We write to you with joy, excitement, and optimism today with news of incredible pro-choice women winning their races across Minnesota! While not every Women Winning endorsed race has been called, we are incredibly proud and overwhelmed with happiness at the success of our candidates in 2023.

In races announced so far:

- 89% of candidates won their races

- 91% of incumbents won their race

- 87% of new candidates won their race

- 7 seats were flipped from being held by men to now being held by pro-choice women

And while the numbers are incredible, the stories from Election Night are even better. Women Winning candidate Nadia Mohamed was elected Mayor of St. Louis Park and is the first Somali-American Mayor in the United States. All Women Winning endorsed candidates for the Minneapolis City Council won, including newcomers Katie Cashman and Aurin Chowdhury and incumbent City Council President Andrea Jenkins. And are well on the way to having the first all-women, pro-choice City Council in St. Paul with the election of newcomers Saura Jost and HwaJeong Kim.

Women Winning is proud to have played a role in these successes by working directly with candidates to get them across the finish line. From recruitment, to one-on-one coaching, to hosting community events–we made an impact. 

This year, we hosted 2 fundraisers on behalf of endorsed local candidates, helping them build the monetary support to win. 

We connected 11 Political Leaders of Tomorrow (PLOT) participants with 10 campaigns across the state to both offer volunteer support and build the bench for long term political participation in Minnesota. 

And we hosted 6 door knocks for candidates, bringing in an extra 45 volunteers to get out the vote for our local campaigns in the final stretch before Election Day. 

These efforts made a difference for pro-choice women running for office in 2023, and we are thrilled to hold a part of these wins on behalf of bodily autonomy for all Minnesotans!

Look out for more announcements about upcoming election results as the week goes on!

Join Women Winning and the Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy for a post-election dialogue that delves into the intersections of gender, race, and political leadership within Minnesota–TONIGHT, from 6-7:30 PM at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, The Humphrey Forum. 

Center Director Christina Ewig, along with co-author Jenna Hoge, will present insights from our upcoming fact sheet, "Who Leads? A Fact Sheet on Gender, Race, and Elected Representatives in Minnesota." This new research examines two decades of transformations in Minnesota's elected offices. 

Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to listen to Senator Zaynab Mohamed, Women Winning board member Lorrie Janatopoulos, and newly elected Saint Paul City Councillor Saura Jost discuss the catalysts driving increased diversity in Minnesota's legislative bodies, and the hurdles that must be overcome to attain genuine inclusivity in Minnesota's democracy.

Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment on Tuesday that ensures access to abortion and other forms of reproductive health care. Ohio became the seventh state where voters opted to protect abortion access post-Roe. With 99% of the vote in, the measure passed by a margin of 56.6% to 43.4%.

Seven times in a row, Americans have proven that abortion access is an essential right, even in states where exceedingly anti-choice legislatures have put it under attack. This victory will have an impact for generations of Ohioans to come–all because voters know that people should have the right to make decisions about their own bodies. Congratulations to Ohio for being another island of choice in the Midwest!

- Team Women Winning