2022 was a year to celebrate for the 2022 DSPolitical Ad Grant Program! We awarded $100,000 to 17 ambitious candidates across the country, from state legislators to city councilmembers. We’re thrilled to announce that 10 of these Democrats won highly competitive elections, and many of them have made history in the process.
Without further ado here are the latest Ad Grant Recipients to be elected as representatives, assembly members, judges, and public servants!
Anthony Vega won his race for Lake County Clerk in Illinois! He is breaking records by becoming the county’s first out LGBTQ+ member in office and first Latino. Through his experience in government, advocacy, community organizing, and volunteer work, he has learned what is important to his community and carries those experiences and conversations into his work every day. Anthony won against an incumbent and Republican in a historic race.
Elaine Marzola won her reelection bid to represent District 21 in Nevada’s State Assembly! After graduating from law school, Elaine served as a judicial law clerk. Working for a judge, Elaine was able to learn first-hand how the justice system works and to understand the importance of a strong advocate representing clients in order to get them the justice they deserve. Her race in Nevada’s District 21 was predicted as one of the tightest races in the state, and Elaine’s dedication to her district pulled her ahead!
Erica Dominguez won her race as Judge for Bexar County Court at Law No. 6 in San Antonio, Texas! She served in the US Air Force, and She has been with the Bexar County Public Defender’s Office for 7 years. In 2015, Erica spearheaded the initial hearing at Magistrates providing representation for mental health PR Bonds with access to mental health services within 24 hours of release. In 2018, she became the defense attorney for the Mental Health Court which is a specialty court in County Court 12, where post adjudicated participants engaged in mental health services and substance abuse treatment to successfully complete a term of probation.
Heather Bauer was elected as State House representative for South Carolina’s District 75! Heather was a first-time candidate with experience as an IT manager and small business owner. While Heather initially moved to South Carolina for the weather, she stayed for the people. She joined local boards, worked for nonprofits, and contributed to local tech startups. Heather won in a tight race against an incumbent and Republican.
Katie Muth won re-election to the Pennsylvania State Senate to represent District 44! She was first elected to the state senate in 2018, winning a longshot campaign against a longtime Republican incumbent. This year, her district was ranked the most vulnerable of any Democratic-held senate district and was a top target for the Pennsylvania GOP, but Katie still came out on top.
Lina Hidalgo won her race for Harris County Judge in Houston, Texas! She is the first woman and first Latina elected to this position in the nation’s third-largest county. She has sought to approach public safety with data-driven, results-oriented governing, taking into account all variables that affect the overall safety and well-being of a community. We know she’ll do a great job serving her community.
Nabilah Islam is the latest member-elect of the Georgia State Senate, representing District 7! As the first South Asian, one of the first Muslim woman, and youngest person to ever be elected to this office, Nabilah is yet another Grants Recipient to make history in their race. In 2020, she served as a Senior Advisor to the Gwinnett Democratic Party, helping to turn Georgia blue and elect President Joe Biden. During the critical Senate runoffs, she led an organization that knocked on over 34,000 doors, turning out Black and Brown voters across Gwinnett for Senators Ossoff and Warnock. She also led a historic effort of reaching out to over 60,000 registered Muslim voters across the state. She won in a tight race in a newly drawn, toss up district.
Ruwa Romman will now officially be representing District 97 in the Georgia House of Representatives! She is making history as one of Georgia’s first Muslim woman in Georgia’s House and one of the first Palestinians ever elected to public office in the state! Ruwa’s platform centers education, healthcare, economic opportunity, and voting rights, and she won her race against a MAGA Republican.
Suzanne Harrison, MD won her election to Salt Lake City Council At-Large in Utah! She brings a fresh perspective as a medical doctor who has served two terms in the state legislature representing District 32. Being in a purple county surrounded by red made her race a toss up, but Suzanne won her race and will go on to represent Salt Lake City!
Tarah Probst is the newest member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing District 189! She has been the mayor of Stroudsburg for 6 years and was recently re-elected with 70% of the vote. She wants to take her hard work, dedication and principles to Harrisburg to better serve the people of the region and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
We are incredibly proud of the work these candidates have done so far and will continue to do in their hard-earned positions! DSPolitical hosts the Ad Grant Program each election year, so if you are interested in applying for our grant program, sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss when applications are announced.
If you’d like to see more wins DSPolitical was a part of, visit our interactive website showcasing our work in the 2022 election.