Our Team

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins was first elected to the New York Senate in 2006. In 2012, she became the first woman, and African-American woman to lead a New York legislative conference. In 2019, her peers elected her as Temporary President and Majority Leader of the Senate. Stewart-Cousins has sponsored and passed transformative legislation such as the landmark Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act, and Child Health Plus and School Meal Enrollment Coordination Law. Due to her legislative and community service work, Andrea has been named “Woman of the Year” by the Business and Professional Women’s Club and “Legislator of the Year” by the Community Health Association of New York State. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Pace University and her teaching credentials in Business Education from Lehman College while raising her children as an adult. Stewart-Cousins resides in Yonkers and has three children and four grandchildren with her late husband Thomas.

Senate President Ron Kouchi was elected to the Hawaii Senate in 2010 and has served as Senate President since 2015. Kouchi was a lobbyist for the County of Kaua‘i at the Hawaii State Legislature and is a former member of the Legislative Committee of the Kaua’i Chamber of Commerce. He served for 22 years as a Kaua‘i County Councilman, including 12 years as Council Chair. He is a former director of the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative and the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau. Kouchi also served on the boards of the Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital and YMCA, and chaired the Wilcox Health Foundation’s capital campaign. Kouchi attended Drake University in Iowa. He and his wife Joy have two children.

House Majority Leader Valerie J. Longhurst was first elected to the Delaware House of Representatives in 2004. In 2008, she was elected as the House Majority Whip and served for four years. After the 2012 election, her caucus elected her House Majority Leader. Longhurst is the Chair of the House Administration, Ethics and Rules committees. Longhurst has advocated for a variety of common sense gun safety measures in Delaware — first by sponsoring legislation adding Delaware to the National Instant Background Check System, then by fighting to expand background check requirements for gun purchases to include straw purchases and gun shows, by closing the “Charleston Loophole”, and finally by supporting protections for victims of domestic and intimate partner violence. In addition to her responsibilities in the General Assembly, she plays an important role in many local and national organizations. Her involvement includes serving as a Women’s Network Advisory Council member of the National Conference of State Legislators, a board member of the Police Action League, and a member of the Delaware Sports Commission Advisory Council. Longhurst graduated from West Chester University and has two children.

Congressman Brendan Boyle (PA-02) was born and raised in the city of Philadelphia. The son of an immigrant, he was elected to the Pennsylvania state legislature in 2008, becoming the first Democrat to ever represent his legislative district. He currently serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Committee on the Budget. Congressman Boyle is the founder and co-chair of the “Blue Collar Caucus” which advocates for working families by addressing wage stagnation, job insecurity, and the future of work.

Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) is the son of a single mother who is an immigrant in the process of obtaining citizenship. In Congress, he has passed legislation to make housing more affordable and give Nevada families a tax cut while securing funding for Nevada’s schools and investing in job training programs. As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, he has helped pass an infrastructure plan that will create thousands of good-paying jobs in Nevada. Prior to serving in Congress, Horsford served in the Nevada State Senate and made history as the first African-American Majority Leader.

Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06) was born and raised in Queens as the daughter of immigrants and has never forgotten where she came from or who she fights for. Before running for Congress, Grace worked as a public interest lawyer and served in the New York State Assembly. She serves on the powerful House Appropriations Committee and fights for federal programs that benefit women and children. Grace chairs ASPIRE PAC, which supports Asian American candidates and ensures that Asian American voices are heard in the political process. She also chairs At the Table, which supports minority and women candidates with the resources to run for office.

Before being elected, Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35) worked for over 17 years as a 911 dispatcher for the Los Angeles Police Department, where she served as a shop steward for AFSCME Local 3090. Norma also served in the State Assembly and State Senate where she implemented the Affordable Care Act and secured $2 billion in federal funds for the “Keep Your Home California” program – helping 64,000 families keep their homes during the foreclosure crisis. Representing California’s 35th District since 2014, Norma has been an advocate for working families of the Inland Empire. An immigrant from Guatemala, Norma is the sole Central-American serving in Congress.