• Press Release

EMILYs List Congratulates 68 Democratic Women Elected to Leadership Positions in State Legislatures

November 29, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 29, 2022

EMILYs List Congratulates 68 Democratic Women Elected to Leadership Positions in State Legislatures 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, congratulated 68 women on their elections to House and Senate leadership positions in their states, with more likely to come. EMILYs List President Laphonza Butler released the following statement: 

“At EMILYs List, we know that when women run and win, they change the world. We are thrilled to congratulate these women for breaking ground, shattering glass ceilings, and showing their colleagues and voters what women’s leadership can accomplish. We know what happens when women are in positions of power: reproductive rights are championed, voting rights are protected, and improving the lives of working families is achieved. We look forward to seeing what they can accomplish this term and beyond.”

While elections are still being held to determine leadership in several states, EMILYs List would like to congratulate the following leaders:

  • Lela Alston, Arizona Senate Caucus Chair 
  • Melody Hernandez, Arizona Senate Democratic Co-Whip 
  • Mitzi Epstein, Arizona Senate Assistant Leader 
  • Raquel Terán, Arizona Senate Democratic Leader
  • Rosanna Gabaldon, Arizona Senate Minority Whip 
  • Brianna Titone, Colorado House Majority Caucus Co-Chair 
    • First openly transgender legislator in caucus leadership in the nation
  • Iman Jodeh, Colorado House Majority Co-Whip 
  • Janet Buckner, Colorado Senate Majority Caucus Chair 
  • Jennifer Bacon, Colorado House Assistant Majority Leader 
  • Julie Gonzales, Colorado Senate Majority Whip 
  • Julie McCluskie, Colorado Speaker of the House
  • Monica Duran, Colorado House Majority Leader  
  • Fentrice Driskell, Florida Leader-Designate 
    • First Black woman House Minority Leader in Florida
  • Lauren Book, Florida Senate Minority Leader
  • Dotie Joseph, Florida House Leader Pro Tempore
  • Kelly Skidmore, Florida House Policy Chair
  • Christine Hunschofsky, Florida House Whip
  • Lori Berman, Florida Senate Rules Chair
  • Tina Polsky, Florida Senate Policy Chair 
  • Tracie Davis, Florida Senate Fiscal Policy Chair
  • Gloria Butler, Georgia Senate Minority Leader
  • Sonya Halpern, Georgia Senate Democratic Caucus Vice Chair
  • Elena Parent, Georgia Senate Democratic Caucus Chair
  • Nan Orrock, Georgia Senate Democratic Caucus Secretary
  • Karen Bennett, Georgia House Caucus Vice Chair
  • Sandra Scott, Georgia House Caucus Deputy Whip
  • Shea Roberts, Georgia House Caucus Treasurer
  • Park Cannon, Georgia House Caucus Secretary
  • Lindsay James, Iowa House Minority Whip 
  • Jennifer Konfrst, Iowa House Minority Leader 
  • Eloise Vitelli, Maine Senate Majority Leader 
  • Mattie Daughtry, Maine Senate Assistant Majority Leader 
  • Rachel Talbot Ross, Maine Speaker of the House
    • First Black woman Speaker of the House
  • Betsy Coffia, Michigan House Assistant Majority Floor Leader
  • Brenda Carter, Michigan House Caucus Vice Chair 
  • Carol Glanville, Michigan House Associate Speaker Pro Tempore 
  • Carrie Rheingans, Michigan House Deputy Whip 
  • Dayna Polehanki, Michigan Senate Majority Caucus Chair 
  • Helena Scott, Michigan House Caucus Vice Chair 
  • Kara Hope, Michigan House Assistant Majority Floor Leader
  • Kristian Grant, Michigan House Associate Speaker Pro Tempore 
  • Laurie Pohutsky, Michigan Speaker Pro Tempore
    • Highest ranking LGBTQ+ legislator in Michigan history 
  • Mallory McMorrow, Michigan Senate Majority Whip 
  • Penelope Tsernoglou, Michigan House Democratic Outreach Chair 
  • Regina Weiss, Michigan House Campaign Chair 
  • Samantha Steckloff, Michigan House Finance Chair 
  • Sarah Anthony, Michigan Senate Appropriations Chair 
    • First Black woman to chair the Michigan Senate Appropriations Committee 
  • Stephanie Chang, Michigan Senate Policy and Steering Chair 
  • Winnie Brinks, Michigan House Majority Leader 
    • First woman Senate majority leader in Michigan and the first woman ever to lead the majority in a legislative chamber in the state 
  • Athena Hollins, Minnesota House Majority Whip 
  • Kari Dziedzic, Minnesota House Majority Leader 
  • Melissa Hortman, Minnesota Speaker of the House
  • Alexis Simpson, New Hampshire House Deputy Leader 
  • Cindy Rosenwald, New Hampshire Senate Deputy Leader 
  • Donna Soucy, New Hampshire Senate Minority Leader 
  • Reena Szczepanski, New Mexico House Majority Whip
  • Gail Chasey, New Mexico House Floor Leader
  • Nicole Cannizzaro, Nevada Senate Majority Leader 
  • Sandra Jauregui, Nevada Assembly Majority Leader
    • Highest ranking woman of color in the Nevada Legislature
  • Nickie Antonio, Ohio Senate Minority Leader 
  • Paula Hicks-Hudson, Ohio Senate Assistant Minority Whip
  • Judy Schwank, Pennsylvania Senate Administrator  
  • Maria Collett, Pennsylvania Senate Secretary 
  • Tina Davis, Pennsylvania House Secretary 
  • Tina Tartaglione, Pennsylvania Senate Minority Whip
  • Greta Neubauer, Wisconsin Assembly Minority Leader 
  • Dianne Hesselbein, Wisconsin Senate Minority Caucus Vice Chair 
  • Melissa Agard, Wisconsin Senate Minority Leader

 

EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, works to elect Democratic pro-choice women up and down the ballot and across the country with a goal of fighting for our rights and our communities. Our work is centered around a fundamental vision: Run. Win. Change the World. EMILYs List has raised over $700 million in service to that vision and has helped Democratic women win competitive elections by recruiting and training candidates, supporting and helping build strong campaigns, researching the issues that impact women and families, running one of the largest independent expenditure campaigns for Democrats, and turning out women voters to the polls. Since our founding in 1985, we have helped elect the country's first woman as vice president, 159 women to the House, 26 to the Senate, 16 governors, and nearly 1,400 women to state and local office. More than 40% of the candidates EMILYs List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color. Visit www.emilyslist.org for more information.