reported “Hassan helped gay marriage pass the Senate by crafting an amendment that won over hesitant senators. Former state representative Jim Splaine, who sponsored the legislation, said Hassan was able to find a consensus among Democratic senators that the existing civil union law was not sufficient.”

Unfortunately, many of the successful laws that Maggie, Governor Lynch and her colleagues worked for are now under attack by an extremist Tea Party legislature led by Speaker of the House Bill O’Brien.

US Senate
Hawaii
State Primary: August 11, 2012

Hirono currently represents her district in the House of Representatives. If elected, she would become the country's first Asian-American female Senator.

From her website:

Congresswoman Hirono won her seat in the Hawaii state legislature in 1980. Having grown up seeing how the powerful held sway over the most vulnerable, she made her mark in the state House as a consumer crusader, eventually chairing the powerful Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee. She worked on reforming auto, homeowners' and workers' compensation insurance to better protect consumers and employees. She even changed the law on retail gift cards by extending expiration dates.

In 1994, she was elected lieutenant governor and led efforts to support Hawaii's tourism industry and create jobs, including testifying before Congress to push for visa waivers for South Korean visitors. In addition, she revamped Hawaii's workers' compensation law, creating the Hawaii Employers Mutual Insurance Company (HEMIC). HEMIC created a more competitive workers' compensation insurance market, saving businesses an estimated $85 million in its first year of operation.

Her younger brother's struggles in school are one reason Mazie is a leader in the fight to expand pre-K learning programs to prepare our keiki for success in school. He never received those important early interventions because of the family's circumstances. Both as lieutenant governor by leading the Pre-Plus program and upon her election to Congress, Mazie carried this commitment to give our youngest the strongest start.

When President Obama announced he was investing nearly $500 million in early learning initiatives this year, Civil Beat said the decision came "in large part to Hawaii Congresswoman Mazie Hirono's leadership" for spearheading an effort in Congress to convince the Administration to do so. Her work championing quality early education for our keiki has won Mazie recognition as a national pre-K advocate.

But strengthening our schools shouldn't stop in the early years. Mazie believes that if we have the world's best educated workforce, we'll be able to attract the best jobs to Hawaii. And our children wouldn't have to leave home to follow their dreams. That's why she's fought in Congress to modernize classrooms, beef up accountability measures and improve teacher training so our educators have the support they need.

Now, Mazie's running for Senate because she loves Hawaii and wants to make sure our ohana has the same opportunities she's had.

US House of Representatives
New Mexico, District #1
State Primary: June 5

The former head of the State Agency on Aging is an expert on healthcare, insurance and economic issues that affect senior citizens.

From her website:

Michelle Lujan Grisham is a twelfth generation New Mexican, born in Los Alamos and raised in Santa Fe.

As a young attorney she worked for the Lawyer Referral for the Elderly Program of the State Bar of New Mexico. Michelle fought to protect seniors from scam artists, safeguard them from abuse and neglect, and helped them to remain in their homes. Because of her tireless work on behalf of seniors, four-term Governor Bruce King to appointed her to head the New Mexico State Agency on Aging; she served as the state’s first Secretary of Aging and Long Term Services when the department was elevated to a cabinet position.

As head of the Stage Agency on Aging under both Democratic and Republican administrations, Michelle implemented a system of undercover investigations while she herself went undercover to expose patient abuse and facility mismanagement happening in nursing facilities.

In 2004, Michelle was asked to head the New Mexico Department of Health, where she managed over 3,800 employees and a $440 million budget. During her tenure, she fought to require public health facilities to meet the same high standards as private sector facilities. She led the fight to ban the sale of junk food in schools and she pushed to make sure every child in New Mexico had access to primary health care.

Elected in 2010 as a Bernalillo County Commissioner she hit the ground running, leading efforts to bring more transparency and accountability to county government and sponsoring new ethics standards for county officeholders, contractors, and staff.

Michelle serves as President and co-founder of the Delta Consulting Group, a small business that oversees New Mexico’s Health Insurance Pool and helps to provide access to health insurance coverage to New Mexico residents who have been denied health insurance.

 

Incumbent
Secretary of State, West Virginia

Former broadcaster Tennant is running for a second term as West Virginia's Secretary of State, where she is responsible for implementing voter registration rules and overseeing elections -- an important office, as we learned in 2000 when Florida's Katherine Harris played a part in George W. Bush's electoral college win over Al Gore.

From her website:

Former broadcaster Tennant is running for a second term as West Virginia's Secretary of State.

"During her tenure as Secretary of State, Tennant has dedicated herself to making government accountable and never wasting taxpayer dollars. She cut outdated programs, eliminated excessive spending in her office, and made government more accessible to West Virginians.

As a small business owner herself, Tennant knows the importance of ensuring that business in West Virginia thrives. The largest division Tennant oversees as Secretary of State is business and licensing – and she has made efficiency, access, and cutting red tape for small businesses hallmarks of her tenure as Secretary. The work she does there is vital to the economy of West Virginia and literally keeps businesses running. In 2010, as the result of Tennant’s commitment to making the Secretary of State’s Office more business friendly, the number of online filings nearly doubled to more than 16,000.

Tennant has also successfully fought for initiatives to make the voting process more streamlined, secure, and accessible. In just two years as Secretary of State, Tennant helped West Virginia become a worldwide leader in safe and secure online voting for overseas and deployed military, ensuring that our men and women in uniform can cast their ballot when performing their duty for their country."

Incumbent
Assembly, Ohio District 13

State representative Antonio is running for re-election in Ohio Assembly District 13. She holds the distinction of being the state's first openly gay woman in the state legislature.

From her website:

Nickie J. Antonio is running for a second term State Representative for the Ohio House District 13 (Lakewood, Cleveland wards 15 & 16 and parts of 17, 14, and 3) .

She serves on the Commerce and Labor, Education and Health/Aging committees. Antonio is appointed to the Commission on Developmental Disabilities for the State of Ohio. She also serves as Co-Chair for policy with the Ohio Democratic Women’s Caucus of legislators, and is a member of the Ohio House Progressive Caucus of legislators.

Antonio was elected to the At-Large seat for Lakewood City Council in November of 2005, was the top-vote getter in her second election returning her to council where she served a total of five years. She chaired the Health and Human Services and the Economic Development committees and served on the Finance committee. She was also as a member of the Public Works committee, served for 4 years on the Lakewood Hospital Board, and is the previous chair of the Housing Committee. She also served as the Council liaison to the Community Relations Advisory Commission, a commission of which she is a founding member .

As a Councilmember Antonio worked responsively and collaboratively in the community to improve the health, safety and viability of our city for all its citizens. She is a strong proponent of the arts as an economic catalyst and believes that civic engagement is key to building a strong and safe community.

Antonio holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Cleveland State University and a Master of Public Administration degree from the Maxine Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University. A former special education teacher, adjunct professor and non-profit administrator she has served in numerous capacities as an in organizational consultant for non-profit and governmental organizations and administrator for a multi-County HIV/AIDS regional program.

 

Incumbent
Ohio State Senate, District #25

Nina Turner is the State Senator who made headlines earlier this year by pushing back against the War on Women by introducing a bill that would protect men against the dangers of Viagra.

From her website:

Nina Turner began her professional career as a legislative aide in the Ohio Senate, after which she returned to her hometown of Cleveland to serve in the administration of then-Mayor Michael R. White and later advocated on behalf of the city’s school children at the state and federal level as the Director of Government Affairs for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

She then became the first woman ever elected to represent Cleveland’s Ward 1 in City Council, where she established the Derek W. Owens Memorial Scholarship fund in honor of slain Cleveland Police Officer Derek Owens.

In addition to her service in the Ohio General Assembly, Senator Turner takes great pride in her role as a professor at Cuyahoga Community College, seeing her work as an educator as an opportunity to help people surmount obstacles through hard work and perseverance. She was recently honored with the 2010 Women of Excellence Award by the Corporate Club at Landerhaven and recognized for her work toward expanding educational opportunity with the Distinguished Governmental Service Award from the Ohio Association of Career Colleges and Schools. A powerful force in the region, Turner has been named to “The Power 100 – Northeast Ohio’s Most Influential People” by Inside Business magazine in both 2010 and 2011.

Attorney General
Montana
State Primary: June 5, 2012

Bucy was a criminal prosecutor in Lewis & Clark County, as well as an assistant AG under Mike McGrath (now Montana's Supreme Court Chief Justice).

From her website:

Montana native Pam Bucy unofficially started her career in enforcement in her hometown of Townsend, keeping tabs on her four younger brothers and sisters. Since those early days, Pam has built a solid foundation of experience standing up for Montana and keeping our communities safe.

Pam’s longtime commitment to protecting Montana families and her diverse experience in the practice and application of Montana law, including her years as a criminal prosecutor, in the Attorney General’s office and her time in private practice make her the best choice to be Montana’s next chief law enforcement official.

As Attorney General, Bucy would draw from her diverse experiences to further protect Montana’s children as they play in their homes, on playgrounds and online. She will work to combat cyber crime and the criminals who prey on children and the elderly. Bucy will prioritize resources and encourage more state/federal cooperation so resources can be best utilized to keep Montanans safe. She will work tirelessly to protect the constitutional and public access rights of every Montanan.

Pam studied law at the University of Montana and immediately after receiving her degree, went to work as a criminal prosecutor with the Lewis & Clark County Attorney’s office. In that role, she gained a solid understanding of the various issues surrounding our criminal justice system and successfully prosecuted hundreds of cases, including DUI, domestic violence, theft and homicide.

During her seven years as Executive Assistant Attorney General under former AG and current Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike McGrath, Pam represented the State of Montana in complex civil and criminal matters before the Montana Supreme Court. She also spearheaded the Department of Justice’s efforts to pass legislation to register sexual and violent offenders, help senior citizens protect their identity and credit information and ensure protective orders, such as restraining orders, can be more easily enforced.

Prior to her legal career, Pam owned and operated a small business in Livingston and served as Assistant Manager of the Livingston Chamber of Commerce.

Until recently, Bucy served as Chief Legal Counsel for the Montana Department of Labor and Industry and currently serves as Administrative Counsel for the Montana Department of Labor.

Ohio State House of Representatives
House Seat 23B

Teacher Pam Chiarella was inspired to run after Idaho implemented an education policy called "Students Come First," authored by ALEC -- containing provisions similar to the ones famously enacted by Scott Walker in Wisconsin (weakening collective bargaining by teachers unions, phasing out tenure, eliminating early retirement bonuses, etc. -- and putting more funds into private hands).

From her website:

"I have a wonderful family that spans generations here in District 23. My Great Grandparents (Quiqley’s) were Irish immigrants who settled in the Buhl area and my mother was born in Buhl, and later moved with my Grandparents to Owhyee County and later Boise.

I can proudly say that I am a Daughter of the Utah Pioneers and I have that fighting, independent spirit!

In 2005 I moved from Boise back to Elmore County to teach, and here is where I met my husband, Ray Chiarella. Ray is retired from the US Air Force and became a citizen after his father and mother immigrated to the US from Italy and France. Together we have four beautiful children.

From 1993 to 2000 I attended Boise State University as a non-traditional student, working full-time and attending school part-time. In 2000 I graduated from BSU with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Computer Information Systems. While working my way through school, I worked for Health and Welfare managing the Third Party Recovery contract to get Idaho reimbursed for medical expenses paid out by Medicaid. After graduating from BSU, I went to work in the Information Technology industry as an Applications Analyst for private sector companies. In 2005 I graduated with a Master of Education from the University of Idaho. I immediately moved back to District 23 to teach Business Education and Computer Technology classes at Mountain Home High School.

I am a teacher of seven years and over the past year and a half I have been a community organizer working to overturn the damaging education reform legislation, which lit a fire in me that cannot be extinguished.

The ideals of community service and education is what propels me to be a public servant. And that is why I want to be your Representative!"

US House of Representatives
North Carolina, District #10

Former schoolteacher Keever is currently a North Carolina state legislator. She won her primary on a shoestring budget and is now challenging Republican incumbent Patrick McHenry in the newly drawn 10th District seat in the House.

Keever campaign memos shed light on her primary victory over Bellamy.

From her website:

Patsy taught in the public schools for 25 years while raising a family that now includes grandchildren. While still teaching, she was elected to three terms on the Buncombe County Commission and served for 12 years.

After the death of her husband John, Patsy ran for the U.S. Congress in 2004 against Charles Taylor in NC District 11. Her spirited campaign inspired a new level of political participation in the region and an awareness that true power resides in the hands of the citizens.

After her race for Congress, Patsy married Jim Aycock, retired publisher of the Black Mountain News. She also participated in a triathlon, delighted in her three grandchildren and two step-grandchildren and planted a vegetable garden.

In 2010, Patsy ran for the NC House of Representatives. She won the Democratic primary and was appointed by Gov. Perdue to serve the remainder of Rep. Bruce Goforth’s term after his resignation. Patsy was elected to the NC House on November 2, 2010, and during her first term she has supported quality education for all children, clean air and water, meaningful work for all who seek it and equal rights for all our citizens.

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
California, District #9

Rep. Lee is one of the founders of the House Progressive Caucus and was the only member of Congress to vote against giving President Bush a blank check to wage war after the September 11 attacks.

From her website:

"Barbara's family moved to California in 1960, where she honed her leadership for social change. As a high school student attending San Fernando High School, Barbara successfully challenged a school district policy that prevented her from trying out for the cheerleading team because of her race. With the help of the NAACP, Barbara Lee's activism changed this discriminatory rule and she became the first black cheerleader in the history of her school district.

Barbara later moved to the San Francisco bay area so that she could attend Mills College in Oakland. During college, she quickly became a leader in the region's vibrant civil rights movement—being elected president of the Black Students' Association. Her commitment as a community activist led her to get involved in Representative Shirley Chisholm's campaign for president. Representative Chisholm was the first African American woman to run for president and she would become a strong role model, friend and mentor to Barbara in the years ahead.

Upon receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree from Mills College, Barbara enrolled in U.C. Berkeley's School of Social Welfare, where she trained in clinical psychology. During her clinical internship at Highland Hospital's inpatient psychiatric ward, Barbara found that the hospital lacked approaches tailored to the health needs of its African American patients. Based on this experience, she founded and managed the Community Health Alliance for Neighborhood Growth and Education (CHANGE), a community-based mental health clinic in Berkeley, California.

Acting on the advice she received from Representative Chisholm to "get involved", Barbara applied to become a congressional intern through the program called Cal in the Capitol. She was assigned to the office of then-Congressman Ron Dellums—a place she would spend the next decade of her life in service to her community. During her tenure working for the Congressman, Barbara Lee worked on Capitol Hill and in the Oakland district office. Eventually, she became the Congressman's Administrative Assistant, before leaving the staff to start her own small business.

Barbara's own political career began in 1990, when she won election to the California State Assembly. Six years later, she would be elected to the State Senate. Barbara proved very skillful in her ability to forge coalitions and get her legislation signed into law, even by a Republican governor. In total, Barbara authored 67 bills that were signed into law. Her legislative efforts focused on issues such as education, public safety, environmental protection, health, labor, and women's rights. In addition, Barbara worked to promote links between California and African countries.

Upon the retirement of Congressman Dellums in February 1998, Barbara Lee ran to succeed her former boss in the House of Representatives. In a special election held in April 1998, she won convincingly, receiving over 67% of the vote."

 

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
Ohio, District #16

Redistricting pits Congresswoman Sutton against Republican Rep. James Renacci.

From her website:

"Betty Sutton currently serves in the U.S. House of Representatives where she proudly represents Ohio’s 13th District, representing portions of Summit, Lorain, Cuyahoga and Medina counties.

Betty is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee. She is Co-Chair of the Congressional Task Force on Job Creation and a member of the Congressional Automotive Caucus and the Populist Caucus. She is also a member of the Trade Working Group, the Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus, the Congressional Fire Caucus, the House Manufacturing Caucus, the House Steel Caucus, the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, and the House School and Health Safety Caucus.  Betty is also a member of the Congressional Task Force on Seniors whose agenda is to serve America's seniors by protecting Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid while confronting issues seniors face in today’s economy, from the loss of pension income and retirement savings to high prescription drug costs to reduced access to safe and affordable housing.

Before going to Congress, Betty served the people of northeast Ohio in the State Legislature, the Summit County Council, and the Barberton City Council. Betty also represented our first responders and other workers as a labor attorney in Northeast Ohio."

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
Colorado, District #1

Rep. DeGette is currently the Democrats' Chief Deputy Whip.

From her website:

"Chief Deputy Whip Diana DeGette is a 8th term member of Congress, representing Colorado’s 1st Congressional district. In her eight terms serving the Denver metro region, Diana has established herself as a leader for progressive change on health care, reproductive rights, food safety, consumer protection and the environment.

Diana’s efforts have been recognized by Democratic leaders and pundits alike. In 2005, Diana was promoted to the House Democratic leadership as Chief Deputy Whip, a critical role in ensuring passage of key pieces of legislation. Citing her policy expertise and political savvy, National Journal named Diana a “Rising Star.”

Diana serves on the powerful Committee on Energy and Commerce where she has used her position to improve health care, expand medical research, reform corporate business and accounting practices, ensure that our homeland is adequately protected, take on global climate change, and move America toward energy independence.

In January, 2011, Rep. DeGette was elected the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

A fourth-generation Coloradoan, Diana graduated from Denver’s South High School, received her B.A. magna cum laude from Colorado College in 1979 and her J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1982. She served two terms in the Colorado House of Representatives serving as Assistant Minority Leader from 1993-1995."

 

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
Texas, District #30

Johnson was the first registered nurse elected to Congress. She's running for an 11th term in Texas.

From her website:

"Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson is serving her 10th term representing the 30th Congressional District of Texas.

Congresswoman Johnson is widely recognized as one of the most effective legislators in Congress.  She is credited with originally authoring and co-authoring more than 187 bills that were passed by the House and Senate and signed into law by the President.

In December, 2010, Congresswoman Johnson was elected as the first African-American and the first female Ranking Member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.  From 2000 to 2002, she was the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education. Congresswoman Johnson continues to emphasize the need to invest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

Congresswoman Johnson is a current member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and has been since being elected in 1992. She is the highest ranking Texan on this committee.  She has worked tirelessly to improve the region’s transportation system by securing over a billion dollars for transportation projects in the greater Dallas/Fort Worth area, including funds for mass transit, highways, bridges, flood relief projects, and road repairs. Congresswoman Johnson serves on the Subcommittee on Aviation Subcommittee, the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, and the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.

In 2007, Congresswoman Johnson was appointed by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James L. Oberstar (D-MN) to serve as Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment during the 110th and 111th Congresses. She was the first woman and first African-American to hold the position of this Subcommittee Chair. Later that year, Congresswoman Johnson, who sponsored the Water Resources Development Act, secured and led Congress in over-riding President Bush’s veto of the bill. This was the only veto over-ride during Bush’s presidency.

Congresswoman Johnson previously served on the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, and as the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus in the 107th Congress.

Since coming to Congress, Congresswoman Johnson has earned the reputation of being a stateswoman who is dedicated to improving U.S. foreign relationships and policies. She works tirelessly towards improving human rights around the globe.  Congresswoman Johnson’s acclaimed initiative “A World of Women for World Peace” has been nationally and internationally recognized."

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
Illinois, District #9

Schakowsky is one of the Democrats' Chief Deputy Whips and is one of Congress' most visible fighters against the Republican War on Women.

From her website:

"Jan Schakowsky was elected to represent Illinois' 9th Congressional District on November 3, 1998, after serving for eight years in the Illinois State Assembly. She is in her seventh term.

Schakowsky serves in the House Democratic Leadership as Chief Deputy Whip and as a member of the Steering and Policy Committee. She is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, where she will work to accomplish her top priority in Congress -- providing universal healthcare coverage for all Americans. On that Committee, she serves as Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection and as a member of the Subcommittee on Health and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

Speaker Pelosi recently appointed Schakowsky to serve on the House Select Committee on Intelligence. Schakowsky opposed the Iraq war resolution and was a founding member of the Out-of-Iraq Caucus.

Schakowsky is a leading advocate for women's issues in Congress, sponsoring legislation that would prevent violence against immigrant women, establish transitional housing for women and children who are victims of abuse, and commemorate International Women's Day. During the 110th Congress, Schakowsky serves as Democratic Vice Chair of the bipartisan Women's Caucus.

A citizen advocate, grassroots organizer, and elected public official, Schakowsky has fought throughout her career for economic and social justice and improved quality of life for all; for an end to violence against women; and for a national investment in healthcare, public education and housing needs.

In the House, Schakowsky has won major legislative victories to increase federal assistance for abused women and children and to protect the rights of battered immigrant women; to reform election laws guaranteeing that no registered voter is turned away at the poll; to expand housing opportunities for low-income people; and to assist small business owners and farmers.

A longtime consumer advocate, who in 1969 led the fight that put freshness dates on products sold in the supermarket, Schakowsky carries on that tradition in Congress with efforts to safeguard the rights of victims of identity theft and to protect consumers from predatory lenders. A champion for the nation's seniors, Schakowsky is actively engaged in the campaign for seniors and persons with disabilities to access affordable prescription drugs. Schakowsky is also working to ensure that seniors receive quality home, hospice, and nursing care.

Prior to her election to Congress, Schakowsky represented the 18th District in the Illinois General Assembly for eight years. She served as a Democratic Floor Leader and as Secretary of the Conference of Women Legislators.

For twenty years prior to her election to the State House, Schakowsky fought for the public interest and rights of Illinois citizens. As Program Director of Illinois Public Action (1976-1985), the state's largest public interest organization, she fought for energy reform and stronger protection from toxic chemicals. As Director of the Illinois State Council of Senior Citizens from 1985-1990, she organized across the state for lower cost prescription drugs and tax relief for seniors, financial protection for the spouses of nursing home residents and other benefits for the elderly. She has been deeply involved in the fight to protect women's reproductive freedom."

 

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
California, District #36

Former LA City Councilwoman Hahn beat a Tea Party-backed candidate in a special election last year to fill the seat of retiring Congresswoman Jane Harman. Hahn became an Internet celebrity thanks to a Tea Party PAC's vicious and sexist Internet ad attacking her.

From her website:

"Since her election to Congress in 2011, Janice has actively fought for more good paying, middle class jobs. She co-sponsored President Obama’s American Jobs Act, and founded the congressional PORTS Caucus to fight for jobs in Harbor Districts like the current 36^th Congressional District and her new district, the 44^th. She serves on the Committee on Small Business, and has been the only member of the House Committee on Homeland Security to be a member of the Out of Afghanistan Caucus.

A true champion for the people, Janice has accomplished so much since she was elected. She has continued to show unrelenting courage as a member Congress, and will never forget that she is there to represent you."

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
New York, District #26

Hochul made news last year, winning in special election after sexting Congressman Chris Lee stepped down. Redistricting has left her with an even more conservative electorate, which will make holding on to her seat a tough fight.

From Wikipedia:

Kathy Hochul is the first Democrat to serve from her district in 40 years.

Because her victory came in a special election and because it was an upset win that turned on a major issue, Hochul received major national and even international coverage. She has reportedly already established herself as an important player in Congress.

Over her years in local politics, Hochul had built reputation for focusing on local issues that mattered to her constituents and that make a difference to their pocketbooks. Since joining Congress, she has voted on every bill that has come before the House.

In Hochul's first few weeks in office, she co-sponsored a couple bills with Brian Cogan to help streamline the passport acquisition process. She also met with the President about the economy and job creation and introduced a motion on the House to restore the Republican cuts to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. She also quickly started looking for areas to reduce the deficit, open to reducing Medicaid spending, as long as it wasn't in the form of block grants offered to states, as proposed in the GOP budget blueprint. She also had spoken with President Obama about ending tax breaks for oil companies and protecting small businesses.

While campaigning for Congress, Hochul defined herself as an "independent Democrat". In an interview with the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, she cited as examples of her independence her opposition to Elliott Spitzer's drivers' license program for illegal immigrants and her opposition to Governor David Paterson's proposal in 2010 to raise revenue by requiring all vehicle owners to buy new license plates.

While running for the U.S. House, Hochul supported raising taxes on those making more than $500,000 per year. She opposed the new free trade agreements that were then under consideration, saying, "We don't need to look any further than Western New York to see that these policies do not work." She believes that free trade agreements such as NAFTA and CAFTA have suppressed U.S. wages and benefits and caused job loss in the U.S.

Hochul called the summer 2011 debt ceiling issue "a distraction" to which the American people should not be subjected.

Hochul acknowledged during her campaign that substantial cuts must be made in the federal budget, and said she would consider cuts in all entitlement programs. However, she expressed opposition to the Republican plan that would re-form Medicare into a voucher system, saying it "would end Medicare as we know it". She said money could be saved in the Medicare program by eliminating waste and purchasing prescription drugs in bulk. She also said that the creation of more jobs would alleviate Medicare and Social Security budget shortfalls due to increased collections of payroll taxes.

Hochul is pro-choice on abortion. She supports civil marriage for same-sex couples, with no requirements on religious institutions.

Hochul is a founder and a member of the Board of Directors of Kathleen Mary House, a transitional home for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. She was also co-founder of the Village Action Coalition, and a member of the Board of Trustees at Immaculata Academy in Hamburg.

Visit her website.

 

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
California, District #39

Congresswoman Sanchez was the first Latina to serve on the House Judiciary Committee and led the investigation of the Bush Administration's inappropriate firings of special prosecutors.

From her website:

The sixth of seven children, Sánchez was born in the City of Orange to immigrant parents from Mexico. Her father was a mechanic and her mother an educator. From her parents, Linda learned dedication, gratitude, hard work, and commitment to community. One of Linda’s favorite memories was doing homework with her mother while she was in high school and her mother was studying to advance from a teacher’s aide to a classroom teacher. Seeing this busy mother of seven pursue her college dreams while taking care of her family made a big impression on Linda and made her believe that she could accomplish anything if she just kept trying.

After graduating from Valencia High School, Linda attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Literature with an emphasis in Bilingual Education. Linda worked her way through college as a bilingual aide and ESL instructor, so she understands how difficult and costly it is to receive a quality education. She went on to eventually earn her law degree from U.C.L.A.

After law school, Linda worked in a private practice before going to work for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 441 and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). Sánchez also served as the first female Executive Secretary-Treasurer for the Orange County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO. Linda was a leader in Orange County’s Justice for Janitors campaign, helping to ensure that those who put in a hard day’s work earn a fair day’s pay, a principle that she continues to advance in her Congressional work.

Linda brings a unique blend of experiences to her role as a Representative. As a child of immigrants, she understands how important immigration is to this country, but also how inefficient our current system has become. As a mother, she believes that children should be nurtured and helped to reach their highest potential. Becoming a mother caused Linda to redouble her commitment to leaving her community better for the next generation than how she found it. As a Southern California resident, Linda understands our community’s greatest resource is not our beautiful beaches or vast infrastructure—it is the creativity, ambition, and potential of Southern Californians themselves.

Congresswoman Linda Sánchez was sworn into Congress on January 7, 2003. She represents the 39th Congressional District of California, which includes all or parts the communities of Artesia, Cerritos, Florence, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, La Mirada, Long Beach, Lynwood, Paramount, South Gate, Watts, Whittier, and Willowbrook.

Linda is a strong advocate for California's working families. She is committed to making schools safer, providing quality education, ensuring high quality, affordable health care, improving our economy by creating new opportunities, and protecting our environment.

A Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Labor and Working Families Caucus, Linda is a strong advocate for policies that benefit hard-working middle class Americans. She works tirelessly to ensure that workers are safe on the job, from both industrial accidents and employer intimidation and retaliation. Linda has also been a vocal leader for the Democrats’ “Make it in America” agenda that seeks to revitalize our manufacturing sector and bring well-paying jobs back to America.

In the 111th Congress, which began in January 2009, Congresswoman Sánchez joined the House Committee on Ways and Means where she works on taxes, trade, retirement security, and healthcare. As a member of the Trade and Social Security Subcommittees, Congresswoman Sánchez is working to reshape the U.S. trade model to benefit American businesses and strengthen America’s Medicare and Social Security programs for generations to come.

Congresswoman Sánchez is also a member of the Committee on the Judiciary, where she has served since her first term in Congress. She was the first Latina in history to serve on the Judiciary Committee and the first woman to Chair of the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law. Congresswoman Sánchez restored strong oversight responsibilities to the Subcommittee and led the investigation into the inappropriate firings of federal prosecutors under the Bush Administration. The Judiciary Committee considers civil and criminal judicial reform, civil liberties, constitutional amendments, and immigration and naturalization. Since coming to Congress, she has brought back more than $25 million in federal investments in her district.

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
California, District #

Redistricting has forced Capps into race against a conservative Republican incumbent,  Elton Gallegly.

From her website:

"Lois was a school nurse and health advocate in Santa Barbara County for 20 years. Over the course of her career thousands of children and families benefited from her personal care and leadership. For 10 years she was also a part-time instructor of Early Childhood Education at Santa Barbara City College. Lois founded the Santa Barbara County Teenage Pregnancy & Parenting Project and directed the Parent and Child Enrichment Center. These programs gave thousands of pregnant and parenting teens the support and encouragement they needed to stay in school, and provided them with critical child development resources to ensure their infants would grow up in healthy, loving environments."

"Congresswoman Capps serves on the Committee on Energy & Commerce, where she sits on the Subcommittees on Health, Energy and Power, and Environment and the Economy. The powerful Energy & Commerce Committee has the widest range of responsibility in the House, overseeing health care, energy, environmental protection, telecommunications, trade, consumer protection and other important issues.

On the Health Subcommittee, Lois’ background as a registered nurse has helped her play a key role in many of the major health policy debates in Congress, including enactment of historic health insurance reform.  She authored the Nurse Reinvestment Act, which addresses our country’s chronic nursing shortage.  She has also passed legislation to help persons suffering from Lou Gehrig’s Disease, improve CPR training in schools, and reduce domestic violence.  She has helped to lead the fight to expand children’s health care, enact mental health parity legislation and promote stem cell research.  She has also been deeply involved in the efforts to protect Medicare, expand the use of health information technology, and improve cancer care.

Congresswoman Capps is one of the leaders of the pro-choice community in Congress and she has also been a leading voice for improving access to emergency contraception.  Capps has helped bring national attention to maternal mortality both here and abroad by authoring much needed legislation on the issue.  She also has authored legislation to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart disease and stroke in women, the HEART for Women Act.

Representing a district with some of this country's most beautiful coastline has made environmental protection a top priority for Lois.  She is a recognized leader in the fight to protect California’s coast from new offshore oil drilling. Capps has been a leader in the fights to enhance the Los Padres National Forest, and to protect consumers by holding oil companies financially responsible for cleaning up MTBE contaminated water supplies.  She played a key role in the preservation of the Piedras Blancas Light Station, ensuring public access to the Channel Islands National Park, and securing federal funds to protect sensitive coastal areas from harmful development.

Global warming has also long been a major concern for Capps. She has been a strong advocate in the efforts to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, which is key to reversing climate change.  Capps helped raise automobile fuel efficiency standards for the first time in 32 years and was a key supporter of House passage of the first ever comprehensive bill to address global warming. For years, she has also been a staunch supporter of increased funding for solar, wind and other clean energy technologies, and to require power companies to produce an increasing share of electricity from these renewable sources.  And she is the author of legislation to help coastal communities cope with environmental changes due to global warming.

Capps serves as Co-Chair of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition, the House Cancer Caucus, the Congressional Nursing Caucus, the Congressional School Health and Safety Caucus, and the Congressional Caucus on Infant Health and Safety. She also Co-Chairs the National Marine Sanctuary Caucus and Coastal Caucus. Lois Capps is also Vice Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus."

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
New York, District #28

Slaughter is a true-life coal miner's daughter and a descendant of Daniel Boone.

From her website:

"Louise was first elected to Congress in 1986.  Since then, her constituents have come to know her as a strong proponent of progressive causes and a fighter for the employment concerns and the economic development of Western New York. She has earned a reputation for her dedication to constituent service.

As ranking member of the Committee on Rules, Louise has fought against the Republican Majority in an effort to curb the current deterioration of the democratic process. In early March of 2005, she unveiled a Congressional report titled "America for Sale"- which detailed the unprecedented levels of corruption within Congress.  Her report opened the door to the collapse of a right-wing lobbying machine that had ruled Congress.

A tireless promoter of economic development, Louise is deeply concerned with the job losses suffered in Western New York and throughout America. In Congress, she has proposed legislation to end the era of free trade giveaways, and provide American businesses and unions with the power they need to stop unfair trade practices by other countries.

Drawing on her experience as a microbiologist with a master’s degree in public health, Louise has been deeply involved in health issues. She is the leading expert in Congress on genetics issues and authored groundbreaking legislation to protect Americans from discrimination by health insurance providers and employers based on genetic makeup. Now, Louise is focused on antibiotic-resistant "Superbugs"- a growing threat to human health.  Louise has authored legislation to put an end to the unncessary use of antibiotics in animal feed- a bill that is being opposed by powerful agricultural interests, despite the strong support it receives from the medical community.

A leading advocate for women’s rights, Louise co-authored the historic Violence Against Women Act in 1994 and wrote legislation to make permanent the Department of Justice’s Violence Against Women Office. She is leading the fight against sexual assault in the military, and continues to advocate for the rights of women who serve in our nation's military.

Louise has won historic increases in funding for women’s health. As a member of the House Budget Committee in the early 1990s, she secured the $500 million for breast cancer research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She fought for legislation guaranteeing that women and minorities are included in all federal health trials and establishing an Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) at NIH.

Today, Louise remains committed to fighting for the important issues hard working families face each and every day in Western New York and throughout America. Like her first campaign this one will be won the only way Louise knows how; through hard work and a strong grassroots campaign."

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
California, District 8

The first female Speaker of the House was also the most effective in recent history: 420 bills passed in her four year tenure as Speaker (compare that to what's been accomplished in Congress since John Boehner got the gavel).

From Wikipedia:

Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011.

She was the first woman to hold the office and to date, has been the highest-ranking female politician in American history.

A member of the Democratic Party, Pelosi has represented California's 8th congressional district, which consists of four-fifths of the city and county of San Francisco, since 1987. The district was numbered as the 5th during Pelosi's first three terms in the House.

She served as the House Minority Whip from 2002 to 2003, and was House Minority Leader from 2003 to 2007, holding the post during the 108th and 109th Congresses. Pelosi is the first woman, the first Californian and first Italian-American to lead a major party in Congress. After the Democrats took control of the House in 2007 and increased their majority in 2009, Pelosi was elected Speaker of the House for the 110th and 111th Congresses.

On November 17, 2010, Pelosi was elected as the Democratic Leader by House Democrats and therefore the Minority Leader in the Republican-controlled House for the 112th Congress.

 

US Senate
Nevada

Running against Dean Heller, who was appointed by Governor Sandoval to replace scandal-plagued Senator John Ensign.

From her website:

When Shelley Berkley’s working class family moved West nearly five decades ago, they found economic opportunity and a better life in Southern Nevada. That experience has given Shelley a deep sense of commitment to her community. That is why she fights so tirelessly for Nevada’s families and their futures.

After graduating from Las Vegas public schools, Shelley was the first of her family to graduate college, attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she served as student body president and earned a degree in political science. She worked as a keno runner and cocktail waitress to put herself through college and law school.

From 1982 to 1984 Shelley served in the Nevada Assembly, while also starting a family. She worked to create jobs, strengthen consumer safety laws and crack down on drunk driving. Shelley was appointed and twice elected to the Nevada University Board of Regents, serving from 1990 to 1998 and served as vice chair.

In 1998 Nevadans elected Shelley to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, making her the first woman to represent her district in Congress.

Representing Nevada’s 1st Congressional District, Shelley has made job creation a priority, championing legislation to make Nevada a national leader in clean energy jobs, fighting to close tax loopholes that encourage companies to ship jobs overseas, and supporting tax credits for small businesses.

She’s earned the title of “hardest-working woman in politics” for her work on issues that matter to Nevadans, from working to create thousands of jobs all across Nevada, securing funding to build a clean energy infrastructure that will create thousands of more jobs in future years, and making sure we keep the promises we’ve made to our seniors and veterans. She’s also been an outspoken voice in calling for the end of the dangerous Yucca Mountain waste repository.

US House of Representatives
Alabama, District #7

Rep. Terri Sewell was the first African-American woman to serve in the Alabama Congressional delegation.

From her website:

"Terri A. Sewell is the U.S. Representative for the 7th District of Alabama. The 7th Congressional District includes parts of the cities of Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, as well as the counties of Alabama’s Black Belt – the heart of which is Terri’s hometown of Selma.

Elected on November 2, 2010, with 72% of the vote, Terri is one of the first women elected to Congress from Alabama in her own right, as well as the first black woman to ever serve in the Alabama Congressional delegation.

Congresswoman Sewell sits on the House Committee on Agriculture as well as the House Committee on Science, Space & Technology. She is also serving as the Democratic freshman class president and as a both a regional and senior Whip.

The first black valedictorian of Selma High School, Terri attended Princeton University, graduating cum laude in 1986. Terri was awarded a Marshall/Commonwealth Scholarship and received a Masters degree with first class Honors from Oxford University in 1988. She is a 1992 graduate of Harvard Law School where she served as an editor of the Civil Rights Civil Liberties Law Review.

After graduation, Terri served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Chief Judge U.W. Clemon, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama, in Birmingham. Terri began her legal career at the prestigious law firm of Davis, Polk & Wardwell in New York City, where she was a successful securities lawyer for more than a decade. Upon returning home to Alabama in 2004, she has made a significant impact both professionally and through her community activities.

Prior to her election to Congress, Terri was a partner in the Birmingham law office of Maynard, Cooper & Gale, P.C. where she distinguished herself as one of the only black public finance lawyers in the State of Alabama. Her clients included, among others, City of Selma, Dallas County Water Authority, Alabama State University, Stillman College, Jefferson State and Wallace State-Hanceville.

Terri is the daughter of retired Coach Andrew A. Sewell and retired librarian Nancy Gardner Sewell, the first black City Councilwoman in Selma, Alabama.

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
California, District #37

As a California Assemblywoman, Karen Bass was the nation's first female African-American state Speaker. Elected to Congress in 2010, she is now running in a newly drawn Los Angeles district.

From her website:

Karen Bass made history when the California Assembly elected her to be its 67th Speaker, catapulting her to become the first African American woman in the country to serve in this powerful state legislative role.

A lifelong resident of Los Angeles, Bass was elected to the state legislature in 2005 to represent Culver City, West Los Angeles, Westwood, Cheviot Hills, Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills, Windsor Hills, Ladera Heights, the Crenshaw District, Little Ethiopia and portions of Korea Town and South Los Angeles.

And although she’s only been a public official for seven years, she has served the public for decades. In fact, she started her political organizing as a student at Hamilton High School when she signed up to be a precinct captain for Robert Kennedy in 1968. Bass founded and ran Community Coalition, a community-based social justice organization in South Los Angeles to empower residents to get involved in making a difference. In addition to her 14 years as Executive Director for Community Coalition, Bass has a long history as an activist, creating change on both a local and international level.

Bass also worked for nearly a decade as a Physician Assistant and served as a Clinical Instructor at the USC Keck School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program.

State House
Washington, District #46
State Primary: August 7, 2012

Sarajane is an a public health advocate who lobbies for support for people with mental illness. She also serves her community as a member of the King County Board of Equalization.

From her website:

After 23 years in large corporations, including AT&T and Boeing, she earned a Masters of Divinity (at night) and began serving the community in human services, in low-income housing and disability rights advocacy.

In 2003, she lobbied full-time for alcohol and drug treatment, as part of a large coalition that passed significant reform legislation. It lowered the sentences of nonviolent drug offenders and redirected the savings from the Dept. of Corrections to fund treatment in drug courts. Under Rep. Ruth Kagi's mentorship, she explained the bill to all the House Republicans. The bill passed with all the House Democrats and half the Republicans voting Yea.

That same year, Sarajane joined the board of Solid Ground, a $30-million multiservice agency that provides food, housing and other services to lift people out of poverty. She also volunteered for the board of the Unitarian Housing Group, providing permanent supportive housing to people with mental illness.

Since 2003 when Sarajane became a Precinct Committee Officer, she has dedicated a great deal of time to the Boards of the 46th District Democrats, King County Democrats and, since 2011, the State Central Committee. She is an issues person, helping to write their platforms, interviewing candidates for endorsement to ensure that they would represent the platform, and following Scott White to become Legislative Action Chair of the King County Democrats.

As Legislative Action Chair, she is working to ensure that Democrats’ progressive agenda is heard and supported in Olympia. She has intensively tracked the bills in Olympia related to these priorities, issuing legislative updates and calls for action, so that Democrats can contact their legislators as bills came up for a hearing or a vote. She hosts a popular Lobby Day in Olympia when King County Democrats connect personally with their legislators.

Sarajane regularly lobbies the City Council and the County Council on human services budgets and volunteers for causes (Seattle Housing Levy, Seattle Families and Education Levy, No on I-1053, Yes on State Income Tax and Death with Dignity) and candidates (Barak Obama, Ron Sims, Patty Murray, Darcy Burner, Roger Goodman, David Frockt) she believes in. She is on the state advocacy committee of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance.

Sarajane serves as a Board Member of the King County Board of Equalization, appointed by County Executive Dow Constantine. The Board hears property tax valuation appeals.

She is thankful for the advice and encouragement of her son Kerry Gutknecht. Kerry worked until recently in the D.C. office of Congressman Jay Inslee. He is now in law school in Washington, D.C.

Incumbent
US Senate
Minnesota

Republicans chose Ron Paul acolyte Rep. Kurt Bills as their nominee to oppose Senator Klobuchar in November.

From her website:

In 2006, Amy Klobuchar became the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate in Minnesota's history. As chief prosecutor in Hennepin County, Minnesota’s largest county, and now as a United States Senator, Amy brings the values she learned growing up in Minnesota to her work every day. Her grandfather worked 1500 feet underground in the iron ore mines of Northern Minnesota. Her father, Jim, was a newspaperman, and her mother, Rose, was an elementary school teacher who was still teaching a classroom of thirty second-graders at age seventy.

Throughout her life, Amy has taken the Minnesota values of hard work and fair play to heart to get results.

As a private citizen and before being elected to public office, she was the leading advocate for successful passage of one of the first laws in the country guaranteeing 48-hour hospital stays for new moms and their babies.

And, in 1998, after serving as a partner of two of Minnesota’s leading law firms, Amy was elected chief prosecutor of Hennepin County, which includes Minneapolis and 45 suburbs. As County Attorney, Amy headed the largest prosecutor’s office in the state for eight years, making the prosecution of violent and career criminals her top priority. She led the effort for successful passage of Minnesota’s first felony DWI law, and received the leadership award from Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Her safe schools initiative, community prosecution efforts, and criminal justice reforms earned national awards from both the Bush and Clinton Justice Departments. She was also elected by her colleagues to serve as President of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association.

Since arriving in the Senate, Amy has been a strong advocate for middle-class families on the critical issues facing our nation, from promoting long-term economic growth and job creation to pushing for fiscal responsibility and accountability in Washington, from supporting our Minnesota businesses, workers, and farmers to developing homegrown energy.

Her work has gained national recognition. The American Prospect named her a “woman to watch,” and Working Mother Magazine named her as a 2008 “Best in Congress” for her efforts on behalf of working families. The Star Tribune reported on her substantial progress, calling her “a fast-moving legislator.” In 2012, the Disabled American Veterans honored her work to improve the lives of America’s veterans. She has received the “Highway Safety Leader Award” from the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the “Outstanding Member of the Senate Award” from the National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition, and the “Above and Beyond Award” from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve for her commitment to developing a supportive work environment for employees serving in the Guard and Reserves. The Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association named her Legislator of the Year in 2009 for her leadership in assisting local dealers threatened with closure.

Incumbent
US Senate
Missouri

Senator McCaskill is one of the vulnerable Democrats being targeted by the US Chamber of Congress and Karl Rove's American Crossroads GPS SuperPAC. Re-electing her is crucial to keeping the Senate under Democratic control.

From her website:

Claire McCaskill is a former assistant prosecutor in the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorneys Office. Claire spent four years in the court room, trying cases involving kidnapping, sexual assault, child abuse, and homicide. She specialized in arson prosecution, becoming one of the nation's experts in this difficult area.

She served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 1983 to 1988, where she was a leader on criminal justice issues. She earned the Outstanding Legislator Award from the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys in 1987. She was also the first woman to give birth while serving as a legislator when her son Austin was born in 1987.

In 1992, Claire broke another barrier by becoming the first woman elected Jackson County prosecutor. Her office was the largest prosecutor's office in the state, handling thousands of felony cases on an annual basis. During her term, she put more criminals behind bars than any other Missouri prosecutor, established a special Domestic Violence Unit to combat domestic violence and child abuse, created one of America’s first Drug Courts, and established new and effective ways to combat the serious problem of meth in the greater Kansas City area.

Claire's drive to improve government took a statewide focus when she was elected as the Missouri state auditor in 1999. She revolutionized the office by embracing performance audits, which for the first time did comprehensive evaluations of the effectiveness of various programs in state government.

U.S. Senate

In 2004, Claire took on her own party and ran for governor, becoming the first Missourian in history to defeat a sitting governor in a primary. She narrowly lost the general election in November 2004. She then took on an incumbent United States senator, winning a narrow victory in November of 2006.

Since becoming the first elected female senator from Missouri, she has combined her experiences as a prosecutor and auditor to become one of the best known senators for government reform and accountability.

Earning accolades from Republicans and Democrats alike, Claire has tackled issues of accountability and transparency, earmark reform, national security and consumer protection, among many others. She has the honor of having the same desk in the Senate chamber once occupied by then Senator Harry Truman.

Incumbent
US Senate
Michigan

Senator Stabenow is under constant attack from the GOP, especially her Tea Party rival Pete Hoekstra, who ran an infamous negative (and racist) ad dubbing her "Debbie Spend-It-Now."

From her website:

Debbie Stabenow has deep roots in Michigan. She first got inspired to run for public office while working to save a local nursing home that was scheduled to close. She ran for the Ingham County Board of Commissioners, and was elected Chair of the commission just two years later. She served in the Michigan State House and State Senate before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996. She made history in 2000 when she became the first woman from Michigan elected to the United States Senate.

The first bill she passed in the Senate was a ban on oil and gas drilling in the Great Lakes. She is leading bipartisan efforts to stop the invasion of Asian carp into the Great Lakes and has called on the Obama administration to develop an action plan to permanently separate the Chicago waterways from Lake Michigan. She negotiated an historic agreement with the Government of Ontario to stop 40,000 trash trucks that were coming into Michigan every year, and she wrote a bill to increase inspection fees to stop the rest of the Canadian trash from being dumped in Michigan.

The daughter of a World War II veteran, Senator Stabenow has been a longtime advocate for the 700,000 veterans living in Michigan. She led the effort to open new veterans’ clinics in Mackinaw City, Cadillac, Alpena, and Clare, and authored legislation to protect funding for veterans’ health. She supported the 21st Century GI Bill, which provides education benefits for returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan and new programs to help those veterans with traumatic brain injuries or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

She was one of only a handful of Democrats to vote against the 2008 Wall Street bailout, and supported landmark financial reform legislation that bans future bailouts and imposes tough new rules on Wall Street banks. She believes that small businesses are the key to job growth, and helped pass the Small Business Jobs Bill, which cut taxes for small businesses and increased their access to capital. She wrote the law passed earlier this year cutting unnecessary regulation and red tape for 820,000 small businesses in Michigan.

Her accomplishments and strong constituent services are reflected in the diversity of those who support her. From traditional Democratic support among working men and women, to support from Michigan’s top business leaders, small business owners, agricultural producers, veterans and law enforcement, Senator Stabenow has earned the support of people and families across the state.

Incumbent
US Senate
California

CA was one of the few bright spots in the 2010 elections, with Democrats in all the major offices - so unseating Senator Feinstein would be a real coup for the GOP. She should sail through the state's open primary in June, where she faces about two dozen opponents.

From her website:

Dianne was first elected to the Senate in 1992. Since then, she has built a legacy of accomplishment — helping to strengthen the nation’s security both here and abroad, combat violence and crime, combat cancer, protect California’s environmental jewels, and secure funding for critical projects.

Dianne’s career has been one of firsts – she was the first woman President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the first woman Mayor of San Francisco, the first woman elected Senator of California, and the first woman member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Dianne also was the first woman to chair the Senate Rules and Administration Committee. In that capacity, she served as the Chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Services – overseeing the official swearing in ceremony for our nation’s 44th President, Barack Obama.

This past year, Dianne became the first woman to assume the chairmanship of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. She also currently serves on the Judiciary Committee; the Appropriations Committee, where she is the Chairman of the Energy and Water Subcommittee; the Energy and Natural Resources Committee; and the Rules and Administration Committee.

Dianne has been in a leader in the Senate on the issues most important to Californians. Here’s just some of the work that she is most proud of:

Jumpstarting the Economy – Dianne supported legislation that helped jumpstart the economy, create jobs, modernize our infrastructure, and help those most hurt by the recession.

Reforming Wall Street Oversight – Dianne voted to reform Wall Street oversight, offering peace of mind to investors and security to American consumers.

Reining in risky banks: Dianne was a leader in the effort to implement that implemented the Volcker rule, prohibiting banks from making risky bets using deposits backed by federal insurance.

Protecting Social Security – Dianne helped block President Bush’s effort to privatize Social Security, preventing the dismantling of the most successful program in our nation’s history, which keeps half of our seniors out of poverty.

Incumbent
US Senate
New York

Gillibrand is a star in the Democratic party - for good reason. She is an avid supporter of the issues mothers care about: reproductive freedom, healthcare, education -- and an advocate for more women to get off the sidelines and become involved in the political process.

From her website:

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is a proud New York Democrat. She is running a grassroots campaign to fix our economy and improve life for the middle class and working families across New York.

Born and raised in upstate New York, Kirsten got her start watching her grandmother, Polly Noonan, organize Albany women to make a difference. Those early experiences taught Kirsten the values that guide her public service to this day: hard work, idealism, honesty and bold action.

Today, Kirsten and her husband, Jonathan, are passing those values on to their two young sons, Theo and Henry. Her family is a major inspiration behind her public service career. She does not want any mother to have to worry that there will not be enough food on the table or health care for their sick child.

Kirsten was first sworn in to the U.S. Senate in January 2009 and was elected in November 2010 with more than 63 percent of the vote to fill Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's seat. In 2012, Kirsten will run once again, this time for a six year term to serve as New York’s US Senator.

Even in the face of steep challenges, Kirsten hit the ground running – leading efforts to bring more transparency and accountability to Washington and helping pass landmark legislation to repeal the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy that bans gays from serving openly in the military, and provide health care and compensation to the 9/11 first responders and community survivors that are sick with diseases caused by the toxins at Ground Zero.

As senator, she has spent time in every single one of New York’s 62 counties, meeting with families and small businesses, listening to the challenges they are facing. From Brookhaven to the Bronx to Buffalo, the message is clear: New Yorkers want their leaders to find solutions to today's most pressing problems.

That is why Kirsten’s number one priority is to create good-paying jobs across New York. Her plan include cutting taxes for the middle class and small businesses, investing in research and development and renewable energy, and upgrading infrastructure around the state.

Kirsten ran and won her first Congressional campaign in 2006 in order to tackle these pressing issues. She built the biggest grassroots campaign in the district's history and pulled off a stunning upset, unseating an entrenched Republican incumbent.

As congresswoman, Kirsten pledged to be honest, open and upfront with the public and always stay accessible and accountable. That's why she became the very first member of Congress to make her official daily schedule and the participants of every one of her meetings publicly available. She also launched a successful "Congress at Your Corner" series to meet her constituents at hotspots like grocery stores and coffee shops, a practice she has continued as senator.

Before being elected to Congress, Kirsten served in the Clinton administration as special counsel to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Andrew Cuomo. She graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College and received her law degree from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law. She served as a law clerk on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. As an attorney for 15 years, Kirsten worked on a wide range of legal and policy-related issues, often providing free legal representation to people who could not otherwise afford it.

Kirsten is honored to be a candidate once again in November 2012. Because of her strong New York values and her proven record of accomplishment, she has been endorsed by a wide range of elected officials and civic organizations, including EMILY's List, NARAL, Planned Parenthood, NYSUT, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and twenty New York Democrats in Congress.

Kirsten remains committed to bringing her grassroots campaign to every New Yorker and working tirelessly on behalf of the Empire State.

Incumbent
US Senate
Washington

Strong job approval numbers from constituents led Public Polling Policy to pronounce Senator Cantwell "safe for re-election."

From her website:

In two terms in the Senate, she’s amassed a record of accomplishment on a wide range of issues. Some of the most important to Washington include:

Standing With Middle-Class Taxpayers

Middle-class families around Washington and across the country are facing tough times–and tough decisions about balancing the family checkbook each month. Maria has fought to strengthen the economic security of Washington families and cut taxes for the middle-class.

Maria is fighting to crack down on the oil price speculation driving up gas costs for Washington families and businesses. She authored a landmark bill, based on her successful legislative battle against Enron, which made wholesale oil market manipulation a crime. Up against staunch opposition, Cantwell has led her colleagues year after year to investigate the impact of market-rigging that may inflate the price of gas far above what is dictated by supply and demand. In a 2011 Senate hearing, under questioning from Maria, the CEO of Exxon Mobil revealed that excessive oil market speculation continues to raise the cost of oil. Maria is pushing the CFTC and the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on this speculation to lower gas prices and protect consumers.

Maria led a bipartisan coalition to pass the sales tax deduction, saving Washington taxpayers an average of $500 each, for the first time in 18 years. Since that breakthrough in 2004, she has pushed each year to secure an extension of the deduction and introduced bipartisan legislation to make it permanent.

For years, Washington had been penalized in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) because it was already a leader in covering uninsured children. In 2009, Maria fought to eliminate the penalty and won, securing an additional $50 million to help provide children’s health care in the state.

Maria was instrumental in the inclusion of tough regulations in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act targeting the trading of derivatives, which were widely faulted for the financial collapse that hurt middle-class families.

When Enron defrauded Washington energy providers and their customers, Maria made sure Snohomish PUD and the families and business relying on it wouldn’t have to pay for energy Enron never delivered. She overcame a Bush administration stonewall to secure evidence that Enron had indeed carried out schemes to rip off customers under absurd names like “Death Star” and “Russian Roulette.” That evidence helped bring down Enron in court. Then Maria authored legislation giving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authority to punish this kind of manipulation, saving Snohomish PUD and other West Coast energy providers, hundreds of millions of dollars against Enron’s bogus claims. This law continues to protect taxpayers from a repeat of Enron-style shenanigans.

Keeping Washington Families Safe

Maria has taken a leadership role on safety and security issues, ranging from defending our borders and strengthening our military to protecting families from theft and attacking drug crime in Washington communities.

Maria successfully passed landmark legislation to crack down on identity theft — the nation’s fastest-growing crime — and help victims recover their good name and their economic security faster and more easily. And after Washington law enforcement officials raised the alarm about the connection between identity theft and methamphetamine – up to an 80% overlap in cases in Clark County by one sheriff’s estimate, Maria fought to give law enforcement new tools to share information and fight both crimes. Maria has also been a leader in the fight against gangs, championing bipartisan legislation to target at-risk youths and help law enforcement reduce violence. In 2011, Cantwell worked across the aisle to protect funding for programs in Washington state that put more police on the street and violent criminals behind bars.

The rate of violent crime on Indian reservations is 2.5 times higher than the national average. According to an Amnesty International report, Native American women are nearly three times more likely to be the victim of sexual assault. This is unacceptable and Maria is fighting to reverse this trend. She pushed legislation to increase federal support for tribal governments to help victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault. In 2010, she played a leading role in shepherding the Tribal Law and Order Act through Congress to help local tribal government combat violent crime and support historically underfunded tribal justice systems.
Maria secured funding for Washington’s first coastal Doppler radar to help Washington businesses and homeowners better prepare for dangerous storms that form off the coast. Her partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is bringing the state-of-the-art technology to Grays Harbor County on time and under budget.

In 2010, President Obama signed Maria’s Coast Guard Authorization bill, establishing new safety standards for fishing vessels. The Seattle Times commended Maria’s hard work, editorializing, “Lives will be saved because of her efforts.”*

Representing a border state in the Senate, Maria has fought to strengthen our nation’s border security. After a terrorist attempted to enter the country through Washington’s Port Angeles, Maria investigated the Visa Waiver Program, passing a bipartisan bill through the Senate that closes a potentially dangerous loophole by pushing foreign countries to include biometric information on visas and keep terrorists away from our shores. After the attempted terrorist attack by the so-called Underwear bomber on Christmas Day 2009, Maria pushed Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to reinforce the Visa Waiver Program further and improve terrorist monitoring data sharing between the US and our allies.

Maria is a proud voice in the Senate for active military servicemembers, veterans, and their families. She championed the Military Reservists bill signed into law to help Reservists maintain their businesses at home during deployment and find job opportunities when they return. And, representing the more than 8,500 soldiers, airmen and civilian employees of the Washington National Guard, Maria pushed legislation that requires the Pentagon to track equipment left in the field so that Guardsmen and Reservists are properly equipped to serve and train for their duties at home and overseas.

After four forest firefighters lost their lives in the 2001 Thirtymile Fire, Maria was instrumental in pushing for federal investigations into the tragedy and Forest Service protocols that contributed to their deaths. The findings of that effort culminated in her Wildland Firefighter Safety bill that would fix the serious training and accountability lapses in current regulations over this already inherently dangerous profession. Undeterred by opposition and procedural roadblocks, Maria reintroduced this bill in every Congress until it finally became law.

Fighting For Washington Businesses and Workers and Jobs

Maria knows Washington’s business community — because, as an executive at an innovative software company, she was part of it. And as a Senator, she’s led the way in helping businesses large and small throughout Washington grow, thrive, and create jobs.

Maria was responsible for the creation of a Center of Excellence at the University of Washington that encourages innovation in Washington’s thriving aerospace industry, one which leads not only the nation but the world in developing new technologies and building the best aerospace products. In 2011, after years of hard work from both Maria and Senator Murray, the Air Force announced Boeing beat out a foreign competitor to build the military’s next generation of refueling tankers, creating 11,000 Washington jobs. And Maria continues to fight to end unfair European subsidies that would threaten the livelihoods of Washington aerospace workers.

Washington’s apple, pea, and lentil farmers hadn’t been able to sell their products to Cuba in four decades – until Maria visited Cuba and paved the way for the opening of that export market. She continues to urge the Obama administration to loosen trade restrictions on exports for Washington farmers to Cuba and other markets.

Maria is one of the most outspoken advocates for small businesses in the Senate. She aggressively pushed for legislation that would create a $30 billion Small Business Lending Fund to be tapped solely by the community banks small businesses rely on for loans to hire workers and grow. The bill was signed into law and in July 2011 UniBank in Lynnwood became one of the first banks in the nation to benefit from this funding. Hailing the good news for UniBank, which loans to small businesses in King and Snohomish counties, Maria said “This recession began on Wall Street, but only Main Street can end it.”

As Maria has often said before, the clean energy sector is a potential $6 trillion opportunity for high-paying American jobs. She championed legislation in 2008 that would end tax giveaways for oil and gas companies for the first time and give them instead to the renewable energy sector to help spur thousands of new jobs in the solar, wind, fuel cell, biomass, and hydropower fields. Since that initial breakthrough, Maria has successfully won extensions of these programs and is currently pushing for new ones.

Protecting Washington’s Natural Resources

As one of the most beautiful states in the union–and one of the richest in natural resources–Washington has a special interest in energy and environmental policy. And Maria has fought hard to uphold the state’s conservation tradition, while also working to bring our energy policy into the 21st century.

Maria is fighting to encourage the development and use of clean, home-grown energy sources. In 2005, she brought together stakeholders for the Washington Biofuels Business Collaborative, helping to jumpstart the state’s biofuels market. Maria also helped to lay the groundwork for the biodiesel plant at the Port of Grays Harbor. In 2007, she helped author the Renewable Fuels Standard and successfully fought to extend it the following year. In 2011, she reintroduced her bipartisan legislation to better incentivize growth of the domestic biodiesel industry. As the chairman of the National Biodiesel Board said in support of Maria’s bill, “If Congress is serious about digging our way out of this recession and creating good-paying jobs, this bill is a no-brainer.”

For four years, Maria fought to pass legislation to protect Washington’s waters from oil spills, and in 2010 President Obama signed those protections into law. As a result, oil spill response equipment, such as booms, barriers, and tugs are now stationed throughout Washington ports including along the once-neglected, busy shipping lane of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Maria worked with Democrats and Republicans to pass a law expanding Mt. Rainier National Park–the largest such expansion in 70 years. The park isn’t just an example of Washington’s great beauty, it’s an important tourist attraction, bringing in nearly 1.8 million visitors in 2010 generating millions in tourism revenue for the state and supporting local businesses.

Maria succeeded in pushing for creation of the Wild Sky Wilderness area, first new wilderness site in Washington state in twenty years, signed into law in 2008. As a leader on the Senate Energy Committee, she championed this effort to protect 106,577 acres of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest as wilderness. The area lies just north of Highway 2 in the Cascade Mountains, and is only 90 minutes by car from 2.5 million Washington residents.

US House of Representatives
Ohio, District #10

One of the candidates running in the District that would have gone to Dennis Kucinich, if he had not decided to retire. In 2008, 50.08% of the voters here chose President Obama - we must keep the GOP from winning it!

Link to her website.

From EMILY's List:

Sharen Neuhardt has a long record of supporting the health and reproductive rights of Ohioan women. From 1995 to 2002, Sharen served on the Board of Trustees for Planned Parenthood of Miami Valley, Ohio. She currently serves on the board of Premier Community Health, an organization in Dayton that provides breast and cervical cancer screenings to underserved women.

US House of Representatives
New Jersey, District #3
State Primary: June 5, 2012

Cherry Hill's former city councilwoman aims to unseat Tea Party Rep. John Runyan.

From her website:

Shelley Adler, the wife of the late Congressman John Adler, was born and raised in suburban Chicago. Shelley’s parents were small business owners and taught her the value of hard work. Her father built a small accounting practice and her mother opened an antique shop to provide for their family. Shelley carried those lessons forward, working in high school and college to save enough money to help pay tuition costs. She graduated from the University of Illinois with highest honors.

Shelley attended Harvard Law School and became the first in her family to become a lawyer. While at Harvard, Shelley met John, her future husband, and they became the co-managing editors of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review as they began a lifelong partnership. Shelley graduated from Harvard Law School with honors and served as a judicial clerk with a Federal District Court judge in Washington, DC. After her clerkship, she married John Adler and they moved to South Jersey where they started their family.

Shelley continued her legal career practicing corporate litigation at a Philadelphia law firm for a decade before deciding to spend full time raising her family. Together with John, they balanced work and family while raising their four sons and instilled the value of public service in their daily lives. Shelley volunteered for several local charities, won election to town council and was president of the PTA, while John distinguished himself in the New Jersey State Senate as a champion for the middle class and later as a Congressman from New Jersey’s Third District. Eventually, Shelley returned to work, first with her own consulting business, and then in a mid-size New Jersey law firm.

Shelley became frustrated, like most Americans, by politicians playing games in Washington instead of doing what is right for middle class families. It is her belief that a new direction is needed in Washington and that our children, middle class families, seniors, small businesses and veterans deserve better from Congress. That is why she is running for Congress in New Jersey’s Third Congressional District.

Shelley is fighting to create new jobs and to restore accountability by rooting out wasteful spending. She is pushing for tax incentives to help small businesses create jobs in new industries, to improve benefits for veterans, to provide middle class tax cuts, and to protect Social Security and Medicare for senior citizens.

Shelley is offering a fresh perspective by calling for an issue-based campaign that will create a real discussion of the challenges facing our country. She believes that politicians in Washington have the wrong priorities as they give massive tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations, and subsidize big oil at the expense of the middle class. Shelley Adler is running for Congress because middle class families, small businesses, senior citizens and veterans need someone who will truly be on their side.

 

US House of Representatives
California, District #2

According to EMILY's List, "Stacey is a committed progressive who will carry on the work of the retiring Rep. Lynn Woolsey."

From her website:

A small business owner and educator, Stacey Lawson has created the kind of high-wage, middle-class jobs that this district needs. A student of public schools who became a chemical engineer and then went on to graduate from the Harvard Business School, Lawson has started small businesses, run major departments inside large companies, and created hundreds of jobs.

Her very first company developed technology to help American manufacturers design better products and stay competitive globally, helping to create and keep new middle-class jobs in America. Lawson also co-founded and teaches at the Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology at UC Berkeley, one of the nation’s leading centers of economic innovation, small business advocacy and incubation.

Of the candidates in the 2nd District, only Stacey Lawson will bring the experience and perspective of a middle-class job creator to Congress.

Lawson: Standing Up for the Shrinking Middle Class

Raised in a rural, blue-collar coastal community of loggers and mill workers, and now a resident of Marin, Lawson has the life experiences that represent the broad diversity of this district. Lawson’s family lived in a trailer in a rural setting and her father started out as a truck driver. He went on to found a small trucking business and helped lift the family from modest, working-class roots into the middle class. The possibilities in Stacey’s own life were expanded by scholarships, government education loans and access to great public schools and universities.

Of the candidates in the 2nd District, only Stacey Lawson brings this deep personal experience to the job we need most: protecting and expanding investment in working people, educational opportunities and high-wage, middle-class jobs that will grow our economy.

US Senate
Connecticut
Primary: August 14, 2012

The former Connecticut Secretary of State is running for the seat of retiring Joe Lieberman.

From her website:

Born and raised on a farm in Middletown, Connecticut, Susan learned from her parents the values that guide her today: hard work, honesty, idealism and service to others. Her mother, Shirley Raissi Bysiewicz, taught at the University of Connecticut Law School for 33 years and fought for equal employment opportunities for women. Her father, Stanley, served in World War II, ran the family farm and operated a small business.

By example, they taught Susan and her siblings to fight for what they believed in. Susan was inspired to go into public service in high school after meeting Governor Ella Grasso. Later, as a senior at Yale College, she wrote her thesis about Governor Grasso and later authored “Ella: A Biography of Governor Ella Grasso.”

After graduating from Duke Law School, where she met her husband David, she returned to Connecticut to start her family.

She first ran for state representative in 1992 because she wanted to serve the state she loved and to give her children the same opportunities she had growing up in Middletown. As a state representative, she won passage of laws banning gifts from lobbyists to legislators, making daycare safer and ending “drive through” mastectomies.

In 1998, she was elected to serve as Connecticut’s Secretary of the State. Susan has won four statewide elections, including a tough primary election win in 1998, and received nearly 70% of the vote in her 2006 race.

In her twelve years as Secretary of the State, Susan helped thousands of small businesses start and grow. She helped modernize the state’s elections system, returned money from her office budget to the state’s general fund for deficit reduction, and honored thousands of World War II veterans for their contributions to democracy.

Throughout her tenure, Susan sought to make government more efficient and get the most from every taxpayer dollar by investing in technology. For example, she led the nation in implementing the CONCORD system which gives the public online access to information about the more than 340,000 registered businesses in Connecticut. She also completed the Connecticut Voter Registration System to streamline the state’s electoral rolls, protect voter rights and prevent voter fraud. In 2004, Susan created the “Safe at Home” address confidentiality program which protects victims of domestic violence and sexual assault by keeping their addresses confidential.

As Secretary of the State, she made it a priority to visit each of Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns, meeting with families, veterans, school children and small business owners listening to the challenges they are facing. Susan worked tirelessly to address their concerns, utilizing the Secretary of the State’s office to grow business, strengthen democracy and help the people of Connecticut.

As our next U.S. Senator, Susan’s top priority will remain to create and keep good-paying jobs in Connecticut by rebuilding infrastructure, investing in new industry and cutting taxes for the middle class and small businesses. She is a proud Connecticut Democrat and is running a statewide grassroots campaign to win this U.S. Senate seat for Connecticut.

 

Lieutenant Governor
Missouri
State Primary: August 7, 2012

An experienced grassroots politician, Montee recently stepped down from her post as Chair of Missouri's State Democratic party so she could run for Lieutenant Governor.

From her website:

Not busy enough raising three children, attending law school and running a growing business, Susan’s first foray into local politics came in 1998. Unhappy with some of the things going on in St. Joseph, Susan decided to do something about it and run for the city council. With a large grass roots campaign strategy that included Susan participating in a chili cook-off and playing on a team in the local dart league, she was elected to a city wide, at-large seat on the city council.

In 2000, after the death of the Buchanan County Auditor, Susan became aware that the county was still operating their accounting by hand without the aid of computers. Susan decided that professionalism was sorely needed and so she ran for and was elected Buchanan County Auditor for the two years remaining of the four year term. Susan still had two years remaining on her city council term and continued to serve concurrently with her post as auditor. In 2002, she was re-elected Buchanan County Auditor.

After six years as County Auditor, learning the ropes and recognizing how essential it was to keep government running honestly and efficiently, Susan decided to run for Missouri State Auditor. She won her election and was sworn in as Missouri’s 35th State Auditor in January 2007.

Susan tackled issues relating to public education, child safety and protection of our most vulnerable citizens. Her audits of student immunization compliance, day care and senior center licensing, and the Safe Schools Initiative have resulted in legislative proposals to solve the inadequacies she uncovered. Susan brought national attention to Missouri when she released her audit that exposed gross negligence in the hiring of school bus drivers who failed criminal background checks .

After leaving the office of Missouri State Auditor, Susan became the Chair of the Missouri State Democratic Party in 2011. Just like the politicians the party supports, chairs come and go with elections. Her objective was to implement a professional, independent structure to the organization that would free it from control of any one candidate.

And while helping Democrats across the state get elected to office was a job she loved, Susan soon recognized that the best way for her to help the people of Missouri is from a statewide elected office with the power to finish some of the work she started as State Auditor. So in November of 2011 Susan stepped down from Chair of the Missouri Democratic Party and announced her candidacy for Lieutenant Governor.

US Senate
Wisconsin

If she wins in November, Tammy Baldwin will be the nation's first openly gay Senator. Her opponents, however, are more eager to frame her as being too liberal.

From her website:

Tammy was born and raised in the Badger State. She has a reputation for taking on corporate special interests and has made fighting for the middle class her top priority. She believes we can restore economic security to Wisconsin’s middle class families by making sure that everyone pays their fair share. Tammy is the lead sponsor in the House of Representatives of the Buffett Rule to ensure that millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share. People with million dollar incomes shouldn’t pay a lower tax rate than hard working middle class families.

Tammy, raised by her grandparents, learned the value Medicare and Social Security hold at a young age. She understands America’s seniors expect nothing more than to retire with dignity and security. That’s why she opposes Republican plans to fund tax cuts for the wealthy by cutting Social Security and Medicare. When it comes to Social Security benefits, Tammy is committed to protecting them — not privatizing them — just as she is committed to preserving and strengthening Medicare, not ending it as we know it.

Throughout her career in public service — from the Dane County Board of Supervisors, Wisconsin State Assembly, now in Congress — Tammy has never forgotten who she works for and that every voice matters.  It’s through hard work and determination that one voice can make a difference, it always does.

In 1998, Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District shattered the state’s glass ceiling and elected Tammy Baldwin as the state’s first female member of Congress and the nation’s first openly gay challenger sent to Congress.

Shortly after she was first elected to Congress, at a time when both parties were supporting de-regulation of the financial industry, Tammy stood up for Wisconsin taxpayers. She voted against letting Wall Street and the big banks write their own rules — one of only a handful of members of Congress who voted no on repealing the Glass-Steagall Act. The Glass-Steagall Act had been place since the Great Depression and kept banks from engaging in many of the risky practices that later led to 2008 economic collapse, our nation’s worst recession since the Great Depression. Recently, Tammy stood up for Wisconsin homeowners in stopping the Justice Department from cutting a sweetheart deal for the 5 biggest mortgage banks. She fought against giving them immunity from prosecution for the fraud they’d committed. She won, the banks did not get immunity, and were forced to pay billions of dollars to the victims.

Always looking out for Wisconsin’s middle class, Tammy has fought unfair trade deals and she knows that when China cheats on trade and manipulates its currency, it costs us jobs. That is why she’s leading the fight, working with Republicans, to impose strong tariffs on China starting now. Tariffs that will protect Wisconsin’s manufacturing jobs. She has consistently fought against unfair trade deals including those with China and Central and South America because Tammy understands that they encourage outsourcing and job losses in Wisconsin. Tammy has shown a strong commitment to restoring American manufacturing through targeted tax cuts for companies that keep jobs here in the United States.

In Congress, Tammy has a strong record of working hard for Wisconsin’s veterans — making sure their service and sacrifice is honored by ensuring adequate funding for veterans’ health, mental health, education, and job-training programs. Tammy opposed the costly war in Iraq — one of just a few members of Congress who stood up to their own party and said it is time to bring our troops home from Afghanistan to focus on nation building here at home. The billions it costs our country are better spent reducing the federal debt and lowering taxes for middle class families and small businesses.

Access to affordable health care is vital to middle class security and for too long big health insurance companies have paid billions annually to game the system. That is why Tammy has fought to give patients more control over their care and continues to fight to make health insurance more affordable for Wisconsin’s families and small businesses. She authored a provision included in the Affordable Care Act which allows young adults to stay on their parent’s insurance until age 26, which has helped insure 2.5 million young people throughout the country.

Tammy graduated from Madison West High School and went on to double-major in political science and mathematics at Smith College. In 1989, she received her law degree from UW-Madison. Throughout her career in public service, Tammy has made education a top priority — fighting to make higher education more affordable for all of Wisconsin’s students. In Congress, she has supported student loan reform to make college financing more accessible and affordable. To succeed in the future’s global economy, students from working and middle class families need access to college and technical schools.

In the proud tradition of Wisconsin’s state motto, “Forward,” Tammy holds a strong commitment to innovation, research and development. Through investments in clean energy technology, we can strengthen Wisconsin’s economy and lower energy costs for families and businesses. Dedicated to Wisconsin’s progressive traditions and values, Tammy has a long record of fighting for family farms, for clean air and water, working to protect Wisconsin’s environment and preserve our agricultural heritage for future generations.

In the Senate, Baldwin will put the middle class first and fight for a fairer economy where hard work is rewarded. She is committed to working with both parties to strengthen Wisconsin’s manufacturing and reduce the tax burden on small businesses so that they can continue to create jobs and drive our economy forward.

US House of Representatives
Illinois, District #8

Running against Joe "You Lie!" Walsh. Disabled Iraq War vet - President's Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs

From her website:

In 2003, Tammy Duckworth was working on a project for Rotary International to provide wheelchairs for the disabled in developing countries including Iraq. As a Captain in the National Guard, she was mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom and deployed in 2004.

As a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, she was one of the first women to fly combat missions in Iraq until November 12th, 2004 when her helicopter was hit by an RPG. Tammy lost both legs and part of the use of her right arm in the explosion, and was awarded the Purple Heart for her combat injuries.

During her recovery at Walter Reed, Tammy was one of the highest-ranking amputees and became an advocate for her fellow soldiers. Her leadership was recognized when she was asked to testify before Congress and recruited to run for the House of Representatives. After losing a close race, Tammy continued to serve as a Major in the National Guard and became Director of Illinois' Department of Veterans' Affairs. There, she implemented many first in the nation programs to address Post Traumatic Stress, improve traumatic brain injury screening and reduce homelessness among Vets.

In 2009, Tammy was tapped by President Obama to be Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs where she sought to improve the standard of care for Vets. She oversaw VA's effort to end Veteran homelessness and lead initiatives for female Vets and increased accessibility and accountability with the new Office of Online Communications.

Military service is a Duckworth tradition - a family member has served during every period of conflict since the Revolution. Tammy followed suit by joining the Reserves in graduate school and chose to fly helicopters because it was one of the few combat jobs open to women.

Tammy is a graduate of the University of Hawaii and received a Masters of Arts in International Affairs from the George Washington University. She and her husband Bryan, an Army Major, live in Hoffman Estates where their home was rebuilt for wheelchair access in 2005 by her fellow Soldiers and friends. Despite her injuries, she declined a military medical retirement and continues to drill as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Illinois Army National Guard.

US House of Representatives
Wisconsin, District #
State Primary:  August 14, 2012

The former state Senator ran unsuccessfully in 2010 against Michele Bachmann in another District. She's now trying to unseat Tea Party Rep Chip Cravaack, whose tenure in the House of Representatives has shown him to be one of the generals in the GOP War on Women.

From her website:

Tarryl has worked all across North Eastern and Central Minnesota for the past twenty-four years. She helped form the Central Minnesota chapter of Habitat for Humanity, worked for the Girl Scouts, practiced law with the Senior Citizen's Law Project, and served as the Executive Director of the Minnesota Community Action Partnership. In these and other positions, Tarryl has served families, seniors, children, and veterans in our communities from Aitkin, Brainerd, Duluth, Eveleth, Grand Rapids, Hibbing, International Falls, Milaca, Mora, Pine City, St. Cloud, Virginia, and many more.

Currently Tarryl is the national co-chair of the Jobs21! campaign for the BlueGreen Alliance. Among her job responsibilities, she has been working throughout the region to put Minnesotans back to work and get our country back on track with a jobs plan that maintains and grows jobs by making our country more competitive in the 21st century economy.

Throughout her personal and professional life, Tarryl has been a strong voice for all Minnesotans. While in school Tarryl taught Sunday school and volunteered in the community. Early in her career, she counseled at-risk teenagers and their families, seeing first hand that sometimes times the government gets in the way instead of making a positive difference. Since then, Tarryl has worked for seniors at the Senior Citizens Law Project; children and families at the Children's Defense Fund; and to build stronger communities across Minnesota at the Minnesota Community Action Partnership. She has also helped our citizen-soldiers reintegrate into their communities through her leadership in the ‘Warrior-to-Citizen’ initiative in Minnesota. In these positions, Tarryl fought for better jobs and living wages, worked to create affordable health care, helped seniors to live longer in their family home, and for a better future for all children.

In December, 2005, Tarryl won a special election to the Minnesota Senate. After winning reelection in November, 2006, she was elected to be the Assistant Majority Leader after serving only a single session. During her five years in the State Senate, Tarryl became well known as a strong and articulate voice for working families, seniors, kids, and veterans.

State Assembly
California, District #50
State Primary: June 5, 2012

Osborn is running for California's State Assembly after a distinguished career running non-profits and community organizing. She was a public policy advisor to LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on homelessness, poverty and economic development.

CounterPunch's analysis of the race in CA Assembly District #50.

From her website:

Torie Osborn is an innovative leader who has guided some of the nation’s most effective non-profit organizations as they tackled tremendous challenges – including the early AIDS crisis, poverty and homelessness, and health care. She is recognized nationally for her community-organizing approach to solving problems and for being at the forefront of the major fights for social justice for 45 years.

Torie earned her MBA at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, and served as CEO for four nonprofit advocacy and philanthropic organizations. From 1997 through 2005, Torie Osborn was executive director of the Liberty Hill Foundation, one of the nation’s most admired social-change foundations. Liberty Hill funds grassroots community organizing for environmental, social and economic justice in Los Angeles County.

In the mid-1990s, Torie Osborn served as executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in Washington DC, the nation’s oldest gay and lesbian civil rights organization, and, from 1988 to 1992, at the height of the AIDS epidemic in Los Angeles, she led the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. Throughout those years, Torie was a nationally respected leader in fighting AIDS, and in the LGBT movement for equality.

Since leading those organizations, Torie has served as a senior policy advisor to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on homelessness, poverty and economic development. She initiated the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Partnerships that implements joint projects between government and philanthropy. Torie also served as Chief Civic Engagement Officer for the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, and currently is senior strategist for California Calls, a network of 27 organizations throughout California committed to common-sense government reform – including fair tax and budget policy. In addition to her MBA from UCLA, Torie holds her B.A. from Middlebury College. She is a 25-year resident of Santa Monica, California.

US House of Representatives
Hawaii, District #2
State Primary: August 11, 2012

Honolulu City Councilwoman Tulsi Gabbard is an Army veteran who served two tours of duty in the Mideast. At 30, she would be one of the youngest members of Congress.

From her website:

From a very young age, Tulsi has shown a passion for public service. Her commitment to serving the community and making a positive impact has influenced every major decision in her life. Her service has included working with at-risk youth, joining the Hawai‘i National Guard and deploying twice to the Middle East, being elected to the Hawai‘i State Legislature and the Honolulu City Council, having the honor of serving Hawaii's people in the U.S. Senate as legislative aide to Senator Daniel K. Akaka, and continuing her ongoing work and leadership on environmental issues and projects.

After her unprecedented election to the Hawai`i State Legislature in ’02, Tulsi represented District 42 in West Oahu. She was an effective, admired, and hard-working legislator who served on the Education, Higher Education, Tourism, and Economic Development committees.

In 2004, when Tulsi's fellow soldiers from the 29th Brigade were called to war in Iraq, Tulsi volunteered to join them. She didn't need to put her life on the line. She could have stayed in the State House of representatives. But in her heart, she felt it was more important to stand in solidarity with her fellow soldiers than to climb the political ladder.

Her two deployments to the war-torn and dangerous Middle East revealed both Tulsi’s natural inclination to self-less service and her ability to perform well in situations demanding confidence, courage, and the ability to perform well as a member of a team. The same maturity and character that served Tulsi well in the Middle East makes her exceptionally effective in the political world.

In 2006, Tulsi went to Washington D.C. to serve in the U.S. Senate as legislative aide to Senator Daniel K. Akaka. There, she advised Senator Akaka on issues relating to energy independence, homeland security, the environment, and veteran affairs. Tulsi was proud to serve with Senator Akaka and continues to be inspired by his mentorship and deep love and aloha for the people of Hawai‘i and his commitment to public service.

At the age of 19, Tulsi co-founded Healthy Hawai‘i Coalition (HHC), a non-profit grassroots organization whose mission is to protect the environment and improve individual and community health. Tulsi was instrumental in developing HHC’s watershed education curriculum, which has been presented to more than 50 public and private schools statewide. Through her Healthy Hawai`i Coalition, Tulsi is active on issues impacting public health and the environment within communities across the state.

After returning home from her second deployment to the Middle East in 2009, Tulsi offered to serve on the Honolulu City Council and was elected into office on November 3, 2010. Tulsi currently serves as Chair of the Safety, Economic Development, and Government Affairs committee, as Vice Chair of the Budget committee and is a member of the Zoning and Public Works committee. In her capacity as committee chair, Tulsi has taken the lead on many important issues such as medical waste, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), dengue fever, and creating new economic opportunities through Honolulu’s first Sister City Summit.

Tulsi possesses the rare combination of youth and experience. With a lifetime’s experiences seemingly compressed into three decades, it is easy to see why many people perceive in Tulsi Gabbard a maturity and depth beyond her years.

US House of Representatives
Florida, District #10
State Primary: August 14, 2012

Former Orlando Police Chief Demings has the opportunity to take this seat back from incumbent Bill Young, a Tea Party Republican elected in 2010.

From her website:

After graduating from Jacksonville’s public schools, Demings received a B.S. in Criminology from Florida State University and a Masters degree in Public Administration from Webster University. Demings spent her early career as a Social Worker focused on foster care, and then joined the police force in Orlando.

Demings was President of her class at the police academy, and then earned a reputation as a tenacious, no-nonsense cop. After serving in the Criminal Investigations Division, Internal Affairs and other departments, she was tapped to serve as the Commander of the Special Operations. There, she was responsible for some of Orlando’s highest profile tasks, including special events, dignitary protection, and K-9 units.

In 2007, Demings was selected to serve as Chief for the Orlando Police Department – the first woman to ever hold that position. Upon taking office, she launched an all-out war against crime. Her tenure was marked by a dramatic forty percent reduction in violent crime, including robberies, shootings and murders. Under her bold and aggressive leadership, thousands of guns were removed from Orlando’s streets, and communities became safer.

After twenty-seven years at the Orlando Police Department, including three and a half years as the department’s top cop, Demings decided to retire from the force and continue her commitment to public service in another way. Demings will work to end the petty, partisan quarrelling in Washington and make the American dream a reality for the hard-working families of the Orlando area.

Demings’ husband Jerry is also a respected leader in Orlando law enforcement, and is currently serving as the Sheriff of surrounding Orange County. The mother of three sons and an active motorcyclist, Val Demings is committed to her family, her church and her community. She is also a role model to young women in the Orlando area.

US House of Representatives
Arizona, District #1
State Primary: August 28, 2012

A member of the Navajo nation, Baldenegro would be the first Native American woman in Congress. She is running against another pro-choice female candidate in the August 28 primary: Ann Kirkpatrick.

From her website:

Raised in Kayenta, AZ, a rural town on the Navajo reservation, Wenona and her three brothers saw, firsthand, the importance of deeply-rooted family values, hard work, and education in her community, state, and the nation. Motivated by her mother, an elementary school teacher on the Navajo reservation, to pursue higher education and skills that could expand opportunities for all Americans, Wenona excelled in school, and she graduated as salutatorian from Monument Valley High School. From there, she earned national recognition as the first American Indian to graduate from Arizona State University’s prestigious Barrett Honor’s College. Wenona graduated summa cum laude, with a B.A. in English Literature.

Focusing her academic coursework on assisting and empowering rural, minority, and low-income individuals, families, and communities in the areas of financial services, home ownership, small businesses, and community development, Wenona attended Harvard Law School, where she earned a juris doctorate degree, and a master degree in public policy at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

As an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, Wenona’s campaign is historic, in that if elected, she would be the first American Indian woman to ever serve in the U.S. Congress, and the first American Indian from Arizona to be elected to Congress.

Working as a health and cultural resource project specialist at the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA), a nonprofit organization comprised of 20 Arizona Indian Tribes, dedicated to promoting tribal self-reliance through public policy development, Wenona quickly took a leadership role on regional and national issues that affect Arizonans and American Indians. In her capacity as a public policy analyst and advocate, Wenona worked with tribal, state, and federal leaders on health care legislation and regulations, and assisted the writing of policy and U.S. Congressional testimonies on the needs of American Indians and rural Arizonans. She also worked to protect heritage sites on tribal and federal lands in Arizona.

Over the past several years, Wenona has worked as an attorney and public interest advocate, dedicating her educational and professional career to assisting financially-struggling families and communities. Wenona has worked for law firms and nonprofit organizations located in Arizona and Washington D.C., in the areas of expanding educational opportunities, start-up businesses, economic development and diversification, banking and predatory lending practices, and affordable housing.

US House of Representatives
Pennsylvania, District #16

Strader is taking on longtime anti-choice Republican Joe Pitts (of Stupak-Pitt).

From her website:

Aryanna Strader was born the youngest of ten children to Steven Hunter and Celia Tamraz on November 23, 1982 in Beaverton, Oregon. She learned at a very young age the meaning of hard work as she watched her mother labor as a waitress and her father who performed room maintenance and other odd jobs for local hotels.

Her family did their best while living well below the poverty line. With the assistance of local Churches, Food Stamps, and the National School Lunch Program, as well as receiving a public education – from Head Start through high school – Aryanna knew and appreciated the value of what her community provided.

While in school in Sherwood, Oregon, Aryanna participated in drama, basketball, track, and student council in order to make herself a more well-rounded person. In January of 1999 she moved to Mesa, Arizona and attended Mesa High School for her sophomore and junior years and then graduated from Independence High School in Glendale, Arizona, all the while continuing to participate in extracurricular athletics. Using funding from a Pell Grant she recieved, Aryanna enrolled at Estrella Mountain Community College; however as a young woman working part-time she was still unable to make ends meet financially.

Remembering those in her community who assisted her at a young age, Aryanna decided it was time to give something back and in doing so enlisted in the United States Army. In November of 2001, just months after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Aryanna joined as a Radio Communications Operator/Maintainer and was off to Ft. Jackson, SC for her Basic Training. She would also later be stationed at Ft. Gordon, GA for her Advanced Individual Training (AIT) and then at Ft. Bliss, Texas where she was a member of the 18th Airborne Corps, 108th BDE ADA, HHB and Bravo 1/7 ADA.

In February 2003, Aryanna deployed to Jordan as a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom at a high level secret forward operation base where she guarded the ammo supply point and performed her duties encrypting radios, and ensuring her unit could communicate with the other units stationed nearby. In October of 2003, Aryanna was then moved to Bravo Battery in Ft. Bliss, TX. This is where she met her future husband, Dan Strader who was also serving in the U.S. Army as a Patriot missile operator maintainer. One year later in October of 2004, after receiving Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Aryanna was honorably discharged and moved to Pennsylvania where her husband is from. She is a member of VFW Post 5467 in Kennett Square.

Shortly after moving to Pennsylvania, both Dan and Aryanna found employment at the Tobyhanna Army Depot. Since 2005, Aryanna has attended school online through DeVry University and given birth to son Donovan, age 6, and daughter Camryn, age 4. This was all accomplished while also working fulltime. In May of 2008 Aryanna graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration-Operations Management and in October of 2008 they moved to Jeannette, PA where she began work at Elliott-Turbo machinery Company.

Now in pursuit of further education, January of 2009 brought about Aryanna’s enrollment to the Keller Graduate School of Management to begin a Master’s degree program. Another job offer came soon thereafter in Chambersburg, PA , this time as a SAP Consultant for Robbins-Gioia where she provided support to Letterkenny Army Depot with their software implementation. The same job briefly relocated Aryanna and her family to Albany, New York in March 2010 to support Watervliet Arsenal .

Wanting to create their own small business, Aryanna and Dan opened Arydan LLC in August of 2010 where they worked with other consulting firms and organizations to provide SAP training, implementation, and support. Aryanna graduated with a Master’s degree in Project Management in January of 2011. At this same time, Arydan LLC also landed their first client, IDS Scheer to provide SAP implementation support to Sun Products Corporation.

Deciding it was time to settle down and prepare their children for school, Aryanna and Dan chose to relocate their family and business to Kennett Square, PA in July of 2011. Since then Aryanna has been working with Accenture to support the Defense Logistics Agency with another wave of their SAP implementation in Washington D.C and New Cumberland, PA.

The Strader family are members of the YMCA where their daughter attends preschool and their son is enrolled in the 1st grade at Greenwood Elementary School. In her spare time, Aryanna loves to read, sing, and play with her children and their Shetland Sheepdog named Brownie.

 

Incumbent
State Assembly
California District #50
State Primary: June 5, 2012

Butler is duking it out in CA's jungle primary against two other Democrats, including another very progressive, pro-choice woman, Torie Osborn.

From her website:

Assemblymember Betsy Butler was elected to the California State Assembly in 2010 and is seeking re-election in the 50th Assembly District. Betsy's work has focused on fighting for consumers, advocating for working families and protecting the environment.

Most recently, Assemblywoman Butler achieved one of the goals that motivated her to run for State Assembly. Her Toxin-Free Infants and Toddler Act, AB 1319, which will ban the use of Bisphenol-A (BPA) in baby bottles and sippy cups, was signed into law by the Governor on October 4. BPA is widely considered a health hazard linked to early puberty, childhood obesity, break cancer, autism, hyperactivity and other long-term medical problems.

In the State Assembly, Betsy serves on the Assembly Budget Committee, the Budget Sub-Committee on Resources and Transportation, the Committees on Business and Professions; Education; Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media; and Rules. She is Chair of the Select Committee on Aerospace and is a member of the Select Committee on Domestic Violence; Financial Empowerment; Preservation of California's Entertainment Industry and Regional Approaches to Addressing the State's Water Crisis.

Assemblymember Butler's involvement in environmental issues spans her entire career, which includes the time she spent working for the California League of Conservation Voters and the Environmental Defense Fund. Betsy helped create communities of support for strategic environmental movements, including carbon emission standard changes, water conservation and habitat protection policies.

Betsy currently is a board member of Equality California and previously served as President of the National Women's Political Caucus (LA Westside Chapter), and as the Director of Development for Consumer Attorneys of California. Assemblymember Butler also has served as an appointed member of the California Film Commission, where she worked to keep the film industry as a driver of the state's economy.

During the Clinton Administration, Betsy worked at the Department of Commerce on trade policy priorities including the Uruguay Round and World Trade Organization transformation matters, intellectual property rights, trade development and fair trade practices.

Assemblymember Butler's commitment to public service was solidified during her years in college as an intern for State Assemblymember Lucy Killea, U.S. Senator Alan Cranston and Lt. Governor Leo McCarthy.

A resident of the coastal Los Angeles area for over twenty years, Betsy has been active in local grassroots organizations promoting green and responsible development in neighborhoods and communities. In 2006, then-Congresswoman Hilda Solis recognized Betsy for her activism and commitment to working families at the Congresswoman's annual leadership luncheon.

Born in Sacramento, Betsy graduated from San Diego State University and from the Executive Program in Management at UCLA.

State Senate
Nevada, District #1

 

Pat Spearman is a Pastor, a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army, and an active member of the Democratic community in Nevada, where she has served on Senator Harry Reid's advisory board. She is also gay, and running against incumbent John Lee, who opposes marriage or even legalizing domestic partnership for same sex couples.

From her website:

Pat Spearman is the Founding Pastor and Servant Leader for Resurrection Faith Community Ministries and Chairperson and CEO of Power Zone Community Resource Center, in North Las Vegas. She has over 40 years Pastoral Service/Counseling experience. She is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the United States Army where she spent 29 years of her life protecting our country and her community. Pastor Spearman is an active member of the democratic community in Nevada having served on the Advisory boards for both Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) and State Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford (D-SD4). She is the vice-chair of Stonewall Democratic Club and was a delegate to the 2008 Democratic Convention. She has an outstanding background of diversified knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Patricia Spearman has vast experience that qualifies her for a run for State Senate District 1. She has previous experience serving as President of the San Marcos Independent School District in San Marcos, Texas. She moved into leadership after only six months on the school board. She is a former professor at University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. During her tenure she served was appointed to the Commission on Diversity and Racial Equity which advocated for a P to 20 education model versus K to 12 and incorporated wrap-around education services involving community stakeholders. She is also a graduate of the Department of Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute and the United States Army Command and General Staff College.

In addition to direct experience designing and implementing education policy, Patricia has expertise in transportation and human services. She served as chair of the San Marcos Municipal Airport Commission. She was appointed to the Texas Department of Human Services Region Six Advisory Council. Both positions reviewed policy and considered the issues of the beneficiaries as well as environmental impacts. She has large scale program management experience from her assignments as Staff Action Officer for the Crisis Action Team (CAT) and the European Command and Readiness Division, Army Operations Center at The Pentagon. She has managed multiple country intelligence and worked on anti-terrorism teams.

Ms. Spearman holds a Bachelors of Science in politcal science from Norfolk State University and a Masters of Divinity from Episcopal Theologial Seminary of the Southwest. She is currently pursuing a PhD in business administration. She has served as a member of Hays County United Way Board of Directors, on the Congressional Review Committee for Military Service Academy selection and the Board of Directors for the Society for the Prevention of Aggressiveness and Violence among Adolescents (SPAVA). Her community service record is tantamount to her military service record.

Since she moved to Nevada she has also actively participated in activities that demonstrate her commitment to equity and advocacy. She is active in the Clark County Democratic Black Caucus. Has participated on the legislative advisory group for Senate Leader Steven Horsford during the 2011 NV Legislative session; served on African American Steering Committee for Sen. Reid in 2010 and served as a Clark County delegate in 2008. She recently resigned as Vice Chair of the Stonewall Democratic Club.

She is a Pastor, a woman, a veteran who stands for working families, education equity, environmental protection, energy independence, marriage equality and civil rights. She is prepared to take a stand for the residents of State Senate District 1 and provide a real voice for them in Carson City.

 

US House of Representatives
North Carolina, District #5

Elisabeth Motsinger swept  her primary 69.73% to 30.27%. She faces one of the House's most outrageous conservatives -- Virginia Foxx -- in November.

From her website:

Elisabeth Motsinger is the first female challenger to the incumbent. It is highly unlikely that any male can challenge Representative Foxx successfully, especially in a hard-fought campaign. In a typical male vs. female race, females have a statistically significant edge over males. Males who legitimately and fairly attack the incumbent's voting record appear to many voters as bullying a senior citizen. The last four candidates who challenged the incumbent were all male who ran excellent, credible campaigns. With Elisabeth Motsinger, the "female" edge has been neutralized.

Elisabeth is a veteran winner of "unwinnable" races. Elisabeth's first political race was in 2006 for an at-large seat on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education. No Democrat had won a seat at-large or outside the urban core district since redistricting to provide for minority representation. The conventional wisdom was that no Democrat could win outside the urban core district.

In the Republican rout of 2010, Elisabeth was the only Democratic incumbent running county-wide in Forsyth to be re-elected, other than in nonpartisan judicial races.

None of the last four challengers against the incumbent came from Forsyth County, whose voters make up 40% of the registered voters in the District. Elisabeth is well known and well regarded in her Forsyth County base and has demonstrated widespread support among Democrats, Republicans and the unaffiliated.

The swing vote is among the unaffiliated (Independent) voters, who now make up 23 percent of the voting population of the District.

People are ready for a change from politics as usual, as shown by both the growth of the Tea Party and of the "Occupy" movement. Both groups, although often ideological opposites, are disgusted by the influence of big money and corporate interests over sitting legislators. One need only look at the incumbent's voting record and campaign contribution records to see whose interests she has served.

State Senate
Pennsylvania District #9

Worrell is a Pennsylvania REALTOR with no political experience, apparently inspired by her state's new Voter ID bill to throw her hat in the ring.

Candidate statement from Vote PA:

"Approximately 85% of Americans believe our government is broken, but I still believe in “we the people”. Laws are created by “people” who determine how we will live. This is a task that I do not take lightly. More women are needed in the legislature, and I have answered the call because I believe we need a fair, balanced representation for women in the legislature. Women redefine politics. We care about public policy and creating a legislative system that is fair and equal for all.

I understand that there will always be disagreement when creating policies, however, when you disagree, there is a level of agreement if you just keep listening and just keep talking. I strongly believe it is about public service and always doing the right thing. I will defend our public schools because I believe that our society, economy and communities are based and built by the quality of our public education system. When we have an educational system that does not support or provide for the needs of our society, it is a plan for the destruction of our society. I will defend the rights of women for fair and equal pay, fair and equal healthcare and fair and a equal economy. I will also defend and support any legislation that makes good common sense."

 

State House of Representatives
Pennsylvania, District #168

Pennyslvania native Alois is both a former librarian abd former diplomat. She currently works in real estate.  The mother of three was active in the 2008 Obama campaign, including voter registration and GOTV at Cheyney University.

From her website:

EDUCATION  As a local real estate agent and a former librarian, Beth is concerned about Harrisburg’s repeated decreases in state funding for local schools. If the state continues to withhold funds from the local school districts, it will be impossible to maintain a high level of education without increasing local property taxes. Beth will also fight for our state universities, already among the least funded in the country. Pennsylvania needs strong universities to attract businesses and jobs to the State.

ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE  Beth will fight Harrisburg’s repeated attempts to limit Pennsylvanians’ access to health care. She will fight to protect women’s reproductive health care.

OUR ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES  Beth favors a meaningful tax on Marcellus Shale production to balance the state’s budget and assist local governments in rebuilding their transportation infrastructure. Harrisburg must assure that natural gas is extracted with environmentally safe technology.

US House of Representatives
Pennsylvania, District #3

Missa Eaton is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Penn State Shenango. She is challenging incumbent auto dealer Mike Kelly, a Tea Party millionaires who self-funded their way to the legislature in 2010.

From her website:

Missa Eaton has been working in education for more than 15 years, and is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Penn State Shenango. Earlier in her career, she worked in a wide range of roles including retail and real estate, giving her a well rounded base of experience. Missa grew up in a blue collar family and has spent her career helping students retrain and rebuild their skill sets so they are better equipped to find good paying jobs in a tough economy. Missa's father worked in a meat packing plant until joining the army and deploying to Vietnam. After serving in Vietnam, he returned home to work as a bus driver and a leader in both his union and local VFW. Missa's mother worked as a secretary. Her grandparents were farmers and house painters. The examples that Missa's parents and grandparents set taught her the same work ethic and family values that make Western Pennsylvania strong.

US House of Representatives
Missouri, District #4

According to EMILY's List, "Hensley currently serves as the Prosecuting Attorney for Cass County, where she has been a lifelong resident. She has a record of convicting child abusers, domestic violence offenders, drunk drivers, and murderers. Hensley recently received the Missouri Attorney General’s Justice Award for Domestic Violence Prevention."

From her website:

A life-long resident of Cass County, Hensley has served as a Raymore Alderman, Raymore Planning and Zoning Board member, and member of the Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board. A former board member of Hope Haven of Cass County, she remains active in that organization and is a strong supporter of the Domestic Violence Coalition. She is also a member of the Bel-Ray Sunrise Lions Club, a Paul Harris Fellow through the Harrisonville Rotary, a member of Harrisonville Business and Professional Women, Harrisonville and Raymore Chambers of Commerce, and a life-long member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. A supporter of 2nd Amendment rights, she has received an A+ rating from the NRA.

Hensley graduated from Raymore-Peculiar High School before earning her undergraduate degree from William Jewell College and a law degree from the University of Missouri Kansas City. She is a certified family law mediator, has taught criminal law at William Jewell College, and, before becoming Cass County Prosecutor, was a partner and practicing attorney for fourteen years with the Hensley Law Firm in Raymore, a firm she started with her husband, Kenny.

US House of Representatives
Florida, District #26

Gloria Romero Roses is a community activist and a business leader with a proven record of creating jobs here in South Florida. She's running for Congress to diversify our economy, put people back to work, and make good on our promises to seniors. She opposes incumbent Rep. David Rivera, who was recently subject to an inconclusive state inquiry into financial irregularities, which may make him vulnerable.

From her Facebook page:

Gloria has lived the American dream, taking advantage of the great opportunities South Florida has to offer to build a life for herself and her family. She is a product of public education, graduating from South Broward High School. She worked her way through college at Florida International University and received her MBA from University of Miami.

Gloria is running for Congress because she believes that the American Dream that she benefited from is under assault from Washington. She believes it’s time for a representative dedicated to leading ethically and working tirelessly for South Florida’s middle class families and seniors.

As a business leader, Gloria has a proven track record of creating jobs in the Miami area. Her wealth of experience includes work in a wide variety of companies, including non-profits, small and large sized businesses. She has worked for one of the largest property management companies in Florida, focusing on boosting employee access to healthcare and retirement programs. She is currently managing partner at Nexus Homes, a firm that focuses on bringing new investment into South Florida’s assisted living developments to allow seniors to continue living in the communities where they built their lives and raised their families.

She firmly believes that strong educational resources are the key to a successful economy that is built to compete in global market. Gloria is dedicated to fighting for good public schools and broad access to quality higher education.

When her daughter began attending schools in Miami-Dade county, Gloria was shocked to learn about overcrowding and out of control class sizes. She built a coalition of parents, educators and neighbors that worked closely with the Miami-Dade school district to find short and long term solutions. By thinking creatively and working together, Gloria led an effort that converted unused private real estate to ease overcrowding, and helped advocate for new funding streams to open six new public schools in two years.

Gloria’s affiliations include the Women’s Fund of Miami-Dade. She was Vice Chair of the Workforce Housing Committee and Task Force Co-Chair for the Education Committee of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. She also Chaired the FIU College of Business Dean’s Alumni Circle and was recipient of FIU’s Torch Award for 2010 and is a member of the Dean’s Council of the College of Business. Most recently , Gloria was Statewide Vice Chair of Ruth’s List Florida, an organization focused on identifying, supporting and electing women to office statewide.

Register of Deeds
Hampshire County, Massachusetts

Olberding is one of three candidates in the county's first open race for the office which oversees its land transactions.

From her website:

Mary is a life-long champion of Democratic politics.

Her devotion to politics came from her mother, who schooled her in the New Deal and the New Frontier, the political conventions and the Electoral College. Mary’s mother instilled in her a belief that the purpose of government was for the greater good of society.

Mary most recently volunteered for two years on the successful campaign of Dave Sullivan for District Attorney. She served on the Core Leadership Team, Co-Chaired the Fundraising Committee and served as the Belchertown Town Coordinator where she lives. Mary also volunteered for the Hampshire County for Obama campaign and travelled to New Hampshire to work on John Kerry’s Presidential campaign. She has been an elected delegate to the State Democratic Convention for the past five years and was a volunteer at the 2008 National Democratic Convention in Denver.

Mary has also been active in her community through her Democratic Town Committee, and on several local campaigns.

Mary was appointed to the Belchertown Finance Committee volunteering her time since 2009, first as Clerk and now serves as Vice-Chair.

Because of her interest in public service, she enrolled in the Emerge Massachusetts class of 2011, a political leadership training program for Democratic women. She now serves on the Alumnae Committee for Emerge.

Hearing impaired since birth, Mary was recently appointed to the Massachusetts Democratic Party Advisory Committee on Persons with Disabilities.

Mary Olberding married James Gelinas of Chicopee in 1996, and the two made their home in Hampshire County when they purchased their first house in Belchertown in 1997. They are blessed with three children, all of whom attend Belchertown Public Schools. They have two pet chickens, Chippy and Fluffy.

She is also a volunteer in the Belchertown Schools and with the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts. In her free time, she likes biking, gardening, painting and playing games with her kids.

As a property owner herself, Mary understands the time and investment that many put into owning and maintaining property, and sees the Registry of Deeds as a place which safe-guards what is for many their most important investment. Her commitment to family and community will ensure her active participation and management of the Registry of Deeds because it is imperative to the function of the Registry that the integrity of property records be maintained.

State Senate
California District #27

Pavley is a superstar for those whose concern is the environment. Her Republican challenger in her redistricted district garnered slightly more votes than she did. They face each other again in November.

From her website:

Senator Fran Pavley is a native Angeleno who grew up in Sherman Oaks. She has spent her lifetime living and working in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties as a parent, an educator, a community leader, a mayor, and a councilmember, as well as a state legislator. She lives with her husband Andy, a veteran and life-long teacher, in Agoura Hills where they have raised two children and four guide dogs.

Senator Pavley received her Master’s Degree in Environmental Planning at CSU Northridge; taught middle school for 28 years; and completed her teaching career in Moorpark. She was always actively engaged in many community activities. In 1982, she was the first mayor of the City of Agoura Hills, where she served four terms as mayor and as a councilmember (1982-1997). She was elected to the State Assembly in 2000, where she served three terms. In 2008, Senator Pavley was elected to the California Senate where she represents approximately 931,000 people in the 23rd district which includes parts of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.

Some of Senator Pavley’s legislative victories in the Senate include laws stiffening penalties for mortgage fraud; banning cadmium and lead in children’s jewelry; and promoting economic development through creating new clean-energy jobs. She also worked with Los Angeles business leaders and community leaders to speed approval for the construction of a downtown Los Angeles convention center and sports stadium, which will create new jobs without sacrificing environmental protections.

Senator Pavley’s top priorities include the economy, education, water, transportation, energy, and the environment. She has been fighting for public safety reforms on issues including elder abuse, sexual predators, and domestic violence. In addition, she is a passionate supporter of programs that assist families with disabled children. Senator Pavley has also authored a new law to improve California’s business climate by implementing regulatory reform that requires agencies to assess the economic impacts and benefits of regulations more rigorously before they are adopted.

Senator Pavley currently serves as chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. She also serves as a member of the Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee; the Transportation and Housing Committee; and the Environmental Quality Committee. She also serves on the Senate Select Committee on Autism (ASD) & Related Disorders.

Throughout her public service, Senator Pavley has worked hard to preserve and enhance the unique quality of life we enjoy in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. She is passionately committed to continuing her lifelong calling of service to her community.

State Assembly
CA #65

The second term mayor of Fullerton is a former teacher. Her Republican challenger in this newly drawn district garnered more votes in California's jungle primary. They face each other again in November.

From her website:

As a teacher in the Fullerton School District for the last 24 years, Sharon Quirk-Silva has been a pillar not only in the Fullerton community, but in the lives of her students and their families, paving the way for the next generation of California's leaders.

In 2004, she took the next step in her career of service and ran successfully for the Fullerton City Council. She's been a member of the council ever since, serving as mayor in 2007, and was the top vote-getter in the 2008 election.

Currently in her second term as Mayor of Fullerton, Sharon Quirk-Silva is known as a hard worker, one who presses for more transparency and communication between council leadership and the public. Not only has she met with more Fullerton constituents than any of her predecessors during mayor's office hours, but she leads "Walk & Talks" once a month, taking citizens on walking tours of neighborhoods and discussing issues facing residents and businesses. Other innovative programs have supported local businesses and provided annual public recognition of outstanding local women in leadership.

Regionally, she has been active in organizations serving all of District 65 and Orange County, becoming familiar with our district's cities and developing relationships with their leaders. She has provided leadership as a former vice chairwoman of the Orange County Council of Governments, focused on transportation as a representative to the Southern California Association of governments, and served on the board of the Orange County Sanitation District. Many of her honors reflect her regional involvement.

Sharon knows the importance of community action and advocacy for Orange County's families and businesses. She will take to Sacramento that tireless advocacy and talent for bringing people together to solve problems.

Board of Education
San Francisco, CA

There is currently no one representing the Latino community on San Francisco's school board. Soto hopes to fill that gap.

From her website:

Gladys Soto is a Latina parent with two children in San Francisco’s public schools, running for the San Francisco Board of Education in November 2012. She is running to represent the Latino Community, a vital perspective that doesn't currently exist on the board. With no representation, Latino families do not have a voice in the development and implementation of public education policy.

Gladys’ experience as a community leader on the SFUSD Bilingual Citizen’s Advisory Committee, and in the SF Chapter of Parent Voices (an organization fighting to make quality child-care affordable and accessible), has made her keenly aware of difficulties many families have had influencing public education policy.

As a commissioner, she will work inclusively to make sure all communities have input into policies established and administered by the SF School Board.

Gladys has served as the Associate Executive Director for the Mission Council on Alcohol Abuse, and is an elected delegate for the California Democratic Party Assembly District 13. She has a Masters Degree in Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy from San Francisco State University.

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
California District #6

Matsui succeeded her husband, the late Rep. Robert Matsui, representing the western region of Sacramento. Thanks to redistricting, she now seeks to represent parts of Marin County and Sonoma County, as well.

From her website:

Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui represents the Sacramento region in the United States House of Representatives. She is a member of one of the House's most powerful committees, Energy and Commerce, and has emerged as a resourceful and strong advocate for the people of Sacramento.

As an active member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Congresswoman Matsui helps craft legislation to address the most critical challenges facing hard-working Americans today, ranging from health care coverage and clean energy, to commerce and consumer safety. In each of these areas, Congresswoman Matsui is committed to investing in a safe, healthy and sustainable future for Sacramento and the country.

One of Representative Matsui's top priorities has been to increase the level of flood protection in the Sacramento area. Congresswoman Matsui was able to secure the authorization for the critical Folsom Dam Joint Federal Project. This spillway will significantly increase the level of flood protection in the Sacramento region within the next decade.

Another priority of Representative Matsui's is improving Sacramento's transportation systems. Helping to meet our areas transportation needs in the future requires an investment in our region's public transit and roadway infrastructure. This investment will not only be good for families and business alike, but will help clean up our air and preserve our quality of life.

Representative Matsui has dedicated her life to public service. Prior to representing Sacramento in Congress, she served on the 1992 Presidential Transition Board and as a senior advisor to President Bill Clinton in the White House for six years.

Before coming to Congress, Representative Matsui also served on numerous advisory boards, community organizations, and honorary committees. She was President and Chairwoman of the Board for the KVIE public television station in Sacramento, and she served in leadership capacities for the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento Children's Home, Meridian International Center, Arena Stage, and Woodrow Wilson Center Board of Trustees.

Congresswoman Matsui has served on the Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents overseeing the operation of the Institution and its world renown museums. There she chaired the Strategic Planning and Programs Committee, as well as serving on the Governance and Nominating Committee. Congresswoman Matsui also represented the Regents on the Advisory Boards of the National Museum of American History and National Museum of African American History and Culture Museum, which is scheduled to open on the National Mall in 2015.

Representative Matsui grew up on a farm in central California and met her husband, the late Congressman Robert T. (Bob) Matsui, while earning her Bachelor's Degree from the University of California at Berkeley. She has one son, Brian, who is a practicing attorney. She has two young grandchildren, Anna and Robby.

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
California District #14

Rep. Speier is one of Congress' most visible advocates for choice and issues affecting women, notably having revealed her own experience with terminating a wanted pregnancy in a Congressional speech.

From her website:

Jackie Speier served 18 years in the California State Legislature before she was sworn into Congress on April 10, 2008 to fill the unexpired term of the late Congressman Tom Lantos. She was reelected to Congress in 2010 with 75% of the vote.

Jackie, born in San Francisco’s Sunset District, is a life-long resident of the Bay Area. She attended public schools in South San Francisco and Burlingame’s Mercy High School. While studying at University of California, Davis, she interned for State Assemblyman Leo J. Ryan in his Sacramento office. After graduating, she joined Ryan’s Washington, DC staff upon his election to Congress. She returned to San Francisco to earn a JD degree from UC’s Hastings College of the Law before rejoining Congressman Ryan as his legal advisor.

In November, 1978 Jackie and the Congressman led a group to Jonestown, Guyana to investigate claims that constituents were being held against their will by the Rev. Jim Jones. Speier and Congressman Ryan were escorting defecting cult members to their plane when Jones’ gunmen attacked them. Ryan and four others were killed–Jackie was shot five times and left for dead.

This near-death experience has followed Jackie closely throughout her life and helped shaped her  vow: “not to waste another minute of my life.” She has authored more than 300 state laws supported by Democratic and Republican Governors. Her four-year crusade to protect consumers’ financial privacy from the invasive practices of banking and insurance companies led to the California Financial Privacy Act, hailed by Consumers Union as “The strongest financial privacy legislation in the nation.” She also led hearings that identified waste, abuse and corruption within California’s prison system.

Unfortunately, her attempt in 2005 to pass a law regulating sub-prime loans did not succeed. She saw the danger signs early on that contributed to a global economic meltdown. Who’s to say how California’s real estate landscape would look today if her legislation had succeeded?

Fortunately, Jackie sits on two crucial committees in Congress: the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the House Armed Services Committee (HASC). She is also a member of her party’s leadership team as Senior Whip where she promotes policies that will create jobs and strengthen the middle class.

After a 2010 natural gas pipeline explosion struck a San Bruno neighbourhood, killing eight and destroying 38 homes, Jackie took a lead role in helping to determine what caused the accident and who was responsible along with ensuring that affected residents were made whole. Her work on this pipeline issue continues today as she advocates for stronger safety laws, improved regulation by the CPUC and higher accountability from PG&E which has adopted all of her safety recommendations.

She often speaks about her “A,B,C,D” plan which stands for accelerated withdrawal from Afghanistan, the need for bipartisan problem-solving in Congress, competitiveness in education and reduction of the national debt.

When asked for her philosophy of life, Jackie often quotes Winston Churchill: “Success is never final and failure is never fatal.”

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
California District #19

Lofgren is another incumbent redistricted into a new area. She is rated 100% by NARAL.

From her website:

Elected in 1994 as the only freshman Democrat from west of the Rockies.
Serves on Committee on Homeland Security
Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment, Ranking Minority Member
Subcommittee on Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Cybersecurity
Subcommittee on Management, Integration, and Oversight
Serves on Committee on the Judiciary:
Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.
Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims.
Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims
Serves on Committee on House Administration
Serves as the Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation (CDCD). The CDCD consists of 33 Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives from California. This group outnumbers all other state House delegations – Republicans and Democrats combined.

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
California District #18

Eshoo has a 100% rating from NARAL, indicating she is pro-choice.

From her website:

Anna G. Eshoo was first sworn in as a Member of the United States House of Representatives in 1993, after serving on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors for 10 years. For almost two decades in Congress she has defended consumers, promoted American competitiveness and innovation, fought for access to health care for families and children, protected the environment, and encouraged development of clean energy technology.

Rep. Eshoo has served on the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee since 1995 and is Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, which has primary jurisdiction over the Internet and telecommunications.

The Energy and Commerce Committee is responsible for legislation affecting Medicare, Medicaid, the National Institutes of Health, telecommunications, energy, the Internet, health-based environmental laws, children’s health, biotechnology, high technology, bioterrorism, interstate commerce, consumer protection, and food and drug safety. As a member of the Committee, Rep. Eshoo has influenced major initiatives such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the healthcare reform bill.

Rep. Eshoo also co-chairs the Congressional Internet Caucus, the E-911 Caucus and the House Medical Technology Caucus, and serves as Vice Chair of the 21st Century Health Care Caucus.

From 2002 through 2010, Rep. Eshoo served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. From 2007 to 2010, she chaired the Subcommittee on Intelligence Community Management which focuses on policies and management challenges affecting all 16 agencies that comprise the nation’s intelligence community. She has authored legislation to protect our national security and our civil liberties, improve Congressional oversight of the intelligence community, prevent conflicts of interest, and better meet the domestic and international security challenges of the 21st Century.

During her time in Congress, Rep. Eshoo has authored many landmark pieces of legislation which have been signed into law and shape our world today. Her accomplishments include:

Creating the use of electronic signatures, making legally binding digital documents possible and allowing online commerce to flourish;
Securing funding for broadband deployment, health information technology, and research and education for mathematics, life sciences, and engineering;
Giving discounts to schools and libraries to increase public Internet access;
Providing emergency call centers with funding to obtain the necessary technology to locate mobile phone users when they call 911;
Improving the energy efficiency of federal computer data centers;
Promoting better labeling and testing of pharmaceuticals for children;
Exempting FEMA mitigation grants from income taxes and saving homeowners from being required to pay the government for vital damage prevention;
Providing a pathway to create “generic” versions of biologic drugs which will lower the price of life-saving therapies and foster new medical innovations;
Ensuring that low-income women who are diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer receive treatment, and insurance companies pay for reconstructive surgery for these patients;
Reducing lead exposure from household water sources;
Lowering the volume of loud television advertisements.
Rep. Eshoo’s work consistently earns the highest approval from a wide range of organizations, including the League of Conservation Voters, Humane Society, American Association of University Women, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, Biotechnology Industry Organization, American College of Emergency Physicians, and the Science Coalition.

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
California District #27

One of MOMocrats' original Run, Mama Run candidates in 2008 won her 2012 primary handily. Faces her Republican opponent in November.

From her website:

Congresswoman Judy Chu has dedicated her life to improving the quality of life in the San Gabriel Valley. For the past 26 years, Dr. Chu has represented San Gabriel Valley neighborhoods as a local School Board member, Mayor and City Council member, State Assembly Member, as a member of the California State Board of Equalization and currently, as the Representative for the 32nd U.S. Congressional District.

Dr. Chu was sworn in as the Representative for the 32nd Congressional District, which stretches from East Los Angeles to Covina through the southern San Gabriel Valley, on July 16, 2009. She immediately began working to represent the interests of her constituents, voting on several environmental bills and working through the night on her first day in office, during a marathon debate on important healthcare reform legislation as part of her first assignment on the House Education and Labor Committee, where she served on the Subcommittees on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education and Healthy Families and Communities.

In the 112th Congress, Rep. Chu serves on the House Judiciary Committee, where she is a member of the Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security and the Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet subcommittees. She is also a member of the House Small Business Committee, where she is leading the Contracting and Workforce Subcommittee as the Ranking Democrat and serves on the Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access and Agriculture, Energy and Trade Subcommittees. In 2011, she was elected as the Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC).

In addition to her vote in favor of passage of the historic health care reform bill, Rep. Chu has championed a number of causes in Congress. She has used her extensive experience as a legislator and educator to help improve our nation's education system, helping pass a landmark college affordability bill to boost federal college grants and keep student loan interest rates low. Last year, she also introduced a bill that would maintain adequate federal funding for much needed school lunch programs.

She has also unveiled a new framework for awarding School Improvement Grants called Strengthening Our Schools (SOS), which provides a more holistic and research-based alternative to the more punitive and overly restrictive guidelines currently used.

She has continued to work hard to help Americans emerge from the Great Recession, co-sponsoring a bill that would extend and expand the enormously successful Jobs NOW program, which uses federal stimulus funds to subsidize jobs at the local level and has already resulted in more than 11,000 jobs in Los Angeles County alone.

Congresswoman Chu is also a supporter of effective and fair immigration reform, and was an original co-sponsor of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR-ASAP) bill.

State House of Representatives
Ohio District #21

Donna and her husband, Roger, are both public school teachers. O'Connor is running on an education platform.

From her website:

"When I look at what is at stake for us, I’m ready to fight for and be inspired by the people in this district. I’m ready to fight for policies that are good for all of us, and not just good for a few. I look forward to the opportunity to serve you as I have served hundreds of students, with passion and dedication. I need your support to continue our fight inside the Statehouse for the future of public education, for economic opportunities for our middle class and for equal opportunities for my children and yours.

The current leadership in the Statehouse continues to support legislation that suppresses voters and dramatically cuts funds to local municipalities and public schools. And while budgets are shrinking for the average taxpayer, politicians continue to pass legislation providing loopholes and tax exemptions for the most wealthy and connected Ohioans."

State Senate
Ohio, District #26

Retired schoolteacher, mother and grandmother: Tanyce has been active in education associations and local Democratic politics.

From her website:

Tanyce Addison is running for the Ohio Senate Seat in the 26th District. She believes it is time for a new voice to lead that has experience to listen. Tanyce recently retired from teaching in the public schools for thirty years. She directed bands and choirs in the Ridgedale and Elgin Local School Districts in Marion County. She served as the Education Association president, vice president and secretary and negotiated four contracts. She still serves as the political action coordinator for Central OEA/NEA in Marion, Union and Delaware Counties.

State Representative
Ohio District #86

The longtime environmental advocate was inspired to run by the Republican War on Women.

From Progressive Majority:

"Cheryl has been an advocate for the environment, agriculture and rural living for many years. She has close ties to the agricultural community in her area and was raised on one of the last farms in Strongsville. Cheryl saw the attacks on women’s health, workers, the elderly and environment and knew that she had to do something. She decided to run for office to stand up to the Republicans in Columbus. She was chosen as a National Wildlife Federation Women for Sustainable Development Fellow and received the National Conservation Achievement Award in 2006. She worked for the Ohio Environmental Council as the Director of Ohio River Programs and is currently the Executive Director of the Buckeye Forest Council."

State Senate
Ohio District #20

Scarmack is another Ohio public school teacher fighting for education and women's health by running for state legislature.

From her website:

Teresa Scarmack's entry into the political arena is driven by an unfading sense of fair-mindedness and a passion to do good for others, especially children. Emphasizing early education and lifelong learning are priorities in her effort to strengthen families and disrupt the cycle of poverty all too common throughout the 20th district. The Senate district includes Guernsey, Muskingum, Morgan, Hocking, Fairfield and parts of Athens and Pickaway counties.

In considering the best interests of her constituents, Teresa will vigorously advocate for the most sensible, humane and just solutions and she will sponsor the most appropriate initiatives. Teresa is committed to being a strong voice in the region for employment opportunities, sustainable economic development, law and order, public safety, senior rights and environmental stewardship.

Incumbent
Island County Commissioner (Washington State)
District 1

In 2008, incumbent Johnson became the first woman elected to the Board of Island County Commissioners.

From her website:

Helen Price Johnson grew up on Whidbey Island, graduating from Langley High School and then earning a degree from Mills College in Administration and Legal Processes.  She and her husband Dave raised their four children here.  She is a third generation small business owner on the island.

Helen has spent her adult life in service to our community, recognized for this service by being named a Home Town Hero in 2004.  She served two terms as a school board member for South Whidbey School District and in 2008 made history by becoming the first woman elected to the Board of Island County Commissioners.

State Representative
Oregon, District #36

Education activism drove Williamson into politics. She is a former staffer for Senator Mark Hatfield.

From her website:

Jennifer first entered the world of politics by accident. While attending the University of Oregon, proposed cuts in financial aid Pell grants and work-study programs threatened to end her academic career before it had really started. Unwilling to let go of her dream of a college education, she became an education activist. A path that lead her to Washington D.C. to work for Senator Mark O. Hatfield to ensure all Oregonians have access to higher education. She went on to receive her JD, cum laude, from Willamette University.

Jennifer believes that a woman’s right to choose should be unconditional. Her path started as a clinic escort, she helped organize a national public education campaign for the Feminist Majority Foundation (national foundation) and locally with NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon, and immediate past Chair of the Board for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon.

Incumbent
State Senate
Wisconsin, District #18

King was one of the Democrats who defeated Scott Walker's Senate cronies in the 2011 recall. She is running for re-election.

From her website:

Jessica King was born and raised in Fond du Lac County by disabled parents, and overcame many life challenges at a young age. Becoming a ward of the state at age 15, Jessica put herself through college with hard work and scholarships. Jessica earned several academic and leadership honors during her college career at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. After college King pursued a law degree and graduated from Thomas Jefferson Law School.

In 2004 Jessica came back to Oshkosh to help with her parents as they battled cancer and kidney failure. King wanted to give back to the community that had given so much to her and became very involved in several community groups. She has served as an adjunct professor at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. In 2005 Jessica was awarded the Outstanding Organization Advisor Award for her mentorship of undergraduates involved in various extra-curricular programs.

She opened her own small business and ran for Oshkosh City Council. She has been serving her 65,000 constituents since 2007. She currently serves as Deputy Mayor of Oshkosh. In 2008 Jessica was awarded the Democratic party of Wisconsin’s Eleanor Roosevelt Award. This award honors a local elected official’s commitment to pursuing strong public policy on behalf of her constituents.

Incumbent
State Senate
Wisconsin, District #32

Schilling is one of two Democrats who defeated Scott Walker's cronies in the 2011 recall. She needs to hold on to her seat in 2012 to keep Walker from doing any more damage to Wisconsin workers.

From her website:

Jennifer Shilling lives in La Crosse with her husband Chris, and sons Nathan and Zachary. She has been an active member of the La Crosse community since she was a student at UW-La Crosse. She served as a La Crosse County Supervisor and was first elected to the State Assembly in 2000. In 2011, she won a special election and is currently serving in her first term as a State Senator.

State House of Representatives
Pennsylvania District #185

Rzucidlo is a businesswoman, farmer and mother of four, including a child with a disability. VoteSmart.org lists a 100% Planned Parenthood rating in 2010.

From her website:

"I am a farmer, business owner, advocate, wife and mother of four.  I am running for office because I believe we deserve a Representative who will work for the people, someone who shares our values and commitment to improving the quality of life for all Pennsylvanians. In 2004 I founded SPEAK Unlimited, Inc., a nonprofit organization that educates police officers, firefighters, and EMTs about how to communicate with and serve people with disabilities. I provide free advocacy services to anyone in need and I have done a lot of good things for our community and our state. I co-created  the Pennsylvania Premise Alert System, gifted to the state in 2008, which allows individuals with disabilities to notify first responders of their needs in the event of an emergency. This program has been replicated by law in two states and many other communities across the nation and in Canada.  I was elected by Parenting magazine as Pennsylvania’s delegate to the 2012 Mom Congress on Education  and have developed many innovative programs in education, public safety, criminal justice, and disability awareness.  I am a person who knows how to get things done and is committed to working for people."

 

US House of Representatives
Indiana District #9

Twenty years ago, Yoder represented her state as Miss Indiana. Now, she is hoping to unseat Tea Party Republican Todd Young, the anti-choice Congressman from the 9th District. She has been endorsed by the Women's Campaign Fund. As of this writing, NARAL is unaware of her position on choice.

From her website:

Shelli has spent a significant portion of her professional career leading non-profits related to health care and the improvement of conditions in hurting communities. In those roles, Shelli has developed a proven record of balancing budgets and forging partnerships among diverse groups of stakeholders. In the 1990s she was the director of a shelter for at-risk youth in South Bend. More recently she was the Executive Director of the Eating Disorders Coalition of Tennessee, the only statewide nonprofit in the Southeast dedicated to eating disorder awareness, education, and prevention. Prior to that appointment, she spent three years as a senior staffer with GirlForce, a nonprofit affiliate of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center that focused on wellness issues facing at-risk adolescent girls.

In each of these roles Shelli worked with a variety of health care providers to better understand challenges facing the health care system and the delivery of care to those who are in need. Her work was recognized in 2008 by the Nashville Business Journal, who awarded her with their “Women of Influence” Award for non-profit leadership and the Nashville District Dietetic Association, who awarded her their “Iris Award” for major contributions to the field of nutrition by a non-registered dietician.

Most recently, Shelli worked as an Associate Director of Professional Development for Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, where she helped the leaders of tomorrow find jobs today.

Along each step of her educational and professional career Shelli has worked to improve the lives of others. She knows how to tackle tough issues, and she has a track record of achieving positive results. And Shelli knows how to listen. Hers is a brand of collaborative leadership that will bring a fresh voice to Congress. She’s ready to fight for us, our families, and our communities, just like she always has.

Incumbent
US House of Representatives
California District #32

Missouri State House of Representatives
District 94

From her website:

A south county native, Vicki attended St. Catherine Laboure grade school, Lindbergh High School and was the first member of her family to attend college. The daughter of a Vietnam veteran and a Transportation Department employee, Vicki worked hard to pay her own way through college and graduated with a combined Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts Degree in Political Science from The American University in Washington, D.C.

Vicki made the most of the opportunities that going to college in Washington, D.C. afforded her. In 1992 she volunteered for the Clinton-Gore campaign and in 1993 worked as an intern for Congressman Dick Gephardt who served at the time as House Majority Leader. In 1997 Vicki accepted a position with the Small Business Administration. While with the SBA, Vicki worked hard on behalf of small business owners writing legislation and monitoring bills on Capitol Hill. She saw first hand how small business owners are affected by government policies. Those issues deeply affected Vicki and do to this day being a small business owner herself. She started www.giftpakexpress.com in 1999 and continues this enterprise today.

In 2001, Vicki and her husband, Patrik, did what St. Louisans do. When they decided it was time to start a family, they moved back to St. Louis. Vicki accepted a position with the St. Louis County Economic Council and served as South County Sector Specialist from 2001-2004. In 2002 Vicki was recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal as a “30 under 30” award winner.

In 2004, Vicki filed as a candidate for the 6th District County Council seat. In an extraordinary act of loyalty to the Democratic Party, Vicki stepped aside to avoid a primary contest. She has spent her life preparing herself to serve the families, businesses and schools of South County.

In 2008, Vicki was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives to represent the 85th District in South St. Louis County. She was unsuccessful in her 2010 bid for re-election but was elected to the Lindbergh Schools Board of Education on April 5, 2011.