Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2024 - Elinor Levin, Iowa House of Representatives District 89

This year, Iowa is a swing state! Democrats have the probability of picking up three of the state’s four US Congressional seats, as well as the US Senate seat where there is an election. The Republican party has a supermajority in the Iowa House of Representatives by a single seat: if Democrats win at least 34 seats (they currently hold 33), they will break the Republican supermajority!

One of these Democrats is Elinor Levin (she/her), a queer millennial former teacher who is running for her third term in the Iowa House. Motivated to run for office by legislative attacks on queer people, Elinor is a fighter for numerous causes in the House. An environmentalist since the second grade, and a vegetarian since age 12, Elinor serves on the Environmental Protection committee and is the ranking member on the Natural Resources committee. Elinor supports healthcare for everyone, water/air/soil rights, sustainable energy, and the body autonomy rights of women.

Rob Strati On Turning Accidents Into Artwork

Rob Strati understands the important relationship between artwork and politics, and spoke to us in this interview about his intricate creative process when he designs his projects. His most popular collections feature ceramics and plates that have been broken and reorganized into a completely new image, showing the importance of giving up a little bit of control with your art to allow the unexpectedly beautiful to happen.

Art, Editor's Pick, zIssue 59Olivia WeberOctober 26, 2026olivia weber, rob strati, artist, artwork, political art, politics, ceramics, creation, creativity, expressionComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Bride Rose Sweeney, Ohio State Senate, District 23

To break the supermajority, one Democratic candidate who needs to win is Bride Rose Sweeney (she/her/hers), a current state representative representing West Cleveland and its western suburbs. First elected at age 25, this millennial has been in office for eight years and was the youngest Democratic member in the House during her first term. In 2022, she received an award from the Ohio Election Officials Association as a leading voice for democracy and voting rights. Bride is most passionate about funding schools fairly, eliminating political corruption, and investing in public transportation.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 59Andrew FOctober 20, 2026millenial, politician, politics, Politics, #politics, women's suits, womenComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Sonya Halpern, Georgia State Senate District 39

The strength of the Democratic Party in Georgia is mostly thanks to the large population of politically-engaged African American citizens, mostly concentrated in the Atlanta metro area. Specifically, Black women, like Stacy Abrams, Nikki Merritt, and Kim Jackson are the strength of the Georgia Democratic Party. Merritt’s and Jackson’s Senate colleague Sonya Halpern (she/her) is running for re-election. After graduating from college, Sonya moved to New York to start her business career, steadily climbing the ladder. In 2011, President Obama named her to the the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington DC, making her the chair of the committee three years later. Sonya works to strengthen her community and constituency by advocating for affordable healthcare, consumer protection, and providing pathways to employment for underserved youth.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Ashanti Martinez, Maryland House of Delegates District 22

Ashanti Martinez (he/him) is a gay Afro-Latino millennial representative in Maryland’s House of Delegates. Active in politics from his early teenage years, Ashanti comes from a working-class family in Prince George’s County, a majority-Black county outside of Washington, DC. Ashanti attended Howard University, and is passionate about LGBTQ rights, universal healthcare, gun control, and the environment.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 59Andrew FSeptember 1, 2026millenial, latino, latinx, LGBTQ, LGBTQ Support, LGBTQ rights, lgbtq, politician, politics, Politics, #politics, election 2026Comment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Meghan Kallman, Rhode Island Senate District 15

Today we are profiling a Rhode Island Senator who has been championing progressive laws since her election in 2020. Meghan Kallman (she/her), is a triple-sociology major who after college went to work for Amnesty International. Five years before entering state government, she co-founded Conceivable Future, a nonprofit organization that advocates for climate and reproductive justice. This millennial community organizer is also a professor of sociology at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, and is an avid trumpeter (see photo below). She is most passionate about social, environmental, and economic justice.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Karen Alzate, Rhode Island House of Representatives District 60

Karen Alzate (she/her/ella), grew up in the United States under that shadow, so this issue is not new, it has just been dialed up. While in high school, Karen’s Colombian father was detained for eight months before being released. Then six years later, he was deported. Today, as a Rhode Island Representative, Karen stands up for the rights of immigrants to ensure they are treated humanely and with dignity. In the State House, she was a lead sponsor of the Millionaires Tax, and she has led legislation on women’s health, particularly menopause, going so far as to appear on The Real Housewives of Rhode Island to discuss menopause legislation.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 58.3Andrew FAugust 18, 2026women's health, latina, latine, latinx, Colombia, representatives, politics, politician, election 2026Comment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Jennifer O'Mara, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 165

The control of the Pennsylvania state legislature is split between a Republican majority in the Senate and a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives. But the majority in the House is extremely slim - currently 102 to 100, with one vacancy. In order to maintain their majority, strong Democratic candidates need to run across the state to capture more seats. One such strong candidate is Jennifer O’Mara (she/her), is a millennial representative who is the first Democrat to hold her seat. Jenn is passionate about protecting the environment, the LGBTQIA community, a woman’s right to choose, the right to vote, and the strength of unions and working people in Pennsylvania.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 58.3Andrew FAugust 13, 2026election 2026, election, politician, politics, Politics, #politics, #electionComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Brendan Trachsel, Arizona House of Representatives District 6

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.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 58.2Andrew FJuly 23, 2026gen-z, Green, green party, go green, election 2026, politics, Politics, #politicsComment

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 - Sarah Stalker, Kentucky House of Representatives District 34

Kentucky 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.

zIssue 58.2, SWAC: InfluencerAndrew FJuly 14, 2026diversity, female empowerment, women, politics, politician, election 2026Comment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Janelle Anyanonu, New Mexico House of Representatives District 19

New 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.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Dan Livingston, New York Assembly District 123

New 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.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 58, zIssue 58.1Andrew FJune 10, 2026union, millenial, election 2026, election, politics, politicalComment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Yuh-Line Niou, New York State Senate District 27

Yuh-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.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Amaris Dordar, California State Senate District 24

Amaris 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.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 58, zIssue 58.1Andrew FMay 28, 2026latinx, latina, Mexico, #mexico, lawyer, politics, Politics, 2026 election, election 2026Comment

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Janelle Kellman, Lieutenant Governor of California

After 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.

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 - 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.

What Is Happening Between Trump and Cuba?

For 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.

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.