about Candidates to watch
Since 2018, Leadership Now members have highlighted highly qualified, democracy-supporting candidates for Congress. Following a rigorous process involving the collection, scoring, and analysis of candidates, Leadership Now members interview candidates before making a final selection. In selecting our candidates, we prioritize talent and diversity of experience. Our candidates bring strong academic credentials and deep professional experience from outside of politics. They are scientists, business executives, engineers, military leaders, and national security experts.
For 2024, our list includes the 16 incumbent Members of Congress whom we have previously endorsed and who are running for re-election in the next year. Our first round of additions to this list includes: two incumbent Members of Congress – Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) and Emilia Sykes (OH-13); and three challengers – Sarah Klee Hood (NY-22), Will Rollins (CA-41), and George Whitesides (CA-27). These are exceptional candidates who share our commitment to protect and renew American democracy.
We look forward to working with these candidates and continuing to grow this list in 2024.
leaders
Jake auchincloss, mA-04
Veteran | Entrepreneur | MBA
Congressman Auchincloss represents the 4th district of Massachusetts. He was elected in 2020 on a platform of improving education, infrastructure, and immigration. He served in the Marine Corps for five years and later worked as a product manager for a cybersecurity startup and Solaria Labs. Congressman Auchincloss serves as the Vice-Chair of the Financial Services Committee and sits on the Transportation and Infrastructure committees. He received a B.A. from Harvard University and later got his M.B.A. at MIT Sloan.
Sean Casten, IL-06
Clean Energy Entrepreneur | M.S. Engineering
Congressman Casten represents the 6th district of Illinois, where he was elected in 2018 on a platform of voting rights and economic reform. Prior to taking office, he worked as a clean energy consultant and cofounded Recycled Energy Development, focusing on recycling wasted energy. Congressman Casten sits on the Financial Services Committee; the Science, Space, and Technology Committee; and the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. To support climate progress, Congressman Casten introduced the Promoting Grid Storage Act of 2019 to establish effective programs for energy storage. He is a graduate of Middlebury College and Dartmouth College. Congressman Casten was a 2018 New Leader to Watch.
Jared Golden, ME-02
Congressman | Marine | Businessman
Congressman Golden is a Marine, former State Representative, and International Representative for Paxton International. Jared served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. After returning home, Jared used his veterans’ benefits to earn a B.A. in politics and history from Bates College. During his time in the Maine House of Representatives, he was chosen by his peers to serve as the Democratic Assistant Majority Leader. Congressman Golden currently serves on the Small Business and the Armed Services Committees.
Josh Harder, CA-09
Businessman | MPP | MBA
Congressman Harder represents the 10th district of California, where he was elected in 2018 on a platform of campaign finance and healthcare reform. Prior to taking office, he was a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group and a venture capital investor working with nonprofits to organize smallholder farmers in Kenya and Uganda. Congressman Harder sits on the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Education and Labor. He was a strong supporter of H.R.1 and added his own amendment that would require lobbyists to disclose their identity and clients whenever contacting a member of the legislative or executive branches. He is a graduate of the Harvard Business School and Kennedy School of Government. Congressman Harder was a 2018 New Leader to Watch.
Chrissy Houlahan, PA-06
US Air Force Veteran | Nonprofit Executive | M.S. Technology and Policy
Congresswoman Houlahan represents the 6th district of Pennsylvania, where she was elected in 2018 on a platform of voting rights and healthcare reform. Prior to taking office, she served in the Air Force, taught chemistry throughTeach for America, and held several nonprofit leadership positions. Congresswoman Houlahan sits on the Armed Services Committee, Foreign Affairs Committee, and Small Business Committee. In honor of her efforts to improve government transparency and to foster innovation on Capitol Hill, she was a finalist for the Congressional Management Foundation’s Democracy Award. . She is a graduate of Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Congresswoman Houlahan was a 2018 New Leader to Watch.
Lucy McBath, GA-7
Gun Safety Advocate | Community Organizer | Nonprofit Founder
Congresswoman McBath represents the 6th district of Georgia, where she was elected in 2018 on a platform to end gun violence and increase access to healthcare. Prior to taking office, she was the spokesperson for Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety. She became a gun safety advocate after her son was wrongfully shot and killed. Congresswoman McBath serves on the Committee on Judiciary, Committee on Education and Labor, and the Gun Violence Task Force. She introduced the HAVEN Act, which amends the bankruptcy law to better protect the economic security of veterans and their families; the bill passed and was signed into law by President Trump in August 2019. She is a graduate of Virginia State University.
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, WA-03
Congresswoman | Small Business Owner
Congresswoman Perez is a fifth-generation Washingtonian. She previously served as a member of the Underwood Soil and Water District Conservation Board of Supervisors, the Washington State Democratic Party Executive Committee, and co-founded an auto repair and machine shop with her husband. She earned a B.A. from Reed College. She serves on the Agriculture and Small Business Committees and is a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus and is a Co-Chair of the Blue Dog Coalition.
LinkedIn | Campaign Website
Josh Riley, NY-19
JD | Former General Counsel
Josh Riley is a fifth-generation Upstate New York native who has worked as an attorney in the private and governmental sectors. He was a staff assistant to former Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), a policy analyst at the U.S. Department of Labor, a clerk on the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and a general counsel to former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Riley worked for the law firms Boies, Schiller & Flexner and Jenner & Block LLP. He earned a bachelor's degree from the College of William and Mary and a J.D. from Harvard University.
LinkedIn | Campaign Website
Pat Ryan, NY-18
Veteran | Small Business Owner | Local Public Servant | M.A.
Pat is running in New York’s 18th Congressional District. He is a fifth-generation Ulster County native, decorated combat veteran, small businessman, and County Executive. After two combat tours in Iraq as an Army intelligence officer, he founded a small technology company, which grew to have over 150 employees. Pat earned a B.S. in international politics from West Point and an M.A. in security studies from Georgetown University.
Mikie Sherrill, NJ-11
Navy Veteran | Assistant US Attorney | JD
Congresswoman Sherrill represents the 11th district of New Jersey, where she was elected in 2018 on a platform of economic and healthcare reform. Prior to taking office, she spent 10 years in active duty and served as a policy advisor on Russian affairs. Congresswoman Sherrill is the freshman whip of the New Democrat Coalition and sits on the Armed Services Committee and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. She sponsored the Election Technology Research Act of 2019, which would direct research to promote the security and modernization of voting systems. She is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Georgetown Law School, and the London School of Economics. Congresswoman Sherrill was a 2018 New Leader to Watch.
ritchie torres, nY-15
Community Leader | Activist
Congressman Torres represents the 15th district of New York. He was elected in 2020 with a platform emphasizing economic opportunity, housing, and racial justice. Congressman Torres serves on the Committee on Financial Services and is the vice chair of the Committee on Homeland Security. He has introduced legislation to improve housing quality to prevent fires, and he voted in favor of the America COMPETES Act to improve manufacturing and reinforce supply chains. Congressman Torres attended New York University and later served on New York City Council to represent the Bronx.
Lauren Underwood, IL-14
Dept of Health and Human Services Advisor | Nurse | MSN | MPH
Congresswoman Underwood represents the 14th district of Illinois, where she was elected in 2018 on a platform that included health care reform and reducing gun violence. Prior to taking office, she worked as a nurse and then as a senior adviser at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Obama administration. Congresswoman Underwood sits on the Committee on Education and Labor, Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and Committee on Homeland Security. She helped form the Task Force Sentry, which strengthens election security against foreign adversaries. Congresswoman Underwood holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.S. in nursing and an M.P.H. from Johns Hopkins University. She was a 2018 New Leader to Watch.
John Avlon, NY-01
Author & Commentator | MBA
John Avlon is an author, columnist, and commentator. He was a senior political analyst and anchor at CNN and previously was editor-in-chief and managing director of The Daily Beast from 2013 to 2018. He is the author of the books Lincoln & the Fight for Peace, Independent Nation, Wingnuts, and Washington’s Farewell. Avlon served as chief speechwriter to New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He earned a BA from Yale University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
LinkedIn | Campaign Website
Brendan Boyle, PA-02
Congressman | MPP
As a native and seasoned politician for Pennsylvania, Congressman Boyle is running for a second term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Brendan was a first-generation college student who earned a B.A. in government from the University of Notre Dame and an M.P.P. from Harvard University. As a prior consultant for American Management Systems, he utilizes his expertise on the House Ways and Means and Budget Committees. He also co-founded the Blue Collar Caucus.
Angie Craig, MN-02
Business Leader | Med Tech Executive
Congresswoman Craig represents the 2nd district of Minnesota, where she was elected in 2018 on a platform that included healthcare and economic reform. Prior to taking office, she was a small business investor and led global human resources for a company with more than 16,000 employees. Congresswoman Craig sits on the Agriculture Committee, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the Small Business Committee. A champion of government reform, she introduced the HUMBLE Act, which would permanently ban members of Congress from becoming lobbyists. She is a graduate of University of Memphis. Congresswoman Craig was a 2018 New Leader to Watch.
Dan Goldman, NY-10
Congressman | Attorney
Congressman Goldman is in his first Congressional term, following a ten-year stint as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in New York's Southern District, where he tackled organized crime and white-collar cases, including racketeering and fraud. He serves on the House Committees on Oversight and Accountability, Homeland Security, the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, and the Taskforce for Strengthening Democracy. A TV legal analyst and Brennan Center for Justice fellow, he's also worked with organizations promoting democracy. He lives in lower Manhattan with his family and holds degrees from Yale College (B.A.) and Stanford Law School (J.D.).
Phil Heimlich, R, OH-2
Commentator | JD
A mainstream Republican who served on the Cincinnati City Council and Hamilton County Commission, Heimlich has been speaking out against the Big Lie and election denialism for the last several years. An alum of Stanford and UVA Law School, he serves as legal advisor to Republicans for the Rule of Law, an organization devoted to defending against election subversion. He helps lead Operation Grant, an affiliate of the Lincoln Project and Republican Voters Against Trump.
Linkedin | Campaign Website
Sarah Klee Hood, NY-22
MBA | Air Force Veteran | Town Councilor | Clean Tech Non-Profit Executive
Sarah was born and raised in Central New York, and is currently an elected Town Councilor for the Town of Dewitt. Previously, she served as an Air Force Operations Officer where she managed assets valued at $50B and led teams across divisions. In the private sector, Sarah spearheaded international engineering programs, then became a director at a non-profit clean technology incubator. She earned a B.A. at Jacksonville State University and an M.B.A. at Syracuse University.
Mary Peltola, AK
Yup’ik Alaska Native | Tribal Court Judge | Former state representative
Congresswoman Peltola recently won a special election to fill Alaska’s at-large district. Growing up in the state, she went on to serve in the Statehouse. She also served as a tribal court judge and executive director of the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. Congresswoman Peltola studied elementary education at the University of Northern Colorado.
Will Rollins, CA-41
JD | Former Federal Prosecutor
Will is a former federal prosecutor having served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, focused on counterterrorism and counterintelligence cases in Southern California. Will also has past professional experience working at the law firm Quinn Emanuel and as an aide to former Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. He earned a B.A. from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from Columbia University. Will was supported by Leadership Now in his first campaign in 2022.
LinkedIn | Campaign Website
Haley Stevens, MI-11
U.S. Auto Rescue Task Force | U.S. Chamber of Commerce | M.A.
Congresswoman Stevens represents the 11th district of Michigan, where she was elected in 2018 on a platform that included expanding educational opportunities and protecting access to healthcare. Prior to taking office, she was the chief of staff to the U.S. Auto Rescue Task Force and helped establish the Office of Recovery for Automotive Communities and Workers. Congresswoman Stevens serves on the House Committee on Education and Labor, and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, where she also serves as chairwoman of the Research and Technology Subcommittee. She is a graduate of American University.
Emilia Sykes, OH-13
Congresswoman | JD | MPH | Former State Representative
Congresswoman Sykes is in her first term in Congress after previously serving in the Ohio House of Representatives for eight years, two of them as Minority Leader. She earned a B.A. from Kent State University and a J.D. and M.P.H. from the University of Florida. She serves on the Transportation & Infrastructure and the Science, Space & Technology Committees, and is a member of the New Democrat Coalition and the Problem Solvers Caucus.
Lori Trahan, MA-03
Businesswoman | Marketing Executive
Congresswoman Trahan represents the 3rd district of Massachusetts, where she was elected in 2018 on a platform that included education and election reform. Prior to taking office, she served as chief of staff to former Congressman Marty Meehan and was deputy treasurer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Congresswoman Trahan sits on the Committee for Education and Labor, and the Committee on Armed Services. A strong advocate for democracy reform, she added two amendments to the H.R.1 bill that protected independent redistricting commissions and ensured that spouses of military members were still able to vote in elections. She is a graduate of Georgetown University and Harvard Business School. Congresswoman Trahan was a 2018 New Leader to Watch.
George Whitesides, CA-27
MSc | Former NASA Chief of Staff | Former Virgin Galactic CEO | Aerospace Entrepreneur
George was NASA's Chief of Staff during the Obama Administration, playing a pivotal role in reforming the agency. He also served as a member of then-President-elect Obama’s transition team. After his tenure at NASA, George became the CEO of Virgin Galactic, where he raised $2.5B for the company. He also co-chaired the Antelope Valley Covid-19 Task Force, an ad hoc group that brought together NASA, industry, local government and the Antelope Valley College to support front line nurses and doctors at the height of the pandemic. George earned his B.A. at Princeton University and his M.Sc. at the University of Cambridge.