2010 Endorsed Candidates
Statewide candidates
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Federal Candidates
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Secretary Jennifer Brunner is running for U.S. Senate in the state of Ohio. Elected Ohio Secretary of State in 2006, Jennifer is the first woman in the state's history to serve in this capacity. She has since garnered national recognition for her efforts to make the state's elections free, fair, open, and honest. One of Jennifer's most significant accomplishments as Secretary of State was to overhaul the operations of the troubled Cuyahoga County Board of Elections in Cleveland, ensuring a smooth 2008 presidential election. As part of an overall effort to restore trust to elections, Jennifer spearheaded a massive voting machine study to solve problems with the security and reliability of voting machines. Read our Women and Politics blog post spotlighting her candidacy and visit Jennifer's website to learn more about her. |
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Secretary Robin Carnahan is running for U.S. Senate in the state of Missouri. Serving as the Missouri Secretary of State since 2004, Robin has worked tirelessly to help small businesses, crack down on big financial institutions, and safeguard the integrity of elections. Robin has been a leader in ensuring fair elections. She has modernized and improved Missouri's elections system by implementing Missouri’s first statewide voter registration system, creating the Missouri Voting Rights Center, and launching a new interactive election results website.As Senator, she will work to rebuild our economy and ensure government accountability. Visit Robin's website to learn more about her.
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Jocelyn Benson is running for Secretary of State in Michigan. Jocelyn is currently an Assistant Professor of Law at Wayne State University, where she specializes in teaching Election Law. Prior to attending law school, Jocelyn worked as an investigative journalist at the Southern Poverty Law Center. She has led both statewide and national election protection programs. In late 2009, Benson's book, Democracy and the State Secretary of State, will be published by Ashgate. The book highlights best practices of Secretaries of State from throughout the country and seeks to inform voters about how Secretaries of State from either side of the political spectrum can work to advance democracy and election reform. Her research for this book, combined with Jocelyn’s lifelong career as an election expert and reformer, inspired her to run. Jocelyn promises to eliminate barriers to voting and to promote access and accountability in order to preserve the integrity of Michigan’s elections. Visit Jocelyn’s website to learn more.

District Attorney Kamala Harris is running for California Attorney General. In December 2003, Kamala Harris was elected as the first woman District Attorney in San Francisco's history, and as the first African American woman in California to hold the office. She was overwhelmingly re-elected to a second term in November 2007. Drawing on her experience as a prosecutor for nearly twenty years, Harris has focused intensively on fighting violent crime. She has increased conviction rates for serious and violent offenses, expanded services to victims of crime and their families, created new prosecution divisions focused on child assault, public integrity and environmental crimes, and launched innovative re-entry initiatives to prevent recidivism. She has also launched unprecedented outreach programs to San Francisco communities and brought free legal clinics to immigrant neighborhoods. She was recognized as a “Woman of Power” by the National Urban League and received the Thurgood Marshall Award from the National Black Prosecutors Association. To learn more, visit Harris’s website.
Former State Representative Robin Kelly is running for Illinois State Treasurer. Known for her leadership, experience, and commitment to the people of Illinois, Kelly currently serves as Chief of Staff for the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office. In addition to supervising and overseeing all departments within the Treasurer’s Office, Kelly is also a primary advisor on all policy, political, and operational matters. Since joining the office, Kelly has led the charge in transforming the agency by demanding stronger ethical guidelines, improving operations, and introducing new and innovative programs. Prior to joining the Treasurer’s Office, Kelly served as Illinois State Representative from 2003-2007. She advocated and supported policy that enhanced the quality of life for all Illinois residents. Kelly also served as Director of Community Affairs for the Village of Matteson. A resident of Matteson, Kelly holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from Bradley University and a Ph.D. from Northern Illinois University. For more information, visit Kelly’s website.
Penny Kotterman is running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction in Arizona. Penny Kotterman is a lifelong educator with over 30 years of experience and an impeccable record of teaching students, developing education policy, and improving the profession of education for new and experienced teachers alike. As president of the Arizona Education Association for 6 years, Penny engaged with Governors Jane Hull and Janet Napolitano to build the policies that are central to education in Arizona today. Additionally, Penny has been instrumental in the development of policy related to student standards and assessments and teacher certification. To learn more, visit Penny’s website.
Rep. Kim McMillan is running for Governor of Tennessee. Kim has served for twelve years in the Tennessee House of Representatives and in 2002, was the first woman to serve as Majority Leader in Tennessee. During her tenure in the House, Kim was honored with numerous awards for excellence from various organizations, including the Tennessee Chiefs of Police, the Tennessee Education Association, and the Tennessee School Boards Association. In 2006, Kim did not seek re-election to the state House and accepted an appointment by Governor Bredesen to his Cabinet, where she served as Senior Advisor to the Governor. In 2008, Kim returned to her hometown of Clarksville as Executive Director of Community and Business Relations for Austin Peay State University, where she is a faculty member in the Political Science Department. To learn more, visit Kim’s website.
Barbara Ann Radnofsky is running for Texas Attorney General. She practices law on both sides of the docket and is a mother, wife, teacher, lawyer and mediator. In 2006, after 27 years of law practice, Barbara Ann became the first woman in history to serve as the Texas Democratic U.S. Senate nominee. She was the first woman at Vinson and Elkins to have children as an associate and attain partnership. Barbara Ann was honored as the Outstanding Young Lawyer of Texas in 1988. She has been listed for the past 16 years in “Best Lawyers in America". As a lawyer who has practiced on both sides of the docket, a mediator, and a long time community leader, Barbara Ann knows how to represent people, how to fight for people, and how to bring people together. Visit Barbara Ann Radnofsky's website to learn more about her. |
Former Mayor Yoriko Kishimoto is running for California’s State Assembly in District 21. Kishimoto immigrated to the United States from Japan with her family as a young child. She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan and an MBA from Stanford University. While serving as Palo Alto Mayor and City Council Member for seven years, Kishimoto made building a green economy through innovation her mission and improved city services while preserving a balanced budget. She successfully forged coalitions for positive change with neighborhood groups, schools, environmentalists, business leaders, and regional agencies. Kishimoto serves on the Board of Directors for Santa Clara County's Valley Transportation Authority and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, which oversees clean air regulations for the region’s nine counties. Kishimoto is focusing on making green jobs a priority and working to make the Bay Area and California the leader in the clean technology revolution. Kishimoto currently resides in Palo Alto with her husband Lee Collins and daughters Maya and Sarah Collins. For more information, visit Kishimoto’s website.
Rosemary Palmer is running for Ohio State House of Representatives (16th District). Rosemary is the co-founder of Capitol News Services, which reports on state government affairs for newspapers in northeastern Ohio. She holds a Master of Arts in education, teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). Rosemary directed and designed English as a Second Language (ESL) programs at Bloomfield College, expanding the program from serving 40 students to serving nearly 300. After the death of her son, Rosemary co-founded Families of the Fallen for Change, a nonpartisan, non-profit organization that has sought a responsible end to the Iraq War. As a State Representative, Rosemary will work to bring innovative solutions to increase Ohio’s environmental sustainability and decrease the cost of higher education. Visit Rosemary Palmer’s website to learn more about her.
Chairwoman of the Board, Betty Yee, is running for re-election for the California State Board of Equalization. A native of San Francisco, California, Yee was born to immigrant parents who established a laundry and dry cleaning business in the Parkside District of San Francisco and operated it for 30 years. Yee has over 25 years of public service experience, having held appointed office in local government and in the legislative and executive branches of state government. During her tenure on the State Board of Equalization, Yee has focused her outreach on emerging ethnic communities to ensure they are equipped with translated resources to help them comply with tax responsibilities. She has advocated for public education, universal health care, and equal opportunity for all. She believes her K–12 educational experience in the San Francisco public school system provided the basic foundation for her success. After losing her father after a five-year fight against renal disease and a stroke, Yee is a vocal advocate for public funding of health care coverage for poor and low-income working families. For more information, visit Yee’s website.
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