Coming off of a strong primary victory in Oregon, the DLGA celebrates Tobias Read on securing the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State in his contested primary.
Meanwhile, Democratic lieutenant governor nominee Rachel Hunt is finally facing a Republican opponent in Hal Weatherman, who wants to ban abortion, defund public education, and push the MAGA agenda.
Across the country, Democratic lieutenant governors are leading on the issues that matter most at home, like public safety, education and creating stronger opportunities for the next generation.
See more highlights from our Lt. Governors on how they continue to lead across the country:
NORTH CAROLINA
Upon Hal Weatherman securing the Republican nomination, Rachel Hunt proposed a constitutional amendment to protect women’s health care, abortion rights and access to birth control and fertility treatment in North Carolina.
News From The States: On the one-year anniversary of NC’s 12-week abortion ban, women ready for November
On Wednesday, Senator Rachel Hunt, who is running for lieutenant governor, filed a bill that would place the right to access abortion, contraception and fertility treatment on the ballot in November with a constitutional amendment.
News & Observer: Democrat Hunt draws contrast on abortion with Republican Weatherman in race for NC Lt Gov
OREGON
This past Tuesday, Tobias Read secured the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State, and come this November, Oregonians will have a Secretary of State who leads with transparency, effectiveness and integrity.
The Oregonian State Treasurer Tobias Read wins Democratic primary for Oregon secretary of state
MINNESOTA
In Minnesota, Lt. Gov. Flanagan continues to lead on funding for public safety and banning junk fees in state.
WCCO: Lt. Gov. Flanagan touts policing careers
Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan highlighted a way for more people to become police officers thanks to public safety funding passed last session at the Capitol.
Star Tribune: What Minnesota’s new junk fees law means for purchases — and tipping at restaurants
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said that will make it less confusing for customers, who see fees added to a bill and don’t know if it goes to their server or whether they need to tip extra on top of the charge. She said tipped-wage workers will benefit more because there are no “secrets on the bill.”
KARE 11: Minnesota tribal communities celebrate American Indian Day
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Nation of Ojibwe, said Native Americans are still underrepresented in government across the nation. But their numbers are growing.
“We have elected representatives in the House, in the Senate, in the governor’s office. We have Native folks in the judicial branch, in every elected body in the state of Minnesota,” Flanagan said.
“And it matters. It matters because we can show up, and we can make decisions about our own futures. And we work in partnership with our tribal leaders in a government-to-government way.”
HAWAIʻI
Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke is leading the Ready Keiki initiative to open more preschools across the islands to help struggling families.
Hawaiʻi Public Radio: Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke on expanding preschool sites across the islands
Preschool and internet expansion have been her two main focuses as LG. Yesterday in part one of this interview, Luke talked about improving the digital divide in internet and broadband access.
Luke shared that Ready Keiki will open 44 additional preschool sites across the state this fall.
“We look at it as a social equity issue,” she said, “We just want them to have the same availability and opportunity given to them as any other child, regardless of economic situations.”
WISCONSIN
Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez continues to lead Governor Evers’ Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce, and recently met to work to help fix the statewide healthcare shortage.
WEAU: Governor Evers’ Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce meets in La Crosse
Governor Evers’ Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce met at UW-La Crosse’s Student Union to work to help fix the statewide healthcare shortage. This is the task force’s third meeting and their first in the coulee region.
“As a nurse and somebody who’s worked in health care for over 25 years, I know that health care is regional and it is local, and solutions that may happen in Milwaukee or Madison may not work in La Crosse,” says Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor chair, Sara Rodriguez.
“Wisconsin is now only one of ten states that has not expanded Medicaid. If we did that, we would get almost $2 billion over the biennium that we could invest in health care here within Wisconsin,” says Rodriguez.
Rodriguez adds that other ideas include youth and nurse apprenticeship models, as well as increasing reimbursement rates. Meetings like this help those ideas move forward as they are shared amongst task force members.
Superior Telegram: Wisconsin lieutenant governor discusses health care workforce during Douglas County tour
Wisconsin’s Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez stopped in Douglas County Friday, May 3 to touch base with students, the medical community and nature.
At Superior High School, Rodriguez spoke to students in civics and government classes about the importance of voting.
“What I talked to them about is that the age group that is least likely to vote are the ones that were sitting in that room, which is 18 to 25,” Rodriguez said. “And so, if they want to have a voice in what their future looks like, they need to register to vote and they need to vote in every election.”
At Essentia Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Superior, the discussion focused on ways to recruit and retain health care workers.
“As the chair of the health care workforce task force, I’ve been traveling all around the state of Wisconsin and talking to different health care systems and trying to understand what the challenges are and if they have any solutions that they’re using to make sure that they can attract (and) retain the health care workforce here,” said Rodriguez, who has a clinical background in public health. “And Essentia Health has a lot of great things that they’re working on. And being able to cross-pollinate some of those ideas across the state, I think, is going to be really interesting for the task force to be able to move forward.”
MARYLAND
As a civil engineer and a leader on transportation in Maryland, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller recently called for responsible driving at the annual AAA Memorial Day news conference.
Maryland Daily Record: Miller highlights increased fines, I-695 tragedy in calling for safety during busy travel months
Heading into the summer travel months, during which nearly half of Maryland roadway deaths last year occurred, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller on Wednesday called for responsible driving and reiterated that drivers speeding or being reckless near work zones will soon face steeper fines.
More work zones across the state, of which there are about 300 on any given day, are also expected to soon have automated speed cameras.
“While a majority of Marylanders do practice safe driving habits, we also know that some do not,” Miller, who worked as a transportation engineer for 25 years, said in prepared remarks for this year’s annual AAA Memorial Day news conference at Bridges Restaurant in Queen Anne’s County.
PENNSYLVANIA
In Pennsylvania, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis is focused on investing in the American workforce through American steel
WFMJ: Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. tours Wheatland Tube
Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis toured the Wheatland Tube facility Thursday afternoon to scope out the site of over $100 million in investments by parent company Zekelman Industries.
“Today, what we saw is a great company investing in American workers and investing in American steel,” Davis noted.
The steel tube manufacturing company recently completed a galvanizing line, and is in the process of constructing a fully automated warehouse.
MICHIGAN
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist is urging the legislature to help reduce caregiver costs, while continuing to push for free community college for Michigan high school seniors.
WILX: Lowering costs for caregivers in Lansing
Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist is urging the legislature to help reduce caregiver costs.
The state mentioned that, on average, a caregiver can expect to spend more than seven thousand dollars annually, and sometimes considerably more. The lieutenant governor joined representatives from the AARP and local seniors today at the AARP office to focus on the caregiver tax credit.
In Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s recently proposed budget, the Caring for MI Family Tax Credit
saves Michigan families up to $5,000 off their taxes.
The proposal covers expenses such as transportation, counseling, and nursing services.
WBKB: Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist Proposes Free Community College For High School Seniors In Michigan
“Absolutely, so one of the ones I’m most excited about is the Michigan Achievement Scholarship. This is something that’s available to, Michigan graduating seniors if they complete their FAFSA form and this is providing money for, I think like, you know, probably seven out of ten students will be able to qualify for a state scholarship here” said Lieutenant Governor of Michigan Garlin Gilchrist.
“Our education budgets have set records. We’re investing more in public education than ever in the history of state in Michigan, and that includes more in career and technical education that we’ve ever invested to help our ISD’s and districts come together to strengthen the offerings that they have across a wider number of fields to upgrade the equipment that’s available” said Gilchrist.
Michigan Chronicle: ‘In order for it to be a great America, there must be a great Black America’: VP Kamala Harris Visits Charles H. Wright Museum
“Something that we understand here in Michigan, especially in the city of Detroit, is that we’re a city that has historically defined wealth creation for the Black community here in America. See, there are so many people around the country who, when they came to Detroit for the first time, they saw Black people with money. We show it better than most,” Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist jokingly admitted.
“What underlines is the fact that people saw a path to progress here in Detroit, Michigan. Whether you were families who came as part of the great migration, like my own, or whether you were entrepreneurs who were so enterprising that discrimination couldn’t keep you out of your dreams. Michigan was a land of opportunity. But too many people too often feel designed out of opportunity today. That’s why we are so proud that this administration has said, no, we will reject any people being blocked out of opportunity.”
RHODE ISLAND
Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos recently discussed her focus on affordable housing, education, and economic development.
Boston Globe: Sabina Matos wants to win back Rhode Island’s trust
Sabina Matos, the first Latina City Council president in Providence, is running for lieutenant governor of Rhode Island with the goal of rebuilding trust in the state’s government. She plans to focus on issues such as affordable housing, education, and economic development, and hopes to bring a fresh perspective and new ideas to the role.
KANSAS
Lt. Gov. David Toland continues to lead on Kansas’ economic growth, discussing the state’s tourism grants and economic development.
KRSL: Lieutenant Governor Toland Announces $500000 in Tourism Attraction Development Grants
Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland has announced $500,000 has been awarded in the latest round of Attraction Development Grant funding.
Washington County News Lt. Gov. Toland visits Washington, talks economic development
Lt. Governor David Toland, who also serves as the Secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce, visited Washington on Friday to tour the Washington County Hospital and talk to staff members there. State Rep. Lisa Moser participated in the discussion. Toland was given an overview of the hospital operation and the state of local healthcare Toland then made time for an interview with the…
ILLINOIS
Stacey Abrams recently joined Lt. Gov. Stratton for an event about the importance of women in voting and politics.
The Southern Illinoisan: Pizza and Politics: Stacey Abrams, Juliana Stratton speak virtually with local communities
Carbondale United and Connect 360 community members came together for pizza and a virtual conversation with Stacey Abrams and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton about the importance of women in voting and politics.
CALIFORNIA
In California, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis launch a new PAC to mobilize “pro-choice” California voters and help to defeat Donald Trump and take back Democratic control of the House of Representatives.
Los Angeles Times: California Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis launches Democratic PAC to mobilize voters on abortion rights
California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis publicly launched a new independent political committee to mobilize “pro-choice” California voters and help to defeat Donald Trump and take back Democratic control of the House of Representatives.
Californians for Choice, which as a super PAC is allowed to raise unlimited sums from donors for independent expenditures on races, plans to recruit volunteers across the state to make calls and knock on doors in key congressional contests, according to a statement from the committee.
MASSACHUSETTS
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll recently worked to secure $13 million in school based mental health programs.
NBC Boston School-based mental health work gets $13M boost
“For the first time ever, we’re providing seed funding for BRYT programs — because we know that critical mental health supports like these shouldn’t only be a reality for students in schools with the resources to establish the programming themselves,” Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said in a statement. “We want every student in Massachusetts to thrive scholastically and emotionally. Expanding BRYT brings us one step closer to that goal.”
