Get to Know Our Endorsed Candidates.
U.S. Senate
Incumbents
New Hampshire
Maggie Hassan
Senator Maggie Hassan is the second woman in the state of New Hampshire to be elected as both Governor and U.S. Senator. She was Governor of New Hampshire from 2013 to 2016, served in the New Hampshire State Senate representing District 23 from 2004 to 2010 including serving as majority leader, president pro tempore, and assistant Democratic whip. As governor, she passed two budgets without raising the state’s sales or income taxes. In 1999, Gov. Jeanne Shaheen appointed her to serve on the Advisory Committee to the Adequacy in Education and Finance Commission. In 2016, she was elected as the Democratic member of the U.S. Senate from New Hampshire, defeating incumbent Senator Kelly Ayotte (R) by less than 800 votes. As a senator, from 2017-2020 she was assigned to the following committees: Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Joint Economic, Health Education, Labor, and Pensions, Finance, and Commerce, Science, and Transportation. In 2020, she has voted against bills like the Ban abortion after 20 weeks and voted for bills including provide federal aid for coronavirus economic impacts and renew FISA surveillance law authorization. On April 25, 2020, the Trump administration invited her to join a bipartisan task force on the reopening of the economy amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Maggie chaired the DSCC Women's Senate Network this past cycle. On December 4, 2020, she announced that she is running for reelection in 2022. Potentially the Republican Governor, Chris Sununu may run against Maggie, and potentially the former Republican Senater, Kelly Ayotte might re challenge Maggie.
Illinois
Tammy Duckworth Senator Tammy Duckworth is an Iraqi War veteran, retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel in 2014, who became the first Thai American woman with a disability and double amputee, to be elected to Congress, serving as the junior United States Senator from Illinois since 2017. She currently serves on several influential committees: Armed Services, Environment, and Public Works, Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and co-founded the Senate’s first-ever Environmental Justice Caucus. Prior to becoming a Senator, she represented Illinois 8th Congressional district in the House from 2013 to 2016. As a highly effective lawmaker, the Senator has introduced bills like her bipartisan Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM), helped lead passage of the bipartisan Clay Hunt SAV Act, sponsored the Veterans Small Business Enhancement Act of 2018, and passed the Troop Talent Act. In 2016, she won the Senate election defeating Republican incumbent Mark Kirk by 54.9% of the votes. Before Congress, in 2009, President Obama appointed her as the assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, where she coordinated a joint initiative with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help end Veteran homelessness worked to address the unique challenges faced by females as well as Native American Veterans and created the Office of Online Communications to improve the VA’s accessibility, especially among young Veterans. In 2004, she was deployed to Iraq as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot for the Illinois Army National Guard. Her helicopter was hit by an RPG and she lost her legs and partial use of her right arm. While recovering, she became an advocate for her fellow Soldiers. Post-recovery, she became director of the Illinois Department of Veteran’s Affairs from 2006 to 2009.
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Arizona
Catherine Cortez Masto Senator Catherine Cortez Masto is the first Latina to serve as the senior United States Senator from Nevada since 2017. She currently serves in five committees: Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Energy and Natural Resources, Rules and Administration, Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Indian Affairs, and Aging and is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues. Previously, she served as the 32nd attorney general of Nevada for two terms from 2007 to 2015, worked as a criminal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C, assistant county manager in Clark County, former Nevada Governor Bob Miller’s chief of staff, and executive vice-chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education. In 2016, she won the election by 47% of the votes, defeating her Republican opponent, Joe Heck, who earned 45% of the votes. While Heck won 16 out of the 17 counties and equivalent, she won Clark County, which comprises nearly ¾ of the state’s population by almost 27,000 votes. As a Senator, she recently introduced a bipartisan bill with Republican Senator, Tim Scott called the Ensuring Parity in Medicare Advantage for Audio-Only Telehealth Act of 2021. She has cosponsor on several bills like the Clean Energy for America Act, the Healthy Maternal and Obstetric Medicine Act, the DREAM Act, Marketplace Certainty Act, the Family Coverage Act, Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices and Stopping the Pharmaceutical Industry from Keeping Drug Expensive. She has also introduced other legislation such as the Servicewomen’s Health Transition Training Act of 2019, Protection of Child Victims of Exploitation and Human Trafficking, and bipartisan bills including the Not Invisible Act of 2019 and Savanna’s Act. 
Washington
Senator Patty Murray is the first female Senator from Washington state and the senior senator since 2001, and the ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. She was the first female to have chair the Senate Veteran’s Affairs Committee during 112th Congress and Budget Committee during the 113th Congress. She has also chaired the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and was secretary of the Senate Democratic Conference. As a Senator, she championed and expanded health care coverage for women, introducing legislations such as the Emergency Contraception Access and Education Act. She also led her party’s effort to secure increases in the federal minimum wage. Prior to being elected as a Senator, she was a member of the Washington State Senate from 1988 to 1992, where she unseated two-term incumbent Republican state Senator, Bill Kiskaddon. She was also the Democratic Whip of the Washington State Senate from 1990 to 1992.
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U.S. House of Representatives
IOWA 3rd
Cindy Axne
Prior to election, Rep. Axne worked as a small business owner and was an education advocate in her community. She is one the first two women Iowa elected to the House of Representatives (the other being Abby Finkenauer IA-1, also elected in 2018). Rep. Axne serves on the Financial Services Committee and the Agriculture Committee. Recently, she sponsored the Outsourcing Accountability Act and the Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act. In 2018, she defeated her Republican opponent by just 2.2% of the vote. There are currently 3 Republicans running for her seat in 2020, including the former incumbent.
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VIRGINIA 7th
Abigail SpanbergerPrior to being elected, Rep. Spanberger worked as a federal investigator for the U.S. Postal Service investigating money laundering and narcotics cases. She then served as case officer in the CIA, both in the U.S. and abroad, to ensure our national security. Rep. Spanberger serves on the Agriculture Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee. In the House, she has worked to protect healthcare for all Americans. Recently, her resolution to block the sale of certain dangerous weapons to Saudi Arabia passed the House with bipartisan support. She is the first Democrat to represent her district in 49 years and in 2018, she defeated her Republican opponent by just 1.9% of the vote. Currently, there is one Republican running for her seat in 2020.
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VIRGINIA 2nd
Elaine LuriaRep. Luria attended the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Naval Nuclear Power School. She spent 20 years in the Navy, operating nuclear reactors aboard combat ships and has been deployed to the Middle East and Western Pacific. She reached the rank of Commander, and before retiring, she commanded a unit of 400 sailors. Her district has one of the largest navy bases and concentration of veterans. She sits on the Armed Forces Committee and the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. In the House, she has successfully sponsored and passed a bill to increase the disability and indemnity compensation for veterans disabled through their service. In 2018, she defeated her Republican opponent by just 2.3% of the vote.
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Michigan 8th
Elissa Slotkin
Rep. Slotkin worked as a Middle East analyst for the CIA, during which time she worked alongside the U.S. military for 3 tours in Iraq. After returning to the U.S., she served in various national security and intelligence positions under Presidents Bush and Obama and served in a high ranking position at the Pentagon. Rep. Slotkin serves on the Armed Forces Committee and Homeland Security Committee. Recently, Rep. Slotkin has sponsored the Short-Term Detention Standards Act to improve the basic requirements for immigrants. In 2018, she defeated her Republican opponent by 3.8% of the vote.
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Michigan 11th
Haley Stevens
Rep. Stevens is the former Chief of Staff to the U.S. Auto Rescue Task Force, the federal initiative under President Obama that saved the jobs of 200,000 Michigan residents. She also set up the Office of Recovery for Automotive Communities and Workers and the White House Office of Manufacturing policy. Rep. Stevens sits on the Education & Labor Committee and the Science, Space, & Technology Committee and was elected co-president of the freshman Democratic class. Her priorities in the House include manufacturing and environmental sustainability. In 2018, she defeated her Republican opponent by 6.6% of the vote.
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Connecticut 5th
Jahana HayesRep. Hayes is the first African-American woman and first African-American Democrat to represent Connecticut in Congress. She was a public school teacher for 15 years and earned the distinction of 2016 National Teacher of the Year. Rep. Hayes is a strong advocate for equitable access to quality education and sits on the Education and Labor Committee and the Agriculture Committee. She recently introduced bicameral legislation to combat food insecurity for college students. In 2018, she defeated her Republican opponent with 11.8% of the vote, but already has 2 Republican challengers, one of whom is a former assistant U.S. Attorney.
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Arizona 2nd
Ann Kirkpatrick Rep. Kirkpatrick represented Arizona’s 1st Congressional district from 2009 to 2011, and again from 2013 to 2017. In 2018, she was elected to represent Arizona’s 2nd Congressional district and is seeking reelection there in 2020. She currently sits on the Appropriations Committee and Agriculture Committee and in the past has served on the Small Business Committee, Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She supports Native American rights, protecting our natural resources, and supporting our armed forces and veterans. Most recently she cosponsored the Stop Cruelty Against Migrant Children Act to protect the health and safety of children in immigration detention. In 2018, she defeated her Republican opponent by 9.5% of the vote.Arizona 2nd |
New York 12th
Carolyn Maloney Rep. Maloney has represented her district in Congress since 1993. Among her many firsts, she was the first woman to represent her district in Congress and the first woman to chair the Joint Economic Committee – a bicameral panel that addresses the nation’s most immediate economic concerns. Ten of Rep. Maloney’s authored bills have been signed into law by Presidents, including but not limited to: the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which provides health monitoring and financial assistance to 9/11 first responders, volunteers, and survivors; the Debbie Smith Act, which increases funding for law enforcement to process DNA rape kits; the Credit CARD Act, which protects consumers from shady practices by card companies. In addition to these bills, Rep. Maloney has been a tireless champion for the Equal Rights Amendment and has reintroduced the bill 11 times since 1993. She was also the leading sponsor and advocate for the funding and construction of the 2nd Avenue Subway in her district. She recently made headlines when her bill, The Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act, was signed into law. Rep. Maloney is up for reelection in 2020 and currently faces two challengers in the Democratic Primary. |
California 45
Katie PorterRep. Porter received her J.D. from Harvard Law School and is a subject matter expert in consumer protection and bankruptcy law. Prior to her election, she was appointed by then Attorney General Kamala Harris to serve as California’s independent watchdog against the banks. In the House, she has used her expertise to question the transparency and practices of banks and mortgage lenders such as Wells Fargo and Equifax, and has introduced legislation to strengthen the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In 2018, Rep Porter defeated her Republican opponent with just 2.2% of the vote. It is the first time a Democrat has represented this district since its creation in 1983.
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Washington 8th
Kim Schrier
Rep. Schrier is the only female doctor in Congress and the first Democrat to represent her district since its creation in 1983. She spent her career working as a renowned pediatrician in the Greater Seattle area. As a physician who also lives with Type 1 diabetes, she has a unique dual perspective on the healthcare needs of Americans. She sits on the Agriculture Committee and the Education & Workforce Committee. Recently, Rep. Schrier’s bill to strengthen and reauthorize the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act passed the House with bipartisan support. In 2018, she defeated her Republican opponent by 4.4% of the vote.
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Illinois 14th
Lauren Underwood
Rep. Underwood is the first woman and the first person of color to represent her district in Congress, as well as the youngest African-American woman to serve in Congress. She is a registered nurse, and before being elected she worked at the Department of Health and Human Services as a senior policy advisor. She sits on the Education & Workforce Committee, the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Vice Chair’s the Homeland Security Committee. Recently, Rep. Underwood has introduced legislation to improve medical screening and provide high priority medical resources to migrants at the border. In 2018, she defeated her Republican opponent by 5% of the vote.
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Texas 7th
Lizzie Fletcher
Rep. Fletcher is an attorney, who, prior to her election, represented Houstonians in court on a variety of issues from international law to litigation. Her district is entirely within the city of Houston and where she has been a resident her whole life. Rep. Fletcher sits on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and Science, Space, & Technology Committee. In the House, she has focused on bringing relief to Houston after Hurricane Harvey and ensuring her district and the nation is more prepared for future natural disasters. In 2018, she defeated her Republican opponent by 4.5% of the vote. Currently, there are already 2 Republicans running for her seat in 2020.
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Georgia 6th
Lucy McBath
Rep. McBath has held dual roles as the national spokesperson for Everytown For Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action, after her son Jordan was shot and killed in a senseless act of violence in 2012. In Congress, she is a tireless advocate for gun safety and recently secured $50 million to fund gun violence prevention research, the first funding of its kind in over 20 years. In 2018, Rep. McBath defeated her Republican opponent by just 1% of the vote. There are currently 2 Republican challengers running for her seat, including the the former incumbent Karen Handel.
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Kansas 3rd
Sharice Davids
Rep. Davids is one of the first two Native American women to be elected to Congress (the other, Debra Haaland NM-1, was also elected in 2018). Prior to serving in congress, Rep. Davids was an attorney, worked in community development at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and served as a White House Fellow at the Department of Transportation during the Obama Administration. She serves on the Small Business Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Recently, she has introduced two new bills, that if passed, will remove hidden fees from student loans and help students scammed by faulty loans. In 2018, Rep. Davids defeated her Republican opponent by 9.7% of the vote.
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Pennsylvania 7th
Susan Wild
Rep. Wild is the first woman to represent her district in Congress. She is an attorney, and prior to being elected, she also served as the first female solicitor of Allentown, PA. She is an expert in litigation, medical malpractice, and municipal law. Rep. Wild serves on the Education & Labor Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the Ethics Committee. Recently, she introduced and passed an amendment in the House that will prevent this administration and future administrations from enacting rules or policy changes to increase healthcare premiums. In 2018, she defeated her Republican opponent by 10% of the vote.
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Nevada 3rd
Susie Lee
Prior to her election, Rep. Lee had a diverse career focused on improving the lives of others. She has worked as a campaign policy advisor to Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones, founded a homeless shelter for parents and children in need, and was the president of the board of Communities In Schools of Nevada, a program that seeks to lower high school dropout rates. Rep. Lee took over the seat from Rep. Jacky Rosen (D) in January 2019 and serves on the Education & the Workforce Committee and Veterans’ Affairs Members Committee. Recently, she has successfully introduced and passed 3 amendments that will increase the efficiency of medical care at the VA and DOD. In 2018, she beat her Republican opponent by 9% of the vote. So far, she has one Republican challenger in 2020 – former Nevada state treasurer Dan Schwartz – who has attacked her affiliation with Nancy Pelosi in the media.
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Newly Elected 2020 TSMOW Endorsed
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Sarah Jacobs CA-53 Sara Jacobs is a former foreign policy advisor to Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election and has worked in various policy positions at the State Department during Obama’s administration, UNICEF and the United Nation. She is also a Scholar in Residence at the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego. Jacobs is the founder and chairwoman of San Diego for Every Child: The Coalition to End Child Poverty, and the founding CEO of Project Connect – an education non-profit that is now a flagship part of UNICEF’s work around the world. In 2020, she is running for Rep. Susan Davis’ House seat – Rep. Davis is not seeking for re-election in 2020. As of March 3, 2020, she is leading the primary votes with 29.1% which is 9.1% more vote against her Democrat opponent, Georgette Gomez, and 13% more vote than her Republican opponent, Rep. Chris Stoddard. Sarah Jacobs is in a good position to win this seat in the general election Carolyn Bourdeaux GA-7 This seat is one of the number one pick up seats for the Democrats. Carolyn Bourdeaux has been a professor at the Andrew Young School of Public Policy since 2003 and she founded the Center for State and Local Finance to teach the next generation of leaders about responsible and compassionate public policy. From 2007 to 2010, she was the Director of Georgia’s Senate Budget and Evaluation Office. In her district, she worked on legislation that helped expand access to the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program and access to Federally Qualified Health Centers while saving the federal government money. In 2018, In 2018, she challenged (R) then-incumbent Rob Woodall, coming within striking distance with about 1 % difference in the results. In 2020, she won the Democratic primary by 53% of the vote, and she will be challenging Republican incumbent Rep. Rich McCormick (an emergency room physician endorsed by Trump) for the open seat. Recently, Barack Obama and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden endorsed her. Deborah Ross NC-02 Deborah Ross. a civil right lawyer and a former representative of the North Carolina General Assembly (2003-2013) representing the 38th and 34th House District. As a representative, she served both Majority and Minority Whip and chaired the Judiciary, Ethics and Election Laws Committees. Her career also includes being the state director for the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina in 1994, a legal counsel for Triangle Transit. She is a supporter of the Equal Pay Act. In 2016, she was the Democratic nominee in the Senate election in NC but loss slightly to the incumbent Republican, Rep. Richard Burr, who won with just 51% of the vote. In the March 2020 Democratic primaries, she won and is the district’s Democratic candidate and in November, she will be challenging Rep. Alan Swain. Since her district is blue, she has the likelihood to win the general election. Kathy Manning NC-06 Kathy Manning is the first woman to chair the Jewish Federations of North America, a Greensboro attorney, small business owner, and a well-known philanthropist in the 6th District. As an avid community and nonprofit leader who held various position such as in United Way, Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, the National Conference for Community Justice and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, she worked to provide retraining, mortgage assistance, food and health care for people who lost their jobs due to the great recession. She has placed the Black Economic Alliance (BEA) policy agenda at the center of her campaign and pledges to introduce or co-sponsor legislation geared towards expanding employment opportunities for Black Americans, funding for prisoner education and reentry program and launching infrastructure in lower-income communities. In the 2020 democratic primaries election, she won with 48.4% by a vote in a highly Democratic district. In the November election, she will be running against Republican, Joseph Lee Haywood, for the open seat of incumbent Republican, Rep. Mark Waller who is not running for reelection. Since her district is blue, she has the likelihood to win the general election. |
How Do We Choose Who to Endorse and Fund?
The PAC has a formal Contribution Committee that vets viable candidates through a 3 step process: candidate questionnaire, candidate interview, and committee vote.
1. Questionnaire
Candidates must answer questions about how they will/have taken action on 5 key issues:
- Women’s Reproductive Rights
- Gun Safety
- Environmental Issues/Climate Change
- Immigration
- LGBTQ+ Rights
2. Interview
In order for our members to meet and continue vetting the candidate, we conduct a phone interview or in-person interview. This allows us to get to know the candidate personally and the issues and concerns of her district, as well as any campaign challenges.
3. Voting
The Contribution Committee then votes quarterly on new funds for contributions during primary and general elections.