WASHINGTON, D.C.—People’s Action today announced its People’s Slate–a list of 113 local, county, state and federal candidates endorsed by the organization for the 2022 general election. The endorsements are part of People’s Action’s strategy to build people power and elect movement champions who will co-govern with our working-class members. These candidates run movement politics, people-powered campaigns and will work to advance the People’s Platform once in office.
Each candidate is endorsed by one or more organizations that are part of People’s Action’s national network of 38 affiliate groups in 28 states. Once elected, they will join the hundreds of People’s Action-endorsed candidates who are currently serving in office
“The candidates on the People’s Slate come from the multiracial working class and will fight for our members, not greedy elites,” People’s Action Interim Deputy Director of Movement Politics Marta Popadiak said. “We’re proud to back candidates who are building a people’s movement instead of building a personal brand or doing the bidding of rich corporations.”
“This list is just a taste of the more than 378 races in which our members are throwing down,” Popadiak continued. “All across the country, People’s Action members are reaching out across differences of race, place, and background, building a bigger ‘we’ with our Long-Term Agenda in mind.”
Key races represented on the People’s Slate include:
Mandela Barnes, U.S. Senate, Wisc.
Mandela Barnes grew up in a proud union family in one of the poorest ZIP codes in Wisconsin. He’s a proven elected official, having served as lieutenant governor since 2018–the first Black lieutenant governor in Wisconsin’s history and the second Black statewide elected official. He serves as the chair of Gov. Tony Evers’ climate change task force. He also serves on the Governor’s Health Equity Council, Wisconsin Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, Wisconsin Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force, the Governor’s Council on Financial Literacy and Capability, and the statewide 2020 Census Complete Count Committee.
Sara Rodriguez, Lt. Governor, Wisc.
Sara Russell Rodriguez has dedicated her career to solving problems. She is a nurse, community leader, public health professional, entrepreneur, proud mom, and candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin. Sara serves as an elected member of the State Assembly representing Waukesha County and the western suburbs of Milwaukee. She was one of very few Democrats in the country to flip a Republican-held district.
Ilhan Omar, U.S. Congress, District 5, Minn.
Ilhan Omar is a former state representative and the first Black Muslim woman elected to Congress, representing Minnesota’s 5th District. She was born in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, the youngest of seven children. Her family fled the country during the Somali Civil War and took sanctuary in a Kenyan refugee camp for four years. At age 12, she and her family moved to America in search of justice and democracy. In 2012, Omar organized for the Vote No Twice campaigns to make love the law of the land and defeat a voter suppression initiative. In 2016, she was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives and increased turnout in Minneapolis and across the state. In 2018, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Delia Ramirez, U.S. Congress, District 3, Ill.
As the founding Executive Director of the Center for Changing Lives, Board Chair for both the Latin United Community Housing Association (LUCHA), and Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA), Delia has tirelessly fought for solutions to complex issues like housing, education, and criminal justice. In 2018, Delia ran and was first elected as State Representative for the 4th House District of Illinois. Since then, she has established a legislative housing committee, successfully passed legislation expanding affordable housing, Medicaid coverage to senior citizens regardless of immigration status, and the creation of an elected school board in the City of Chicago. She now serves as Assistant Majority Leader. She is running for Congress to fight to make sure we pass Medicare for All, to protect Women’s right to choose and to make sure housing is a human right.
Becca Balint, U.S. Congress, Vt.
Becca is running to be a voice for all Vermonters. As a parent, a public school teacher, and President of the Senate, Becca has fought for working people her entire life. Becca is a tested leader with a track record of delivering for Vermonters that Washington has left behind. Becca has the experience needed to deliver for Vermonters, and the integrity, courage and grit we need in Washington.
Mary Moriarty, Hennepin County Attorney, Minn.
Mary Moriarty is the Democratic-Farmer-Labor endorsed candidate running to be Hennepin County Attorney in Minnesota. Mary has spent most of her entire career as a public defender, and served as the Hennepin County Chief Public Defender from 2014-2020. She was also a legal commentator on MSNBC and the BBC during the Derek Chauvin murder trial.
Mai Chong Xiong, Ramsey County Commission, District 6, Minn.
Mai Chong is an organizer and policy expert in St. Paul and a longtime board chair of TakeAction Minnesota, a People’s Action member group. As the daughter of Hmong refugees, she is grounded in a vision of social, racial, and gender justice and is deeply connected to the community in St. Paul. As County Commissioner, Mai Chong will bring a record of accomplishment in public service and community organizing that builds the power of the multiracial working class.
Jennifer Mecozzi, Buffalo Board of Education, West District, N.Y.
Born and raised in Buffalo with deep roots in the community, Jennifer Mecozzi has served as the West District Board of Education Member since 2016, advocating for BPS students, families, teachers and staff. A working class mother and grandmother of Buffalo Public School Students, Jennifer is dedicated to bringing the community voice forward to ensure inclusion, communication and transparency. Jennifer is an experienced organizer, who has built strong relationships with other community leaders and elected officials. In 2021, she was appointed Community Liaison for the Board.
Robert Peters, State Senate, District 13, Ill.
Peters is a born and raised South Sider who is a proud product of the Chicago Public Schools. His biological mother was addicted to drugs and alcohol, and his adopted mother and father were a social worker and a civil rights lawyer, respectively. His father’s work, along with his biological mother’s struggles with addiction, inspired him to fight for criminal justice reform. As a political organizer (at The People’s Lobby, a People’s Action member organization), Peters successfully fought to require Cook County judges to set affordable bail amounts for all defendants, leading to a substantial reduction in the Cook County Jail population since it took effect in July 2017. As a state senator, Peters was instrumental in passing the Pretrial Fairness Act (as part of the SAFE-T Act), which ends cash bail in Illinois. He is chair of the Senate Black Caucus.
Lindsey Port, State Senate, District 55, Minn.
Lindsey is a mom, a wife, a former nonprofit executive director, and a longtime resident of Burnsville. Her two young girls attend their neighborhood public school, and her husband runs a small business out of a warehouse in Burnsville. She ran for this position because she believed in a better way of leading: working alongside the people in our community. She currently represents SD 56 in the Minn. Senate.
Hoan Huynh, State House, District 13, Ill.
Hoan Huynh (pronounced Hahn Win) is a community leader, entrepreneur, and small business advocate. His family came to the U.S. as Vietnam war refugees. Raised by a factory worker mother and a veteran father, Hoan became a first-generation success story, graduating from Yale and earning a master’s degree in Policy and Management from Harvard University. Since making Uptown Chicago his home, Hoan has been fighting to expand opportunity for those who need it most.
Anthony Joel Quezada, Cook County Commissioner, District 8, Ill.
Anthony was born in Chicago and raised in Logan Square at a time when the neighborhood was still a primarily immigrant and working-class community. As a community organizer, Anthony has united neighbors on the northwest side to secure 100 units of 100% affordable housing in Logan Square, support striking workers, demand police accountability, defend undocumented residents from deportation, and protect homeless neighbors from displacement. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Anthony led efforts to provide high-risk communities in the 8th District with rental assistance funds, food, personal protective equipment resources, and vaccines. In 2020, Anthony was elected to serve as the 35th Ward Cook County Democratic Committeeperson.
Deqa Dhalac, State House, District 120, Maine
Deqa is the first Somali-American mayor in the U.S. and is running for the Maine House of Representatives. Seeking refuge in the U.S. from the war in Somalia in the early 1990s, she currently serves as mayor in South Portland. She is the assistant director at Gateway Community Services Maine, where she assists immigrants and new Maine residents.
Sharlett Mena, State House, District 29, Position 2, Wash.
Sharlett Mena is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, a public servant, and a community organizer. Sharlett is a leader in the Washington State Department of Ecology where she works with governments and stakeholders to protect clean air and water, implement climate action, and advance environmental justice. Prior to joining Ecology, Sharlett worked in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Washington State Senate, and for Washington Governor Jay Inslee. She has a decade of experience advancing policy to help working families at various levels of government. Outside of work, Sharlett is an active community organizer, leading actions for immigration reform and to advance voting rights.
Below is a full list of candidates endorsed as part of The People’s Slate. Check https://ppls.ac/slate for new additions over the coming weeks.
California
- Jennifer Esteen RN, State Assembly, District 20
- Kenneth Mejia, Los Angeles City Controller
- Eunisses Hernandez, Los Angeles City Council, District 1
- Erin Darling, Los Angeles City Council, District 11
- Hugo Soto-Martinez, Los Angeles City Council, District 13
- Holly Hancock, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge
- Carolyn “Jiyoung” Park, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge
- Anna Reitano, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge
- Elizabeth Lashley-Haynes, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge
Colorado
- Jason Crow, U.S. Congress, District 6
- Brittany Pettersen, U.S. Congress, District 7
- Robert Rodriguez, State Senate, District 32
- Javier Mabrey, State House, District 1
- Jennifer Bacon, State House, District 7
- Jennifer Parenti, State House, District 19
- Said Sharbini, State House, District 31
- Jenny Willford, State House, District 34
- Mike Weissman, State House, District 36
- Robert Marshall, State House, District 43
- Nequetta Ricks, State House, District 40
- Iman Jodeh, State House, District 41
- Jessica Campbell-Swanson, Arapahoe County Commissioner, District 2
- Michael Westerberg, Arapahoe County Treasurer
- Leslie Summey, Arapahoe County Commissioner
- PK Kaiser, Arapahoe County Assessor
Iowa
- Deidre DeJear, Governor
- Sarah Trone Garriott, State Senate, District 14
- Jessica Wiskus, State Senate, District 42
- Kay Pence, State House, District 70
- Jon Green, Johnson County Supervisor
- V Fixmer-Oraiz, Johnson County Supervisor
- Kimberly Graham, Polk County Attorney
Illinois
- Delia Ramirez, U.S. Congress, District 3
- Robert Peters, State Senate, District 13
- Mike Simmons, State Senate, District 7
- Hoan Huynh, State House, District 13
- Anthony Joel Quezada, Cook County Commissioner, District 8
Maine
- Mike Tipping, State Senate, District 8
- Storme St. Valle, State Senate, District 15
- Bettyann Sheats, State Senate, District 20
- Laurie Osher, State House, District 25
- Daniel Sipe, State House, District 81
- Mana Abdi, State House, District 95
- Cheryl Golek, State House, District 99
- Deqa Dhalac, State House, District 120
Minnesota
- Ilhan Omar, U.S. House, District 5
- Jen Schultz, U.S. House, District 8
- Lindsey Port, State Senate, District 55
- Alicia Kozlowski, State House, District 8B
- María Isa Pérez-Hedges, State House, District 65B
- Mary Moriarty, Hennepin County Attorney
- Mai Chong Xiong, Ramsey County Commission, District 6
Nevada
- Cecelia González, State Assembly, District 16
- Linda Cavazos, School Board of Trustees, District G
New Hampshire
- Kathleen Cavalaro, State House, Strafford 6
- Taylor Largmann, State House, Grafton 10
- Jonah Wheeler, State House, Hillsborough 33
- Keely Power, State House, Rockingham 2
- Brandon Lemay, State House, Hillsborough 15
- Maria Perez, State House, Hillsborough 43
- Renee Monteil, State House, Cheshire 15
- Amanda Toll, State House, Cheshire 15
- Allisandra Murray, State House, Hillsborough 20
- Joshua Query, State House, Hillsborough 20
- Robin Vogt, State House, Rockingham 21
- Cam Kenney, State House, Strafford 10
- Cassandra Levesque, State House, Strafford 4
New York
- Gustavo Rivera, State Senate, District 33
- Jennifer Mecozzi, Buffalo Board of Education, West District
Vermont
- Brenda Siegel, Governor
- David Zuckerman, Lt. Governor
- Becca Balint, U.S. Congress
- Peter Welch, U.S. Senate, Vermont
- Anna Tadio, State Senate, Rutland
- Pam McCarthy, State Senate, Franklin
- Rory Thibault, Vermont Attorney General
- Mari Cordes, State House, Addison 4
- Jubilee McGill, State House, Addison 5
- Lauren Dees Erickson, State House, Franklin 8
- Saudia Lamont, State House, Lamoille-Washington
- Scott Weathers, State House, Lamoille 1
Washington
- Yasmin Trudeau, State Senate, District 27
- Julianne Gale, State Senate, District 35
- Emily Alvarado, State House, District 34, Position 1
- Sharlett Mena, State House, District 29, Position 2
- Darya Farivar, State House, District 46, Position 2
- Shukri Olow, State House, District 47, Position 2
- Dulce Gutierrez, Yakima County Commission, District 2
Wisconsin
- Mandela Barnes, U.S. Senate
- Sara Rodriguez, Lt. Governor
- Brad Pfaff, U.S. Congress, District 3
- Jessica Katzenmeyer, State Senate, District 05
- Chris Larson, State Senate, District 7
- Kelly Westlund, State Senate, District 25
- Jeff Smith, State Senate, District 31
- Renee Gasch, State Assembly, District 2
- Darrin Madison, State Assembly, District 10
- Ryan Clancy, State Assembly, District 19
- Nathan Jurowski, State Assembly, District 21
- Leah Spicer, State Assembly, District 51
- Lee Snodgrass, State Assembly, District 57
- Dan Larsen, State Assembly, District 60
- Criste Greening, State Assembly, District 72
- Laura Gapske, State Assembly, District 73
- Francesca Hong, State Assembly, District 76
- LuAnn Bird, State Assembly, District 84
- Kristin Conway, State Assembly, District 85
- Elizabeth “Buffy” Riley, State Assembly, District 87
- Hannah Beauchamp-Pope, State Assembly, District 88
- Kristina Shelton, State Assembly, District 90
- Alison Page, State Assembly, District 93
- Steve Doyle, State Assembly, District 94
- Jayne Swiggum, State Assembly, District 96
