In Arizona, Brendan Trachsel (he/him/his) is running on the Green Party ticket for one of two seats that makes up the Arizona House of Representatives’ 6th District. This young activist and Quaker is running to be the first Gen Z elected official at the state level in Arizona. Brendan is passionate about securing abortion access in the state, fighting against Flock cameras, and increasing Arizona’s access to higher education.
Read MoreOne 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.
Read MoreKentucky is known as a very conservative state, but we discovered two years ago that even progressives represent constituencies in so-called “red” states! Most conservative states have cities that are heavily progressive, particularly the largest city in each state. In Kentucky, that city is Louisville. Sarah Stalker (she/her), is a representative from Louisville to the Kentucky House of Representatives. First elected in 2022, she won re-election in 2024 and is running again in 2026. Sarah believes in putting the environment and the working class over profits and capital gains, to the point that she encourages mutual aid, trading and bartering, and thrifting as much as possible for environmental reasons, cost effectiveness and to avoid participating in capitalism. She is also a huge proponent of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives.
Read MoreNew Mexico is a state of wide open spaces, but most people in the state live in and around the largest city, Albuquerque. In the small section of city that encompasses La Mesa, Trumbull Village, and the International District, Janelle Anyanonu (she/her) has been the state representative for the past three and a half years. A former member of the New Mexico Black Central Organizing Committee, Janelle is descended from Nigerian immigrants and has spent her whole life in the state. During her first term in the House, this millennial Burqueña was one of five sponsors of legislation to protect abortion rights and gender-affirming care in New Mexico; the law passed and became the Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care Freedom Act, ensuring access to healthcare denied to millions of others in many of the surrounding states. Janelle sings in the choir of St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Albuquerque and is an avid embroiderer of blackwork and cross-stitch projects.
Read MoreNew York’s progressives are not all concentrated in the city. They exist all over the state, particularly in upstate New York cities like Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Ithaca, and Binghamton. Dan Livingston (he/him), a millennial former city councilmember, dropped out of college during the Iraq War in the early 2000s and hitchhiked across America and Canada for two years. Dan’s despair over the war turned to resolve, and he returned to college and became politically active. He founded a Habitat for Humanity chapter, organized relief trips to hurricane-hit Louisiana and Mississippi, and worked for several organizations which provided meals to the hungry. In later years he protested at the Occupy Wall Street and Standing Rock protests.
On the Binghamton city council, Dan advocated for collective bargaining rights, creating apprenticeship programs in public schools to encourage young people to go into the trades, and he successfully fought back against a privatization scheme at a wastewater treatment plant, keeping the workers there unionized. Today, his platform is fourfold: taxing the rich, providing clean water for all, ensuring affordable housing, and protecting immigrants from ICE. Dan is running on the Working Families Party ticket, and he has been endorsed by Bernie Sanders.
Read MoreYuh-Line Niou (she/her), is a former New York Assemblywoman who is currently running for State Senate. This queer millennial was the first openly autistic representative in the New York State legislature. Born in Taiwan, she is an anti-poverty advocate and activist who has fought predatory lending and red-lining in New York’s neighborhoods. Yuh-Line has taken progressive stances on many issues, including Medicare for All, Taxing the Rich, the Green New Deal, and Abolishing ICE.
Read MoreAmaris Dordar (she/her) is a younger millennial and Chicana mujer. Born at the very tail end of the millennial generation, she is a first-generation college graduate, having gone to Yale for her Bachelor’s and Harvard for her Master’s. Amaris is an attorney who speaks multiple languages, including Spanish (fluently), as well as Mandarin, Hindi, and Tibetan. A lover of yoga and hiking, she passionate about affordable housing, environmental sustainability, wildfire prevention, LGBTQ+ equality, expanding access to healthcare and mental health services, and creating economic opportunities for working families and small business owners. Exploring Los Angeles’ diverse cultural communities has focused Amaris on practical, community-centered solutions to homelessness and climate resilience across Los Angeles County.
Read MoreAfter eight years, there is a wholesale changing of state government in California this year. Both the governor and lieutenant governor positions are open, and there is a large group of candidates for both offices. Today we are interviewing Janelle Kellman (she/her), a gay woman who is the former mayor of Sausalito. She is an environmental attorney and the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Center for Sea Rise Solutions. A passionate climate justice warrior, Janelle points out that the Lieutenant Governor sits on the State Lands Commission and the Coastal Commission. The lieutenant governor also sits on the University of California Board of Regents, the California State University Board of Trustees, and the Commission for Economic Development. Through these positions, Janelle plans to use the power of the office to to advance climate resilience, public education, housing, good jobs, and a more equitable economy.
Read MoreDue 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.
Read MoreAs 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.
Read MoreFor years Cuba has been plagued with wide-scale failure of power grids, nationwide blackouts, fuel shortages, and high tensions with the United States. Following the capture of Maduro on Jan. 3, the U.S. cut off all supply of Venezuelan oil to Cuba and threatened to impose tariffs on any country that supplies Cuba with fuel. As of mid-March, fuel imports have reduced to near zero and left the country with an increasing economic crisis.
Read MoreWest 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.
Read MoreAlexa Speed, founder of Cut Off The Spigot, started out just like any other frustrated consumer, angry at money hungry corporations that will do anything for a dollar. Out of this frustration grew the opportunity to create real change, thus beginning the story of her platform. Through Cut Off The Spigot, Speed shares alternatives for all categories of badly behaving corporations. To learn more about Alexa Speed and Cut Off The Spigot, read on.
Read MoreWe 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.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read MoreSometimes you have to take matters into your own hands! When the democrats weren’t responding to the tours Charlie Kirk were taking to college campuses the National Ground Game Team stepped in. Traveling to college campuses across the country, the Unfuck America Tour is inspiring young voters, shifting perspectives, and directly fighting the propaganda conservative organizations like Turning Point USA are spreading. To learn more about the Unfuck America Tour, read on.
Read MoreOn Jan. 30, over 3 million pages of files related to the investigation into the Epstein case were released by the Department of Justice. These files included over 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. Trump is named over 1,800 times alongside mention of other powerful figures including Elon Musk and Bill Clinton.
Read MoreActress, audiobook narrator, and social justice advocate Marissa Chanel Hampton stars as the lovingly honest character Gail in a new modern family drama series titled “It’s Not Like That.” She is also currently narrating the Farah Rochon’s Bayou Dreams series. Beyond storytelling, Hampton is an active social justice advocate, supporting organizations like the American Library Association, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Sister Song of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. To learn more about Marissa Chanel Hampton and her storytelling, read on.
Read MoreSince the beginning of his first term, President Trump has had his eyes set on Greenland, though he has been unsuccessful in any attempt to acquire the territory. Now a year into his second term and he has doubled down on such aspirations, only this time he has upped the aggression behind his threats.
Read MoreOver the last 17 years Iranians have taken to the streets to protest their theocratic regime, but recently demonstrations have seen rapid growth. Alongside that increase, thousands of protestors have been severely injured and killed as a result of riot police force’s tear gas and live ammunition.
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