You’ve probably read a bunch of articles about the “blue wave” — well, we’re here to talk about the rip-roaring tide of candidates and campaigns that demonstrated a framework of inclusive politics.
Last night, we watched communities coming together and voting for leaders that they were excited about, despite the current administration’s efforts to divide communities of color, women, young people, immigrants, and more.
We made history on multiple fronts: over 100 women will join the House of Representatives:
Record numbers of women of color will now represent their constituents in Congress:
Communities who have historically been kept out of halls of power will now have representation:
Young women, a key part of the rising electorate, showed up in big numbers:
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of NY-14 became the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.
- Abby Finkenauer won her race in Iowa’s First Congressional District, making her one of the first women to hold this role and one of the youngest women in Congress.
- Lauren Underwood, a 32 year old nurse, will proudly be representing Illinois’ 14th District as the first Black woman in this heavily white and Republican district.
The fight to protect and expand voting rights for systematically disenfranchised communities took center stage:
- Florida’s Amendment 4 restores voting rights for people in the state convicted of felonies.
- Louisiana voted to end non unanimous jury verdicts in felony cases.
- Voting rights were expanded in Nevada, Michigan, and Maryland after hearing calls from the community about disparity and injustice in the voting process.
- Stacey Abrams, Candidate for Governor of Georgia, vows to remain in the race until “every vote gets counted” due to the voter suppression efforts of her opponent. Her fight for her race and to protect the right to vote is a historic moment.
Each of these groundbreaking wins pushed us to think more about how people view themselves as leaders, and who writes our story. Each campaign, win, and loss reminds us of the importance of running and electing leaders who represent the rich diversity of our communities and our shared values.
The future of inclusive politics is here — and we can’t wait to see where we go next.
Do you want to join this new generation of progressives? Interested in learning more about how you can get involved? Stay connected to us, or find us on social media @Wellstoneaction and share your thoughts!
