Sisters,

WE DID THAT!

Last Tuesday, women of color didn’t just win elections. We shattered barriers, challenged expectations, and reminded America what happens when women who know their communities are given the opportunity to lead.

And sisters, WHAT A NIGHT!

Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor of any U.S. state. Deb Haaland became the first Native American woman elected governor. Gina Hinojosa made history as Texas’s first Latina governor, while Stacey Plaskett became the first woman elected governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Juliana Stratton of Illinois and Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota made history in the U.S. Senate. And from Georgia to New York, Colorado to Nebraska, women of color broke barriers in congressional and statewide offices.

These aren’t just historic firsts. They’re new possibilities for all of us.

Research by political scientists Beth Reingold and her colleagues found that Black women and Latinas in state legislatures were particularly active in championing policies addressing the needs of multiple, historically marginalized communities.

That’s important because our leadership isn’t just about improving conditions for women of color. When we fight for affordable childcare, better schools, accessible healthcare, safe communities, and economic opportunity, the benefits can extend far beyond our own communities.

Our lived experiences don’t limit our ability to lead. They expand our understanding of who needs to be served and how.

The Election Was the Starting Line, Not the Finish Line!

Now comes the sobering part.

We cannot spend the next two years celebrating history while failing to influence what happens next.

The sisters we elected—and every other official who earned our votes—must be held to high standards of integrity, accessibility, accountability, and results.

Our support cannot become a blank check. Our celebration cannot become complacency.

Accountability is how we protect the power we worked so hard to build.

We Voted for a Different Future. Now Let’s Build It.

Across much of America, voters chose something different: competence over chaos, courage over cruelty, accountability over corruption, and public service over personal power.

We demanded relief from policies that have made everyday life increasingly unaffordable. We stood with immigrant families against cruel enforcement practices. We called for an end to the war on Iran and a foreign policy grounded in diplomacy, peace, and international cooperation.

We demanded affordable healthcare and housing, strong public schools, reproductive freedom, economic opportunity, and protection of our fundamental rights.

Not every race went our way, and not every winner shares these priorities. But we demonstrated that organized people can challenge entrenched power and change what’s possible.

Sisters, let’s relish these sweet victories! Celebrate the trailblazers, the organizers, and the generations of women whose sacrifices made this moment possible.

Next week, WE CAN will be back with serious work for ALL of us to do. Now that we know who will be fighting alongside us, it’s time to turn electoral victories into meaningful progress.

But today? CELEBRATE!

Because the greatest achievement won’t be how many women of color we elected in 2026.

It will be how many lives are better because they—and WE—refused to accept anything less than a government that works for EVERYONE.

We made history, sisters. Now let’s make it matter!

In solidarity,

Dr. Stephanie, WE CAN Founder