Latest POP Victories
June 3rd California POP Victories
Lois Wolk, Senate District Five - Wolk is currently the Assembly member for District Eight representing four counties in the Sacramento area. She previously served on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors (1998-2002) and on the Davis City Council (1990-1998). Wolk faces termed out Republican Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian in the general election.
Hannah Beth Jackson, Senate District 19 - Prior to serving in the Assembly, Jackson practiced family law where she advocated for justice for women and children and victims of crime for over twenty years. She helped establish the Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center and is a founder of Santa Barbara Women's Political Committee. While in the Assembly she was the chair of the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources and vice-chair of the Women's Caucus. Jackson will continue to fight for this seat in the general election in November hoping to flip this seat to a Democratic one when she faces Republican and former Assemblyman Tony Strickland.
Carol Liu, Senate District 21 - Liu is recognized as a key community leader in issues affecting children and education; she served as president of the Pasadena City College Foundation Board. She also served on the La Canada/Flintridge City Council and as a two-term Mayor. After being elected to the Assembly she was recognized for her leadership abilities and was appointed as chair of Higher Education Committee. Liu will continue to serve in the Senate in this strong Democratic seat.
Fran Pavley, Senate District 23 - Pavley served three terms in the CA State Assembly. She became known as one of the most effective legislators in Sacramento. Serving with integrity and vision, the former Mayor of Agoura Hills and long time public school teacher, had over 70 bills and resolutions become law. During her tenure in the Assembly, Pavley focused on education, the environment, consumer protection and her landmark legislation on global warming became a model for other states and countries. This is also a Democratic seat which Pavley won against another former Assemblyman.
Joan Buchanan won in District 15 (open seat). Buchanan has been a member of the San Ramon Valley School Board for 20+ years including four years as president. This will be a competitive race in November and the best opportunity for CA Democrats to flip an Assembly seat.
Fran Florez won in District 30 (open seat). Florez is the vice chair of the California High Speed Rail Authority, the state agency responsible for planning, building and operating a high-speed train system for the State of California.
Nancy Skinner won in District 14 (open seat). Skinner is currently on the Board of Directors for the East Bay Regional Parks. She oversees 65 regional parks and 96,000 acres in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. She got 46.8% of the vote running against four men.
Norma Torres won in District 61 (open seat) with 46.9% of the vote. Torres is the current mayor of Pomona and also works as a bilingual 9-1-1 dispatcher and instructor for the Los Angeles Police Department. She previously served as a member of Pomona’s city council.
Mariko Yamada won in District 8 with 51.6% of the vote. Yamada currently serves on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, representing a portion of the City of Davis and surrounding unincorporated county lands.
June 3rd Iowa POP Victories
State Representative Deborah Berry won her primary election today with 71% of the vote. Berry has represented the Waterloo, IA community for the past six years and since she was elected she has stood up for the working families of Black Hawk County and the issues important to them. Representative Berry is one of two African American females in the Iowa State House. Deb is does not have a general election opponent so this victory ensures that she will continue to represent the people of Iowa House District 22 for another term.
In Mason City, former educator Sharon Steckman won her primary election as well. She goes on to face former City Council member Scott Tornquist in the general election for the chance to represent Iowa's House District 13. This traditionally Democratic district has been held by Republican Rep. Bill Schickel since 2002 - and Steckman has a great chance to win it back in 2008. Sharon is a former member of Mason City Education Association. She served as President and later served six years as Chief Negotiator.
June 3rd Montana POP Victories
Throughout Monica Lindeen’s tenure in the legislature, she developed a reputation as a common sense-moderate getting things done for Montana; she served in various leadership roles and became a leading expert on the state budget. Lindeen is respected for her bipartisan efforts on economic development, successfully carrying legislation to create a workforce training program, an economic development trust fund and other policies that will assist working families. Lindeen will face Duane Grimes, a former Republican State Senator from Clancy in November for the seat of State Auditor.
Before serving as the current Superintendent of Schools, Linda McCulloch served three terms in the Montana House of Representatives. As a legislator, she served on the Judiciary, Highways & Transportation, Local Government, Education and House Rules Committees and interim Committee assignments including Juvenile Justice & Mental Health, Indian Affairs, and Education & Local Government. In 1999, she served as the Minority Caucus Leader and went on to be elected in her current statewide position in 2000. McCulloch plans on unseating Republican Brad Johnson, the current Secretary of State.
Christine Kaufmann won a competitive race to retain her State Senate seat representing Montana’s District 41. Kaufmann is one of three openly gay elected officials in Montana. Kaufmann served four terms in the Montana House of Representatives before being appointed to the Senate to fill a vacancy. In addition to her work as a Senator, she also has served as the director of Montana Human Rights Network since 1992.
June 3rd New Mexico POP Victories
Senator Linda Lopez held off a tough primary challenge in Albuquerque's South Valley on Tuesday. Lopez was the first woman elected in Senate District 11 in 1996. She Chairs the Senate Rules Committee and the Welfare Reform Oversight Committee. In addition to her legislative duties, she is a Mid Region Council of Governments program coordinator. Previously she operated her own organizational development consulting company, was the Chair of the Bernalillo County Democratic Party, and was a Pipeline Program Coordinator for Presbyterian Healthcare Services.
Senator Dede Feldman handily defeated her primary opponent in Senate District 13. A State Senator since 1997, she currently serves as the Chair of the Senate Public Affairs Committee and the Co-Chair of the Interim Health and Human Services Committee where she is focusing on improving access to quality health care for New Mexicans and reducing the high cost of prescription drugs. She is also the sponsor of several successful initiatives including a mastectomy bill that mandates insurance companies cover a minimum 48 hr. hospital stay. She lives in a solar home in the North Valley with her daughter and husband of 35 years.
Rep. Joni Gutierrez held off a primary challenge in House District 33, which stretches from Las Cruces south through Mesilla to Tortugas and San Miguel, New Mexico. Gutierrez was elected to the NM House in 2004 and sits on the powerful House Appropriations & Finance Committee and the Energy and Resources Committee. She is a landscape architect and has her Bachelor's of Science in horticulture from New Mexico State University as well as her Master's in landscape architecture from the University of Arizona. She was New Mexico State Democratic Party Chair previous to being elected.
Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver defeated her opponent in yesterday's primary. This was Oliver's first election since she was appointed by the County Commission in 2007 to fill the unexpired term of now Secretary of State, Mary Herrera. Prior to her appointment, she was New Mexico State Director and then Southwest Region Campaign Manager for the League of Conservation Voters (LCV). She also worked for over a decade as a campaign consultant.
May 20th Oregon POP Victories
Kate Brown, a Portland state senator who has been in the Legislature since 1991 and the Senate majority leader since 2004, brings a resume packed with experience and a reputation for dealing fairly and with integrity which is why Democratic voters made her their choice for Secretary of State. Brown faced two candidates both state senators with strong experience: Rick Metsger and Vicki Walker; however, it’s Brown’s proven record that put her ahead. As Secretary of State, Brown plans to be an advocate for the people—decreasing initiative fraud and creating more opportunities for people to register to vote and sign petitions by utilizing modern technology.
Jackie Dingfelder, who served four terms in the Oregon House, distinguishes herself as one of the more energetic and productive members of the House. In the Senate, Dingfelder hopes to continue to advance legislation addressing climate change, education and health care funding, transportation infrastructure and tax reform.
Replacing former Senate Majority leader, Kate Brown, Speaker Diane Rosenbaum served five terms as the State Representative for House District 42, fighting for civil rights for gays and lesbians, defending Oregon’s land-use laws and increasing funding to Oregon schools. We look forward to her continued progressive leadership in the state senate.
May 20th Arizona POP Victories
Newcomer Sara Presler-Hoefle won her general election for Mayor of Flagstaff, Arizona with 63.7% of the vote with all precincts reporting. Presler-Hoefle is a former public defense attorney who currently teaches at Northern Arizona University and serves as Legal Aid Counsel for students. In this, her first race for public office, Presler-Hoefle beat incumbent Joe Donaldson to become Flagstaff’s first female mayor. As Mayor, Presler-Hoefle’s main goals will be to promote innovative economic development and preserve the Flagstaff the citizens there love.
May 14th West Virginia POP Victories
Natalie Tennant won her three-way primary for Secretary of State with 51% of the vote with all counties reporting. Tennant, a former television anchor and reporter in the Charleston and Clarksburg media markets, beat House Majority Leader Joe DeLong and Senate Majority Whip Billy Wayne Bailey to win the nomination. If elected in November, she will be the only statewide woman officeholder in West Virginia and will work to restore West Virginians’ confidence in the election process, increase voter participation and create a more diverse selection of poll workers.
In their 17-way primary for State House District 30, Delegates Bobbie Hatfield & Bonnie Brown were the second and third top vote-getters, respectively, in their seven seat district. Brown and Hatfield benefited from receiving EMILY’s List technical assistance and financial support in this historic presidential primary which opened the Democratic primary to independent voters for the first time. Both Delegates have been outspoken advocates for Choice in the Legislature and have been instrumental in blocking numerous attempts by their Republican and Democratic colleagues to pass anti-choice legislation.
May 7th North Carolina POP Victories
Janet Cowell, a two term state senator defeated her two male opponents in yesterday’s primary for state treasurer. Cowell is a Wharton Business School graduate with experience and expertise in banking, investment, and financial management. While serving in the Senate, Cowell worked to create jobs and improve education. She is widely-recognized as a hard working and thoughtful legislator who fights hard for her constituents. Cowell was outspent by both opponents but ran a tight campaign that included a coalition of labor, business, environmental and women’s organizations. Cowell will face Bill Daughtridge in the fall in a race expected to cost $2 million.
Angela Bryant defeated her primary opponent in NC House District 7 and is expected to serve her first full term representing this solidly Democratic district in Rocky Mount. Bryant was appointed to the vacant House seat in 2007. Bryant's campaign benefited from training, technical assistance and financial support from POP. A long-time community activist, Bryant is a strong progressive with a lengthy political future ahead.
The youngest member of the NC General Assembly, Tricia Cotham in District 100 defeated a three-term county commissioner with 79 percent of the vote in yesterday’s primary. Cotham is a school principal who knocked on hundreds of doors in this race. In the legislature, Cotham has focused her efforts on progressive issues including education, health care and jobs. POP provided training, technical assistance and a financial contribution to Cotham who expects to serve in the U.S. Senate someday.
Having solidly defeated a tough Primary opponent, Katie Dorsett secured her fourth term as a state senator representing District 28. Dorsett is a retired educator who focuses on improving education, creating jobs and protecting the environment. Dorsett has benefited from POP services receiving technical assistance, training and financial help as well as GOTV efforts from POP staff.
Ellie Kinnaird defeated a well-funded opponent yesterday in the Primary election for the 23rd District, securing her seventh term in the North Carolina Senate. Kinnaird has been involved in civic and community life in Orange County for decades. She is a champion for the arts, environment and neighborhood restoration. Known for her outstanding constituent service, Kinnaird instituted a massive house party effort in addition to traditional methods of voter communication in this campaign.
Annie Mobley, in House District 5, defeated her primary opponent yesterday with 58% of the vote and is expected to sail to victory in this solidly Democratic district in the general election. Mobley, a long-time public servant in the Administrative Court in North Carolina was first appointed to the legislature in January 2007. Mobley served as Chair of the Juvenile Justice Committee and focused much of her early legislative work on the agriculture and economy - two areas critical to the citizens in her district.
Having served six years on the Pitt County Board of Education, Kathy Taft is headed to a run-off election after Tuesday’s six-way primary in Senate District 5 did not allow for any candidate to receive the necessary 40% of the vote. This is Taft’s first bid for a state senate seat. Taft ran a well-organized and aggressive campaign, knocking on doors and building a grassroots effort in the rural district. She ran second yesterday with 24% of the vote.
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Click here for the 2007 election results.
Click here for the 2006 election results.