CANDIDATES
WOMEN OF COLOR BREAKING BARRIERS
Inspiring Leaders
Representation Matters is honored to support progressive Democratic 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, and all that we value. They are the hope for a representative democracy and our future. #2021-candidates
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PRESIDENT – 2024
Kamala Harris (Vice President)
Kamala Harris is the current Vice President of the United States. When she took office in 2022, she made history as the first woman, the first Black American and the first South Asian American to be elected to this position. On July 21, 2024, when President Biden withdrew from the presidential race, he endorsed Kamala Harris for President. Vice President Harris is a trailblazer and a proven leader. She has committed her life to public service – as District Attorney of San Francisco, as the first woman to serve as Attorney General of the State of California overseeing the largest state justice department in the country, and subsequently as only the second Black woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate. In each position, she has taken on bold, challenging fights and won them. As Attorney General she defended affordable health care, held big banks accountable during the housing crisis, fought for marriage equality and LGBTQ+ rights, and provided justice for students and veterans. As Senator, she championed legislation to fight hunger, provide rent relief, improve maternal healthcare, expand access to capital for small businesses, provide protection to DREAMers, revitalize America’s infrastructure, address the climate crisis, protect national security, and secure elections. As Vice President, she has worked to bring people together to advance opportunity, deliver for families, and protect fundamental freedoms across the country. She has led the fight for the freedom of women to make decisions about their own bodies, the freedom to live safe from gun violence, the freedom to vote, and the freedom to drink clean water and breathe clean air. While making history at home, she has also been representing the nation abroad – embarking on more than a dozen foreign trips, traveling to more than 19 countries, and meeting with more than 150 world leaders to strengthen critical global alliances. She has been a trusted partner to President Biden, working together to deliver monumental achievements that have improved lives for millions of Americans. As President of the Senate, Vice President Harris set a record for casting consequential tie-breaking votes, including to secure passage of the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment ever in tackling the climate crisis. She also presided over the unprecedented vote to confirm the first Black woman, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, to the Supreme Court, and has worked with President Biden to achieve historic representation of women and people of color among nominees at all levels of the federal government.
This presidential election is one of existential proportions. Vice President Harris is well positioned to re-energize the Democratic Party, and to reach, motivate, and turn out the voters we will need to win this election. She is the most experienced, qualified, prepared and best candidate to meet this moment – to lead us to victory in November and to lead our country forward. We must do everything we can to ensure Kamala Harris continues to be a leader for the people – now as our next President.
SENATE CANDIDATES – 2024
Angela Alsobrooks (Prince George’s Cty, MD)
Angela Alsobrooks has been Prince George’s County Executive in Maryland since 2018. She was the first woman to hold the position and first Black woman elected to the office of County Executive in Maryland history. Previously, she served two terms as State’s Attorney and was the youngest and first woman elected to that office. She established the first of its kind unit to investigate and prosecute police and official misconduct. Prior to that, as an Assistant State’s Attorney, she was Prince George’s County’s first full time Domestic Violence Prosecutor. Angela brings experience to her priorities of creating jobs, bringing down the cost of living, improving our healthcare system, protecting women’s reproductive rights, and improving the public education system. She won a very competitive primary against a self-funder who poured millions of his own funds into the race, showing that not all Senate seats can be bought. Angela is now running in a closely watched race against Maryland’s former governor Larry Hogan, a popular Republican known for his moderate stance. With our support, Angela will keep this Senate seat blue.
Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-At-large)
Lisa Blunt Rochester currently represents Delaware in the U.S. House of Representatives and is running to be Delaware’s next Senator. She is the first woman and first African American to represent Delaware in Congress. In the House, Lisa serves as the Assistant Whip for House Leadership and sits on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has broad jurisdiction over health care, the environment, commerce and trade, the environment, energy policy, telecommunications, manufacturing, and consumer protection. As a Congresswoman, Lisa has led the charge to lower seniors’ health care costs, and passed legislation to bring American manufacturing jobs home, fix our roads and bridges, and expand internet service to rural Delaware. She took a leading role in creating safer communities and expanding access to clean air and water. She is committed to fight for the creation of good-paying jobs, and to protect abortion rights and voting rights.
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (Fmr. Congresswoman – FL)
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is a former Congresswoman who represented Florida’s 26th Congressional District from 2018-2021. She immigrated to the U.S. with her mother and 3 sisters when she was 14, fleeing from violence in Ecuador. While serving in Congress, she wrote the bill to expand Medicare Advantage coverage for seniors, worked across the aisle to provide economic relief to families and small businesses, and secured $200 million for Everglades restoration. She is fiercely committed to fighting climate change. She is also a strong advocate for reducing crime and gun control, having lost her father to gun violence when she was 24. Debbie is running for the U.S. Senate against Republican incumbent Rick Scott, who is one of the most vulnerable senators on the ballot in 2024. Debbie is a strong candidate and poised to flip this seat, particularly having flipped a seat when she ran for Congress. Many are saying that this race could determine which party controls the Senate.
Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-12)
Congresswoman Barbara Lee has been serving in the House of Representatives for 25 years, turning progressive values into progressive policy. She is a coalition builder who has been able to reach across the aisle to pass strong legislation that benefits millions. She worked with President Bush and spearheaded nearly every piece of legislation to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. She cast the single NO vote against giving the President unlimited war powers. She is a strong advocate for reproductive justice, voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, ending homelessness and poverty, and addressing the climate crisis. Congresswoman Lee ran an historic campaign for Senate in California, building a strong multiracial and multigenerational coalition across the state. Since then, she has persevered in the fight for our rights and progressive values in Congress, and has continued her commitment to supporting other Black women and women of color running for office, through One Voice, her affiliated Leadership PAC, and through Representation Matters. As a trailblazer, she is also committed to mentoring other Black women and women of color in Congress, and has worked to ensure that House committees reflect the diversity, dynamism, and integrity of the Democratic Caucus.
HOUSE CANDIDATES – 2024
Hold the House
REP. YADIRA CARAVEO (CO-08)
Dr. Yadira Caraveo is a pediatrician, an accomplished legislator, and the daughter of immigrants. She is running for reelection and is on the DCCC Frontline. Colorado’s 8th district, which was newly drawn when she ran for the seat in 2022, is anchored in Adams County — the same community where she was raised, went to school, and continues to live. When Yadira was elected, she became the first Latina to represent Colorado in Congress and the only physician in Colorado’s congressional delegation. Before running for Congress, she served as a member of the Colorado State House of Representatives from 2019-2022. She was the go-to expert for public health and health care legislation in local Colorado politics and was named a Champion of Change by President Obama for her work with the Union of Concerned Scientists enlisting doctors across the country in the fight against climate change. In Congress, she serves on the House Agriculture Committee, is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development, and is a member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. Her background as a pediatrician makes her a particularly powerful advocate for affordable health care and reproductive rights, and she has a deep commitment to fighting climate change and supporting the right to vote. This district is a toss up and is expected to be a competitive race, with 44% of the registered voters in the district identifying as unaffiliated or independent. Yadira needs our support to keep CO-08 blue.
Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-03)
Rep. Sharice Davids represents Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District after successfully unseating a four-term Republican incumbent in November 2018, flipping KS-03 blue. Sharice is a member of the Ho Chunk Nation, and one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress. She is also the first openly LGBTQ member of Congress from Kansas. Sharice is the first woman to serve as Vice Chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and is Chair of the Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access. She also serves on the Committee on Agriculture, the Joint Economic Committee, and House Steering and Policy Committee, and is now the Chief Deputy Whip. Sharice is a proud Kansan who was raised by a single mother, and was the first person in her family to attend college, working her way from Johnson County Community College to Cornell Law School. She wants others to have the same opportunities to achieve their goals. That is why she has focused her career, including serving as an Obama White House Fellow, on bringing more opportunities to working families. Sharice has centered her work in Congress on tackling the issues most important to Kansas families, including strengthening public schools, lowering the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs, and making sure the government is working for the people – not special interests. This race has been one of the most competitive and expensive in the nation the last three election cycles, and two extremist super PACs have already named Sharice a top target. She is on the DCCC Frontline, and we must do everything we can to ensure she has the resources necessary to keep KS-03 blue.
Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05)
Rep. Jahana Hayes, the Congresswoman for Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District, made history in 2018 when she became the first African-American Congresswoman from Connecticut. This also marked her first public office. Previously a high school teacher, Jahana gained national attention when President Barack 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. In Congress, 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. In 2022, Jahana won her re-election by just a margin of 1,842 votes. She is now running against the same opponent, and Trump Republicans have zeroed in on Jahana’s district as one of their top pickup targets, significantly investing in and running attack ads against her. Jahana needs our support to defend her record, spread her message, and keep CT-05 blue.
Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03)
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez was first elected in 2020, becoming the first woman and first Latina to represent New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District. She has given rural New Mexico’s women of color and working families a new voice in Congress. Teresa is a 17th generation Northern New Mexican. Born in Las Vegas, New Mexico, she was part of the state’s first Head Start class. Teresa went on to graduate from Yale and Stanford Law School. As an attorney and advocate, she won important legal battles to advance voting rights, promote tribal sovereignty, and protect our environment and acequia waters. She helped fund and build schools, rural health clinics, broadband, businesses, affordable housing, and critical infrastructure for New Mexico. As a breast cancer survivor, she understands how important it is for everyone to have access to quality and affordable health care and to protect individual’s with pre-existing conditions. She currently serves on the House Rules Committee as Ranking Member of its subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process, appointed by Leader Hakeem Jeffries as one of just four Democrats to serve on this important committee. She also serves on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and the House Committee on Natural Resources, as the Ranking Member of its Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs. For her advocacy and work for Women’s rights, Teresa’s colleagues voted her to be the Vice Chair of the Congressional Democratic Women’s Caucus. She knows how to get things done. We need Teresa fighting for New Mexicans and for all of us in Congress.
Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-07)
Rep. Lucy McBath was elected to Congress in 2018, flipping a red seat blue to represent Georgia’s 6th Congressional District. She has since overcome significant challenges to win each of her re-election bids. For Lucy, the most important title she will ever hold is “Jordan’s Mom.” In 2012, her son Jordan Davis was senselessly shot and killed at a gas station in Jacksonville, Florida by a man objecting to the music Jordan was playing in his car. Lucy left her 30-year long career working for Delta Airlines for her second career focused on reform to make our communities safer for every single American. Lucy traveled throughout the country, demanding that the clergy, our politicians, and other elected leaders do more to stop the senseless gun violence in America. After the tragic shooting in Parkland, Florida Lucy watched as politicians of all parties promised to take action, yet they did nothing. Lucy decided that if our leaders would not change our laws to save lives, she would stand up and run for office herself. She ran against an NRA-backed incumbent, won by 1.5 points, and went on to hold the seat once held by Newt Gingrich. Lucy’s work in Congress has been focused on working across the aisle and passing laws to help our children and families. As a two-time breast cancer survivor, she is personally invested in quality health care for all. She introduced and helped pass the Pandemic Health Care Improvement Act that expands the Affordable Care Act coverage. She has worked on numerous pieces of house-passed legislation, including universal background checks for all gun sales and Red Flag Laws to limit access to firearms for those who are potentially dangerous, and sponsored legislation protecting our veterans which was signed into law. She serves on the House Committee on the Judiciary and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. She is also the Vice Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. Republicans are doing everything they can to re-take this seat, by repeatedly gerrymandering Lucy’s district to make it majority Republican. As a result, she initially ran in Georgia’s 6th, then in Georgia’s 7th, and this cycle in Georgia’s 6th district again. Her Republican opponent is a far-right Christian, Trump endorser. Lucy is a champion with a unique perspective, and we need to make sure she wins her reelection so that her voice will continue to be heard in Congress.
Congresswoman Mary Peltola (AK-AL)
Mary Sattler Peltola is a Yup’ik Eskimo, salmon advocate, and Democrat who represented the Bethel region in the Alaska House of Representatives for 10 years. As a lawmaker, Mary 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 served on the Orutsararmiut Native Council Tribal Court and the Bethel City Council. Mary was raised on the Kuskokwim River in Kwethluk, Tuntutuliak, Platinum, and Bethel. She began fishing commercially with her father when she was six years old. In 2022, Mary stunned Alaska and the whole country when she defeated Sarah Palin and a host of others in the special election to serve the remaining term of Alaska’s sole congressional seat. She then won the election to serve a full term in Congress. She serves on the Committee on Natural Resources and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as well as the Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee and the Committee on Federal Lands. Rep. Peltola is the first Alaska Native and the first woman from Alaska to ever serve in Congress, and she is the first Democrat to hold this seat in half a century. While Mary is considered one of the most popular elected officials in the state, Republicans are spending millions of dollars targeting this seat. She is on the DCCC Frontline and this at-large Alaska Congressional race is seen as a toss-up. It is a must-win for Alaskans and the country.
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03)
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is a fifth generation Latina Washingtonian running in a Trump district. When she was first elected in 2022, she flipped a R+5 seat by just two votes in each precinct, becoming the first Democrat to represent WA-03 in twelve years, and the first Democratic Latina to win this district. 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 Agriculture and the House Small Business Committees. She is on the DCCC Frontline, and is running for re-election against the same Trump-endorsed Republican she beat in 2022 by less than a percentage point. Marie is endorsed by Emily’s List, the Human Rights Campaign Fund, Latino Victory Fund and End Citizen’s United. If Democrats have any hope of retaking control of the House, it is imperative that we keep this seat in November.
Rep. Andrea Salinas (OR-06)
Andrea Salinas is the proud daughter of a Mexican immigrant, a first-generation American, and a dedicated public servant. She was the first person in her family to graduate from a four-year university. She is a former State Legislator who took on several leadership roles, serving as Oregon House Majority Whip and Chair of the Oregon House Healthcare and Behavioral Health Committees. While serving as an Oregon state Representative, she worked to pass the nation’s most progressive paid family leave bill. She also introduced and passed a bill that made Big Pharma accountable to consumers and led to lower prescription drug prices. In 2022, Andrea made history as the first Democratic Latina to represent Oregon in Congress. She won Oregon’s new Sixth District by just 2.5% against a self-funding millionaire. In Congress, Andrea currently serves on the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on Agriculture. Additionally, she holds leadership positions in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Democratic Women’s Caucus. She has a deep commitment to reproductive rights and workers’ rights. She is fighting to expand access to abortion care, tackle the climate crisis, and solve the issues that matter to families in her district and across the country. Her Republican challenger is the same person she won against in 2022, in a close election with about 50.1% of the vote. He has no governmental experience and is an anti-choice MAGA extremist. Republicans are eager to flip this seat red, and MAGA super PACs are pouring in more money than ever to try to defeat Andrea. She is on the DCCC Frontline, and we need to make sure she holds this seat.
Rep. Emilia Sykes (OH-13)
Emilia Sykes represents Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, the Birthplace of Champions, in the U.S. House of Representatives. Sykes 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 2022, Congresswoman Sykes defeated a Republican Fox News commentator to represent Ohio’s newly redrawn 13th Congressional 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. 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. Sykes 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. In 2022, Sykes spent over $2.4 million to fend off Republicans and win this seat. Her Republican opponent has spent his career as a lobbyist and self-serving politician, supporting efforts to ban abortion, gut Social Security and Medicare, and repeal the Affordable Care Act. Emilia is on the DCCC Frontline and her seat is a must win to ensure we have House Democratic majority.
Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14)
Rep. Lauren Underwood represents Illinois’ 14th Congressional District, a suburban, exurban, and rural district in northern Illinois. She flipped this seat from red to blue in a historic fashion in 2018, defeating a four-term Republican incumbent. She was the first person of color, first woman, and first millennial elected to represent her district. When she was sworn into office in 2019, she became the youngest Black woman to ever serve in Congress. In 2020 she became the first Democrat ever to be re-elected in IL-14. She was reelected in 2022 for her third term. In 2023, Lauren conquered another first – she became the first Black woman since Shirley Chisolm to be elected to Democratic House Leadership. She currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, and also serves on the House Committee on Appropriations. Lauren has proven herself to be a hard worker and an effective leader for her community. She has had fourteen pieces of legislation enacted into law by both Democratic and Republican administrations, making her one of the most effective legislators in the House of Representatives. As a registered nurse and public health expert, Lauren brings a critical perspective to Congress. She has made access to high-quality, affordable health care one of her signature issues. President Biden’s American Rescue Plan included her bill, the Healthcare Affordability Act. During her tenure in Congress, Lauren co-founded the Black Maternal Health Caucus to combat the historical health disparities and unacceptably high death rates among Black mothers. Alongside colleagues in the House and Senate, she introduced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, a package of 12 bills to save moms’ lives. Lauren’s Republican opponent is a MAGA extremist. It is imperative that we keep this seat blue and keep Lauren’s unique and invaluable voice in Congress.
Build the House
Janelle Bynum (OR-05)
Janelle Bynum is currently serving her fourth term in Oregon’s State Legislature, where she has a proven track record of working across the aisle and delivering results. She has been 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, and taking on the climate crisis, and strengthening Oregon’s economy. She is a small business owner, an engineer and a mother of four.
Janelle won a competitive primary on May 21, and is now running to defeat the incumbent and far-right extremist Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who Janelle has beaten twice in Oregon State House races. Janelle is poised to flip this must-win seat from red to blue, and with our support, will help flip the House.
Michelle Vallejo (TX-15)
Michelle Vallejo is a small business owner, community leader and activist from South Texas. Born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, Michelle comes from a family of farmworkers, immigrants and entrepreneurs. She and her father run Pulga Los Portales, a local flea market and community hub, which for the past 25 years has been serving thousands of Texans weekly and has helped dozens of working-class entrepreneurs start and run their own businesses and provide for their families. She also co-founded Hustle+Socialize, an annual conference to support and empower minority women in business in South Texas. Driven by her mother’s 15-year battle with multiple sclerosis, Michelle is a fierce advocate for affordable and accessible health care. After the Texas Governor signed an extreme 6-week abortion ban into law, Michelle made reproductive freedom a central focus of her campaign.
In 2022, Michelle was enlisted to run for this seat by LUPE, a prominent non-profit community organization. She became the Democratic nominee in a challenging redrawn district. She ran a strong campaign, forcing the NRCC to spend heavily, Michelle is now in a rematch to unseat incumbent Republican anti-choice extremist Rep. Monica De La Cruz. This time voters have evidence of her opponent’s extreme agenda that is hurting Texas families. Michelle won her primary on March 5, and she is on the DCCC Red to Blue List. This is a critical seat to flip in order for Democrats to take back the House. With our support, Michelle can do that and become a powerful new voice in Congress.
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