HIGHLY QUALIFIED ... DEEPLY COMMITTED

Fifteen Candidates Who Can Be Difference Makers for Children in the 2023 congress

If two or more of these candidates are elected, the Senate will have the voices and votes it needs to make permanent the investments in children and families initiated in the American Rescue Plan Act and  advance in Build Back Better.

 Mandela Barnes(WI), Cheri Beasley (NC), Val Demings (FL), John Fetterman(PA), and Tim Ryan (OH)all bring impressive records and histories of supporting children and working families to their candidacies for the United States Senate. Both Tim Ryan and Val Demings leave safe Congressional House seats, where they helped pass the American Rescue Plan Act and the House Build Back Better Act. Starting as a community organizer and then state assemblyman, Mandela Barnes became Wisconsin’s first Black Lieutenant Governor, where he has emphasized working families. Cheri Beasley served as North Carolina’s first Black Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court, implementing paid family leave for Court appointees and creating the first human traffickers court. Inspired by his volunteer work with Big Brothers/Big Sisters and his participation in Americorps, John Fetterman became mayor of Braddock, where he served for 13 years before becoming Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor.  

The House needs to retain a working majority to continue to advance child investment, and much of this will be determined in open races or seats now held by Representatives who opposed such actions in the 2021-2 sessions. 

Yadira Caraveo (CO8), Jay Chen (CA45), Greg Landsman (OH1), Liz Mathis (IA2), Wiley Nichol (NC13), Josh Riley (NY17), Emilia Sykes (OH13), Tony Vargas (NE2), Gabe Vasquez (NM2), and Michelle Vallejo (TX15) not only are seeking seats in competitive House districts but have strong records and expertise on child and family issues. In addition to committing with their colleagues to develop a 21st century infrastructure for children, they bring collective expertise on core child and family issues and represent voices for the future. Christy Smith (CA27), Nikki Budzinski (IL13), Hillary Scholten (MI13), and Jamie McCleod Skinner (OR5) also represent strong candidates who and may be included in the list of top ten candidates, as races and opportunities change.

Brief biographies are provided in the resources section.