Political Note #138 Jennifer Wexton VA CD 10

Jennifer Wexton is a graduate of the University of Maryland and the William and Mary Law School. She began her legal work in 2001 as an assistant prosecutor in Loudon County. The next year, she was assigned to lead the prosecution in a case that attracted attention. Twenty year old college student Clara Schwartz was accused and, as a consequence of Jennifer Wexton's prosecution, convicted of first degree murder and conspiracy in orchestrating her father's murder. Wexton did her job and got the conviction. She also became electable.

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Political Note #137 Katie Hill CA CD 25

Katie Hill is the grandchild of prosperity that came as a result of military scholarships. Her parents were a nurse and a cop. One grandfather went to Yale on a ROTC scholarship and became an aeronautical engineer. The other grandfather, after a stint in the army, used the GI Bill to go to college and to pay for graduate school at Princeton. He taught political science at UCLA. Kate Hill brings her own kind of toughness and risk taking. She and her husband are rock climbers. She uses both toughness and responsiveness as an advocate for the underdog. She worked as Executive Director of People Assisting the Homeless (PATH). She was instrumental in getting a referendum passed to help provide homes and support for the homeless in Los Angeles.

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Political Note #136 Colin Allred TX CD 32

Colin Allred brings to the table a life transformed by his reading Barack Obama's Dreams of My Father. He was moved by the experiences of a man like him -- a mixed race child raised by his white, single mom, confronting his aspirations and his identify. He changed his career interest from medicine to public service. His first career interest, though, was football. He played outside linebacker for the Tennessee Titans for five years. After law school at the University of California, his legal focus was civil rights.

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Political Note #135 Steve Sisolak NV Governor

Until October 1, Steve Sisolak, a former member of the Board of Regents, was a pro-gun, NRA A- rated Democrat. His website says the Las Vegas mass shooting transformed his views on gun safety. Nevada passed a referendum requiring background checks and banning bump stocks that turn semi-automatic weapons into automatic weapons. But Governor Sandoval has not put the law into effect. Steve Sisolak promises that he will.

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Political Note #133 Gil Cisneros CA CD 39

Gil Cisneros running for Congress because he was lucky. In 2010, he won the lottery -- $266 million.He had had a productive life without the lottery. When he won the lottery, he had retired from the navy and was a shipping and distribution manager. he started nonprofits focused on helping Latino kids succeed in school. He started scholarship funds for those kids who did succeed in school. He studied education. He switched political parties; became a Democrat. He went into politics.

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Political Note #131 Susan Wild PA CD 07

Susan Wild has been honored by the Governor, by the Lehigh Valley Business Council. She was named one of Pennsylvania's top 50 women attorneys. She is on several civic boards. She has had tough and interesting cases in her career. Her toughest, though, was serving as City Solicitor in Allentown during an investigation of corruption. For her work during that investigation, she earned praise from the FBI.

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Political Note #130 Gina Raimondo RI Governor

Gina Raimondo is seeking reelection as Governor of Rhode Island. As State Treasurer, she led an effort to reform Rhode Island's pension system. That success has earned her respect nationally. In Rhode Island, it has earned her respect, but little love. Those who lost some prospects for their pensions are particularly disappointed in her.

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Political Note #128 Lizzi Pannill Fletcher TX CD 07

Lizzie Pannill Fletcher is a tough, colorful, corporate lawyer. Her firm describes her as someone who wins cases. She has progressive positions on every issue except unions. Her law firm has opposed unions for corporations, which she does not disavow.

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Political Note #126 Kara Eastman NE CD 02

Kara Eastman has been CEO of the Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance (OHKA). Focused on combating lead poisoning, the organization expands its work by addressing the context in which lead poisoning happens. She was a surprise winner in the Democratic Primary taking on the incumbent Congressman.

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Political Note #124 Alessandra Biaggi NY SD 34

Alessandra Biaggi is taking on the Democratic establishment, running in a primary against the head of the IDC. This role is unexpected. She interned for the King's County District Attorney's office, for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. and for Congressman Joseph Crowley of Queens, the Chair of the US House Democratic Caucus and of the Queens County Democratic Party. Look at Alessandra Biaggi’s jobs. She worked for Hillary Clinton, for Andrew Cuomo on women's policy issues. She worked for the Governor on the Executive Clemency team and on health and human service initiatives. She was a young member of the establishment before deciding to challenge it.

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