Representation Matters is honored to support Black Women, Indigenous women, and women of color running for elected office across the country. The candidates Representation Matters features are passionate, courageous, determined and inspiring leaders who have compelling stories of overcoming challenges and breaking barriers. Their unique experiences and perspectives need to be heard at every level of government to shape effective policy. They are all committed to fighting for reproductive justice, racial justice, voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, environmental protection, immigrant rights, and preserving our democracy. Electing candidates with diverse lived experiences and perspectives is critical to ensuring we have a reflective democracy. They are the hope for our future.
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2026
Senate Candidates
Jasmine Crockett
(TX)
Jasmine Crockett has been serving in Congress representing Texas’ 30th Congressional district since 2023, and is now running for the U.S. Senate, challenging Maga Republican Senator John Cornyn. Her passion for justice and the protection of peoples’ rights led her to pursue a career as a public defender, and civil rights and criminal defense attorney. She subsequently served in the Texas House of Representatives from 2021 – 2023. When elected, she was the sole Black freshman and youngest Black lawmaker in Texas. Following her service in the Texas Legislature, Congresswoman Crockett was elected to the U.S. Representatives. In the 118th Congress, she was elected as Freshman Leadership Representative, and in the 119th Congress she was appointed to the position of Vice Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight. She currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. She was also appointed as Communications Task Force Co-Chair for the Democratic Women’s Caucus.
Rep. Crockett has been a vocal critic of the current administration’s efforts to destroy our democracy and she refuses to be silenced. She has purposefully made every decision with one goal in mind: protecting the civil liberties of those in underrepresented communities. Jasmine Crockett has dedicated her life to public service, with the goal of serving justice and ensuring equality for all. And now, she is running to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate.
Peggy Flanagan is Minnesota’s 50th Lieutenant Governor, a member of the White Earth Nation, and is running for Minnesota’s open U.S. Senate seat in 2026. She is currently the highest ranking Native American woman in elected office in the nation. Peggy has dedicated her career to working with and delivering for middle and working class Minnesotans. Peggy served on the Minneapolis Board of Education from 2005 to 2009. She also worked at Wellstone Action, the organization founded to carry on the work of the late Senator Paul Wellstone for nearly a decade. As one of the original trainers of Wellstone Action’s signature program, Camp Wellstone, she trained thousands of organizers, elected officials, and candidates – including Governor Tim Walz. Peggy subsequently served as the Executive Director of the Children’s Defense Fund. In 2015, Peggy was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, and in 2019, she was elected Lieutenant Governor. As Minnesota’s Lieutenant Governor, Peggy secured the largest tax cut in Minnesota history; made transformative investments in education, small businesses, and child care; and made the state a national leader in Tribal-State relations. If elected, Peggy will be the first Native woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate. Our early support will help her campaign get off to a strong start.
Mary Peltola is a Yup’ik Eskimo, salmon advocate, and Democrat who stunned Alaska and the whole country in 2022 when she defeated Sarah Palin and multiple other candidates in a special election to serve the remaining term of Alaska’s vacant sole congressional seat. She then held that seat until January 2025. She was the first Alaska Native to ever serve in Congress and the first Democratic woman to hold this seat. She is now taking the bold step of running for the U.S. Senate, to flip a red seat blue. If elected, she will be the first Alaska Native to ever serve in the U.S. Senate. Prior to running for Congress, Mary represented the Bethel region in the Alaska House of Representatives for 10 years. As a lawmaker, she helped rebuild the Bush Caucus that improved lives in rural Alaska under her tenure as Chair. As Executive Director of the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, she helped mobilize 118 Tribes and rural Alaskans to advocate for the protection of salmon runs in Western Alaska. Mary also served on the Orutsararmiut Native Council Tribal Court and the Bethel City Council. This Senate race will be an extremely competitive and expensive race trying to defeat the Republican incumbent. Winning this seat is critical to taking back the Senate in 2026. Our support can make the difference.
Rep. Janelle Bynum is currently serving her first term in Congress, representing Oregon’s 5th Congressional District. She was one of the few candidates who successfully flipped a district red to blue in 2024. Prior to being elected to Congress, Janelle served four terms in Oregon’s State Legislature, where she built a proven track record of working across the aisle and delivering results. She was instrumental in passing legislation that invests in mental health care, expands youth voter engagement, and supports women of color in the workplace. Janelle has been an advocate for lowering the cost of prescription drugs, protecting women’s reproductive freedom, protecting LGTBQ+ rights, building more affordable housing and addressing homelessness, taking on the climate crisis, and strengthening Oregon’s economy. She is a small business owner, an engineer and a mother of four. Janelle currently serves on the House Financial Services Committee. Republicans are targeting this seat, and It is critical that Janelle wins her re-election to ensure that Democrats take back the House in 2026. Republicans will fight to win this seat back, and our early support will ensure that doesn’t happen.
Marlene Galán Woods is a 38-year Arizona resident, former broadcast journalist and mother of five children. Her parents fled communist Cuba looking for a better life for their children. Their risk paid off when Marlene moved to Arizona in the 1980s— where she began her career as a broadcast journalist, met the love of her life, and would raise a family together. While Marlene’s late husband, Grant Woods, served as Arizona’s Attorney General, Marlene was exposing corruption and holding the powerful accountable during her 20-year journalism career. Outside of their respective careers, Marlene and Grant were dedicated to improving the lives of Arizona children, from serving on the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley to spearheading a local tennis tournament that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to help underserved kids. Marlene is running for Congress to stand up to extremists and be a voice for all Arizonans. If elected, Marlene will be the first Latina to represent this district in Congress, and will flip AZ-01 red to blue to take back the House.
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez currently serves in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, which is a Trump district, She is a fifth generation Latina Washingtonian. When she was first elected in 2022, she flipped a R+5 seat winning by less than a percentage point, by just two votes in each precinct. She became the first Democrat to represent WA-03 in twelve years, and the first Democratic Latina to win this district. Her re-election in 2024 was a rematch with the same far right conservative Republican backed by Trump, and was one of the most competitive House races in the country. She and her husband run an auto repair and machine shop, and she has deep ties to rural communities. Ranked as one of the most bi-partisan lawmakers in the House, she works hard to make things easier for working families. She currently serves on the House Committee on Appropriations. She is on the DCCC Frontline again this cycle, and in order for Democrats to take back control of the House, it is imperative that we keep this seat blue in 2026.
Rep. Jahana Hayes currently representing Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District, made history in 2018 when she became the first African-American Congresswoman from Connecticut. This also marked her first service in public office, and she is now serving her 4th term in Congress. Previously a high school teacher, Jahana gained national attention when President Obama named her National Teacher of the Year in 2016. In this role, she traveled nationally and internationally to engage education stakeholders in discussions focused on enhancing student outcomes. Jahana’s life is a testament to triumph over adversity. Despite growing up amid poverty and addiction, and becoming pregnant at 17, she returned to school, earned multiple degrees, reached the zenith of teaching, and now serves in Congress. She attributes her success to education. Jahana stands as living proof that good government can work. She is the Ranking member of the House Committees on Education and Workforce, and a member of the Committee on Agriculture, where she serves as the Ranking Member of the Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture and Horticulture Subcommittee and on the Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Subcommittee. Her legislative interests include equitable education, affordable healthcare, food security, labor, veterans’ issues, gun violence prevention, and environmental issues. She is on the DCCC Frontline again this cycle, and needs our support to hold this seat and keep CT-05 blue.
Born and raised in Pinal County, AZ, JoAnna Mendoza is the daughter of farmworkers who instilled in her the values of hard work, resilience, and community. As a child, she worked alongside her parents during the hot Arizona summers, learning firsthand the struggles of rural poverty. At 17, Jo enlisted in the U.S. Navy before joining the U.S. Marine Corps, where she served for two decades, deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and trained Marines as a Drill Instructor. After retiring from the military, Jo returned home to raise her son and continue serving her community. She earned a Master’s in Leadership from Grand Canyon University, became a nonprofit leader and veterans’ advocate, and worked as a congressional staffer delivering for Arizona families. In Congress, Jo will bring Arizona values of honesty and integrity to Washington, fighting to lower costs for families, protect water, expand healthcare and education, and defend democracy. She is running to flip AZ-06 red to blue and take back the House.
Carol Obando-Derstine is a Democratic candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 7th District. An engineer, bilingual community leader, and proud mother, she brings over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors. At PPL Electric Utilities, she led energy transition and grid modernization efforts. She also served as Regional Manager and Statewide Latino Affairs Advisor for U.S. Senator Bob Casey and previously led the SkillsUSA Council and the Children’s Coalition of the Lehigh Valley. Carol’s blend of technical expertise, public service, and lived experience drives her to fight for working families in Pennsylvania and across the country. She is running to flip PA-07 red to blue and take back the House.
Rep. Emilia Sykes represents Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, known as the Birthplace of Champions. When first elected in 2022, she defeated a Republican Fox News commentator in a redrawn district, winning one of the toughest races in the country. According to SplitTicket.org, Emilia achieved the largest over performance of any challenger in a battleground district in the nation. The district includes two of Ohio’s 10th largest cities, Akron and Canton, as well as numerous suburban communities, and rural areas that include one of Ohio’s largest dairy farms. Sykes previously served 8 years in the Ohio House of Representatives including 3 years as Minority Leader. There she fought for tax cuts for middle-class and working families, funding for high-speed Internet, and higher wages and safer working conditions for Ohio’s workers. In particular, Emilia’s work on domestic violence issues earned bipartisan praise and resulted in her priority legislation, Ohio HB 1, to be signed into law, which protects the safety and security of people in violent relationships. In Congress, Emilia sits on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee where she works to rebuild our roads and infrastructure and protect our water resources and environment. Additionally, she serves on the Science, Space and Technology Committee where she guides research investment and technology development. Both committees are vital to the economic prosperity of Ohio and our nation. Emilia has earned several awards for her advocacy, including the EMILYs List national Rising Star award, Legislator of the Year from the Ohio Minority Business Enterprise, the Champion for Children award from Summit County Children’s Services, and 30 for the Future award from the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce. Emilia’s district continues to be one of the toughest to win. She is on the DCCC Frontline and her seat is a must win to ensure we take back the House in 2026.
Deb Haaland is a 35th-generation New Mexican, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna, a small business owner, a working mother who has lived paycheck to paycheck, a former Congresswoman, and served as the United States Secretary of the Interior for four years. Deb has a history of shattering glass ceilings. In 2018 she became one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress, and in 2020 President Biden appointed her to serve in his Cabinet, making her the first Native American to ever serve as a Cabinet secretary. While in Congress, Deb served on the House Committee on Natural Resources where she was a tireless advocate for the environment and environmental justice. As Secretary of the Interior she worked to protect public lands and endangered habitats. She also launched an initiative to investigate and rectify the legacy of federal Indian boarding school policies. She is a staunch advocate for reproductive freedom. Deb is now a Democratic candidate for Governor in New Mexico and if elected, will be the first Native American woman to serve as Governor in our country’s history. Deb needs our support now to start out strong and run a successful campaign in what will be a highly competitive and very expensive race.
California State Controller Malia Cohen was elected in November 2022 and is now running for re-election. As a working mom serving as the Chief Financial Officer of the world’s fourth-largest economy, Malia has made it a priority to manage the state’s financial resources with a focus on economic equality, financial accountability, and a fair tax structure for all Californians. As Controller, she sits on over 70 boards and commissions with authority ranging from affordable housing to crime victim compensation to land management.
In her first term, Malia prioritized fairness and equity by putting her weight behind California’s Commission on the Status of Women and Girls Pay Equity Task Force and helping Californians understand their rights and holding corporations accountable. She made sure grant programs and state-funded trainings went toward good-paying, long-term jobs that stayed and benefited Californians, ensured the affordable housing programs delivered real results, raised the standard for affordable and quality health care, and aligned California’s finances with our climate change action agenda.
Prior to serving as California Controller, Malia served on the California State Board of Equalization as the first African American woman to serve on the board. She represented 10 million people living in 23 counties throughout the state. Malia also served as President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. And as Chair of the San Francisco Employee Retirement System (SFERS), Malia led the effort to divest from fossil fuels and thermal coal investments and moved $100 million into a fossil fuel-free index fund.
Malia was born and raised in San Francisco and attended public schools in the City. She earned a BA from Fisk University and a Master’s in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.
Malia has dedicated her career to building a better future for everyone in her community.
AG Letitia “Tish”James is the 67th Attorney General for the state of New York. With decades of experience and a long record of achievements, she is a powerful, effective attorney and lifelong public servant. When she was elected as Attorney General in 2018, she became the first woman of color to hold statewide office in New York and the first woman to be elected Attorney General. Prior to serving as Attorney General, Letitia James served on the New York City Council for ten years. In 2013, she was elected as the public advocate for the City Of New York and was the first woman of color to hold citywide office.
In her first term, AG James focused on protecting vulnerable New York residents and ensuring that individuals or companies that broke state laws were held accountable. She secured more than $7.5 billion for New York from those who broke state laws and took advantage of New Yorkers, including more than $2.5 billion from opioid manufacturers and distributors for their roles in the opioid epidemic. Her office helped remove more than 4,000 guns from New York communities, took down dozens of dangerous drug and gun trafficking rings throughout the state, and took legal action to stop the proliferation of ghost guns. She has taken on predatory landlords, protected the environment by going after polluters, and fought to protect DACA. She has been a strong advocate for reproductive health care.
AG James has been at the forefront of challenging Donald Trump and the Trump administration, and has filed more than 2 dozen lawsuits or legal interventions in ongoing battles with the Trump Administration. She is leading the fight to stop the dismantling of federal agencies and critical services, of our constitution, and of our fundamental rights. She is at the top of Donald Trump’s list of “enemies” and is now the target of a politically motivated prosecution. AG James consistently stands up for us – and will not back down. Now we need to stand up for her and help ensure she is re-elected.
Mayor Barbara Lee is the Honorary Chair of Representation Matters. She is a trailblazer who is well-respected for her life-long commitment to fighting for equity, justice and peace. She served in California’s state legislature from 1990 until 1998, and then served in Congress from 1998 until January, 2025. While in Congress, she was the highest ranking African American woman appointed to Democratic leadership. She was the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a founding member of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus. Barbara is continuing her legacy as a mentor and role model to many of the junior women of color in Congress, as well as women of color candidates running for elected office for the first time. She has a deep commitment to ensuring that there will be many women of color serving Congress and other elected office to follow in the path she has paved. Barbara is known throughout the country for her lone vote against giving the President unlimited war powers after 9/11. In January 2025, at the encouragement of many of her former constituents, she decided to run for Mayor of Oakland, CA. On April 15, 2025, she won the special election to fill the remaining term of the former Mayor who had been recalled, and is continuing to serve the community she loves.
