NEW YORK, N.Y., Oct. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The future of our country is being shaped right now — especially in the statehouses. Although the race at the top of the ballot is historic, it is state legislators who are making the most critical decisions affecting women’s rights, healthcare, education and daily life. Vote Run Lead Action, the nonprofit demanding a truly reflective democracy with women and gender-expansive individuals holding at least 51% of U.S. legislative seats, has launched its “2024 Women to Watch” voter guide to highlight barrier-breaking women and gender-expansive trailblazers running for office. This guide spotlights hundreds of candidates across the country, with special focus on the nine key states which Vote Run Lead Action believes are at pivotal inflection points for progress: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
“These leaders aren’t just running for office — they are driving real change in our communities,” said Erin Vilardi, CEO and founder of Vote Run Lead Action. “With Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket, this election has more excitement around women candidates than ever before. This guide illustrates that even with the excitement at the top of the ticket, there are other fantastic women running all the way down the ballot. It is critical to vote for them not just for the importance of achieving 51% representation, but for the positive change they will bring to communities.”
Women are 51% of the population, and they should be at least 51% of our leaders. Only Nevada currently has a women’s majority in the state legislature, but other states, including New Mexico and Arizona are close. The time is right to have more women taking leadership roles in government and Vote Run Lead Action believes this is the year to do it.
The Vote Run Lead Action “Women to Watch” guide highlights candidates running right now for state legislature seats and other offices, and includes information on whether candidates are incumbents, challengers, or running for open seats. Some standouts include:
Mai Xiong (Michigan House District 13): Xiong was born in a Thai refugee camp and immigrated to the U.S. at age three. A small business owner, she advocates for living wages and investing in public schools and she champions community empowerment and inclusive leadership. She was also the first Asian American and former refugee on the Macomb (MI) County Board of Commissioners.
Anna Thomas (Pennsylvania House District 137): Thomas grew up knowing the value of giving service to others and giving back to the community. She believes in protecting abortion access and family planning freedom, smart growth, quality public education, and increasing affordability in all aspects of life. Thomas has a proven track record of tackling complex community needs and putting people over party.
Allie Phillips (Tennessee House District 75): Phillips experienced having her life put at risk when she was denied a medically necessary abortion. That experience inspired her to run for office and be an agent for change. She is committed to fighting for basic healthcare for all, for a safe and quality education for children and for LGBTQIA+ rights. Phillips is a firm believer in reproductive rights, paid leave and raising the minimum wage.
Imani Barnes (Georgia House District 86): As a lifelong DeKalb County (GA) resident and mother, Barnes is a public health doctoral candidate and biomedical researcher. She advocates for inclusive leadership reflecting her community’s diverse needs and is focused on improving public education, expanding healthcare access and addressing affordable housing. She fights for progressive policies to protect Georgia’s future.
“This Vote Run Lead Action voter guide also illustrates how long it may take each state to achieve gender parity,” noted Melissa Jackowski, regional head, West, for Vote Run Lead Action. “Most of the nine states in our RUN/51 program could reach a women’s majority within 10 years, but states including Georgia, Indiana and South Carolina could take decades at their current pace. That is why our work is so critical now — and we’re seeing incredible results! Vote Run Lead Action has 535 members of our national community advancing to ballots in November after seeing an overall primary win rate of 82%. In our nine priority states, Vote Run Lead Action affiliated candidates running for re-election had a primary win rate of 99% and Vote Run Lead Action affiliated challenger candidates had a primary win rate of 78%. Together, we can make a women’s majority reality.”
To access the Vote Run Lead Action “2024 Women to Watch” voter guide, visit voterunleadaction.org.
About Vote Run Lead Action
Vote Run Lead Action is committed to ideals of democracy, anti-racism and intersectional feminism. Vote Run Lead Action envisions a future where women and gender-expansive individuals hold the majority of U.S. legislative seats. In pursuit of achieving reflective and equitable gender parity, Vote Run Lead Action leverages all available resources for deep structural change. Vote Run Lead Action’s sister organization, Vote Run Lead, has reached more than 55,000 with its political training and education programming since its founding in 2014. Vote Run Lead and Vote Run Lead Action aim to unleash the power of women as voters, candidates, campaign managers and political leaders. To learn more, donate, or get involved, visit voterunleadaction.org or vrlhq.org.
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