Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Kelly Garrett, Michigan House of Representatives District 18

Due to the large number of retirements this year, a lot of seats are opening up. Some are quitting politics for good, while others are launching campaigns for other elected office. In Michigan’s 18th District, State Representative Jason Hoskins, the incumbent, is giving up his seat to run for Michigan State Senate. Into this vacancy stepped millennial Mykale (Kelly) Garrett (she/her). Kelly is being endorsed in her race by US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, a Democratic Socialist who defeated a primary challenge from Kelly in 2022. As mayor of Lathrup Village, she advanced key initiatives focused on public safety, infrastructure, and community engagement. Kelly credits her Christian faith with shaping her views on protecting women’s rights (including reproductive and voting), protecting trans individuals from violence and discrimination, and ensuring that all children have access to quality education.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 57.8Andrew FApril 23, 2026Black culture, black, election, election 2026, #election, politician, political, politics, Politics, #politicsComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Jen Wiles, North Carolina General Assembly District 75

Jen Wiles (she/her) is very committed to service. A healthcare clinician, this millennial mom of two also volunteers in public schools and with the unhoused community and is active in local organizations Forsyth Dem Women, Camel City United Indivisible, and Fuerza Triad. Jen’s platform rests on the basic foundations of increased affordable healthcare, universal Pre-K, a $15 minimum wage, and increased taxes on corporations, millionaires and billionaires who currently enjoy some of the lowest tax rates in this country, including in North Carolina.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 57.9Andrew FApril 20, 2026millenial, mother, Mother, Motherhood, election, election 2026, #electionComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Heath Howard, New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District

New Hampshire, while having voted Democrat for US president since 2004, is a notoriously swing state. Republicans typically win at the state level, and at the federal level, Congressional representation tends to flip back and forth. In 2006, both of New Hampshire’s Congressional seats flipped Democrat after years of being Republican. Then four years later, they flipped back. Then two years later, they flipped Democrat again. Then two years later, the 1st District flipped Republican, and then back to Democrat in 2016.

Because the current Congressman, Chris Pappas, is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Jeanne Shaheen, the 1st District is now open. With the political winds at the backs of Democrats this year, helped by the fact that the seat has stayed blue since 2016, the opportunity to elect a progressive representative is not only possible, but probable. Heath Howard (he/him/his), a Gen-Z state representative, has tossed his hat into the ring. He gained fame and notoriety in November when he heckled Shaheen at an state Democratic event, calling her out for voting to end the government shutdown, which led to a lapse in Affordable Health Care tax credits. Heath, the current Vice Chair of the House Progressive Caucus in the New Hampshire legislature, is passionate about healthcare, and has based his campaign on Medicare for All, a minimum wage of $25, tuition-free education, and more affordable housing.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 57.9Andrew FApril 13, 2026gen-z, housing crisis, healthcare, education, living wages, election, election 2026, #electionComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Coumba Kebe, Indiana House of Representatives District 29

As much as Republicans do not want to admit it, but Republican-run states in the Midwest have been drawing larger numbers of immigrants, thus changing the political landscape of the state. Indiana is no exception. Coumba Kebe (she/her), is a millennial first-generation American, the daughter of immigrants from Senegal. Coumba is a small business owner and holds a Masters in Public Health. As her business as a health consultant grew, she became more aware of the severe limitations of America’s healthcare system. Determined to put these limitations into understandable language, Coumba took to TikTok. As her following grew, she was encouraged to run for public office, and she declared her intention to run in January. This CrossFitter and aunt of five has centered her campaign around universal healthcare (including universal reproductive care) and raising taxes on corporations to help fund public programs that strengthen the social safety net, seeing it as the backbone of a strong society and economy.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Elizabeth Ferris, West Virginia Senate District 15

West Virginia is undoubtedly a working-class state, with a long, rich history of organized labor. The state was on the forefront of the labor revolution against inhumane working conditions: the West Virginia coal mine wars raged for nine years, culminating in the Battle of Matewan. The ultimate effect of this revolution was the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933, which empowered American workers and strengthened labor rights.

That is why West Virginia needs a representative who will fight for the working class, especially in a time where the rights of workers are being systematically rolled back nationwide, especially in West Virginia. Elizabeth Ferris (she/her), is a millennial teacher and writer who has had a diverse job history: hotel maid in northern Spain, nanny in Australia, garden worker on a commune in Sweden, and holiday delivery person for UPS. Elizabeth is passionate about reforming tax policy to eases the tax burden on the working class and shifts it back onto the wealthy; this will give West Virginia a better chance to invest in road infrastructure, make healthcare and childcare affordable for all, and improve the public school system. Elizabeth credits her Lutheran faith for guiding her toward serving the neediest; indeed, through her church she became co-chair of the Winchester Area Temporary Transitional Shelter Committee, helping provide homeless residents with a safe and warm bed from November to March every year.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Brianna Titone, Colorado State Treasurer

We are currently living in a frightening time in this country, where we have a right-wing federal government hellbent on rolling back US citizens’ civil rights. At this moment, our president is encouraging Congress to pass the “SAVE America Act”, a law that aims to restrict voting measures for US citizens. But Trump has slipped something else in this bill — conditions to restrict rights to transgender Americans, including preventing gender-affirming care for minors and preventing trans Americans from competing in sport.

At this critical moment, America needs more transgender leaders to show that the trans community will not be cowed, that trans Americans are equal with all other Americans, and they are proud and unafraid to represent the communities where they live. Brianna Titone (she/her), is one such American. Currently a state representative in the Colorado General Assembly, Brianna is running to be the next State Treasurer in Colorado. She has dedicated her life to service, not only as a scientist in multiple disciplines, but also as a volunteer firefighter in her community, and she became the first trans elected official in Colorado’s history in 2019. Brianna cares deeply about protecting the working class from corporations and billionaires, investing in affordable housing, protecting consumers from predatory corporations and unbridled AI, and protecting Colorado’s natural environment from fossil fuel exploration and production.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Lucia Simonelli, Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District

One of the candidates running in the Democratic primary election for this district is Lucia Simonelli (she/her), a millennial who grew up without healthcare or financial stability but went on to get her PhD in Mathematics and works as a scientific advisor in the U.S. Senate. Her top issues in her campaign are Climate Change, Medicare for All, and abolishing ICE.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 57.8Andrew FMarch 30, 2026progressive, climate change, ICE, U.S. Senate, election 2026, electionComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Rachel Fetty Anderson, U.S. Senate, West Virginia

In West Virginia, a working class state whose Republican representation in Congress has repeatedly failed its citizens, a new generation is beginning to challenge aged representatives (75% of West Virginia’s Congressional representation is over age 72). Rachel Fetty Anderson (she/her/Ma’am), is a pro-bono attorney, bocce coach, and mom of four whose Christian faith inspires her to do good works for the poor and working class. When she was 17 she was lured to Switzerland and put into indentured servitude due to her illegal immigration status, which has given her a unique perspective on the plight of undocumented immigrants in America today. Today she is passionate about Medicare for All, providing government services for the homeless and working poor, and restoring public utilities to working condition in a state where 250,000 people lack access to safe drinking water.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 57.8Andrew FMarch 26, 2026election 2026, christian, mother, politics, U.S. SenateComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Kate-Lynn Holley, Indiana State Senate, District 6

The current political landscape has inspired people from all walks of life to run for public office in the 2026 midterm elections! One of those is Kate-Lynn Holley (she/her), a former WWE RAW wrestler and current real estate agent based in northwest Indiana. This mother of one and lover of pink says her Christian faith has inspired her to care for and about the downtrodden, needy, and those failed by the current Republican administration in Indiana, and is running to harness the power of the legislature to begin to work to empower the working class instead of corporations. Her campaign is centered around making community safety, education, healthcare, and the economy more accessible to everyday Hoosiers who are not being properly served by the Indiana legislature.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 57.8Andrew FMarch 23, 2026election 2026, election, Motherhood, mother, Community, faith, christianComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Katie Bansil, New Jersey's 6th Congressional District

In February 2026, former US President Barack Obama said that one of the problems with Democrats is gerontocracy: “There is an element of, at some point, you age out. You’re not connected directly to the immediate struggles that folks are going through.” Frankly, Obama is late to the conversation. For over the past year, Democrats in Congress have been bedeviled by their age, so much so that three of them died in 2025 while in office, and many others are starting to see the political handwriting on the wall, that they no longer have the connection or energy to represent their constituents adequately.

One of the most egregious offenders of this in the Democratic Caucus is Representative Frank Pallone (NJ-6). Elected to Congress in 1988, he is now one of the oldest and longest-serving members of Congress and is running for a 20th term in office. He is being challenged in the Democratic Primary by Katie Bansil (she/her), a queer millennial Filipina who immigrated to New Jersey at age 15 and has lived in the area ever since. Pallone not only has been in office for as long as Katie has lived in the neighborhood, but for longer than she has been alive. Katie brings a fresh perspective not only to the times we live in but also the problems of the day. Her electoral platform is supported by a triad of issues: universal health care, universal child care, and abolishing ICE. With New Jersey’s particular party system giving more power to established politicians than the residents of New Jersey, Katie will have to win over the state party, but with the political winds changing and the unique threats facing Americans today, and trying to replicate the recent success of Analilia Mejia in winning the Democratic nomination for New Jersey’s nearby 11th District, Katie aims to bring similar change to NJ-6 as Zohran Mamdani in nearby New York City.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Bushra Amiwala, Illinois's 9th Congressional District

Schakowsky’s retirement set off a rush to replace her, and a whopping 15 candidates are running in the primary on March 17. One of them is Bushra Amiwala (she/her), who in 2019 became the first elected official in the United States from Gen Z when she was elected to the Board of Education in hometown of Skokie, Illinois. Bushra supports the organizations A Just Harvest, RefugeeOne, and The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. She is centering her campaign around the affordability crisis, Medicare for All, and the Green New Deal.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 57.8Andrew FMarch 12, 2026gen-z, muslim, election 2026, 2026 election, lawmakingComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Evan Turnage, Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District

When progressives think of places to settle, Mississippi rarely, if ever, enters their minds. The state ranks 47th in infrastructure (including last in road safety), 49th in economic strength, and dead last in healthcare. The GOP has a stranglehold on the state and local elective offices, and 3 out of 4 US Congressional districts are held by Republicans (in 2010, 3 out of 4 districts were Democratic). Little, if any, money that goes to the state rarely goes to the citizens who need it most.

The only Democratic US Representative from Mississippi, Bennie Thompson, is 78 years old and has represented the state in Congress since 1993. But in 2026, progressive voters are looking for a generational change in Congressional representation. Evan Turnage (he/him), was one year old when Thompson began his tenure in Congress. Now Turnage is running to challenge him in the Democratic primary. An antitrust lawyer by training, Evan is focusing his campaign on, you guessed it, the issues where Mississippi falls near or at the bottom of US state rankings: infrastructure, the economy, and healthcare.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 57.8Andrew FMarch 6, 2026millenial, African American, 2026 election, election 2026, congressComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Oliver Larkin, Florida's 23rd Congressional District

When most people think of Florida, they do not think of a progressive political landscape. But Oliver Larkin (he/him/his) is trying to change this. A Democratic Socialist, Oliver has many years of experience in progressive political organizing and advocacy and wants to bring change to his home in South Florida (he grew up in Fort Lauderdale) which is Ground Zero for the MAGA movement. When he and his wife Sandra moved back to South Florida in 2022, they discovered astronomical rental rates as they bounced around Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and Deerfield Beach, looking for affordable housing. Oliver is centering his campaign around Medicare for All, a $25 minimum wage, and universal child care.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Kyah Creekmore, North Carolina's 5th Congressional District

So far, 2026 is shaping up to have a lot of Gen Z candidates! Which is what we want here at Jejune, to see young, progressive people stepping up to challenge and replace the gerontocracy that plagues all levels of government in America.

In North Carolina, Kyah Creekmore, is one of those candidates. Kyah is a democratic socialist running to challenge Virgina Foxx, who is not only one of Congress’s oldest members (and the oldest from North Carolina) but is also a right-wing representative, and an opponent of any and every policy that aims to move our country forward. Kyah grew up in poverty, moving around as his single mother worked three jobs at a time. He experienced firsthand the cruel bureaucracy that runs the American healthcare system, being underpaid working for companies where the top officers made extraordinary profits, and drinking potentially polluted water. Kyah is running on a platform of Medicare for All, climate justice, and gun reform.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 57.8Andrew FFebruary 27, 2026gen-z, election 2026, 2026 election, Black Youth, blackComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Erin Gamez, Texas House of Representatives, District 38

Today we are profiling Representative Erin Gamez (she/her), a millennial attorney from Brownsville, TX, at the very bottom tip of the state. A heavily Hispanic area, this part of Texas has been historically Democratic, but in the last couple of election cycles, Republicans have performed well due to Trump’s gains with the Hispanic community. An ardent litigative practicing attorney with a focus on Administrative, Business, Criminal, and Family cases, she also serves as the mental health diversion court attorney for Cameron County. In her personal life, she loves yoga, grilling, and the Texas Longhorns.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 57.7Andrew FFebruary 6, 2026latinx, millenial, woman, latina, human rights, lawyer, election 2026Comment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Chase Linko-Looper, Kanawha County, WV Magistrate

Chase Linko-Looper (he/they) is no stranger to adversity. A former Army veteran, Chase returned home from war to confront two other enemies: addiction and homelessness. After overcoming these struggles, Chase became involved in community organizing to fight the evils that plague his home state of West Virginia: addiction, poverty, housing eviction, and domestic violence. In 2024, Chase ran for Governor of West Virginia as the Mountain Party candidate, but for this current race he is running as an Independent. In 2025, he published A Walk In My Broken Shoes: The Cage Is The Country. In addition, Chase also started Fights Back, a community aid organization that works to feed the hungry. This millennial father is dedicated to strengthening mental health resources and transforming the Court into a place that treats people with fairness and doesn’t punish them for being poor.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 57.7Andrew FJanuary 26, 2026revolution, election, food insecurity, mental health, poverty, election 2026Comment