Dear Reader,
2025 is often considered an off-year for elections, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! There are over 70,000 nonpartisan open seats on the ballot in 2025 for governing bodies like school boards and city councils. And, in 2025, major cities like New York, Pittsburgh, and Boston have mayoral races, Virginia and New Jersey have gubernatorial races, several states have special Congressional elections, and Wisconsin elected its Supreme Court in February. The safeguards of our democracy are becoming increasingly corroded as our federal government regularly tests the standardized rules of law.
These local elections allow us all to take a stand and cast our ballots for a truly representative democracy. This contrast couldn’t be more stark in Washington, D.C., as the city kicked off celebrations for World Pride last weekend. This year’s theme is The Fabric of Freedom, where fabric is used as a symbol to showcase the diverse identities and cultures in queer communities in the United States and internationally. This weekend, our increasingly authoritarian, unbearably macho president will break with American tradition to have tanks rumble through D.C’s streets in an alleged celebration of U.S. military might that happens to fall on Trump’s birthday.
I know which parade is for me. Enjoy photos from the WorldPride March from National Public Radio.
Source: National Public Radio
Additional milestones in women’s history include the Equal Pay Act being signed into law on June 11, 1963. Birthdays to celebrate include Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress in 1916; Lindsay Williams Drath, CEO of the Forward Party; Kathy Spillar, Executive Editor of Ms. Magazine; Louisa Duggan, Policy Director of Vote Mama Foundation; and Teresa Younger, CEO and President of the Ms. Foundation.
Jeannette Rankin, painted by Melanie Humble
New Jersey Democrats Nominate Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill for Governor
Source: Roll Call
New Jersey Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill will join Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger as Democratic nominees for governor in races leaning toward Democrats. If victorious in November, Sherrill would become New Jersey’s second governor and first since Christie Todd Whitman, who left office in 2001. Roll Call reports how Sherrill emerged from a crowded field with a convincing win by 14 percentage points:
Rep. Mikie Sherrill secured the Democratic nomination for New Jersey governor Tuesday, defeating five other candidates in the most wide-open gubernatorial primary the state has seen in years. Awaiting Sherrill in November’s general election will be Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who narrowly lost to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021. Murphy was ineligible to seek a third consecutive term.
The New Jersey Monitor featured this notable reaction to her primary win:
Bishop Jethro James is the senior pastor of the Paradise Baptist Church and president of the Newark, North Jersey Committee of Black Churches. He joined throngs of jubilant supporters packed into the Westin Governor Morris in Morristown to cheer her win.
“The reality is, the best man for a job is a woman,” James said. “I believe that her integrity speaks for itself. She understands real conditions of people and purpose. The other candidates are strictly politics. That’s not Mikie Sherrill. She understands a national budget, but she understands a kitchen budget.”
Sherrill’s House website provides more on the 53-year-old’s history of accomplishment:
After graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1994, Congresswoman Sherrill spent almost 10 years on active duty in the United States Navy. She flew missions throughout Europe and the Middle East … Congresswoman Sherrill attended law school after leaving the Navy in 2003, earning a degree from Georgetown University. She worked as a lawyer and eventually joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey. As an Outreach and Re-entry Coordinator, Congresswoman Sherrill developed programs to help prevent crime in the community. These programs developed trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, and helped people leaving prison to gain employment, housing, and education in order to restart their lives.
CAWP: Women Still Have Work to Do in New Jersey Politics
Source: Center for American Women in Politics
Sherrill’s victory aside, women’s pace of progress in local government has slowed, as reported in the Center for American Women in Politics’ detailed June 3rd report on Few Gains for Women in New Jersey Politics:
Women made virtually no gains in public office in New Jersey from 2024 to 2025, according to the latest New Jersey County Report Card from the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. The number of women mayors serving in the Garden State increased by just two, the number of women serving on municipal councils increased by just 18, and the number of women serving on county commissions was entirely unchanged.
Organized by county, the report finds that women hold more than 36% of city council seats in only one county and no more than 33% of mayor seats in any county. Counties vary more widely, as lifted up in the report: “The top county for women’s share of county commission seats is Somerset (60%), with Bergen, Mercer, and Middlesex all tied for second place (57%). The bottom-ranked county is Salem, where zero women serve as county commissioners. Passaic (14%) is next to last, and Cape May, Hunterdon, Monmouth, and Sussex all tied for third lowest (20%).”
San Antonio Elects Gina Ortiz Jones as Mayor Despite Huge Financial Edge for Rival
Source: San Antonio Express-News via LinkedIn
Gina Ortiz Jones, a Filipina American who served as undersecretary of the Air Force from 2021 to 2023, was elected on June 7th in a hotly contested runoff where she was heavily outspent by Republican-backed runoff opponent Rolando Pablos. As reported by The Hill, “She will be San Antonio’s third female mayor and the first person to serve a four-year term after voters in the city approved a measure in November extending the mayor’s term from two years to four. She will also be the city’s first openly lesbian mayor.”
The Texas Tribune has a detailed report on the competitive nature of the runoff, which was decided by 8%. Ultimately, as the Hill story reports, she was heavily outspent, especially by “independent” expenditures: “Pablos also had a significant fundraising advantage, outraising Jones by a margin of 1.5 to 1, while outside spending from PACs contributed more than triple the amount in favor of Pablos compared to Jones, according to DDHQ. That includes a PAC with ties to Abbott and San Antonio’s police union.”
Ortiz Jones was optimistic for San Antonio’s future on election night, as reported by the Texas Tribune:
She also said she was excited that San Antonio politics could deliver some positivity in an otherwise tumultuous news cycle. “With everything happening around us at the federal level and at the state level, some of the most un-American things we have seen in a very, very long time, it’s very heartening to see where we are right now,” she said shortly after the early results came in.
When it became clear the results would hold, Jones returned to remark that “deep in the heart of Texas,” San Antonio voters had reminded the world that it’s a city built on “compassion.”
Oklahoma Special House Election Goes to Cherokee Woman Amanda Clinton
Source: Facebook via Down Ballot
The Downballot reports on an Oklahoma special election on June 10th:
The most dominant victory came in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where Democrat Amanda Clinton, a public relations consultant and a member of the Cherokee Nation, cruised to a 69-point landslide over Republican Beverly Atteberry to defend the 71st House District. Since Kamala Harris carried this constituency by a 19-point margin, Clinton's win represented a 50-point overperformance—the second-largest this year.
Here’s more from Native News Online:
Democrat Amanda Clinton, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, claimed a decisive win in Tuesday’s special election for Oklahoma House District 71, becoming the fourth consecutive woman—and third consecutive Democratic woman—to represent the district.
“District 71 deserves leadership that shows up, speaks truth, and fights like hell for working people—and that’s exactly what I plan to do,” Clinton said following her victory. “I'm deeply grateful to the voters, our campaign team, volunteers, friends, family, donors, and everyone who believed in this campaign. I’m ready to get to work for the people of District 71 and for all Oklahomans.”...
She is now the third Native woman to represent House District 71 and remains one of just a few Tribal citizens serving in the Oklahoma Legislature.
“Women hold only about 20% of the seats in our Legislature, and even fewer are Native,” Clinton noted. “I ran to protect that representation, but also because I believe in building governments that meet people’s needs. The Cherokee Nation invested in my future—I’ve seen what’s possible when governments prioritize their people. Oklahoma needs to do the same.”
Jacinda Ardern’s Memoir: A Compassion-Fueled Leadership Manifesto
Jacinda Ardern in 2022. Source: The Times
Jacinda Ardern’s upcoming memoir, A Different Kind of Power, spotlights her signature style of politics: empathetic, inclusive, and values-driven. In it, Ardern reflects on her rise to leadership at 37, her handling of global crises, and why she believes compassion is no weakness but a source of real power.
Her book interweaves personal stories, like discovering her pregnancy amid coalition talks and navigating Christchurch’s trauma, with deep reflections on governing with purpose amid unpredictable challenges. However, critical responses argue that “kindness” can't replace effective policy. Ardern's story raises powerful questions: Can empathy drive structural change? Or do voters demand measurable impact beyond warm leadership? Here’s more from the New York Times and their June 3rd profile: Jacinda Ardern Thinks World Leaders Need More Kindness:
I get asked a lot whether or not these traits [featured in her time as prime minister] are gendered. I’ve worked with a number of politicians, and I see empathetic leadership in men and women. In fact, I like to think of it within the frame of what we teach our kids. If you ask a room of parents, “What are the values that you think are really important for your kids?” you’ll hear the same things: People want their kids to share, they want them to be generous, they want them to be kind and empathetic, they want them to be brave, courageous. Those values that we teach our kids, we then see somehow as weaknesses in leaders?...
In hindsight, when I look back on those moments, it’s very clear to me that, if you are, for instance, only the second woman in the world to give birth while in office, you feel a burden of responsibility to still demonstrate that it’s possible. And so I did hold back anything that might allow someone to question that I could be both a mother and a prime minister. But the thing that conflicted with that was also my desire to make sure that it didn’t look like I was doing everything on my own.
As featured last week, Ardern is also the subject of the documentary Prime Minister, which will be released this month and has a 94% positive rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
With former prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, in August 2024
Maine’s Hannah Pingree Joins Ranked Choice Voting Primary for Governor
Source: Medium
Hannah Pingree, who became Maine’s speaker of the house at age 30 and recently stepped down from running the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, has joined the crowded Democratic field for governor in Maine. The race will be decided by ranked choice voting and, if the state senate has its way, so will the general election in November 2026. Here’s more from News Center Maine on Pingree, whose mother, Chellie Pingree, represents Maine in the U.S. House:
The 48-year-old is just the latest high-profile political figure to enter the Democratic field, which includes former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, and Angus King III, an entrepreneur and son of Independent Senator Angus King. Pingree said her extensive government experience makes her "the best candidate." "Getting things done, that is my brand," Pingree added.
Karine Jean‑Pierre Goes Independent, Unveils Tell‑All Book
Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during a conversation at 92NY. Source: CBS News
Karine Jean‑Pierre, who served as White House Press Secretary under President Biden, has officially left the Democratic Party and redefined herself as an Independent, a shift she explores in her upcoming book, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines.
To be released this October, the memoir promises insider insights into the tumultuous three weeks that led to Biden’s decision against seeking reelection. Jean‑Pierre critiques what she describes as a “betrayal by the Democratic Party”, arguing that partisan extremism undermined both policy and unity.
Her announcement has sparked fierce reactions: Biden administration insiders have described the move as “a bizarre cash grab” and criticized her tenure as “ineffectual.” Others dismissed the rebranding as lacking genuine impact, saying the "independent" label may not be enough for political relevance. Yet observers note a growing public fatigue with hyper-partisanship, a sentiment Jean‑Pierre highlights by urging readers to “stop thinking in boxes and not be so partisan.”
Her departure marks a stark break from the typical post-White House trajectory. While former press secretaries often transition into cable media or corporate roles, Jean‑Pierre is positioning herself as a political outsider, advocating for a rising bloc of Americans who identify as independent. Her shift underscores a broader trend: a fracturing electorate where nearly half of Americans no longer feel allegiance to the two-party system. By blending personal memoir with a call for nonpartisan identity, she spotlights a rising cohort seeking new political models beyond red and blue.
Author Lorissa Rinehart: Ranked Choice Voting is a Women’s Issue
Lorissa Rinehart is author of the terrific new biography of the first woman to serve in Congress Jeannette Rankin, Winning the Earthquake. This week she writes on the Female Body Politics that ranked choice voting is a women’s issue:
When we talk about the fight for gender equality in politics, we often focus solely on the need for more women in office, stronger reproductive rights protections, and equal pay. But we fail to address the structure of our electoral system itself, a system that can either amplify or stifle women’s voices. As Jeannette said in her speech at Carnegie Hall just before her first day in Congress in 1917, Jeannette said: “It is not enough that we should have the vote. We need the means by which the votes are cast.”
She was specifically talking about Ranked Choice Voting, even before women gained the right to vote nationally…As we confront mounting challenges to gender equity—from reproductive rights rollbacks to economic inequality it’s essential to look not only at who is in power but how they get there. If the mechanics of our democracy reinforce the status quo, then no amount of advocacy can fully counterbalance their effect. Reforming the system itself is feminist work.
Supporting Ranked Choice Voting is not just about electoral reform. It’s about justice, access, and the health of our democracy. It’s about recognizing that who gets a seat at the table is shaped by the rules of the game. As voters, advocates, and leaders, we must work to implement RCV in more cities and states, educate our communities about its benefits, and push back against efforts to maintain outdated systems that disproportionately disadvantage women and marginalized communities.
The fight for gender equity in politics is far from over. But by changing how we vote, we can change who gets elected and, with that, change what is possible.
In 1916, Jeannette Rankin ran for Congress in Montana, using a unifying campaign strategy that appealed across party lines—“Vote for your local man and Jeannette Rankin.” Despite skepticism, she leveraged Montana’s “open state” electoral system, similar to modern-day ranked choice voting (RCV), to win her race and make history as the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress.
Letter from my great uncle to his mother about the evening he spent with his brother, my grandfather, and Jeannette Rankin in Paris in 1919
Ranked choice voting reduces vote-splitting, encourages more civil campaigning, and increases voter engagement. Crucially, RCV helps dismantle systemic barriers for women and underrepresented candidates by allowing more collaborative races and enabling grassroots contenders to stay competitive.
Our research from New York City shows that RCV leads to more diverse representation, particularly of women and women of color. While not a complete fix, RCV is a powerful structural reform that can help reshape American democracy to be more inclusive and equitable.
Lorissa Reinhart writes for the Female Body Politic:
The United States is one of the few democracies that still uses a single-round, winner-take-all system for most elections. Globally, countries with more inclusive voting systems tend to have significantly higher representation of women in their legislatures. While RCV is not a cure-all, it’s a damn close one.
As we confront mounting challenges to gender equity—from reproductive rights rollbacks to economic inequality it’s essential to look not only at who is in power but how they get there. If the mechanics of our democracy reinforce the status quo, then no amount of advocacy can fully counterbalance their effect. Reforming the system itself is feminist work.
Kansas Senator Defends Ranked-Choice Voting as State Moves to Ban It
Source: RepresentWomen
Kansas is on the verge of completely outlawing ranked choice voting despite the state's lack of formal implementation of the voting system. Ranked choice voting (RCV) promotes majority rule and allows for competition and broader candidate representation. Kansas state senator Senator Marci Francisco is speaking out against the ban.
Our research has shown that RCV also helps women win elections, allowing for greater political representation.
Brayden Day writes for KSNT.com:
“The Kansas Democratic Party used ranked choice voting in the 2020 presidential primary, and even though they say it’s complicated, it turns out people seemed to understand how to use their ballot,” Senator Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, told Nexstar’s Kansas Capitol Bureau on Monday.
Marci was one of 10 senators, mostly democrats, who voted not to ban ranked choice voting in Kansas…
Those against a ban believe ranked choice voting is the best way to find the most popular candidate in any given election. They believe it also helps third party candidates who are often not represented in a one choice voting system.
Proposed Trump Rule Could Re-Arm Domestic Abusers, Sparking Outcry from Lawmakers and Advocates
The Trump administration has proposed shifting the authority to restore gun rights for people with criminal convictions, including domestic violence offenders. A joint letter from the Democratic Women’s Caucus and the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force warns that the change could endanger domestic violence survivors by potentially restoring gun access to abusers. Critics also raised concerns about abuse of power and favoritism, citing a past DOJ case involving actor Mel Gibson.
Jennifer Gerson from the 19th reports:
The Democratic Women’s Caucus and the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Robert Hinchman, senior counsel at the Department of Justice (DOJ), criticizing an interim final rule that would move the responsibility for determining if someone gets their gun rights back from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to the Office of the Attorney General. While the ATF is part of the DOJ, the letter says the proposal would create “an apparent lack of an objective, holistic process for making” these decisions.
In the letter, shared exclusively with The 19th, these U.S. House members underscored that the “restoration of firearm rights should not come at the expense of a woman’s right to live free of violence.”
This week I had the pleasure of speaking to a roundtable of experts at the Council on Foreign Relations about RepresentWomen’s research and advocacy work – many thanks to Linda Robinson, a fellow Swarthmore College alum, for organizing this event.
That's all for this week. Have a great weekend!
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P.S.
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