Quarterly reports dropped federally and in Virginia on April 15, so this month’s Insider is all about fundraising. Let’s dive in:
10th Anniversary Update
But first: In case you missed our 10 anniversary update email earlier this month, we have some bittersweet news to announce. Long-time EWA Co-Director Heather Lurie has decided to transition out of her position this year.
In her words:
“Reflecting on our 10 years of Electing Women, I am proud of all we have accomplished together and I am keenly aware of all of the hard work ahead. Working in partnership with the spectacular Stacy Mason, the dedicated EWA team and each of you, we have created a strong and powerful community and model. We have built EWA to successfully pursue our mission to elect more women in our unique and magical way even in the most challenging circumstances. We have done it with fierce determination, abundant joy, strategic thinking, some tears, lots of laughs, sprinkles of sparkle and with our Elect Women bracelets on.”
🔖 You can read her full announcement on our website.
US Senate: A Shrinking Gap?
No clear political gender giving gap—yet
We don’t have data for the newest entrants in the most competitive Democrat-held seat—Michigan—since both state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Rep. Haley Stevens announced after the last end-of-quarter deadline. And the only Democratic incumbent in a competitive seat who’s sticking it out this cycle is a man—Jon Ossoff of Georgia—which will skew the numbers toward men since he’s been the only game in town for the full quarter.
This makes it hard to determine if there’s a disparity emerging between male and female candidates. We will note, however, that the only two Democratic women who announced for a competitive seat in Q1—Peggy Flanagan and Melisa Lopez Franzen of Minnesota—are being outraised by Chris Pappas, who is running for the open seat in New Hampshire.
📊 View full fundraising charts.
New women entered races in Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan
The first-quarter closing precipitated a rash of candidate announcements, as we suspected it would. In addition to Mallory McMorrow announcing in Michigan and Peggy Flanagan announcing in Minnesota, we saw a seismic event in Illinois when Sen. Dick Durbin—the Senate’s #2 Democrat who served in Congress for 42 years—announced his retirement from this safe blue seat.
The state of that race:
- Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton has already announced. She has already been endorsed by Gov. JB Pritzker and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, and is expected to have the full backing of Pritzker’s sizeable fortune;
- Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14) is expected to announce soon. She won her competitive Congressional seat in the 2018 ‘Blue Wave’ during Trump’s first term;
- Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-2) is also rumored to be considering a run. She was first elected in 2012 and the most recent past chair of the Illinois Democratic Party;
- Potential male candidates include Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-8), Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs.
And today, Rep. Angie Craig announced her entrance into Minnesota’s US Senate race, setting up a three-way race between her, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and former state Senate Minority Leader Melisa López Franzen.
📰 Analysis & News:
DFL Rep. Angie Craig announces bid for open U.S. Senate seat [MPR]
Juliana Stratton jumps in the Senate race [Politico]
Tammy Duckworth backs Juliana Stratton for Dick Durbin’s Illinois Senate seat [Politico]
Durbin’s Retirement Makes Way For Other Ambitious Democrats [Cook Political Report]
Mallory McMorrow is the first to announce for Michigan’s open US Senate seat [MI Advance]
Rep. Haley Stevens Joins an Increasingly Crowded Michigan Senate Race [NY Times]
AG Keith Ellison won’t run for U.S. Senate, backs Flanagan for DFL nod [MPR News]
US House: Incumbents’ Big Haul
A deeper dive into incumbents’ Q1 totals
There’s also no clear political gender giving gap yet in the House, at least when it comes to incumbents (the group of candidates for which it’s easiest to analyze data this early in the cycle). There are 10 sitting House members—six men and four women—Cook rates as having the closest races, and women bookend the group, with the two highest totals (Laura Gillen and Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez) and two lowest totals (Marcy Kaptur and Emilia Sykes). When we look at cash on hand, though, Marcy Kaptur rises to the top.
Of note, however, is that for the first time since 2016, Republican incumbents are outraising their Democratic counterparts.
📊 View full fundraising charts.
Multiple women in competitive districts
The Senate trend is holding in the House, where we’re seeing multiple Democratic women gearing up to take out some of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents, with few or no viable men in the race. The races we’re watching most closely right now are:
- CA-40 (incumbent Young Kim), featuring former Chino Valley school board member Christina Gagnier, small business owner Esther Kim Varet, nonprofit executive Nina Linh and retired firefighter Joe Kerr, who was the 2024 nominee and is the likely frontrunner.
- NY-17 (incumbent Mike Lawler), featuring Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson, former National Security Council official Cait Conley, and anti-poverty advocate Jessica Reinmann, former FBI analyst John Sullivan, and journalist Mike Sacks.
- WI-3 (incumbent Derrick Van Orden), featuring former Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation member Rebecca Cooke, president of the Eau Claire City Council Emily Berge, and former Eau Claire City Council member Laura Benjamin. There are currently no men in this race.
📰 Analysis & News:
Vulnerable House Republicans Take Early Lead in Fundraising [Cook Political Report]
Breaking Down the Early Primary Challenges to House Democrats [Cook]
Upcoming Specials in AZ and TX Could Signal Democratic Party’s Direction [Cook]
Generic Ballot Gives Dems Strong Chance to Take Back House in 2026 [Sabato’s Crystal Ball]
More House members want out of their “broken” chamber [Axios]
Air Force vet plans to challenge Kaptur in 2026 [Toledo Blade]
Kevin Coughlin seeks 2026 rematch against U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes [Cleveland.com]
For Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez, politics is about meeting voters where they are [Roll Call]
State & Local: The Gap Moves Down-Ballot
Statewide and legislative races are where we’re currently seeing the largest political gender giving gap.
In New Jersey, Rep. Mikie Sherrill currently ranks fourth in contributions for the cycle, behind Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, former state Sen. Stephen Sweeney, and Rep. Josh Gottheimer. Polls still show her leading the race, but they are tightening.
In Virginia, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger easily clenched the gubernatorial nomination and raised more than double her Republican counterpart—Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears—in Q1, but other women are struggling:
- Lt. Gov. candidate and state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi is fifth in fundraising behind three male Democratic primary challengers and the Republican frontrunner, who is leading;
- Attorney General candidate Shannon Taylor has raised half what her Democratic opponent has, and only a third of what the Republican incumbent has raised; and
- Of the top 10 House of Delegates raisers, only three are Democratic women running in competitive races—even though women are disproportionately contesting the most competitive races.
📊 View full fundraising charts.
That’s why EWA is expanding efforts to support state candidates across the country and inviting you to join us and our partners—Her Bold Move, Virginia’s List, Elect Black Women, the Next 50, EMILY’s List and Electing Women National Capital Region—at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT on May 15 for our ‘Virginia is for Women’ Zoom fundraising event benefiting 10 candidates for statewide and state legislative office in Virginia.
Donations start at $250 and will be evenly divided among the candidates. RSVP now and share this invite with your networks!
👥 Donate to save your spot at our Virginia is for Women event on May 15.
📰 Analysis & News:
Women candidates pack Virginia’s House of Delegates elections [VA Mercury]
The Watcher: Democratic governor’s race is getting tighter, poll says [NJ Globe]
A Teachers’ Union Is Spending Millions to Elect Its Boss Governor [NY Times]
As McBath Steps Back, Democratic Rivals Take Their Marks [Cook Political Report]
Unique Three-Way Race for Governor Looms in Michigan [Cook Political Report]
Gov. Tina Kotek appears to have a clear path through next election [Oregon Capital Chronicle]
Jena Griswold raises record-setting $185K in first 24 hours as an AG candidate [CO Politics]