2008 Fall
Progressive Majority Candidates

Ted Maish

Ted Maish is a first-time candidate running for the State Senate in District 20. He is a precinct committee member and former teachers' union leader. He is challenging incumbent John Huppenthal, who is waging some of the right wing's most destructive battles. Huppenthal is one of the architects of a school voucher policy that was designed to undermine funding for public schools while providing a significant tax loophole to Arizona corporations. Legislative District 20 is one of the Democratic Party's top targets in 2008, as it is the most Democratic district in the state in which Republicans hold all three seats (two House, one Senate). Ted will bring a strong pro-labor voice to the legislature. He will also be a tireless advocate for Arizona's teachers and schoolchildren who suffer in some of the most under-funded classrooms in the country. Ted also advocates for healthcare reform to make Arizona a leader in protecting children, seniors, and working families.

Click here to support and learn more about Ted.

Pat Fleming

Progressive Majority fielded Pat for her in her first bid for the House in District 25 in 2006 against an entrenched incumbent. While unsuccessful, Pat ran a great race and is running again, this time for an open seat. Pat is a retired member of AFGE, the federal government employees union. District 25 is a sprawling rural district that runs along much of the Mexican border where illegal crossing is occurring. Pat is retired from the Department of the Defense, where she oversaw multi-million dollars budgets. She is a Clean Elections candidate.

Click here to support and learn more about Pat.

Marty Block

Marty Block is a candidate for the 78th Assembly District. He is currently elected to the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees, and previously served on the San Diego Board of Education. The 78th is currently held by a conservative, but she is term-limited out of office. This district has grown more Democratic over the years and is one of the best opportunities for a progressive victory this year. Marty would provide a strong platform for progressive issues in San Diego.

Click here to support and learn more about Marty.

Kevin Staunton

Kevin Staunton is the city attorney for Excelsior and a progressive leader running for the State House in District 41A. We recruited Kevin with the help of the local DFL party unit specifically to run for this seat. District 41A is one of the top pick-up targets in the state. In 2004, John Kerry became the first Democrat to win the district in two generations with 51.5% of the vote. Kevin's Republican opponent is unclear at this time. The nine-term moderate incumbent, Ron Erhardt, lost the GOP endorsement last month to an ultra-conservative challenger. It is unclear whether Erhardt will run in the Republican primary or whether he will run as an Independent. Kevin has been a leading advocate of progressive reforms in Minnesota, particularly through greater investment in our public schools and transportation infrastructure.

Click here to support and learn more about Kevin.

Matt Patten

Matt Patten is the Democratic candidate for the 18th Ohio State House District. Matt has a long history of activism and labor organizing and is currently a Regional Labor-Management Field Coordinator. As a professional community organizer, Matt is a fearless champion for improving economic opportunity, education, and universal access to healthcare. He has the endorsements of local and statewide labor. This seat is a top-tier pickup in the quest for the four seats we need for a Democratic majority in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Click here to support and learn more about Matt.

Nancy Garland

Nancy Garland is the Democratic candidate for the 20th State House District. Nancy is CEO of the Ohio Physical Therapy Association and former Director of Government Affairs for the American Physical Therapy Association in Washington, DC. She is also an adjunct professor at the Ohio State University teaching Health Policy. Nancy is a seasoned political professional who we recruited to run for this seat based on her experience and commitment to progressive values. Nancy's opponent is the incumbent Representative Jim McGregor, who narrowly won in 2006 by just over 350 votes. McGregor is a conservative member of the legislature who is increasingly out-of-touch with this suburban district. The Ohio Republican Party sees this seat as one of their priorities to protect in 2008, due to McGregor's conservative leanings and the closeness of the previous election. Nancy is a progressive champion with major league potential.

Click here to support and learn more about Nancy.

Mike Moran

Mike Moran is the Democratic candidate for the 42nd House District. The incumbent Republican has dropped out and this is an open seat. Mike is a former environmental attorney and the President of the Hudson City Council. Mike comes from the ranks of the Summit County Progressive Democratic Club, and is a great fit for this Republican-held, but moderate district. Mike has a track-record and has proven appeal to independent and Republican voters by winning his council seat in Hudson, the most Republican part of the district. Despite his win in a Republican area, Mike has remained true to his progressive ideals. Mike's been endorsed by as well as numerous Progressive Majority-allied groups such as the Ohio Federation of Teachers, Ohio AFL-CIO, Akron Education Association, and the Summit County Progressive Democrats. Mike's opponent, Richard Nero, is a newcomer to politics and has only lived in the district for two years.

Click here to support and learn more about Mike.

Ayanna Lee

Ayanna Lee is a 34-year-old, African-American candidate running for the state House of Representatives in District 44. She is running against an entrenched conservative in a district where more than 60% of registered voters are Democrats. Currently, she works as an associate with Reed-Smith Law Firm's Real Estate Group. As a lifelong resident of Allegheny County and graduate of The Duquesne University School of Law, she knows the community well. Ayanna, a champion for progressive issues, has already demonstrated her tenacity as she persevered against a ballot challenge which would have had her name removed from the ballot. Ayanna has been endorsed by the Allegheny County Democratic Committee, Char-Valley Democratic Committee, Allegheny County Labor Council, Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, Pennsylvania Women's Campaign Fund, and Pittsburgh Firefighters IAFF Local No. 1.

Click here to support and learn more about Ayanna.

Kevin Lee

Kevin Lee is running for the State House District 163 seat to represent Delaware County. Kevin has been a member of the Lansdowne Borough Council since 2004. In 2005, he authored and spearheaded passage of a resolution to include employees' domestic partners and domestic partners' children in the borough employee insurance plan (a first in Delaware County). Kevin has worked on environmental issues for the borough including leading a movement to reduce the borough's waste disposal amounts by revamping the town's recycling program (recycling has increased by 50% since introduction of single stream recycling). Kevin is a registered nurse and would bring a much needed healthcare perspective to the General Assembly. If elected, according to the Victory Fund, he will be the first openly-gay legislator to serve in the Pennsylvania State Assembly. Kevin is hard working, has an excellent campaign plan and is a formidable challenger.

Click here to support and learn more about Kevin.

Peter Goldmark

Peter Goldmark has owned and operated his family's Okanogan ranch for more than 30 years. In 2006, Peter ran for Congress. It was a surprisingly competitive race against an entrenched incumbent in WA-5, a very conservative congressional district. Progressive Majority, along with members of our Washington Advisory Council, helped recruit Peter into the race for Commissioner of Public Lands. The Lands Commissioner is Washington state's highest environmental office; the position oversees the state's Department of Natural Resources. The conservative incumbent commissioner, Doug Sutherland, continues to publicly express skepticism regarding the causes and potential impacts of global warming.

Click here to support and learn more about Peter.

Pam Brokaw

A former newspaper reporter and congressional staffer, Pam Brokaw is the executive director of a non-profit organization that builds sustainable, affordable housing. She is also the former chair of the Clark County Democratic Party. With the help of Progressive Majority, Pam sought office for the first time in 2004, running for the legislature in the conservative 18th district. Although she did not win the seat, Pam ran a strong race and won endorsements from three major area newspapers during the hard-fought campaign. After being recruited by Progressive Majority in early 2007, Pam announced in December her bid for the open commission seat. She has strong support from elected Democratic representatives at the local and state level as well as Progressive Majority 2005 and 2006 candidate Clark County Commissioner Steve Stuart. The commission is currently made up of one progressive, one moderate Democrat and one conservative. The moderate Democrat is retiring, so Pam's election would mean the body will swing to a progressive majority. Clark County is the fastest-growing county in the state, so control of the commission means that critical land-use decisions will be made in favor of the environment instead of big developers. Pam is the sole Democrat in the race and there are currently three conservatives running.

Click here to support and learn more about Pam.

Helen Price Johnson

Helen Price Johnson, along with her husband, owns and manages a successful small business on Whidbey Island. She was elected to the South Whidbey School Board in 2001, and currently she represents the board on legislative issues at the state and federal level. In 2006 we helped elect Progressive Majority candidate John Dean to the Island County Commission. He is the sole progressive on the three-member commission. John introduced us to Helen in early 2007 as a possible candidate for a future campaign. After meeting with Helen, we knew she would be a great candidate for the Island County Commission. If she wins we will have a progressive majority on the Island County Commission. In the summer of 2007, the four-term conservative District 1 incumbent stepped down from his seat. Subsequently, the Island County Planning Director, Phil Bakke, was appointed to fulfill the last year of his term, and is now seeking election. Bakke has proven to be closely aligned with the conservative Republican majority on the board. We need Helen on the Commission to stop Bakke from getting a solid conservative hold on this seat.

Click here to support and learn more about Helen.

Jessica King

Jessica King is just the kind of pipeline candidate we love to see emerge from our training and campaign assistance. Jessica has been a farm team member since 2005. She knew she wanted to run for office some day and Progressive Majority helped guide her along the way - developing her campaign skills and defining her platform. When the time was right, she ran for Oshkosh City Council and her 2007 victory helped flip the council to a progressive majority!

Jessica is now running for state Senate in an open seat being vacated by a conservative incumbent. This district is key to expanding the one-seat majority currently held in the Senate. Having grown up in Fond du Lac County, the rural, more conservative part of the Senate district, Jessica has a natural base in an area where progressives usually struggle. Her long history in the community - she went to grade school through college and now practices law in the district - will enable her to cross party and ideological lines, build consensus and work for real change.

Young, talented, and committed to her community, Jessica King is a real example of the progressive political pipeline we're working to create.

Click here to support and learn more about Jessica.

Kristen Dexter

Kristen Dexter is running an aggressive, smart campaign for the 68th Assembly seat. Kristen was a star campaign volunteer for Pat Kreitlow, a Progressive Majority candidate elected to the state Senate in 2006. Kristen is running because she wants to bring needed change to Madison, holding state representatives accountable to the people rather than big business or special interests.

Kristen's commitment to children and families in the Chippewa Valley is evident. She was elected to the Altoona School Board in 2001 and has served as Clerk of the Board since 2004. She also serves on the Regional Steering Committee for Health Literacy Wisconsin. Kristen learned the value of hard work growing up on her family's farm. She thinks it is time to put an end to the petty bickering in Madison and to get to work solving the problems that we face as a state. As state representative, she will continue to work for health care reform, to improve the economy, and to keep our education system strong in order to prepare our kids for the future.

Click here to support and learn more about Kristen.

Angela Cotera

Angela Cotera is an astrophysicist seeking office for the first time. She is running for the Senate in District 12. This district is in the fast-growing far western portion of Maricopa County and is part of our strategic plan. It includes the town of Avondale where last fall we fielded Marie Lopez Rogers in her successful race for mayor. While it is technically an open seat, ultra-conservative John Nelson, who is term-limited out of his Assembly seat, is attempting to trade seats with conservative Robert Blendu, the current Senate incumbent. In 2006, no Democrat ran for the Senate in District 12. Angela, grew up in Flagstaff. She holds a Ph.D. in applied physics from Stanford University and is a research astrophysicist for the Carl Sagan Center, SETI Institute. She has volunteered in schools for years to bring her passion for astronomy to students. She and her husband have lived in Avondale since 1991. During the 2006 elections, her frustration with elected political leaders at the local, state and national levels compelled her to run for office to change the political landscape of Arizona. Angela will provide representation to Arizona's Latino/a community as a Latina State Senator. She is running as a participating candidate under the Arizona Clean Elections law.

Click here to support and learn more about Angela.

Cheryl Cage

Cheryl Cage is a candidate for the open Senate seat in the 26th legislative district. The Democratic incumbent has decided not to seek re-election. A retired member of the flight attendant's union, Cheryl is now a consultant in the aviation industry. As a small business owner, she understands the need for fiscal responsibility, and wants to rein in the irresponsible budget practices of the Republican majority in Phoenix. Progressive Majority has watched Cheryl's campaign since shortly after she filed, and she is a graduate of Emerge Arizona. Extreme right-wing candidate Al Melvin, the Republican nominee from the 2006 election who lost by fewer than 200 votes, is running once again. Melvin upset a popular, moderate, well-funded incumbent in last year's primary and is very capable of a repeat performance. Cheryl is unopposed in the Democratic primary. Cheryl is a Clean Elections candidate.

Click here to support and learn more about Cheryl.

Shawn Hutchinson

Shawn Hutchinson is a first-time candidate and union member running for the Arizona House of Representatives. This district will have one incumbent and one conservative held open seat. For Arizona House races, the top two finishers among the two Democratic and the two Republican candidates are elected. We recruited Shawn in August 2007 when we were working with his brother-in-law, John Williams, who ran successfully for the Surprise City Council. The incumbent in Shawn's race, Rick Murphy, is a right-wing conservative who is unpopular in his own caucus. Shawn is a third generation International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) member and sits on the executive board of IBEW 640. He and his wife, a school teacher, have three daughters. He is running under Arizona's Clean Elections law.

Click here to support and learn more about Shawn.

David Scanlon

For the last 17 years, David Scanlon has served on the Pendergast School Board. He is running for the first time for the State House seat in District 12. This district is in the fast-growing far western portion of Maricopa County. In 2006, no Democrats ran in the district. David will face one of three ultra-conservative Republicans vying for the seat. He is an attorney and his wife is a public school teacher. As a school board member, David brought a stringed instrument program to the school at no taxpayer cost. Under his leadership, all schools in the district will have gymnasiums for use both during the school day and also for after school programs and summer usage. As an attorney, he has represented the elderly and people with disabilities against those who would take financial advantage. As a legislator, he will use his knowledge to tighten the law and fight to protect these very vulnerable members of our society. He is a participating Clean Elections candidate.

Click here to support and learn more about David.

Rae Waters

Rae Waters is a member of the Kyrene School Board running for State Representative in District 20. Rae is receiving endorsements from all corners of organized labor. District 20 is a traditionally Republican district that, due to changing registration numbers and the political climate, is trending Democratic. Rae is running on the Democratic Party's platform of fiscal responsibility, and strengthening health care and education. She is a Clean Elections candidate.

Click here to support and learn more about Rae.

Krista Pacion

Krista, an Emerge Arizona graduate, is running for a second time for an open seat in District 23. Progressive Majority has maintained close contact with Krista since her last run in 2006. In 2006, she lost in the primary; however, this time, she has the support of the Democratic leadership. Krista faces a competitive primary election with at least four candidates, including a Democratic incumbent, vying for two seats in the general. Protecting the Democratic seat in this district is essential to the Democratic Party winning the majority in the House. Krista is campaigning on a platform of common-sense fiscal reforms and improving funding for education. Krista is a Clean Elections candidate.

Click here to support and learn more about Krista.

Don Jorgensen

Don Jorgensen, Ph.D., is running for an open seat in the Arizona House of Representatives Legislative District 26. He is a small business owner who serves on the Board of the Compass Healthcare Foundation and the Tucson/Pima County Commission on Addiction, Prevention, and Treatment. He has also served on the Arizona State Board of Behavioral Health Examiners, the YMCA of Metropolitan Tucson and is the former President of Great Tucson Leadership. In 2006, farm team member Lena Saradnik picked up this seat for the Democrats when an ultraconservative Republican emerged from the primary. Three Republicans have filed to run at this time; two are far right-wingers and one is positioning himself as a moderate.

Click here to support and learn more about Don.

Andrea Dalessandro

Andrea Dalessandro is a first-time candidate running for the House of Representatives in District 30, which has two open seats currently held by Republicans. Andrea is a graduate of Emerge, our partner organization. She is a certified public accountant and a former high school math teacher. For Arizona House races, the top two finishers among the two democratic and the two republican primary victors are elected. Andrea is the only Democrat running for the House. Four Republicans are running for two slots on the general election ballot. Two are running as participating Clean Elections candidates and two are running traditionally. This race is viable due in large part to Andrea's tireless campaigning in the last year.

Click here to support and learn more about Andrea.

Ed Hermes

Ed Hermes is running for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, District 1. Ed is a 23-year-old up-and-coming politician with a very bright future. At his young age, he has already served two years on the Arizona Board of Regents, which oversees Arizona's university system, and has been an outspoken and prominent advocate for students facing double-digit percentage tuition increases. Ed also served as political director of Ironworkers 75 and has applied to join SEIU. He currently serves as the Director of External Affairs for the Arizona Department of Agriculture, where he oversees the communication, legislative affairs and community outreach for the department. Ed's opponent is a three-term incumbent with strong ties to anti-environment developers and has never faced a competitive election. Ed's campaign will focus on holding the Board of Supervisors accountable for out-of-control spending, government waste, and failure to exercise oversight over other scandal-ridden Republican officials.

Click here to support and learn more about Ed.

Rick Heumann

Rick Heumann, who is running for the Chandler City Council, is a long-time resident of Chandler and has been active in the community for more than 20 years. Rick has served eight years on the city planning and zoning commission, has served on several other city commissions, and has been president of a large homeowner's association. Chandler is a conservative community east of Phoenix, but a well-run progressive campaign can succeed there. Progressive Majority candidate Trinity Donovan was the top vote-getter in Chandler's elections two years ago, and as the lone progressive on the council, she now she needs help to move forward a progressive agenda. On the council, Rick will advocate smart and sustainable growth policies, expansion of mass transit, and a greater emphasis on parks and other city services that increase quality of life.

Click here to support and learn more about Rick.

Robin Stamp

Robin Stamp is a first-time candidate for the Madison Elementary School District Governing Board. Robin, 30, was a Fellow at the Center for Progressive Leadership and works for the Arizona Attorney General's office in its consumer outreach division.

Robin is dedicated to safer schools for our children. In his position as an Outreach Coordinator for the Attorney General, Robin has extensive experience working with students, teachers, administrators, and parents on school safety.

Robin understands the importance of a supportive work environment for Arizona's educators. One of Robin's primary goals is to attract and retain top teachers in Madison School District. Robin's vision is for the district to be the leader in 21st century education, and he believes we must educate our children to be leaders and innovators in the new global economy.

Click here to support and learn more about Robin.

Liz Meza

Liz Meza is a candidate in the non-partisan race for an open seat on the Phoenix Elementary School Board. Three seats are up, all elected at-large. Liz, the sister of Robert Meza, a progressive member of the Arizona House of Representatives, is a prominent member of the community making her first run for public office. She is running on a platform of improving conditions in Phoenix's inner city schools, effectively confronting the issues of reduced enrollment due to enhanced immigration enforcement and charter schools, and improving communication between school administration and the community. Liz's perspective as a member of the Latino community is desperately needed - this school district has an enrollment of 85% Latino students and 5% Caucasian students, yet all five board members are Caucasian.

Click here to support and learn more about Liz.

Paige Frenkel

Paige Frenkel is an educational consultant, a former teacher and member of the Arizona Education Association running for the Scottsdale Unified School Board. Paige is a repeat candidate for Progressive Majority. Scottsdale Unified is a large, affluent district. Its schools are widely considered to be high quality. She is running on a platform of attracting and retaining quality teachers, improving 21st century learning, and balancing the need to consolidate schools due to declining enrollment while maintaining small class sizes.

Click here to support and learn more about Paige.

Sherri Connell

Sherri Connell, 36, is a first-time candidate running for a position on the Tempe Elementary School Board. A graduate of Emerge Arizona, Sherri is a young candidate with a bright political future. A mother of two, Sherri understands the issues facing the Tempe Elementary district from the perspective of a parent whose children attend the schools. She wants to improve communication between school administration and parents, reduce class sizes, and work to retain quality teachers. Sherri is a challenger running for one of three seats up for election in this non-partisan race.

Click here to support and learn more about Sherri.

Mark Stegeman

Running as a challenger for the Tucson Unified School District, first-time candidate Mark Stegeman is an MIT-educated professor of economics at the University of Arizona. Mark is running for this non-partisan office because of his passion for education and because of the terrible mismanagement the district over the past several years. Tucson Unified is the largest school district in Arizona; it includes more than 150 schools and receives more dollars per student in funding than any other district in the state. Due to bloated bureaucracy, however, the district ranks near the bottom in the state in terms of dollars spent per student. Over the past few years, Mark has been serving on the district's budget advisory committee, and he wants to use his experience on the committee, as an economist, and as a small business owner to streamline the district's overhead to put more money in the classroom and increase teacher pay.

Click here to support and learn more about Mark.

Kara Kelty

Kara Kelty is a sitting Flagstaff City Councilwoman running for the statewide office of Corporation Commissioner. Three seats on the Commission are up for election this November and all three are open seats. The Arizona Corporation Commission is perhaps the most powerful single elected body in the state - it has wide discretion on environmental and regulatory issues and is not subject to legislative oversight. In particular, the Commission can advance the cause of green energy by mandating the use of clean, alternative energy by Arizona's energy providers. Capitalizing on the statewide voter registration advantage, all five members of the Commission are Republicans, as has been the case for the last decade. However, one commissioner is a very moderate Republican, and the pickup of two Democratic seats would represent a significant power shift, particularly in the area of environmental reform. Kara is running on a platform of expanding the use of clean renewable resources in energy production, especially solar power, while keeping costs low for the customers of Arizona's utilities. Kara is a Clean Elections candidate.

Click here to support and learn more about Kara.

Carolyn Lane

Carolyn Lane is a real estate agent small-business owner who is running for constable in the Arcadia-Biltmore justice precinct. The constable is a county-level partisan elected official who carries out court actions assigned by the justice of the peace. Carolyn is openly LGBT and is very active with the Human Rights Campaign, even serving as host of HRC's gala fundraiser last year. Progressive Majority has been involved with Carolyn's campaign since before she announced her candidacy. Carolyn is running on a platform of competent, effective administration of the constable's duties. She believes, as one of the only locally elected officials in the justice system, the constable has an important responsibility to the citizens of Maricopa County.

Click here to support and learn more about Carolyn.

Bob Blumenfield

Bob is running for the California Assembly, 40th District. For the past seven years Bob has been the District Director to Congressman Howard Berman. Bob is Chair of the Valley Anti-Defamation League, Vice Chair of the California Trust for Public Schools and a former board member of the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters. Bob is a strong proponent of progressive issues in such key areas as education, healthcare, the environment and economic justice.

Click here to support and learn more about Bob.

Mark Ridley-Thomas

California State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas is running for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, 2nd District, in the highest priority race for progressives in Los Angeles County. Mark is running against a formidable candidate, former chief of police and current Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks. Although elected by a majority African American district, Parks has a conservative voting record when it comes to investing in communities. If Parks wins, Los Angeles County will be controlled by a conservative majority at a time when county hospitals and emergency services in communities of color are facing closure. Mark has been a staunch supporter of progressive issues such as the establishment of school health centers, consumer protection, community reinvestment, jobs and workforce development.

Click here to support and learn more about Mark.

Sherri Lightner

Sherri Lightner is running for the 1st City Council District in San Diego. A community volunteer and leader, Sherri has served as president of both the La Jolla Town Council and the La Jolla Shores Association. An engineer by training, she is a recognized expert on land development law. Because of term limits, the 1st will be an open seat. Sherri represents an opportunity to elect a progressive woman to a historically moderate to conservative seat, allowing for a potential progressive majority.

Click here to support and learn more about Sherri.

Stephen Whitburn

Stephen Whitburn is an openly gay candidate running for the open 3rd City Council District in San Diego. This seat is safely Democratic, but Stephen's election could mean the difference between a Democratic majority and a true progressive majority. In particular, he will fight for progressive values on housing issues, especially for renter's rights and against development that is forcing longtime residents (many elderly and people of color) out of what had been affordable housing. As a community activist, he has worked very closely with labor, walking picket lines and working to pass a living wage ordinance. Stephen is also a former union member with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

Click here to support and learn more about Stephen.

John Lee Evans

John Lee Evans is a clinical psychologist and long-time progressive activist on education and social justice issues. He is running against an incumbent Republican, Mitz Lee. If elected, John will provide a strong progressive voice on the school board for local control and improved opportunity for children in low-income and immigrant communities. A win would create a progressive majority and a Democratic super majority.

Click here to support and learn more about John.

Richard Barrera

Richard Barrera is a candidate for the San Diego School District in Nominating Subdistrict D. Richard is Latino and a union organizer with SEIU Local 399. Richard faced a difficult race in the general election against conservative incumbent Luis Acle, a former Reagan administration official who has openly expressed interest in higher office, but Acle failed to gather enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. This coup leaves Barrera unopposed for the general election. Barrera's victory will create both a working progressive majority and a Democratic supermajority.

Click here to support and learn more about Richard.

Evie Hudak

Evie Hudak is running for Senate District 19. She is a retired educator who has spent the last 20 years working to build a stronger early education program in Colorado. She has twice been elected to the State Board of Education. District 19 is currently held by term-limited progressive Senator Sue Windels, who is running for Jefferson County Commissioner. Her opponent is Libby Szabo, a right-wing conservative. Evie is strong voice for children and will lead on educational issues. This is an important race for the State Senate and will generate quite a bit of attention and resources from both candidates and their supporters.

Click here to support and learn more about Evie.

Joe Whitcomb

Joe Whitcomb is a first-time candidate running for State Senate District 23. Joe is a 38-year-old Iraq veteran and recent law school graduate who has served his community by working with the Denver Area Youth Services Center as a mentor for at-risk young men. Joe came to Progressive Majority nearly two years ago when he first considered running. Progressive Majority trained Joe on campaign fundamentals, primarily stump speech and messaging. He is running against ultra-conservative incumbent Shawn Mitchell, who has a history of extreme right-wing bills and votes in the Senate, although he represents a relatively moderate district. Joe is a passionate, committed candidate, and will be a leader on progressive issues.

Click here to support and learn more about Joe.

Joe Miklosi

Joe Miklosi, former Progressive Majority Colorado State Director, is running for State House District 9. The incumbent Democrat is a term-limited moderate who is running for higher office - State Senate. The district is located in Southeast Denver and is comprised of older, stable neighborhoods with a large Jewish population. Joe will bring passion, dedication and a progressive voice to all House District 9 residents. He secured the top line on the ballot through the caucus process, and is out walking and talking to primary voters every day.

Click here to support and learn more about Joe.

Camille Ryckman

Camille Ryckman is running for State House in District 22. Camille is a native of Jefferson County and has been active in the community for years. As a teacher, volunteer, and mother of two, she has the experience and passion to be the next representative. A former teacher, Camille was active in her union and is currently involved with the PTA. House District 22 is an area where Progressive Majority-endorsed Kathy Hartman won in her 2006 County Commissioner race. Camille's primary opponent is a New Democrat who changed his party affiliation in the last few years. In the general election, she will face conservative incumbent Ken Summers.

Click here to support and learn more about Camille.

Dianne Primavera

Representative Dianne Primavera is running for re-election to the state House in District 33. Dianne is a progressive leader on healthcare issues and needs to return to the Capitol to finish the job she started. She received the Colorado Legislator Award from the CO Women's Chamber of Commerce and Denver Women's Commission. This year her opponent is Nick Kleibenstein, a graduate of the Leadership of the Rockies, a very conservative leadership training group in Colorado. Rep. Primavera represents a key county in the state and one where Progressive Majority has worked on both state and city races. Dianne is a passionate, dedicated and hard working progressive legislator.

Click here to support and learn more about Dianne.

Diana Holland

Diana Holland is running for State House District 37. Diana has served two terms on the Littleton School Board and is well-respected in the education community. She is a board member of the Southeast Englewood Water District. Her opponent is the extreme conservative Representative Spencer Swalm, who was nearly beaten by Angela Engel, a Progressive Majority candidate in 2006. With her high name recognition and two previous wins in the district, Diana has a strong base. She has created a training geared specifically for progressive School Board candidates. Once elected, Diana will be a strong leader on many issues, including education.

Click here to support and learn more about Diana.

Mollie Cullom

Mollie Cullom is running a third time for State House District 39. She is a school social worker and a former Broadway actress. Mollie first approached Progressive Majority for support and help with her campaign plan nearly three years ago, when she decided to run for the seat in 2006. In 2006, Mollie lost to right-wing incumbent David Balmer by a margin of just 500 votes. Mollie has an impressive campaign structure and volunteer base. She is a promising candidate who, once elected, will be a great advocate for progressives.

Click here to support and learn more about Mollie.

Pam Berry

Pam Berry is running for the El Paso County Commission in District 3, representing Western Colorado Springs. Pam is a Colorado Springs native who has spent the last 30 years working for the Colorado Springs, D-11 School District as an administrator and teacher. Pam grew up in a military family. She has been an active member of the African American community in Colorado Springs her entire life. Pam is a first-time candidate and a current member of AFSCME. Progressive Majority first recruited Pam to run for office at the 2007 Color Colorado Conference. Her opponent is incumbent Commissioner Sallie Clark. El Paso County is going through tough economic times and will need to make some cuts in the county budget. This commission needs progressive leaders like Pam making these decisions.

Click here to support and learn more about Pam.

Sue Windels

Term-limited state Senator Sue Windels is running for Jefferson County Commissioner. Sue has served as a strong progressive in the state Legislature since 1998 - one term in the state House before her 2000 election to the state Senate - representing northern Jefferson County. Sue is a retired teacher and long-time community volunteer. Her work includes service in the Peace Corps and as legislative chair for the state PTA board. Sue has previously won three elections to the state Legislature. In her run for County Commissioner, she will be competing in a district ten times the size of her Senate seat. Jefferson County (immediately west of Denver) will also be a major target for Democrats running statewide campaigns in 2008. Sue's election to the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners would bring a power shift to the Board of Commissioners in the fourth largest (and long-time bellwether) county in Colorado. Sue is running against current Jefferson County Treasurer Faye Griffith, who will have substantial Republican support.

Click here to support and learn more about Sue.

Peter Tregillus

Peter Tregillus is running for La Plata County Commissioner in District 1. Peter is a long-time community activist and program developer for Southern Ute Community Action Programs. Over the last 35 years, Peter has worked to improve La Plata County, from serving on the Durango Planning Commission to directing an affordable housing program. Progressive Majority recruited Peter to run for office at a Road Show in 2005. A successful campaign would sweep the La Plata County Commission in 2008. With La Plata County facing major oil, gas and growth issues, this race will be extremely competitive.

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Debbie Pilch

Debbie Pilch is running for Weld County Commissioner at-large. Debbie has served two terms on the Greeley City Council, and has been a progressive voice there for the last eight years. Before her election to City Council, Debbie served on the Greeley Airport Authority and on a number of other local planning and community service boards and commissions. Debbie approached Progressive Majority in January of 2008 for help with her campaign. Debbie's election to the Weld County Commission will help put us in a position to take the majority in future years on a board that is currently entirely Republican and in the pocket of big developers. Weld County is a largely rural county that starts about 30 minutes north of Denver and continues to the Wyoming border. There is widespread discontent throughout the county with the current commissioners, and Democratic Governor Bill Ritter also won Weld County in the 2006 gubernatorial election. Debbie's opponent is yet to be determined as there is a two-way Republican primary between Sean Conway (Sen. Wayne Allard's chief of staff) and Mike Freeman.

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Tom Pettit

Tom Pettit is running for Weld County Commissioner in District 3, representing east-central Weld County. Tom is a fifth generation Weld County native with a long history of leadership in the county. He has served as Mayor Pro-Temp on the Kersey Town Board, and was elected at-large to the Weld County Council. Progressive Majority recruited Tom to run for Weld County Commission in 2007 after he attended a Progressive Majority Road Show and Camp Wellstone. Tom's election to the Weld County Commission would put us in the position to gain a majority in future years on the Commission, which is currently comprised entirely of development-oriented conservatives.

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Joe Neguse

Joe Neguse is a first-time candidate running for the University of Colorado Board of Regents to represent Congressional District 2. Joe is a young, African American law student at the University of Colorado. He was appointed by the Boulder City Council as a Commissioner on the Boulder Housing Authority, and is a co-founder and former Board Chair of New Era, Colorado, an organization that engages young people around voter registration and mobilization. Congressional District 2 encompasses Boulder, the northern Denver suburbs and about four counties on the western slope. Joe's election will bring a more progressive, diverse voice to the board. Joe got top line at the Congressional Assembly and kept his primary opponent off the ballot. He has been endorsed by numerous elected officials at all levels of government, labor groups and prominent community members.

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AJ Clemmons

AJ Clemmons is running for the first time for the CU Board of Regents in Congressional District 6. AJ is a Colorado native and has been an active board member for the Colorado Women's Agenda. She currently works for the city of Denver as a community liaison for the Denver Police Department, where she co-developed an award-winning program for successful citizen-police mediation. Congressional District 6 sits in southeast Denver and includes Arapahoe, southern Jefferson, Douglas, and Elbert counties. AJ's election to the CU Board of Regents, alongside a Democratic victory in Joe Neguse's regent race in district 2, would create a power shift on the CU Board of Regents. AJ's election to the Board of Regents would also further representation of people of color on the Board. Incumbent Paul Schaur recently dropped out of the Republican primary in part due to 527-group attack mail that was sent out against him. This clearly changed the dynamic in this race, as now AJ is running against Jim Geddes - an extremely conservative doctor.

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Gail Kulick Jackson

Gail Kulick Jackson is an attorney in Milaca, running for the Minnesota State House in District 16A. Although Gail has been a candidate for the state House twice before (in 2004 and 2006), we actively recruited Gail to run again because of her strong progressive leadership in her community. The Republican is a six-term incumbent and is one of the most conservative members of the Minnesota House. Gail has been a progressive champion, and if elected, will work to protect civil rights and expand vital investments in the state.

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Jim Godfrey

Jim Godfrey is a teacher and Education Minnesota member from Cambridge running for the state House in District 17A. We recruited Jim with the help of Education Minnesota leaders. Jim's Republican opponent is four-term incumbent Rob Eastlund, who presents himself as a moderate but has a very conservative voting record. Several neighboring Republican incumbents have lost since 2004, and Eastlund is vulnerable as the district shifts. Jim is running to restore representation for average working Minnesotans, focusing on improving our health care affordability, ensuring high quality public schools, and protecting our environment. If elected, Jim will bring common sense and a strong union background to St. Paul.

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John Branstad

John Branstad is a 29-year-old, first-time candidate for House District 24B. John is a software architect from Madison Lake. His opponent, incumbent Republican Tony Cornish, is a police officer who has served three terms and is best known for carrying a gun on the House floor and opposing public education. The district is ripe for a progressive message and Branstad is delivering it by talking about working together to solve our common challenges in education, health care and transportation.

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Grace Baltich

Grace Baltich is an accomplished social worker and AFSCME Council 65 member running for the state House in District 32A. Grace ran unsuccessfully in 2006. We have been working with Grace to help her create a campaign plan, a fundraising strategy and a message that will allow her to stress her strong progressive vision. Grace is committed to running a progressive campaign focused on building a strong, socially-just community for all children and families.

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Nick Thomley

Nick Thomley is a 28-year-old, first-time candidate from Minnetrista running for House District 33A. Nick has been a small business owner since he was 19 years old. His business, Pinnacle Services, provides housing services to developmentally-disabled people throughout the metro area. Additionally, when Nick was founding Pinnacle Services, he served as a Military Policeman in the United States Marine Corps. He served briefly during Operation Enduring Freedom in Kuwait. Nine-term incumbent Steve Smith is a staunch conservative who has made a career out of saying very little in public while voting a very hard conservative line.

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Sue Bruns

Sue Bruns is a former Prior Lake-Savage School Board member and candidate for Minnesota House in District 35A. She is running to make education a top priority in the state, as well as to ensure that growth is managed in a progressive, equitable way. The district includes the growing exurbs of Prior Lake and Shakopee in Scott County, the fastest growing county in Minnesota. Her opponent, three-term incumbent, Mike Beard, is a conservative who is a reliable vote for the Republican governor.

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Mike Obermueller

Mike Obermueller is an attorney from Eagan, running for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 38B. Although Mike ran in 2006 (and lost by just 163 votes), we actively recruited him to run again, this time emphasizing his core, progressive values. We have worked with him to develop a comprehensive campaign plan, a detailed financial strategy, and a progressive message. Eagan is the home of Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty, and has been trending Democratic over the past three election cycles. The Republican three-term incumbent is increasingly vulnerable as his voting record diverges from the needs of the District, especially on education and transportation. Mike is running to help rebuild the Minnesota miracle, to ensure the economic, educational, and civic success of our state.

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Paul Rosenthal

Paul Rosenthal is a historic building preservation specialist and candidate for House District 41B (southern Edina and western Bloomington). Paul is a passionate progressive inspired by another Paul - Paul Wellstone. He is running to bring those progressive values back to the state legislature. Paul is running against two-term incumbent Neil Peterson in a winnable district, who is being challenged in the GOP primary.

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Jerry Pitzrick

Jerry Pitzrick is a civil engineer from Eden Prairie running for in District 42B. We recruited Jerry based on his active role (with his wife Deb) in the local DFL and his commitment to progressive values. With seven-term incumbent Erik Paulson running for U.S. House this year, the seat has recently become an open seat. There are two Republican challengers, neither of whom has held elective office. If elected, Jerry will be a leading voice for infrastructure investments and a progressive tax system. Fielding a candidate in this race continues our work in Eden Prairie - we successfully ran Kim Ross in 2007, who is now a leading member of the Eden Prairie School Board.

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Clint Faust

Clint Faust is a first-time candidate running for House District 43A, which comprises the western Hennepin County suburbs of Medicine Lake and Plymouth. Clint is a financial advisor and the former chair of his local DFL Senate district. Clint has built a strong campaign with a dedicated team of volunteers and strong messaging about his opponent. One-term incumbent Sarah Anderson is a conservative who was the deputy of former Republican Speaker of the House Steve Swiggum. Clint is running to bring progressive accountability to the budget, with a particular focus on Republican fiscal irresponsibility in blocking a progressive tax system to adequately fund our schools, health care system and transportation infrastructure.

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Ted Butler