That’s a wrap on May—and now it’s all eyes on June: Statewide primaries in New Jersey and Virginia are next month, kicking off a rush to the November general election. Federal elections in 2026 are heating up too, with frontrunners emerging in key Democratic US Senate races.
But before we dive in, can we introduce you to Equal Political Giving Day?
10th Anniversary Update
For 10 years, the Electing Women Alliance has been helping to close the political gender giving gap by creating vibrant local communities of donors who come together in support of Democratic women running for elected office.
As you likely know, the ‘political gender giving gap’ is the difference in the amount of money men and women give to political campaigns. In 2024, men gave 63 percent of that money, while women gave only 37 percent. We see this as the political equivalent of the ‘gender pay gap,’ which is recognized yearly on Equal Pay Day—the day of the year that a woman’s earnings would equal what a man made doing the same job the previous year.
That’s why this year we’re recognizing Equal Political Giving Day, the day in the year it would take women to give as much in political contributions as men gave the previous year. This year that day is June 1, an extra 151 days for women’s political giving to catch up with men’s.
US Senate: And Then There Were Two
With two prominent announcements of who’s not running, next year’s most competitive US Senate primaries are taking shape, and are likely now to feature two women each:
- In Illinois, US Rep. Lauren Underwood announced she would not be running, leaving Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton—who has Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s endorsement and Gov. JB Pritzker’s financial backing—as the clear frontrunner in the race. Reps. Robin Kelly and Raja Krishnamoorthi are also running.
- In Minnesota, former state Sen. Melisa López Franzen left the race, leaving Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and US Rep. Angie Craig as the primary contenders. Peggy just received an endorsement from US Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
- And in Michigan, US Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow remain the only women in the race, one that features two prominent men: state Rep. Joe Tate and former Wayne County Health Commissioner Abdul El-Sayed. Rep. Stevens was just endorsed by Speaker Emeritus Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
And although this is the Electing Women Insider, we want to share some key developments in Georgia, where popular Gov. Brian Kemp will not challenge US Sen. Jon Ossoff, and in New Hampshire, where US Rep. Maggie Goodlander has decided not to run and instead has endorsed fellow US Rep. Chris Pappas for outgoing Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s open seat.
Democrats’ Road to the Senate Goes Through Maine. [Cook Political Report]
Tammy Duckworth backs Juliana Stratton for Dick Durbin’s Illinois Senate seat [Politico]
Why I’m endorsing Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton for US Senate [Carol Mosely Braun, TRIBE]
Rep. Lauren Underwood says she won’t seek Dick Durbin Senate seat [Chicago Sun-Times]
Exclusive: Haley Stevens on Fighting Against Trump’s ‘Chaos’ for Michigan [Newsweek]
Nancy Pelosi endorses Stevens in Michigan Senate race [Punchbowl News]
Mallory McMorrow Wants Power—and Yes, That Is a Good Thing [The National Review]
Former state legislator López Franzen ends campaign for U.S. Senate [MPR]
Warren endorses Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota Senate race [The Hill]
US House: What’s the Deal with Open Seats?
You have probably noticed that many of these Senate candidates are current representatives, and may be wondering: What’s happening with their House seats? Here are the races we’re watching:
🪑2026 House Open Seat Tracker [Cook Political Report]
- Illinois 2 (Kelly): Chicago water commissioner Yumeka Brown is the only woman to have declared, although Cook County commissioner Donna Miller is considering a run.
- Illinois 8 (Krishnamoorthi): Two women, former UNICEF board member Sanjyot Dunung and current Hanover Park trustee Yasmeen Bankole, have declared, along with Cook County commissioner Kevin Morrison.
- Michigan 11 (Stevens): Only one man, a state senator, has declared so far.
- Minnesota 2 (Craig): Two men, both state senators, have declared.
- New Hampshire 1 (Pappas): NHDP Vice Chair Maura Sullivan and Stefany Shaheen, daughter of retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, have declared. Journalist Hanna Trudo may also enter the race.
There are also four open seats, three with special elections this year because the members died in office. In IL-9, Rep. Jan Schakowsky is retiring.
- Arizona 7: The frontrunners are Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva, daughter of late Rep. Raúl Grijalva, and state Rep. Daniel Hernández Jr., though influencer Deja Foxx could make things interesting. The special primary election is July 15.
- Texas 18: Former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards and five others are running for this seat held initially by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and then Rep. Sylvester Turner, both of whom died in the last year. The special election is Nov. 4.
- Virginia 11: Rep. Gerry Connolly endorsed a former aide, Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw, before he passed, but current state Sen. Stella Pekarsky has also jumped into the race. No special election date has been set.
- Illinois 9: Journalist and influencer Kat Abughazaleh was already running in the district before Rep. Schakowsky’s retirement. Now, state Sen. Laura Fine has joined the race.
Open House Seats Present Thorny Situations for Both Parties [Cook Political Report]
Race for Rep. Angie Craig’s seat is heating up and expected to sizzle [MinnPost]
Stefany Shaheen: It’s time to channel our outrage into action [Seacoast Online]
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D) announces she will not seek re-election [Ballotpedia Analysis]
Senate race could set off seismic shift in Illinois politics [Axios]
Rep. Gerry Connolly backs former aide to succeed him in Congress [Washington Post]
Dems tee up House Oversight leadership election [Politico]
Young Black Democratic candidates seek to bring new blood to Congress [The Grio]
State & Local: VA & NJ Incoming
Democratic primaries in New Jersey (June 10) and Virginia (June 17) are closing in fast—but before we get to those, a major development for 2026’s state elections.
Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has announced she will run for governor of Georgia in 2026. She is the most prominent Democrat to declare in this race; state Senator Jason Esteves had declared last month. Gov. Brian Kemp is term limited, making this Democrats’ best chance to flip a Republican-held seat in 2026. Attorney General Chris Carr is the likely frontrunner on the Republican side, though the current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and former Sen. Kelly Loeffler are said to be considering runs.
In New Jersey, polling is looking good for Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s gubernatorial primary. Ten days out, she leads her closest competitor, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, by nearly double, 33 percent to 16 percent. But the race has been volatile lately, with national attention raising Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s profile and several candidates going negative on Mikie in newly released ads.
In Virginia, while former Rep. Abigail Spanberger has the nomination sewn up, there are competitive primaries for lieutenant governor and attorney general, as well as several House of Delegates races. We talked a lot about these races in the run up to our pre-primary fundraising event—and there’s still time to support these candidates with a donation.
🗳️Early Voting By House District: 2025 June Primaries [VPAP]
Time Is Running Out To Derail NJ Governor Primary Frontrunners [Cook Political Report]
Sherrill pulls further away from the pack in her latest internal poll [NJ Globe]
NJ governor’s race: Candidates and the money behind them [NJ Spotlight News]
Arrest boosts Newark mayor as he runs for governor [Semafor]
Fulop PAC starts spending money on attack ads against Sherrill [NJ Globe]
They helped Democrats win back the House. Now they’re taking on a new mission [CNN]
Democrats reach historic goal: A full slate in Virginia House races [VA Mercury]
Keisha Lance Bottoms enters Georgia governor’s race [the 19th News]
Griffin concedes NC Supreme Court race, ending effort to overturn election [News & Observer]