Vote for the 2020 Rising Star
Named in honor of the dedicated and courageous Gabrielle Giffords, the Rising Star Award celebrates an extraordinary woman serving in state or local office.
Jade Bahr
Jade Bahr represents Montana’s 50th House District and is an enrolled member of the Northern Cheyenne (Tsitsistas) Tribe. Since being elected in 2018, Jade has been a champion for low-income women and families. Growing up in Billings in a working class family while also spending her summers on the Apsaalooke Reservation gave her a unique understanding of the challenges faced by both communities. She continues to be a champion for social justice and economic empowerment, because all Montanans deserve the opportunity to succeed.
Sydney Batch
Sydney Batch is a family law attorney, Chapel Hill native, and mother of two who successfully flipped her seat blue in 2018. Shortly before her victory, Sydney was diagnosed with early, invasive breast cancer which brought health care access and affordability to the forefront of her campaign. Sydney is a tireless advocate for the people of District 37. She prioritizes issues that unify the people of North Carolina such as affordable health care, funding for public education, and increased access to mental health resources, and paid family leave.
Nicole Cannizzaro
A Las Vegas native, Nicole Cannizzaro is the first woman ever elected to serve as Majority Leader of the Nevada Senate. The proud daughter of a waitress and a bartender, Nicole was the first person in her immediate family to go to college. Nicole currently works as a Chief Deputy District Attorney in the gang unit. First elected to the state Senate in 2016, Nicole has worked to safeguard and expand reproductive rights, increase access to mental health services, and protect domestic violence survivors.
Anna Eskamani
Anna Eskamani serves as the representative for Florida’s 47th House District. In 2018, she won by a landslide, flipping the seat by nearly 15 points. Anna is the first Iranian-American to be elected to public office in Florida and is the youngest Democrat in the legislature. As a child of immigrants, Anna is driven to advocate for the most marginalized in her community, prioritizing access to quality public education, environmental policy, and reproductive health care.
Mary González
Mary González represents Texas’s 75th House District and is the first LGBTQ woman to be elected to the Texas Legislature. A native of Clint, Texas, Mary earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, her master’s degree from St. Edward’s University, and a doctoral degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Mary’s professional experiences have included working at the National Hispanic Institute and Southwestern University. She is dedicated to issues of social justice, agriculture, and improving infrastructure in Texas.
Emilia Sykes
Emilia Sykes proudly represents Ohio’s 34th House District. She grew up in Akron, Ohio as the daughter of two elected officials. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Kent State University and received a juris doctor with a certificate in family law and a master of public health from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and the College of Public Health and Health Professions, respectively. Emilia currently serves as House minority leader of the Ohio House of Representatives.