This is a special moment in history. It has never been more important to run good candidates for every office at every level in every state. Right now, state Democrats are just 17 seats away from reclaiming the majority in eight chambers — and we have the strong candidates and grassroots support to do just that.
There are 6,066 state legislative races on the ballot this fall, and Democrats have more than 5,300 candidates running. We’re contesting nearly 80 percent of all Republican seats, while Republicans are barely contesting half of ours. Nearly half of our candidates are women — more than twice as many compared to Republicans. And more than 1,100 are candidates of color, which is four times more than the Republicans have running.
We have almost 700 Democratic millennials running for their state legislatures this year, in 46 states across the country.
Currently millennials of both parties, who are 18–34 years old, make up barely 6 percent of all state legislators; we have a chance to nearly double that this November. This cycle marks a once-in-a-generation chance to dramatically change the makeup of our government, make a direct impact on local and state policy, and ultimately change the direction of our collective future. Millennial state legislators are setting themselves up for long careers in public service — they’re both the future leaders of our party as well as the right-here, right-now folks who are laying a path forward for our country.
Candidates to Watch:
- Rochelle Galindo, CO HD-50
- Emma Collum, FL HD-93
- Anna Eskamani, FL HD-47
- Jasmine Clark, GA HD-108
- Beth Moore, GA HD-95
- Matthew Wilson, GA HD-80
- JD Ford, IN SD-29
- Jason Fowler, MD HD-27C
- Katie McBrine, MA HD Plymouth/Northfolk
- Tram Nguyen, MA HD Essex 18
- Mari Manoogian, MI HD-40
- Mallory McMorrow, MI SD-13
- Heather Edelson, MN HD-49A
- Selena Torres, NV AD-3
- Howard Watts, NV AD-15
- Willis Griffith, NH HD Hillsborough 18
- Jon Morgan, NH SD-23
- Alessandra Biaggi, NY SD-34
- Andrew Gounardes, NY SD-22
- Zellner Myrie, NY SD-20
- Jessica Ramos, NY SD-13
- Sydney Batch, NC HD-37
- Aimy Steele, NC HD-82
- Matt Eidson, ND HD-43
- Brandon Medenwald, ND HD-41
- Rachel Crooks, OH HD-88
- Phil Robinson, OH HD-6
- Taylor Sappington, OH HD-94
- Louise Valentine, OH SD-19
- Mike Doyle, PA HD-170
- Liz Hanbidge, PA HD-61
- Katie Muth, PA SD-14
- Sara Johnson Rothman, PA HD-151
- Lindsey Williams, PA SD-38
- John Bucy, TX HD-136
- Emily Randall, WA SD-26
- Caleb Frostman, WI SD-01
- Kyle Whelton, WI SD-9
- Alyson Leahy, WI AD-85
We have a huge opportunity this Nov. 6 to change the face of power by helping young leaders take their seat at the table in legislative chambers across the country,” said Jessica Post, executive director of the DLCC. “These candidates are running to make a difference in their communities — from protecting our environment, to expanding access to health care, to passing common sense gun safety laws, to investing in improving education in America — and will help to bring state governments into the 21st century with forward-thinking legislation and creative solutions. This is only the beginning of what’s to come for Democrats, and the DLCC is proud to be working with Run For Something to be an important part of this chapter in our history.”
“Young people are stepping up in record numbers to run for office because they know what’s at stake-their rights to choose, to vote, to live in a clean environment, and to start off their professional lives without excessive students loans,” Amanda Litman, co-founder of Run for Something. “We are living in a unique moment in history, and these candidates heard the call.”
State legislators are working to pass laws that make a difference in their communities. From protecting voting rights, to expanding access to affordable health care, to fighting for equal pay and human rights for all, state legislators are doing the work that makes people’s lives a little bit better — they’re doing the nitty-gritty legislating that actually protects people from the Trump agenda. We need strong Democrats in office now — and we need to grow the pipeline of talent for the future. After all, nearly 50 percent of current members of Congress started out serving in their state legislatures.
State Democrats are leading the resistance against the Republicans’ extremist policies while moving our nation forward one state at a time. We need as many people as possible to take the time to donate, volunteer, knock on doors, make phone calls, and do everything it takes to elect Democrats so we can change the face of power in statehouses across the country.
The DLCC and Run For Something are partners in working to recruit and elect Democrats to state legislatures. All of the above millennial candidates are endorsed by both organizations as they work to become the next generation of progress leaders.
You can learn more about our work and how you can help at dlcc.org and at runforsomething.net.
