Run for Something June 2020 Endorsements

Across the country, communities are crying out for change in protests and marches. Run for Something is proud to announce our June round of endorsements for state and local leaders who are rising to meet the moment.

These 61 first-time candidates are taking a stand against racism in their communities and will be strong voices in the next generation of progressive leadership. Our roster of endorsees is now up to 1223 candidates, from every single state.

By the numbers:

• 61 candidates from 24 states endorsed this month, including eight alumni
• 41% of June endorsees are BIPOC, 49% identify as women, 23% are LGBTQ+
• 1223 candidates have been endorsed in total, and 310 have won.

CANDIDATES

Arkansas

Michael Bennett-Spears
Arkansas House, District 87

Michael grew up in rural Northeastern Arkansas watching his parents work hard and struggle to make ends meet; a fair living wage is personal to him. Our community voted for wage increases, and we need a representative who will respect our vote. Michael attended a small, underfunded public school until he went to Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts; he wants to go to Little Rock to support our public schools and our teachers, so every student has the opportunities he did without leaving their home.

California

Ryan Valencia
Simi Valley City Council, District 3

Ryan is the proud product of his hometown of Simi Valley and its public schools. After graduating from Royal High School, he then received a Bachelor’s degree from Penn State University, where he became the first person in his family to graduate from college

Ryan’s commitment to service began when he was just 16 years old and received his first city appointment as part of the Simi Valley Youth Council. Since then, Ryan has served on the Simi Valley Youth Employment Service (YES) Advisory Board, Simi Valley Task Force on Homelessness, and is a founding member of the Simi Valley Business Incubator Committee. A dedicated public servant, Ryan currently works as District Director for California’s 38th State Assembly District, where he oversees constituent services and community engagement with the district’s nearly half a million constituents.

Connecticut

Justin Farmer
Connecticut Senate, District 17

Justin Farmer is a 25-year-old activist elected official. He is currently serving as Hamden Legislative Councilman, District 5 and is now running for Connecticut State Senate. Justin’s experience as a seasoned community organizer has enabled him to build some of the strongest grassroots campaigns in state history. For Justin, the issues he champions are personal. Justin was diagnosed with Tourette’s at age 17, after years of fighting and advocating for himself in a system that can often leave our students most in need without critical help or resources. Justin quickly realized that it wasn’t enough to advocate only for himself. The issues he faced are systemic and until these systems are changed, our students and communities will continue to suffer the generational consequences. Through the years, Justin found that these issues did not stop with our system of education, but rather extended to public transportation, healthcare, the job market, and more. Justin is not just a champion on these issues — he is engaged in the solutions on a personal level.

Florida

Pasha Baker
Florida House, District 28

Pasha is a 3rd generation resident of Seminole County who doesn’t just understand the struggles of a too long neglected community, she lives it. After graduating from USF and having taken executive courses at Yale, Pasha set out to work in the private sector. However, once she realized the needs of her Sanford community, she returned to help preserve Black history in her family’s non-profit museum. Since then, Pasha has worked tirelessly to connect her community with the services and programs they need and deserve. Pasha ran for Mayor of Sanford as the first Black and first woman to run for this seat but lost by a narrow margin, shaking up the establishment in 2018. Pasha has not stopped campaigning to bring a voice to government that looks like, sounds like, and lives like her and many like her.

Marco Giron
Miami-Dade County Community Council 5, Subarea 53

Marco is a first-generation American who has dedicated his life to serving the community and standing up for justice, equality, and opportunity for all. Involved with various civic and non-profit organizations as a public servant, he has earned the respect as one of South Florida’s rising leaders, working tirelessly on behalf of residents. With nearly 10 years of experience in government serving as a public affairs professional and legislative advisor, Marco’s significant roles in government administration have garnered him a reputation as a trusted and reliable advocate for citizens. Marco has worked for two of Florida’s largest municipalities, the City of Miami and the City of Doral, where he managed major city projects and assisted in developing government policy.

Jasmen Rogers-Shaw
Florida House, District 95

Jasmen (she/her/hers) has worked for several years advancing legislation that centers Black women, co-creating curriculum that makes the political process accessible, and building a base of women of color committed to Reproductive Justice. In her most recent role as the Florida Black/African American Outreach Director on the Elizabeth Warren for President campaign, Jasmen worked with a team of folks to synthesize information in a way that appeals to the concerns of Black and African-American constituencies, while executing a plan for genuine engagement and political education.

Alexandria Ayala
Palm Beach County School Board, District 2

Alexandria was born in San German, Puerto Rico, and raised in Palm Beach County, Florida. As a resident of the Village of Palm Springs, she attended Palm Springs Elementary, Palm Springs Middle ,and graduated from John I. Leonard High School. As a former Legislative Aide in Tallahassee, Alexandria served constituents and worked on policy issues that impacted Palm Beach County’s families, businesses, and schools. As a community activist, Alexandria has championed causes and issues focused on empowering our communities, supporting women, and increasing voter participation. Now, as a Legislative Aide on our County Commission, Alexandria works each day to address community concerns, form successful partnerships, and support policy initiatives which foster successful programs that will strengthen our neighborhoods.

Sarah Leonardi
Broward County School Board, Seat 3

Sarah has been teaching in Broward’s high schools for almost a decade. As a child living abroad, especially in Egypt, she saw the importance of access to a good education. She became a teacher, like her mother, to make a difference in this world. She is passionate about uplifting the voices of educators and students and focusing on issues that are important to the people who go into our schools every day. That means prioritizing employee salaries, making sure our classrooms are free of mold, and making our school system accessible and transparent to everyone.

Ruby Green
Broward County Public Defender

Ruby is an Assistant Public Defender in Broward County where she has held both a Supervisory and Chief role. She grew up in Pompano Beach, FL, and is the only one of fifteen children to attend and graduate from college, graduating from law school two years later.

Ruby is actively involved in the community; currently she serves as the first black woman President of the Broward Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Community Pulse Chair of the T.J. Reddick Bar Association. She is a member of New Leaders Council, the Judicial Diversity Initiative, League of Women Voters Juvenile Justice Committee Chair, the National Council of Negro Women, Broward Young Black Progressives, Black Public Defender Association, and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Ruby is a proud recipient of Legacy Miami’s Top 40 Under 40 Leaders of Today and Tomorrow and has hosted various ‘Know Your Rights’ forums.

Andrew Learned
Florida House, District 59

Andrew is a Navy veteran of ten years running to serve the community he grew up in. He has served as an officer in the US Navy for 10 years and on three Middle East deployments. He has led boarding missions against Somali pirates, served as an assistant chief engineer on a deployed warship, and led planning against ISIS in Iraq, Yemen and Syria. He currently serves as a Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy Reserve with Special Operations Command Central out of Tampa’s MacDill AFB. After his last deployment, Andrew opened GradePower Learning Valrico. As an education advocate and a small business owner, he works directly with local teachers and families, and has seen the education and resource disparities that exist in Hillsborough County, one of largest school districts in the country. During the COVID-19 crisis, Andrew successfully converted 90% of his business online so that he could continue to serve the students and families while keeping them and his staff safe.

Henry Duhart
St. Lucie County Board of Commissioners, District 5

Henry was born and raised in Fort Pierce. He is the product of a community that believes in investing in its youth, because youth cannot only impact the future, but the present. His father, Henry Duhart Sr., has been a loyal and dedicated worker for the city of Fort Pierce ever since Henry could remember and his mother, Miriam Robinson, has worked as a caregiver for young people with disabilities and mental health illnesses for most of his life as well.

Georgia

Marc Arnett
Georgia House, District 138

Marc is an advocate and community organizer that has been on the frontlines advocating for equity and social justice. Marc has spent years helping students in his community see beyond any limitations and achieve their greatest potential. He’s running to represent District 138, a district deserving of effective leadership. Marc cares about making sure the citizens of his district have access to affordable health care. He is passionate about making his home district a great place to live, visit and do business. Marc lives in Americus, GA, with his wife and sons.

Illinois

Abbi Sorrells
McLean County Coroner

Abbi is a Registered Nurse with a background primarily in emergency nursing and critical care who is running for McLean County Coroner. Abbi has worked as a flight nurse serving rural communities and as an ER nurse, where she has spent the majority of her time working with life-threatening cases at Critical Access and Level 1 Trauma Centers throughout Illinois. Abbi has established outstanding working relationships with local EMS agencies and Law Enforcement. Abbi believes that the Coroner is in a position to greatly influence the health and lives of those in her county. Her knowledge, experience, and education will allow her to build collaborative relationships with existing organizations in McLean County to implement programs aimed at helping those in her county live healthier and longer lives. Abbi wants to be a public servant who is active in her community, so when tragedy strikes they know the woman who is helping them cope with it. She understands the importance of helping families that have experienced a traumatic event in their lives, and having compassion for everyone, no matter their social status.

Rachael Lund
McLean County Board, District 5

Rachael is an Illinois native, born and raised in Rock Island. She earned two engineering degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, went on to work as a Systems Engineer for the Department of Defense in Virginia for seven years, and returned to Illinois in January 2019 to work as a Researcher at State Farm. Rachael knew right away that Bloomington-Normal was the place she wanted to call home. She is committed to building upon community strengths and introducing new ideas based on her professional background and lived experiences. In her spare time, Rachael enjoys hiking with her dog, Diefenbaker.

Indiana

Pablo Hurtado
Indiana House, District 85

Pablo is a first-generation American, bilingual community organizer, Founder and President of the Latino Democrats of Allen County, and member of the Central Committee for the Allen County Democratic Party. Pablo is determined to work for Hoosiers and be the representative they deserve. His platform is built on providing a sustainable world and equality for the generations that will follow. His campaign will focus on three core issues that are incredibly important to Hoosiers: Education, Workers’ Rights, and Housing.

Fady Qaddoura
Indiana Senate, District 30

Fady is a public servant trained in the field of public administration, public finance, and public policy. He holds a masters and a PhD from IUPUI with a specific focus on public affairs/administration, public policy, and philanthropy. His public service career included employment at the IN General Assembly, IN State Department of Workforce Development, IN State Family and Social Services Administration, and as Indianapolis’ City Controller. He helped with the expansion of health care in Indiana (HIP 2.0) and balanced Indy’s budgets. He has taught public finance as an adjunct faculty at IUPUI’s O’Neil School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Fady supports many nonprofits and has dedicated his life to public service.

Iowa

Nick Barton
Polk County Board of Supervisors, District 3

Nick has spent most of his life working to elect progressive Democrats to public office. Originally from Massachusetts, Nick moved to Iowa in 2015 to get involved in the state’s famous caucuses, and then served as Communications Director for the Iowa Democratic Party’s Senate Majority Fund and as a local small business specialist with Apple. What Nick thought would be a 6-month stint in the Hawkeye State has turned into five years and a new permanent home in central Iowa. When it became clear no Democrat was planning to run for County Supervisor, Nick wanted to make sure the voters of Polk County’s 3rd District would have a progressive choice on the ballot in November. So he decided to step up and run himself. Nick will be the youngest and second openly gay member of the Polk County Board of Supervisors, and is committed to making county government a force for positive change in the community. He is focused on improving mental health services, protecting conservation programs, promoting open and accountable government, and listening to and amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities throughout the county.

Kansas

Katie Dixon
Kansas House, District 49

Katie and her family have lived in Olathe for the past seven years. Katie graduated with honors from Park University, earning her Bachelors of Science in Chemistry. Katie worked for an oil pipeline as a quality control specialist for several years. In 2017, Katie decided to make a career change and is currently a financial advisor. Katie spends her spare time staying active with her partner Brandon and her 13 year old son, Quentin. They enjoy crossfit, hiking, visiting museums, and hanging out at the dog park with their 3 dogs.

Cole Fine
Kansas House, District 15

Born and raised in Johnson County, Cole is a lifelong Kansan and proud graduate of Kansas public schools by way of the Blue Valley School District. He recently graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a B.S./B.A. in Political Science, concentrated in Public Law and Theory. Cole served as Student Body President, working to secure tens of millions of dollars in funding to ensure sufficient mental and physical healthcare for the students at UCM. As Student Body President, he also had the opportunity to lead on a variety of legislative advocacy efforts. As a college student, Cole held positions of leadership at UCM and spearheaded resource efforts to support at-risk students. He also worked with The American Democracy Project, a nonpartisan organization focused on civic engagement — informing, educating, and registering voters, regardless of political affiliation.

Kentucky

Liz Sheehan
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council, District 5

Dr. Liz Sheehan is running to represent Lexington’s 5th District on city council. Her passion for and service to this community has led her to decide to run. Currently serving as a faculty member and advisor at the University of Kentucky, Liz plans to use her background as an educator to make our city more accessible to the people who live here by finding ways to bring people into the process. Liz is driven by service to others and is never afraid to step up to lead. Whether she’s volunteering as her daughter’s Girl Scout troop leader or serving as Chair of Lexington Fairness and Vice Chair of the LFUCG Environmental Commission, Liz comes ready to work towards a better tomorrow. As part of her service project for Leadership Lexington, Liz helped spearhead an effort to build a more compassionate city by encouraging acts of service throughout Lexington in a movement called #LexGiveBack, now in its third year. Building a more inclusive city means planning for the future by looking at every choice we make now.

Christine Stanley
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council, District 3

Christine is an attorney and community activist with experience on the front lines of healthcare reform, municipal law education, and the fight for human rights. She has worked to combat discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations and to preserve farmland. Christine serves on numerous boards that work to enhance the livability of our community for all Lexingtonians. Christine is an advocate for affordable housing, sustainable growth, public transportation, more bike and pedestrian accessibility, trans*-inclusive health benefits, banning conversion therapy, and dismantling structural racism. Christine lives with her husband Justin and their three dogs, Starbuck, Apollo, and Athena.

Massachusetts

Catia Sharp
Massachusetts House, 27th Middlesex District “

Catia is running to represent Somerville’s 27th Middlesex District in the Massachusetts General Court to put people first and address the root causes of problems. Catia loves Somerville for its vibrancy and sense of community, and has lived here for her entire adult life. Catia’s passion for service began at the dinner table watching her father counsel low-income criminal defendants. She understands Somerville’s biggest challenges through life experience, as a long-time renter and as a kid whose parents went through bankruptcy to discharge medical debt after a tragic accident. If elected, Catia seeks to address a crisis of housing affordability; invest in safe and reliable transportation; and reduce environmental pollution and climate change.

Meg Wheeler
Massachusetts Senate, Plymouth & Norfolk District

Meg is a Cohasset resident, mother, and small business owner running to represent the Massachusetts Plymouth and Norfolk District in the State Senate. Meg is a current member of Cohasset’s Advisory Committee, the Chair of the Cohasset Democratic Town Committee, and a member of Emerge’s Class of 2020. A former CPA, she is a small business owner and entrepreneur providing business and financial coaching and education to primarily women entrepreneurs. Meg also founded an online women’s community and podcast focused on empowering women and combating gender inequality. Meg is running for State Senate because she believes our district deserves better representation, with a State Senator who is willing to fight for bold action on the issues that are critical to this district — everything from climate crisis to underfunded public schools and the need for quality and affordable childcare. Meg will bring a fresh perspective to the State Senate and will be a vocal and transparent voice for all of us.

Erika Uyterhoeven
Massachusetts House, 27th Middlesex District

Erika is running to fight for a government that works for the many, not the few. As an organizer, an antitrust economist, a democratic socialist, and a proud daughter of a single mother, Erika understands both the struggles working people face and the mechanisms by which corporations take control of our government to rig the rules in their favor. Erika co-founded Act on Mass, a nonprofit dedicated to activating grassroots organizers and voters to hold the Massachusetts State House accountable on progressive issues.

Brendan Roche
Massachusetts House, 1st Bristol District

Brendan is a lifelong resident of Mansfield and an active community member. He has been active in the youth sports organizations and on the Mansfield Master Plan Committee. Brendan is currently working at an architecture firm, after graduating from college with a B.S. and a Masters in Architecture. He is currently a member of the Mansfield Democratic Town Committee, where he has served as Vice-Chair, and the Neponset Valley Young Democrats, where he has served as chapter chair. He has volunteered for and helped elect multiple Democrats to the State House. Brendan is running for State Representative because we have a state legislature that is slow to address the challenges of today and fails to plan for the opportunities of tomorrow. Brendan is focused on making our public transit system affordable, reliable, and safe; dealing with the effects of climate change and saving our environment; and improving public schools with the funding and resources they need. He brings in new ideas, using the skills from architecture and design, to take on today’s challenges and plan for the opportunities of the future.

Courtney Madden
Norfolk County Register Of Probate

Courtney is an attorney, non-profit executive, and advocate with the skills and experience to innovate and reimagine Family and Probate Court. Courtney is running for Norfolk County Register of Probate because this is about home and home matters.

Presently, Courtney is leading New Leaders Council, the country’s largest progressive leadership training program, where she is tasked with building partnerships and overseeing operations in 50 sites across 30 states. Always seeking a collaborative approach, Courtney is a founder and chair of the National Pipeline Table, a coalition of over 25 organizations supporting rising leaders. Her unique set of skills in management, empowerment, and collaboration partnered with her legal background make Courtney stand out as the right leader for Norfolk County. Courtney plans to scale digital infrastructure and investments in e-filing systems, build partnerships that infuse trauma-informed services for successful outcomes inside and outside of the courtroom, and increase accessibility to all platforms and programming.

Michigan

Cade Wilson
Michigan House, District 72

Cade is an educator and advocate in Michigan’s 72nd District, home to the state’s most diverse school district. With direct experience in immigration policy, educational justice, and LGBTQ advocacy, Cade is ready to flip his district blue. While he has lived in West Michigan for many years, Cade has also spent time living in Chicago, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and metro Detroit. After living in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Cade committed to earning a graduate degree in immigration studies where he focused on discriminatory policies targeting Arab and Muslim communities. Through this lens, Cade saw the glaring inequalities and inequities in too many areas of our society and began working as an agent of change in after school education. While choosing to work as an educator in the same district he lives, Cade has advocated for a just educational system that works for all students, immigrant rights, the protection of our environment, and equal protections for our LGBTQ communities. While this district has never seen a Democrat hold the seat, Cade is ready to flip this seat and lead in Lansing.

Carly Hammond
Michigan House, District 95

Carly is a 24-year-old progressive who has an extensive community organizing and environmental justice background in Saginaw and Genesee counties. She worked with Michigan United in Flint to organize protests, host community meetings, and conduct press conferences around the Flint Water Crisis. In Saginaw, she’s worked extensively around youth organizing and developing progressive policy. She led a team in 2018 to register over 1,200 students to vote. At the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, she developed policies alongside the late State Rep. Isaac Robinson to protect vulnerable communities including incarcerated and undocumented persons. Most recently, she co-organized a peaceful protest and march against police brutality that drew over 2,000 participants in Saginaw that released policy points to encourage better police procedures and accountability practices.

Travis Radina
Ann Arbor City Council, Ward 3

Travis currently serves as Ann Arbor’s LGBTQ Liaison to the Mayor and as President of the Jim Toy Community Center — Washtenaw County’s non-profit LGBTQ Resource Center which oversees Ann Arbor Pride. In these roles, he has dedicated himself to improving the lives of his neighbors and the community he loves. Travis is running for City Council because he believes that Ann Arbor residents pay for and deserve better-than-basic public services, because Ann Arbor is in the midst of a housing and affordability crisis that is threatening the city’s future, and because access to clean drinking water should be a basic human right. He’s running to help achieve the city’s ambitious carbon neutrality goals and to expand upon the city’s long history of leadership on human and civil rights while addressing the systemic inequities that have made his region one of the worst in the nation in economic segregation and income inequality.

Brandell Adams
Michigan House, District 95

Brandell was raised in Saginaw County and attended Saginaw Public Schools as well as Bridgeport Public Schools. He is a graduate of Bridgeport Community High School and has distinguished himself in academic pursuits and working to strengthen the community through local church initiatives and within the Democratic Party. Brandell obtained his Associates of Science in Business from Cornerstone University and his Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Saginaw Valley State University. He has nearly fifteen years of business experience based in the hotel and hospitality industry. Before seeking to serve the community in public office, Brandell volunteered in several local churches, most notably, Old Town Christian Outreach Center and visited shut-ins at many of Saginaw’s nursing facilities. He also studied under some of Saginaw’s most accomplished community organizers and with this experience, realized how important it is to partner with the disenfranchised, allowing them to engage in local politics and create positive change. Brandell has worked within the Saginaw County Democratic Party for some time, supporting local candidates and fundraising for the party and is also a member of the NAACP. After calls from the community, the party and loved ones to run himself, he heeded the call.

George Etheridge
Michigan House, District 8

George is a City Planner and Policy Analyst for the Detroit City Council specializing in Land Use, Zoning and Economic Development. In 1999, George was appointed by the Office of U.S. Senator Carl Levin to serve as a Legislative Page to the U.S. Senate for the 105th Congress where he played a vital role in researching issues and crafting policy which would ultimately shape the nation in regards to gun control, health care, workforce investment, children’s online privacy protection, and funding for the arts.

In 2000, George was selected to represent the Detroit Region as a Youth Ambassador to Israel through the American Israeli Friendship League where he traveled the country of Israel lecturing youth in both Jewish and Islamic communities about the commonalities between us all. George began his career with the City of Detroit as Community Liaison in 2005, and then became the Director of Economic Policy for the Office of the Honorable Barbara-Rose Collins, former Chair of the Detroit City Council’s Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee. Since 2009, George has served as a City Planner/Land Use and Zoning Specialist and as a Legislative Policy Analyst. He also serves as the Neighborhood Association President for the Castle Rouge Civic Association and Precinct Delegate for the 13th Congressional District — Precinct 351. He now serves as the Chair for the Policies and Resolutions Committee for the 13th Congressional District.

Meredith Place
Kalamazoo County Clerk/Register of Deeds

Meredith is a Kalamazoo County Commissioner (elected as a Run for Something endorsed candidate in 2018) who learned at an early age that politics is personal.

She’s running to be the first Democratic Kalamazoo County Clerk/Register of Deeds. There has not been a change in the County Clerk’s office in 24 years! Meredith’s ready to get to work — she’s running to improve access and participation in our democracy, to expand voter outreach and engagement, and to protect the security and integrity of our elections.

Stephen Wooden
Kent County Commission, District 18

Stephen was elected to the Kent County Commission in 2018 (and endorsed by Run for Something), defeating the last Republican who held public office in Grand Rapids. On the commission, he has been an advocate for equitable funding for core communities, supporting sustainable businesses, and prioritizing housing affordability. He helped secure $6 million towards homelessness prevention and safer sheltering during the COVID-19 pandemic and is working to ensure small business relief supports those most vulnerable in the community.

Rayonte Bell
Berrien County Board of Commissioners, District 5

Rayonte is a local activist and serves his community in many ways. A native of St. Joseph Township, Rayonte is a 2017 graduate of Countryside Academy in Benton Harbor. He went on to Southwestern Michigan College, where he co-founded the Black Student Union, served as VP of the Council of Student Organizations, and led in campus ministry. He later transferred to Lake Michigan College, where he helped organize the Black Student Caucus. Rayonte is currently a member of the S.H.A.R.P. Foundation (Society Harmonizing Against Racial Profiling), the NAACP, and is on the Youth Task Force for the Michigan Democratic Party’s Black Caucus. He currently serves in worship and Sunday School ministry in his local church and has volunteered with Feeding America.

Minnesota

Justin Stofferahn
Minnesota Senate, District 38

Justin is a husband, father, and policy nerd running to be the next Minnesota State Senator from District 38 in the northeast Twin Cities metro. Justin has spent his career advocating for economic opportunity. He currently works for the BlueGreen Alliance working to combat climate change while creating good-paying jobs. He previously spent time advocating for rural communities through the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities and working at the Department of Revenue to overhaul the state’s tax code. Justin is running because he believes the state government can create opportunity for every Minnesotan by investing in families, schools, and small businesses. He lives in White Bear Township with his wife Marissa and their two young children, Freddy and Verity.”

New Hampshire

Willis Griffith
New Hampshire House, Hillsborough 18 District

Willis is a NH native, coach, and educator. In his first elected term in the NH House, Willis served on the Ways & Means Committee, was elected to Chair the 32-member Young Democrats Caucus, and was named an Assistant Majority Leader. Willis also sponsored legislation on affordable housing, student loans, legislative reform, and financial literacy — all of which passed the House.

Brittney Joyce
New Hampshire House, Grafton District 12

Brittney is a native Texan turned Granite Stater, having moved to the Upper Valley of New Hampshire four years ago. Working as an enrollment management consultant, Brittney has dedicated her to supporting access and equity in higher education, working to support students transitioning from high school to college. Her focus on issues impacting students, young families, and children is personal, having been a young, uninsured, unemployed mother while enrolled in graduate school. Her struggle through public social assistance programs reinforced her concern for the gaps young families and adults must navigate on the road to social mobility and economic recovery. A progressive, creative problem-solver, Brittney brings her voice as a young parent to advocate compassionately for those starting their lives in New Hampshire and finding they need help.

Emmett Soldati
New Hampshire Executive Council, District 2

Emmett is a small business owner, activist, and proud townie. He grew up in Somersworth — one of the poorest and smallest cities in New Hampshire — and has committed himself to enhancing the vibrancy and community of his hometown. As the owner of a popular LGBTQ+ space, he has seen first hand the power of creating space for neighbors to come together around shared values. He’s running for Executive Council in NH to expand access to others who have been left out of the conversation to appoint leaders to agencies and commissions with diverse perspectives on what life is like for Granite Staters, with lived experience that relates to the complex issues we are working to solve, to ensure that the businesses we engage with have strong anti-discrimination policies and pay fair wages, and to safeguard our courts against corporate, partisan, and conservative interests.

New York

Dylan Rice
New York Assembly, District 8

Dylan is a 23-year-old student activist running for New York State Assembly, District 8 on Long Island, which includes his hometown of Smithtown. He co-founded his college’s College Democrats chapter and served as a Community College Representative in the SUNY Student Assembly. He has also been active within his community through political and local advocacy groups, and wants to bring a much-needed change in representation to it. His main goals are to protect working families in the wake of COVID-19, pass the New York Health Act to provide universal healthcare to New Yorkers, make public higher education tuition-free, and to increase environmental protection and green energy development within New York. Addressing discrimination and injustice in all forms is another main priority as his home and community of Long Island is a product of institutionalized racism through redlining and other forms of de facto segregation. Dylan wants to make New York work for all New Yorkers.

Ohio

Crystal Lett
Ohio Senate, District 16

After graduating from Hilliard Davidson High School and The Ohio State University, Crystal decided to serve her community by working with children as a Certified Mental Health Professional at North Central Mental Health. Crystal lost her brother to suicide, motivating her passion for mental health policy and advocacy. Crystal left that position when her first-born son was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder and required consistent care. CHIP healthcare coverage made it possible for Crystal to provide her son with the treatments he needed. When CHIP funding came under attack, Crystal traveled to Washington, DC, on behalf of the Ohio Children’s Hospital Network to advocate for CHIP families. US Senator Sherrod Brown invited Crystal to work directly with his office to fight for CHIP families and funding. Crystal went on to work alongside PL+US to advocate for paid family leave and created a nonpartisan women’s political discussion group.

Pavan Parikh
Hamilton County Probate Court Judge

Born and raised to immigrant parents in Cincinnati, Pavan is running to be the next Hamilton County Probate Court Judge because he believes it is time for a new generation of leadership in our courts. For too long, our specialty courts have been designed and operated as fiefdoms insulated from the workings of the other courts and oversight of the citizens at-large. He wants to bring a real sense of public service, accountability, and duty to the Probate Court by increasing the transparency of, the accessibility to, and the empathy from the Court.

Mark Fogel
Ohio Senate, District 6

Mark was raised in the Dayton area and quickly fell in love with aviation. Wanting to fly airplanes and serve his country, he attended the US Air Force Academy. Achieving his dream of being an Air Force fighter pilot, Mark saw duty throughout Europe and the Middle East, and served a combat tour in Afghanistan flying intelligence and reconnaissance missions in support of friendly forces. After 12 years of active duty service, he went back to school and earned his Master’s in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and flew fighters with the Air National Guard…all while becoming a dad to twin boys. As soon as he could, Mark returned home with his twin boys and wife—expecting a baby girl, and herself born and raised in Dayton—where they settled in the same town they grew up in. Today, Mark works at one of Ohio’s largest manufacturers where he runs a leadership development program for military veterans to become business leaders. He teaches graduate students as a faculty member at the University of Dayton, and continues to serve as a Squadron Commander at the rank of Lt. Col. in the Ohio Air National Guard. Mark is running for State Senate, District 6 to provide all Ohioans with economic security, a strong public education, guaranteed access to affordable healthcare, and common-sense gun safety reform.

Oklahoma

Kyle Meraz
Oklahoma House, District 64

Kyle is a Registered Nurse working in the Intensive Care Unit at his county hospital. As a nurse, his job is to care for and to advocate for his patients. This healthcare advocacy is what he plans to bring to the State House in Oklahoma. In his job, Kyle helps to treat patients who can not afford their medications because drug prices are too expensive. He helps to care for patients who are worried about their financial future after being hospitalized. Kyle has seen the strain the current healthcare system puts on patients and he is actively fighting to make the system better. As a community organizer, Kyle has fought for Medicaid expansion in Oklahoma which will go to a state vote at the end of June 2020. He will fight for nurse-to-patient ratios, prescription price capping, expanding the budget for rural hospitals, and primary/preventative care funding.

Christina Chicoraske
Oklahoma County Clerk

Christina is a lifelong Oklahoman with deep roots in the Oklahoma City community. Christina is the former Executive Director of Uptown 23rd, where she brought businesses and neighborhoods together, creating new opportunities for economic development and a stronger sense of community with programs like Open Streets OKC. Christina believes that the county government must be more accessible, transparent, and accountable to ALL. She’s got a track record of service to our community we can trust. As a Water Conservation Coordinator for the City of Oklahoma City’s Utilities Department, Christina oversees the department’s outreach and public education programs. Before her work with Uptown23rd, Christina was the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Oklahoma City University, overseeing the admission and recruitment of the university’s first-time freshman population. Christina is an alumnus of Oklahoma City University and holds a Masters in Public Administration from The University of Oklahoma. She is committed to growing and cultivating local organizations, economic development for local business, and service-based community involvement.

Jo Anna Dossett
Oklahoma Senate, District 35

Jo Anna is a young parent and public educator. Although service in the U.S. Peace Corps took her briefly from her city of birth, her goal was always to return to Tulsa to establish a career, home, and family. She certainly achieved it: as a public educator, Jo Anna has devoted 15 years to teaching English Learners throughout Tulsa. Whether with youngsters by day, or adults in the evening, her passion for equipping students with the language tools they need for success has become her trademark. During those 15 years, Jo Anna has earned a master’s degree in her field, been named a school district teacher of the year, and maintained high levels of engagement and leadership positions in her local education foundation, and local and state teacher associations.

Mauree Turner
Oklahoma House, District 88

Mauree (she/they) is a born and raised community organizer whose focus is in justice system reform. Their experience growing up in Oklahoma with an incarcerated parent, a single-parent household, and a product of Oklahoma’s public education system is not unique, but a story thousands of Oklahoman’s share. Mauree works directly in holistic justice system reform, LGBTQ+ equity justice, religious freedom, and cultural sensitivity. Their life’s works is geared towards fighting for and maintaining the civil rights and liberties for all who enter America and has worked with the NAACP, CAIR, ACLU as well as a number or grassroots organizations. Mauree is a Black, Queer, Muslim, Womxn from Oklahoma Running to be the next Representative of Oklahoma City’s House District 88, one of Oklahoma’s most liberal districts.

Pennsylvania

Lauren Lareau
Pennsylvania House, District 142

Lauren is an educator, an advocate, and a leader in her community, fighting for healthcare and resources for addiction recovery, education funding, environmental protection, and social justice. Lauren earned a graduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education before starting her own tutoring business to help high school students find success in school and beyond. She has lived in Langhorne since 2011, and is determined to become the first woman to represent the 142nd District in PA’s State Assembly!

In 2015, Lauren recognized the need for state funding of our public schools when her son’s A+ elementary school that had served her community for generations was closed due to state budget cuts. Lauren is determined to fight for equitable state funding of our public schools using the Fair Funding Formula. Lauren has been an active member of her township’s Environmental Advisory Council since 2017 (to which she was elected chair in January 2020), and understands the need for legislative support of PA’s Department of Environmental Protection if we want to maintain our constitutional right to clean air and water. Lauren’s involvement with the Lower Bucks Addiction Task Force since 2018 has emphasized her view that the state legislature must do more to protect people’s health and recovery from addiction. So many of our local problems can only be fixed at the state level, and Lauren is determined to bring her voice of change to Harrisburg.”

Kolbe Cole
Pennsylvania House, District 10

Kolbe is a loving mother of two wonderful children and a leader in her community. She is a New Brighton native, residing in Beaver Falls, who has dedicated much of her life in service to others, especially youth in her community. Kolbe is an advocate for mental health awareness and character development with transitional-age youth. Kolbe Cole is a graduate of New Brighton Area High School and earned her Bachelor’s at Youngstown State University, where she studied Criminal Justice. She currently works as a program coordinator for youth in her community. She volunteers much of her time working with transitional-age youth to help them develop the necessary skills and mentality to tackle our ever-changing world and life.

Liz Hanbidge
Pennsylvania House, District 61

As a business owner and child advocate, Liz spent her career giving voice to the voiceless and ensuring constituents are protected. Shortly after law school, she began her own practice in Montgomery County, serving families, small businesses, and nonprofits. Liz’s passion for advocacy has also led her to devote significant pro bono time to the Montgomery Child Advocacy Project. Spending a significant amount of her professional time as a court-appointed guardian, Liz worked tirelessly with police, Judges, and the Office of Children and Youth to help protect vulnerable children throughout the county.

South Carolina

Isaac Wilson
South Carolina House, District 63

Isaac is an entrepreneur who believes in the power of people and that we can inspire change collectively by coming together as one. Isaac is stepping up to protect access to reliable, affordable health care; foster economic growth to create more well-paying jobs; support high-quality, accessible public education; and get our teachers the pay that they deserve. It’s time for a bold visionary who’s not afraid to say what he believes. Isaac has proven success as an entrepreneur, grassroots community organizer, and a leader who gets things done.”

Tennessee

Dominique Primer
Tennessee House, District 84

Dominique, a native Memphian, is running to bring power back to Tennessee’s 84th District. Dominique is one of Memphis’ most committed community servants and local problem-solvers. She has dedicated her adult life to improving the lives of Tennessee’s children, women, and working-class families. She is running on a platform of fully funding public schools, expanding Medicaid and making healthcare more accessible, and advocating for safer communities through common sense gun laws and better collaboration between law enforcement and local communities.”

Matt Ferry
Tennessee House, District 48

Matt, a Middle Tennessee native, is running for State House in District 48, which resides in Rutherford County, southeast of Nashville, and contains parts of Murfreesboro and MTSU. Over the years, Matt has worked with dozens of organizations who have advocated for healthcare rights, worker’s rights, and environmental & economic justice. After an internship with OFA, Matt started working with local candidates and eventually joined the Rutherford County Democratic Party (RCDP). In 2017, Matt was elected Chair of the RCDP where he oversaw an operation that had the biggest increase in fundraising and volunteer participation rates in years. During this time, he helped recruit, train, and provide assistance to dozens of new candidates. The RCDP ran more candidates for office in 2018 than it had in more than 15 years, including Matt Ferry for State House 48. In 2020, the Ferry campaign plans to build upon its many successes from last time to achieve victory in November!

Elizabeth Madeira
Tennessee House, District 63

Elizabeth is a mom to three young children (2, 5, and 8), Spanish teacher, Sunday School Director, and Democrat running to represent District 63 in the Tennessee State House of Representatives. After the 2016 election, Elizabeth started volunteering with the Williamson County Democratic Party. In 2018 she volunteered for state and Congressional candidates for the midterm elections and in 2019 she led grassroots organizing in all 95 Tennessee counties for Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s Presidential campaign. Elizabeth is determined to protect public school funding by opposing any voucher program that takes money from public schools and sends it to private schools elsewhere in the state. Luckily, a judge deemed unconstitutional the plan my opponent strong-armed through the House. Still, our governor and GOP leaders are still pushing for the plan, so there is work to do.

Russelle Bradbury
Metropolitan Nashville Board of Public Education, District 9

Russelle is a Nashville parent of three public school students nine and under, a public school volunteer leader, former public school educator, and K-12 public school graduate — she is heavily invested in public education. As candidate for the District 9 seat on Nashville’s Metropolitan Board of Public Education, Russelle brings 15+ years of professional nonprofit experience and a reputation as a creative, compassionate and candid, solutions-based, community team builder. Russelle values inclusion, diversity and constituent voices. Her campaign is a reflection of the way Russelle will represent constituents — she is running an all-in, transparent, independent, non-partisan, innovative, and grassroots campaign. To validate her voice as fresh, collaborative, and resourceful without debts owed to established voices, Russelle has capped individual political contributions to $100 (1/16th of the Nashville limit). She believes strongly that with collaboration, creativity, kindness and intention we can prioritize Nashville’s public education for the children.

Texas

Pooja Sethi
Austin City Council, District 10

Throughout her career, Pooja has advocated and spoken out for others. She brings a voice of equity, innovative thinking, and passionately champions for the community. Pooja has a strong vision for Austin: where everyone feels safe, has a place to live, has greater access to our government, and has clear air and water, no matter where they reside. As an attorney, a small business owner, and a nonprofit founder fighting for survivors of abuse and assault and their children, Pooja makes sure that no group of people are ignored. At the end of 2016, Pooja was selected to be on an Austin City Council Commission where she organized town halls to hear community issues and pushed for increased safety for women. She also served on the City of Austin Office of Police Oversight Task Force, where she advocated for transparency. Pooja currently serves on the City of Austin Steering Committee for a new Climate Plan to maintain Austin’s park land and clean air. She also serves on the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce policy committee supporting local businesses. Finally, Pooja is a Trustee appointed Austin Community College Advisory member elevating Austin’s education opportunities. Pooja enjoys being a member of the Women’s Fund and Texas Gun Sense and was skillfully trained by Annie’s List, Leadership Austin, and New Leaders Council.

Elias Diaz
Eagle Pass City Council, Place 2

Elias Diaz is a native of Eagle Pass, TX. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California in International Relations, and completed his Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University in Los Angeles. He is also a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, with 10 years of clinical experience.

His most recent work, The Sexual Health Project, focuses on bridging an alliance between EP SAFE and the Maverick Hospital District to address gaps in the HIV Care Continuum. The aim of this project is to increase awareness of preventive measures, decrease barriers to preventive care, and address negative attitudes about HIV to effectively reduce the risk of new contractions. EP SAFE actively works to reduce LGBTQ stigma, a prominent barrier to care, by reinforcing community ties. As an Ambassador for the Greater than Aids Texas Spanish language campaign using ads, personal interviews, and personal conversations, Elias has advocated for the use of PrEP for HIV prevention particularly amongst Latino MSM. His Spanish language interviews on Telemundo and Televisa have delivered the message to a hard to reach population.

Claire Barnett
Texas House, District 122

Claire is a mom, an educator, and a passionate advocate for women and children’s health. Born in Houston and raised in Fort Worth, Claire has lived on the northside of San Antonio for the past seven years with her husband of ten years, Rich, their two daughters, and two retired greyhounds. Claire first ran for Texas State House in 2018, and since that time has remained active in her community, supporting the large influx of asylum seekers traveling through San Antonio, continuing her work in women’s and infant health, and encouraging other women and people of color to run for office. Claire received her MEd in Instructional Design from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and a BA in Latin American Studies from The George Washington University.

Alex Enriquez
Dallas Independent School Board Trustee, District 2

Alex is a third-generation Dallas Independent School District (DISD) graduate and lifelong advocate of public schools. Alex’s parents, teachers, and theDISD invested heavily in ensuring his success. Now, Alex is running for school board because he believes that every child deserves the same world-class education DISD gave him. A long-time partner of the school district, Alex will use his extensive knowledge about the real-world impact of Trustees’ decisions to advocate for strong neighborhood schools. Alex understands the importance of maintaining a pulse on the community and will work to make DISD a destination school district by actively partnering with parents, students, teachers, and neighbors. Alex and his wife Betsy look forward to becoming public school parents when Ziggy and Flossie, currently 1 and 4 years old, are old enough to attend their neighborhood elementary school.

Utah

Joél-Léhi Organista
Salt Lake School Board, Precinct 1

Joél-Léhi was born in Mexico City, Mexico, and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. Joél-Léhi has spent over a decade leading in educational issues across the country. Joél-Léhi did all his public schooling in the Salt Lake School District (SLSD), where he graduated from West High School in 2010 with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. His Bachelor’s Degree is in Social Justice Pedagogy. He earned a Master’s Degree from Columbia University in Sociology and Education, and a second Master’s Degree from the University of Utah in Business Creation. Joél-Léhi is an educator that has taught at Horizonte within the SLSD. He teaches a decolonized leadership course at the University of Utah and has been an appointed member of the Utah State Board of Education’s Equity Committee. He’s currently the National President of the Education for Liberation Network, a nonprofit of predominantly youth, educators, and parents of color organizers for education justice issues. Named as one of Utah’s 20 in their 20s by Utah Business; Joél-Léhi is a social entrepreneur that created the EdTech startup Machitia, which is the space for educators to share best practices and transformative lesson plans. He knows Spanish, English, Japanese, Portuguese, and Nahuatl.

Vermont

Scott Pavek
Vermont House, Chittenden 6–5 District

Scott is a graduate student and higher education professional with extensive experience working in student enrichment across all grade levels. As a recovery advocate, Scott leverages his experience living in Vermont’s overdose epidemic to champion justice and public health reform.

Scott’s priorities include addressing the climate crisis, ending persistent poverty, and increasing equity across the state’s education systems. Scott believes that marginalized and vulnerable Vermonters have been underrepresented in the legislature for too long. He is running to serve on behalf of Chittenden 6–5 in the State House to provide authentic, transparent, and accessible representation for all.

Washington

Tracy Rushing
Washington House, District 14

Tracy is an ER physician, mother of three, and small farmer running to represent central Washington. The pandemic has magnified the socioeconomic and racial disparities throughout her district, and Tracy is prepared to lead a path forward that increases healthcare access, reinvests in our devalued education system, works with local industries to embrace environmental stewardship, and focuses on the inherent worth of each human being. Tracy attended the University of Virginia and trained as a pediatrician. She understands that “”economy versus environment”” is a false choice, such that businesses depend on the well-being of our people and our planet. As a small farmer in a rural district, Tracy is active in agricultural education and advocacy, believing that food insecurity can be defeated by giving families and schools access to the resources in their backyards. Our yardstick should be to leave the world a better place than we found it, and this informs her care for the next patient, her respect for our planet, and her desire for a more fair, loving, and just society.”