We have fewer than 50 days until the November election. It’s crunch time. That’s why, all week, we’ll be bringing you our 20 for ‘20, highlighting twenty candidates, causes and organizations working to turn Texas blue.
Today, we want to focus on stellar women running to flip congressional seats across the state. This list was supposed to be capped at 5, but honestly, we couldn’t trim it down below 7. Each of these races offers a myriad of ways you can volunteer or donate. Let’s make sure we send all these women to Washington.
Wendy Davis (TX-21)
Davis captured the national spotlight with the hot-pink-sneakers-clad-filibuster heard around the world. Now, the former state senator and gubernatorial candidate is running against Chip Roy, who has issued dire warnings about the possibility of Texas turning blue. A former Chief of Staff to Ted Cruz, Roy has advocated for dangerous COVID-19 measures, including herd immunity. Davis, on the other hand, has been outspoken about urging safety when it comes to the coronavirus, as well as providing more resources for Texans who are struggling in the midst of a medical and economic emergency. The Cook Political Report recently upgraded this race to “toss-up.”
Lace up your sneakers and join Wendy’s team here
Donna Imam (TX-31)
MJ Hegar ran a spirited campaign in this Central Texas district in 2018. Now, Donna Imam is inching even closer against incumbent John Carter. Imam is a former computer engineer. She is a staunch supporter of college and trade school affordability. A recent poll shows Imam trailing Carter by just six points. Humanity Forward, a PAC started by former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, recently endorsed her, and has been promoting her campaign.
Donate or sign up for a phone bank for Donna here
Gina Ortiz Jones (TX-23)
The former Air Force intelligence officer ran in this district against incumbent Will Hurd and came within less than 1000 votes of winning in 2018. Now, she’s running against Tony Gonzales, after Hurd opted not to run for re-election. She has been a fundraising juggernaut, and continues to hold virtual townhalls about issues like expanding access to healthcare, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and protecting social security.
Let’s get Gina to the finish line, and to Washington by going here
Sima Ladjevardian (TX-02)
A former cancer survivor, Ladjevardian launched her campaign against conservative firebrand Dan Crenshaw, to hold him accountable for abandoning his district in favor of MAGA-centric priorities. In the aftermath of Crenshaw’s speech at the Republican National Convention, Ladjevardian raised a ton in online donations. This is a heavily gerrymandered district, but polls show that Ladjevardian is giving the first-term congressman, who recently defended the President lying about the threat of COVID-19, a real fight.
Sign up to support Sima here
Julie Oliver (TX-25)
A self-described “Medicaid mom,” Oliver is running in a re-match against Roger Williams in a district that spans from central Texas to Austin. In 2018, she came within ten points in what had been a reliably red district. A new poll shows her nearly even with Williams. Oliver is running a progressive campaign, and she is advocating for Medicare for all, abolishing student loan debt, and universal free public college. She also received an endorsement from the Sunrise Movement. This district, along with TX-03, was recently added to the DCCC’s Texas target list.
Help send this Medicaid mom to Congress by going here
Lulu Seikaly (TX-03)
Collin County, north of Dallas, is a true bellwether for the election in November. Seikaly, the daughter of Lebanese immigrants, could be the first Arab-American from the Texas delegation. She is currently running against one-term congressman Van Taylor on a platform that includes expanding healthcare. The Cook Political Report has moved the district leftward, and it now “lean Republican.”
You can help Lulu transform Collin County here
Candace Valenzuela (TX-24)
A former school board member, Valenzuela ran a successful primary campaign focusing on the struggles of everyday Texans, and progressive solutions for hardworking families. For a time as a child, Valenzuela and her mother were homeless, after they fled a domestic violence incident. Now, Valenzuela hopes to become the first Afro-Latina in Congress. She is running against former Irving Mayor (and bigot) Beth Van Duyne, in a North Texas district that is increasingly leaning Democratic. A poll in August showed her up by 7 percentage points.
Let’s give Candace the opportunity to fight for everyday Texans by going here
A longtime writer and journalist, Jessica was thrilled to join the Texas Signal where she could utilize her unique perspective on politics and culture. As the Features and Opinion Editor, she is responsible for coordinating editorials and segments from diverse authors. She is also the host of the podcast the Tex Mix, as well as the co-host for the weekly SignalCast. Jessica attended Harvard College, is a onetime fitness blogger, and has now transitioned to recreational runner (for which her joints are thankful).
