CANDIDATES FROM OUTSIDE THE AREA 2020
Promising Candidates in California
Dawn Addis
Dawn is running for the 35thAssembly District. She is a sitting Councilmember, community leader, and public educator. Dawn has lived in the 35th Assembly District for 20 years. Elected in 2018, Dawn Addis swept the election as the top vote-getter. She ran on a five-prong campaign focused on increased housing, economic vitality, future-ready infrastructure, coastal protections, and better representation. She co-founded Women’s March San Luis Obispo (WMSLO) in 2016, and under her leadership it has transformed from a one-day event into a fiscally-sponsored non-profit. As a WMSLO leader, she has brought hope to crowds of 10,000 people, motivated community members to start their own advocacy groups, and encouraged other women to run for office. In 2018, largely due to WMSLO activism, communities across the 35th Assembly District elected their most diverse, and progressive, City Councils in history.
Katie Porter
Katie flipped this seat from red to blue in 2018, and now she faces a tough re-election fight against Republicans doing everything in their power to take it back. She represents the CA-45th District of south-central Orange County. With so much at stake in 2020, Katie has the strong support of the EMILY’s List community to keep this champion for Golden State working families in the House and in the majority. Katie has spent nearly 20 years as a consumer advocate taking on Wall Street banks and powerful financial institutions that try to take advantage of middle-class families. She is committed to increasing economic opportunity for middle-class families and taking on the special interests that take unfair advantage of those pursuing the American dream
Christy Smith
Christy is running for California’s 25th Congressional District, an open seat that flipped from red to blue in 2018. This seat is a critical hold for Democrats to keep the House majority, and with former Republican Congressman Steve Knight in the race for his old seat, it’s sure to be another competitive race. Christy is a champion for her community in the state Assembly and will continue to fight for working families in Congress. Improving public education is one of Christy’s top priorities. She is also committed to protecting and expanding access to quality, affordable health care and lowering prescription drug costs. In the Assembly, she authored legislation to increase access to affordable mental health services. She is endorsed by EMILY’s List.
Nationwide
There are many good candidates across the country who deserve to be supported, but here are a few women candidates who share SBWPC’s values—and who have a good chance to win:
Jessica Cisneros
As the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants and a human rights lawyer, Jessica is fighting to build an America for all of us — no matter who we are, or where we come from. Running in Texas’ Congressional District 28, she was born and raised in the border town of Laredo, Texas. As a kid, she saw families like hers torn apart by broken policies made by Congress. She saw her parents struggle to keep a small business afloat, while politicians in Washington protected large corporations and a broken immigration system divided her community.
Jessica’s opponent, Henry Cuellar, voted with Trump almost 70% of the time — despite the fact that the district voted for Hillary Clinton over Trump by an overwhelming 20 point margin in 2016. Cuellar is Trump’s favorite Democrat.
Gina Ortiz Jones
Gina Ortiz Jones’ inspiring story is an American story.The daughter of an immigrant single mom who instilled the values of hard work and service, Gina pursued an education through an Air Force ROTC scholarship, deployed as an intelligence officer in Iraq, and later built a career as an economic and national security expert. Throughout her career, Gina has seen first-hand the dangers associated with the hollowing out of government institutions and attacks on the free press, the effects of policies deliberately aimed at weakening the voice of women and other marginalized groups, and the threats posed by leaders who see their position as an opportunity to turn a profit versus develop a nation. Now as she has seen those who are supposed to be leading this country creating those same threats here at home, while families like hers are seeing opportunities disappear.
Gina is running in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District. She is endorsed by EMILY’S List, and her record is a stark contrast to Congressman Will Hurd, who has prioritized his party’s extreme agenda over the interests of the working families he was elected to serve.
Sara Gideon
Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives; led implementation of legislation aimed at helping working families and addressing the opioid crisis; working to protect women’s rights; championed training legislation; supported by EMILY’s List
She is running against Sen. Susan Collins – Maine. Voted to defund Planned Parenthood; voted against strengthening equal pay protections; voted for Brett Kavanaugh for Supreme Court
Theresa Greenfield
Endorsed by EMILY’s list; her father was a crop duster so she is a strong advocate for small farmers; a widow with two children put herself through college with assistance from financial aid; she worked as an urban planner and now leads a real estate development company; she is pro-choice; strong supporter of public education and community colleges, including job training, as well as social security and workers compensation.
She is running against Sen. Joni Ernst – Iowa. Voted to defund Planned Parenthood; voted to repeal Obamacare without a replacement plan; voted against strengthening equal pay protections and ensuring that women are fairly compensated for their work; she is taking in a lot of dark money and voted to eliminate tax credits for electric vehicles
Amy McGrath
Amy McGrath, Retired Lt., Col., Marine Corps veteran and fighter pilot. She is pro-choice, and considers climate change a national security threat; is against the border wall; is a gun owner; in favor of medical marijuana; in favor of investing in education; has a firm commitment to health care as a basic right and would like to build on the existing law; is anti-Big Pharma; endorses paid family leave; opposes the tariffs because they are hurting signature industry in Kentucky; is in favor of comprehensive immigration reform and the DREAM Act; also supports LGBTQ+ equality in the military and elsewhere.
She is running against Sen. Mitch McConnell – Kentucky, an obstructionist Senate Majority Leader who has blocked almost all the legislation sent to the Senate by the House.
Visit the candidates’ websites to read more and donate to their campaigns.