Our Favorite 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 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 2025 - Latasha Palmer, Tacoma, WA City Council At-large position 6

One progressive candidate we are profiling is Latasha Palmer (she/her), is looking to make a difference in her community on the city council in her first-ever election. Latasha, a queer Black millennial woman, is running to expand the political power of labor unions, build a green local economy, protect LGBTQ+ rights, and uplift BIPOC leadership. At one point homeless, Latasha became the first person in her family’s history to graduate from college (Columbia University) and went on to work as a community organizer at the Hilltop Action Coalition and the Aya Community Land Trust. Devoted to the natural environment, this anime fan and devoted mother of three still finds peace in the great outdoors.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2025 - Lauren Myers, Community School District Board for Council Bluffs, Iowa

Today we are profiling Lauren Myers (she/her/hers), a bisexual millennial and current School Board member up for re-election in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Lauren is a small business owner who works in behavioral health, has deep ties to her community, and decided in 2021 to give back to the public school system she was educated in by joining the school board. She is passionate about ensuring that students have all opportunities open to them, and not taken away, to help them learn and become successful with a rich, well-rounded education.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 57.5Andrew FOctober 14, 2025school, school supplies, education, election, millenial, elections, #electionComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2025 - James Solomon, Mayor of Jersey City, NJ

2025 is the year for New Jersey elections, both at the state and local levels. In Jersey City, the second largest city in the state, its mayor announced he was stepping down to run for governor, so the office is now open. James Solomon (he/him), a millennial current city councilman, is viewed as one of the most progressive candidates in the race. The Jersey City race can be seen as a smaller parallel of the mayoral race across the Hudson River in New York City: a progressive candidate (Solomon/Zohran Mamdani) running against a former state governor who resigned in disgrace (Jim McGreevey/Andrew Cuomo) looking to make a political comeback.

James, a cancer survivor, is a professor of public policy at New Jersey City University, a public university in Jersey City, and is the father of three girls.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 57.5Andrew FOctober 8, 2025millenial, cancer survivor, father, fatherhood, politician, politics, Politics, #politics, election, #electionComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2025 - Katie Wilson, Mayor of Seattle, WA

Even though it is an “off-year” for elections, several large US cities are holding mayoral elections this year, including New York City and San Antonio. In Seattle’s open primary, millennial progressive activist and community organizer Katie Wilson (she/her) came in first, ahead of Seattle’s current establishment mayor. Now a run-off is scheduled for Election Day in November between the two. Katie is the co-founder and executive director of the Transit Riders Union, a group that focuses on improving public transport and workers' rights. As she says, “I am most passionate about making Seattle a city that's affordable for working families. That means tackling the affordable housing crisis, bringing people inside, protecting our immigrant and LGBTQ+ community members from attacks from the Trump administration, expanding workers' and renters' rights, and addressing the crisis of childcare for young families, among others issues our city faces.”

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2025 - Jackie Glass, Virginia House of Delegates District 93

We are now entering the home stretch of the 2025 elections! There are quite a few elections going on this year, including for the Virginia House of Delegates, where Democrats hold a slim majority. Today we are profiling Jackie Glass (she/her/hers/ella) the delegate for Virginia’s 93rd district, which rests within the city of Norfolk, Virginia’s 4th largest city by population. A veteran of the US Navy, Jackie is now a DEI consultant and member of the NAACP and Black Chamber of Commerce. This millennial mom of two is passionate about public schools, housing and honest police interrogation.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2025 - Anndrea Young, Minneapolis City Council Ward 5

The Minneapolis City Council races are heating up! We’ve already featured one other race for the council, and today we are featuring another election in a different ward. Anndrea Young (she/her) is a millennial mom of two who is passionate about her district. She says, “I love the smell of Broadway early in the morning when Cub Foods is baking doughnuts, but I don't really eat doughnuts.”

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2025 - Nicole Zelen, West Deer Township, Pennsylvania Supervisor, District 1

It is now three months away from the 2025 elections and more candidates are running for November races! Today we are profiling Nicole Zelen (she/her), a millennial who is passionate about transparent governance, community collaboration, sustainability, environmental preservation, and evidence-based policymaking. Nicole and her husband both ride vintage Honda motorcycles (photo below) and have two cats.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 57.3Andrew FAugust 8, 2025millenial, election, elections, #election, politics, Local, political, Politics, #politics, get politicalComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2025 - Claire Cousin, Hudson, NY Common Council, Ward 5

Up the Hudson River from New York City, Hudson is the seat of Columbia County. In the past decade or so, Hudson has reinvented itself from rust belt mid-size city to a rejuvenated scene for the arts and counterculture. Claire Cousin (she/her) is a millennial mom of 3 who is running on the Working Families Party ticket for the Hudson Common Council. Before becoming a housing justice activist, Claire spent eight years dedicating herself to the Black Liberation Movement. She was recently accepted into the Baccalaureate program at nearby Bard College, a hotbed of liberal, artistic ideas. Claire cares very deeply about social justice, Community Building, Youth Empowerment and finding creative ways to center stories and narratives of people on the ground both doing the hard work of preserving community but also those continuing to live in and foster community.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2024 - Erica Mosca, Nevada Assembly District 14

This is the final week we are highlighting progressive candidates running in the 2024 elections! Erica Mosca (she/her/hers) has the distinction of being the first Filipina to serve in the Nevada State Legislature. This millennial teacher and military spouse grew up in a low-income household and became the first in her family to go to college, graduating with highest honors from Boston University, and then pursuing postgraduate studies in education at UNLV and Harvard. To inspire others to follow in her footsteps, Erica founded a non-profit foundation to enable former students of hers to likewise become first-generation college graduates. Today, Mosca chairs the Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Caucus in the Nevada Assembly. She is passionate about empowering students to grow into leaders in their communities and upending structural inequity and systemic racism.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2024 - Priya Sundareshan, Arizona State Senate District 18

This week we are profiling Priya Sundareshan (she/her), a woman of many talents. With a BS in chemical engineering from MIT and a JD from University of Arizona law school, and a MS in natural resource economics from University of Arizona, this millennial attorney and mother-of-two teaches natural resource law at the University of Arizona, was a lawyer for the Environmental Defense Fund, and is a voting rights advocate, focusing on voter protection efforts and engagement on redistricting within the Arizona Democratic Party. Priya is currently the only South Asian member of the Arizona Legislature, and the first South Asian elected to the Arizona Senate. She is passionate about protecting Arizona water for long-term use, addressing climate change through state policies, and making voting as easy as possible.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2024 - Greta Neubauer, Wisconsin State Assembly, District 66

Greta Neubauer (she/her/hers), is a millennial representative in the Wisconsin State Assembly, where she currently serves as the youngest minority leader in Wisconsin legislative history, a role she has served in since January 2022. Greta is also the first openly queer caucus leader. She is passionate about LGBTQ+ rights, addressing climate change, protecting democracy, and creating a state where everyone can thrive!

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2024 - Yasmin Trudeau, Washington State Senate, District 27

Yasmin Trudeau (she/her) is a millennial attorney who currently serves as a Washington State Senator. A Bengali-American, Yas is the first Muslim to serve in the Washington state legislature. After spending much of her childhood in poverty, including being homeless during her teens, she was motivated to make a difference for people whose experiences were like hers. After a stint working as a Legislative Assistant to Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, the current chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, Yas entered politics in her home state of Washington, where she focuses on issues like housing justice and equitable housing development, corporate responsibility and accountability, and continuing to provide the kind of resources for young people that she benefitted from in her youth to put her on the path to success.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2024 - Christina Haswood, Kansas State Senate, District 2

This week we are profiling Christina Haswood (she/her/hers) is a Diné (Navajo) millennial who is the only Native American serving in the Kansas state legislature. In her first year in office, she helped pass Kansas’ first Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) bill. A public health advocate, Christina is a champion of reproductive rights and the right to abortion. Christina also stands out for using social media more than her colleagues to inform her constituents with updates from the legislature. Though she currently represents District 10 in the Kansas House of Representatives, Christina is now running for the State Senate.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2024 - Emily Kinkead, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 20

This week we are highlighting Emily Kinkead (she/her), a millennial lawyer who is a founding member the Leadership Team of the Pennsylvania Progressive Caucus. Collectively, this Caucus works to push progressive priorities like criminal justice reform, affordable housing, access to healthcare, affordable childcare, expanding access to public transit, and more. She is the House Chair of the Legislative Hunger Caucus and Secretary of the House Agriculture Committee, working to address hunger-related issues as well as advocate for more investment in programs that would address food insecurity. She serves on the Advisory Board for the Capitol All-Stars Softball Game, which is a softball game where legislators raise money for their charitable food network. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee and Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime & Corrections, she has been working hard to address criminal justice reform.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 54, zissue 54.1Andrew FApril 24, 2024millenial, woman, woman rights, election day, election, #electionComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2022 - Christy Holstege, California State Assembly District 47

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 45Andrew FOctober 27, 2022queer, #queer, bisexual, millenial, woman, mothers, Mother, politician, politics, Politics, #politics, political, get politicalComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2022 - Erin Maye Quade, Minnesota State Senate District 56

This week we are profiling Erin Maye Quade (she/her/hers), a former Minnesota State Representative currently running for Minnesota State Senate. A biracial LGBTQ millennial, she and her wife Alyse are active in Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) politics. Erin focuses on a variety of important policy issues such as reproductive rights, health, and justice; gun safety (leading a 24-hour sit-in protest at the Minnesota House after the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting); and economic justice for all. At nine months pregnant, she went into labor while delivering a speech at the DFL party convention in April 2022; she later gave birth to daughter Harriet.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 44Andrew FSeptember 15, 2022biracial, lesbian, queer, millenial, black, politician, politics, Politics, #politics, political, get politicalComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2022 - Taylor Small, Vermont House of Representatives - Chittenden-6-7

This week we are profiling Taylor Small (she/her/hers). Taylor is a millennial member of the Vermont House of Representatives and is the first openly transgender legislator in Vermont, running on the Vermont Progressive Party ticket. She is also the Education Manager at Pride Center of Vermont and has worked in mental health with homeless and runaway youth at Spectrum Youth and Family Services. She promotes youth literacy and local libraries, among other education issues.

Courtney Starks: The Real Life Iron Man

Courtney Starks is making impactful changes with words! We mean literally. Starks is a millennial motivational speaker who shares his testimony of overcoming and inspires his audience through topics that affect millennials today. He is the real-life Iron Man, rising as a kidney failure survivor and using his own strength to help his community. His power is a cause of celebration from recently giving his 100th lunch during his "Lunch on Me" initiative for Women's History Month to hosting a holiday giveaway for kids in need. Check out our exclusive interview with Starks on his incredible journey in giving back to his community and changing lives through words.