The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association proudly endorsed Dr. Dale Caldwell as he joined Rep. Mikie Sherrill on the ticket in New Jersey. Meanwhile, Wisconsin Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez launched her campaign for governor—joining a wave of Democratic lieutenant governors stepping up across the country, including those in Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois and California.
Catch up on the latest campaign news and see what Democratic lieutenant governors are up to across the country:
CAMPAIGN UPDATES
WisPolitics.com: Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association: Endorses Wisconsin Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez for governor
The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association (DLGA) endorses Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez in her campaign to be Wisconsin’s next governor.
DLGA Chair and Pennsylvania Lt. Governor Austin Davis released the following statement: ‘The Democratic Lt. Governors Association is proud to endorse Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez as Wisconsin’s next Governor.
“The Democratic Lt. Governors Association is proud to endorse Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez as Wisconsin’s next Governor. As a nurse, a mom and lieutenant governor, Sara has spent her life putting people first—fighting for affordable health care, protecting reproductive freedom, and delivering real results for working families across Wisconsin. Democratic lieutenant governors are the Democratic Party’s bench, and we look forward to supporting Sara and continuing to help elect the next generation of Governors and Senators across the country.”
Insider NJ: DLGA Endorses New Jersey Lt. Governor Nominee Dr. Dale Caldwell
The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association (DLGA) today endorses Dr. Dale Caldwell as the next lieutenant governor of New Jersey.
A proven leader with a lifelong commitment to service, Dr. Caldwell will bring experience, and compassion to the role. From his work in government and education to his leadership in the nonprofit and private sectors, Dale will be ready to get to work on Day 1 to make life more affordable for New Jerseyans.
In a show of strong support for his candidacy, the DLGA will contribute $100,000 to Greater Garden State, the DGA-led independent expenditure effort to elect the Sherrill-Caldwell ticket this November.
NOTUS: Ghazala Hashmi Could Become the First Muslim Woman Elected to Statewide Office
Hashmi doesn’t shy away from talking about her faith or how it shapes her worldview. She said being a Muslim has a “foundational basis for how I read legislation,” informing her support for programs like ensuring health care coverage or housing for everyone.
“My faith is very simple,” she said. “You feed the hungry. You take care of the sick. You’re responsible for the care of the elderly and the young. So when you have … that kind of basic foundation for your faith and your identity, for me, I think it translates into ‘what do we as government leaders have a responsibility to do?’”
San Francisco Chronicle: Nancy Pelosi appears to endorse a candidate for California governor after Kamala Harris bows out
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi appeared to endorse Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis for governor Wednesday during a CNN interview, hours after former Vice President Kamala Harris announced she wouldn’t run for governor next year.
“We have many great candidates, one in particular, Eleni Tsakopoulos, whom I support,” Pelosi said, referring to Kounalakis, a fellow San Franciscan, by her maiden name. Pelosi, who has raised more than $1 billion for Democrats over the past two decades. Kounalakis, her Pacific Heights neighbor, is the daughter of Sacramento developer Angelo Tsakopoulos, a longtime major Democratic donor who gave nearly $5 million to an independent committee supporting his daughter in her 2018 run for lieutenant governor. She is expected to be one of the best-funded candidates in the crowded field.
ILLINOIS
Chicago Tribune: Juliana Stratton and Cherita Ellens: Donald Trump’s cuts are costing Black women their jobs
When Black women rapidly disappear from the workforce, we are faced with more than a concerning statistic; their loss is a warning for where the country is headed.
Black women are the only population to experience a rise in unemployment in the last three months with rates spiking above 6%, twice the rate for white workers. Additionally, this does not capture the more than 500,000 that have yet to return to the labor force since the pandemic, making the real unemployment rate above 10%.
The cause of this recent rise is not a mystery. President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have laid waste to the federal workforce, and the Department of Government Efficiency’s reckless job cuts have wiped out thousands of stable and middle-class jobs. True to these officials’ disdain for any mention of diversity, the people most directly affected by these job cuts are Black women, who, for decades, have depended on federal roles to support families and build economic security.
MICHIGAN
WNEM TV5 News: High-speed fiber internet coming to mid-Michigan as new construction begins
A third fiber route is being built here in Michigan, making internet more accessible and affordable to more than 95,000 families across the state. ‘Being disconnected from the internet means literally being disconnected from opportunity,’ said Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in Davison on Monday, July 28 for Route 3. ‘A more connected Michigan is a more vibrant Michigan, a more prosperous Michigan, and a Michigan with a big enough future to include all of us in it,’ said Gilchrist.
And then there’s more competition within the broadband infrastructure, which helps really all of the players.’ According to Gilchrist, increased internet connectivity helps the economy, education, and health outcomes. ‘Farms that are connected to the internet have more yields and are more productive,’ said Gilchrist. ‘Children who have internet access in their homes are more likely to do their homework and have better education outcomes.
CBS News: Over 210,000 Michigan residents to benefit from medical debt relief plan
Over 210,000 Michigan residents will get financial assistance from a new partnership intended to forgive their outstanding medical debt.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and others made the announcement Thursday, saying that the first round of debt forgiveness under this plan will assist over 210,000 individuals with clearing over $144 million in medical debt.
“Medical debt affects our friends, neighbors, and families, making it harder to get a job, put food on the table, or access medical care,” Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II said in his statement. “Today’s forgiveness of over $144 of medical debt will help over 200,000 Michiganders in communities across our state move forward with their lives.”
PENNSYLVANIA
Central Penn Business Journal: PA launches micro and midsize business programs
Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis is encouraging companies to find out if they qualify for the two new business programs.
‘As chair of the Pennsylvania Advisory Council for Inclusive Procurement, I’ve encouraged our administration to become more proactive in helping home-grown businesses across the commonwealth continue to innovate and grow, creating more jobs and opportunities for more Pennsylvanians,’ Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis said in a statement.
Times Leader: Lt. Gov. Austin Davis: Rich and powerful are taking from the poor
I grew up in a working-class neighborhood in McKeesport. I’m the proud son of a union bus driver and a hairdresser. We were fortunate that we never had to rely on Medicaid or food assistance when I was growing up, but there were certainly people in our neighborhood who did. Jobs disappeared in the Mon Valley when the steel industry collapsed, and the jobs that replaced them didn’t always pay enough to feed a family or come with health care benefits.
Many working people who have health coverage through Medicaid or rely on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) to put food on the table are just trying to get by. They’re waiting tables or stocking shelves or making deliveries, while the rich and powerful look down on them for struggling.
Now the rich and powerful in Washington are cutting Medicaid and SNAP — all to give their rich and powerful friends a massive tax break they don’t need. Vice President J.D. Vance grew up in a blue-collar community, like mine, so he knows that working people often rely on Medicaid and SNAP. But now Vance is hanging out with billionaires in the White House and claiming that cuts to Medicaid don’t matter or won’t have any real negative impact. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
NORTH CAROLINA
The Coastland Times: Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt visits COA – Barco as part of Future-Ready tour, ‘very impressed’ by campus
Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt visited the College of The Albemarle in Barco last Wednesday afternoon as part of her Future-Ready North Carolina Plan.
COA-Currituck was the sixth stop on Hunt’s tour of all 58 community colleges in the state.
Hoodline: Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt Spotlights Workforce Development at College of the Albemarle in North Carolina
On her tour designed to highlight North Carolina’s commitment to future-ready education, Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt made her way through the College of The Albemarle, visiting several of its training programs. Joined by Dr. Jack Bagwell, the college’s president, and locals in the collegiate and political sphere, Hunt engaged with the students and faculty in the Aviation, Machining, and Basic Law Enforcement Training sectors, according to the Lieutenant Governor’s Office press release.
The visit aimed to underscore the essential role of community colleges in workforce preparation, a point Hunt did not miss to thoroughly touch upon. She stated, “North Carolina would not be the top state in business without our incredible community colleges training and preparing people for the jobs of today and tomorrow.” This nod to the state’s educational strengths was part of her larger policy platform, Future-Ready North Carolina, which emphasizes the need to continue supporting these institutions.
OREGON
KTVZ: Secretary of state auditors find waste in Oregon’s Preschool Promise program, recommend improvements
Auditors with the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office found $1.4 million in potentially wasteful payments within the Preschool Promise Program, Secretary of State Tobias Read announced Wednesday. ‘As a dad, I know quality child care is hard to find, much less afford, which is why it’s frustrating when programs like this aren’t delivering as much as they can,’ Read said. ‘Accountability for Preschool Promise and maximizing that program is about doing right by our kids.
The agency must make these changes in a timely fashion, because waste in this program would come at the expense of other children and families who could use it. ‘My team and I will closely follow progress on these recommendations, because Preschool Promise can and must do more for Oregon families,’ Read said.
KATU: Secretary of State probe flags $3M in waste, potential fraud in Oregon Preschool Promise
In an interview about the report, Secretary of State Tobias Read said he commends citizens like Myers for coming forward, and noted that his office will remain apolitical when it comes to investigating state agencies, and will continue to take reports of waste and fraud seriously.
WISCONSIN
APG Media: Lt. Gov. Rodriguez visits area businesses
Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez visited Ashland and Bayfield businesses earlier this month to talk about the importance of small businesses and tourism in northern Wisconsin.
She and Rep. Angela Stroud stopped by Moores On Main and Gabrielle’s German Sweets in Ashland on Wednesday, July 16. The following day, Rodriguez went to Bayfield to visit Hauser’s Superior View Farm and Copper Crow Distillery.
At each business, she spoke with staff and ownership to talk about the history of the businesses and their impact on the local and state economy.
Her visit to the area also included a meeting with the Northern Wisconsin Concentrated Employment Program. She and Stroud met with program director Skylar Dural-Eder to talk about how federal funding changes are impacting Ashland businesses and programs and the people in the area that rely on them.
ILLINOIS
Regional Media News: Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program Opens $25 Million Funding for Workforce Diversity
‘I am proud to expand this program to bring even more opportunities to workers who embody the best parts of Illinois—diversity, drive, and dedication to serve our state and the people who call it home.’ ‘With these grants, we’re continuing to build real pathways to high paying, family-sustaining careers that don’t require a four-year college degree,’ said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton.
The Pritzker-Stratton administration is investing in the people who will power our economy for years to come and making sure no one gets left out of that future.’ ‘I’m thrilled to see the continued success of the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program,’ said Senator Cristina Castro (D – Elgin). ‘The funding provided through this program is critical to increasing career opportunities for Illinoisans and building up our state’s world-class workforce.’ For personalized assistance, applicants can email [email protected] .
MASSACHUSETTS
The Bedford Citizen Lt. Gov Kim Driscoll Joins Rep. Gordon and Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce for Life Sciences Panel
Lt. Gov. Driscoll emphasized Massachusetts’ leadership in healthcare, education, and innovation, noting that these foundational strengths, while under pressure, remain the Commonwealth’s calling card. ‘Massachusetts is known as the global hub for life sciences.
The conversation with Lahey Hospital, Northeastern, Ultragenyx, and CallaBio Solutions held a spotlight to why, and gave us key insights for how our administration can bolster our research ecosystem while maintaining our global leadership as funding continues to be threatened,’ said Driscoll.
KENTUCKY
WHAS: ‘First step to a brighter future’: Kentucky GED pass rate rises 2.5% in latest fiscal year
‘There are multiple paths to a good life, which is why Lt. Gov. Coleman and I made it a priority to help more Kentuckians earn their GED – a goal we’re continuing to find new ways to meet,’ Beshear said. ‘From waiving the testing fee early in our administration to recently announcing we’re taking GED testing on the road to areas without access, we’re committed to ensuring every Kentuckian who wants to take this next step has access.’ Beshear said Kentuckians are also passing the GED exam at a higher rate than the rest of the country; the state GED pass rate is 78%, and the national pass rate is 74%.
‘As a former teacher, I know the transformative impact a high school diploma or GED diploma can make in a person’s life,” Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman said. “I’m so happy to see more of our fellow Kentuckians take this first step to a brighter future.”