Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Alexis Simmons, Kansas House of Representatives District 58

One of Topeka’s state representatives, Alexis Simmons (she/her), is an agnostic, bisexual Democrat. Born at the end of the millennial generation, she identifies as a “childless cat lady” and is a government professor at Washburn University. What drove Alexis to teach government was a belief that people should feel empowered to engage with government, and not be intimidated by the complexity of it. Alexis is passionate about defending the US Constitution from attacks on freedom of speech, freedom to worship freely (or to not worship not at all), and basic privacy.

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

Behind the Rhetoric: The Real Impact of Trump’s "Big Beautiful Bill"

President Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” passed Congress, becoming one of the more notable pieces of legislation associated with his administration. While the name itself was informal and primarily rhetorical, the bill incorporated several of Trump’s core policy objectives. Framed as a sweeping legislative package encompassing immigration reform, tax policy, deregulation, and infrastructure investment, the bill reflects the ideological priorities of the Trump movement, and it carries significant implications for the nation’s future. Let’s break down what is included in such a bill, and what its passage means for the country: