Amanda Nachman

Pennsylvania ranks 49 out of 50 states in terms of hosting a diverse and representative congressional delegation. Men currently hold all 18 House seats and the two senatorial spots in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has never had a female governor, nor any female Senators. It’s a shocking statistic coming from a northern, mid-Atlantic state. But with the Year of the Woman 2017 sparking intense waves of female empowerment, states all around the country, including Pennsylvania, feel an energizing surge of change. Mary Gay Scanlon, a lawyer from Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional District, has her own plans for the 2018 midterm elections. After winning her district’s Democratic primary, she will move on to face another woman, Pearl Kim, in the November midterms. “My expectation for November,” Scanlon said, “that Pennsylvania will finally have a woman in its congressional delegation.”

CAREER TIMELINE
1980: Graduated from Colgate University with Bachelor’s

1984: Earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania

1984: Became a judicial clerk for the Superior Court of Pennsylvania

1985: Began her career in public interest when the Support Center for Child Advocates chose her to represent an 11-year-old abuse victim

2006–2007: Appointed Vice Chair of the Tax Commission

2007–2015: Member of the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District Board

2009–2011: Served as President of the School Board

2018: Won the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania’s 5th congressional district

Present: Mary Gay Scanlon works as Pro Bono Counsel for Ballard Spahr

Congresswoman Susan Davis didn’t think she’d find herself in public service, let alone in the federal domain. Her enthusiasm to provide service to those around her led her towards a path of government work. Fifteen years later, she’s served on the city, state and federal level endorsing causes she feels passionately about like women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, health care and more. Now, Davis uses her voice to promote change on massive scales.

CAREER TIMELINE
1983–1992: Elected to the San Diego School Board

1994, 1996, 1998: Elected to California State Assembly

2001–2003: Elected Representative of California’s 49th District

2003­–Present: Elected Representative of California’s 53rd District

Congress has seen many people come and go during its tenure, but never a Native American woman. Deb Haaland, a Democratic politician from New Mexico, hopes to break that barrier. With an extensive background in political activism, including two years as Chairwoman of New Mexico’s Democratic Party, Haaland built an impressive resume. Haaland’s platform revolves around environmental conscientiousness and affordable healthcare. Her intimate knowledge of New Mexico and its constituents will surely send waves of change towards Washington. As she closes in on November elections, her congressional campaign radiates with one thought: “Congress has never heard a voice like mine.”

CAREER TIMELINE
1994: Graduated from University of New Mexico

2005: Authored and led passage of SB 482 in the New Mexico Legislature, which allowed members of New Mexico Indian tribes in-state tuition at higher education institutions regardless of their residency

2006: Earned her Juris Doctor from the New Mexico School of Law

2010: Served as the Native American Vote Manager for the Diane Denish gubernatorial campaign

2010–2015: Served on the Laguna Development Corporation Board of Directors, also became the first appointed Chairwoman of the LDC

2012: Served as state’s vote director for Native American’s in Obama’s reelection campaign

2012–2013: Served as Native American Caucus Chair for the Democratic Party of New Mexico

2013–2015: Served as tribal administrator for the San Felipe Pueblo

2015–2017: Served as Chairwoman of the New Mexico Democratic Party

2017: Partnered with state LGBTQ civil rights leaders to help pass a ban on Conversion Therapy in New Mexico, one of few progressive legislations signed by the Governor

In 2016, Mara Elliott became the first woman elected as San Diego’s City Attorney. EMERGE America’s political training program may have given her the tools she needed to run for office, but her desire for justice and community service started when she was a little girl. Encouraged by her family and influenced by their experiences, Mara Elliott became the first in her family to graduate from college and go to law school. She’s now fighting for families and the vulnerable in her San Diego community, and with her role the possibilities for change are endless.

CAREER TIMELINE
1994 – Graduated with a J.D. in Law at the University of the Pacific – McGeorge School of Law

2002 – Joined the County of San Diego as the Senior Deputy County Counsel

2009 – Joined the City of San Diego as Chief Deputy City Attorney in Public Services

2015 – Graduated from EMERGE America’s training program

2016 – Elected as City Attorney for the City of San Diego

With the 2016 election, America witnessed two monumental moments in political history. In the East, Donald Trump, the unconventional Republican candidate, was elected President. In the Midwest, Ilhan Omar, a Somali-American, was elected Minnesota State Representative. For Representative Omar, who left war-torn Somalia at only eight years-old, this opportunity gives her the chance to be the voice for her community and change the narrative surrounding black, Muslim women in America.

CAREER TIMELINE
1982 – Born in Somalia

1990 – Left Somalia for refugee camp because of Civil War

Mid-Late 1990s – Immigrated to the U.S.

2011 – Graduated from North Dakota State University with a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies

2016 – Elected to Minnesota House of Representatives for District 60B

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