Though the recent actions of Trump’s administration have scared the living daylights out of many of us, last week’s Women’s March and other forms of resistance (thanks @AltNatParkSer!) are providing some comfort and hope.
While these are all great first steps, it’s important to not let complacency take over. If you want to see a new occupant in the White House come 2020, or just make sure the new administration doesn’t destroy the world, make sure to prepare for the next midterm and presidential elections!
There’s a lot of rising talent in the Democratic Party, particularly in regard to female senators, and we should make every effort to shine a light on their badassery. The future is female, and these women will show you why.
1) Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris, who recently picked up the Senate seat vacated by Barbara Boxer, is poised to make waves in Congress. As Attorney General of California, Harris fought against the Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage, went after for-profit colleges and has campaigned for increased transparency regarding police custody deaths. Half Indian and half Jamaican, Harris made history as the first Indian-American to serve in the U.S. Senate. Her name is already being floated as a potential 2020 presidential candidate, so keep an eye out for her.
2) Tammy Duckworth
In 2013, Duckworth made history as the first disabled woman to be elected to the House, having lost both her legs in combat while serving in the Iraq War. Since then, she has emerged as a prominent leader in the Democratic Party, defeating incumbent Illinois senator Mark Kirk in November and stepping into a role once held by President Obama. Duckworth may also hold the title for most badass act of rebellion in Congress: smuggling her phone in her prosthetic leg in order to livestream video during the “No Bill No Break” sit in.
3) Amy Klobuchar
Sen. Klobuchar may not have commanded the headlines like Harris and Duckworth did over the past months, but this Minnesota native is admired for her understanding and expertise in the law; she has been floated as a potential Supreme Court nominee, in addition to being named to The New York Times’ list of the seventeen women most likely to become president.
4) Catherine Cortez Masto
Like Harris, Cortez Masto served as her state’s attorney general before winning the Nevada Senate election this past November. Her office went after Bank of America for deceptive marketing and lending practices, resulting in a $750 million settlement. The granddaughter of a Mexican immigrant and the first Latina to ever serve in the U.S. Senate, her victory last year carried an additional significance in an election season marked by a focus on xenophobia and anti-immigrant bias. In stepping into the role vacated by former Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Cortez Masto has the chance to truly make a national impact.
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