ERA Coalition Announces Second Slate of Federal Candidates with ERA Certification Stamp of Approval

Washington, DC –– The ERA Coalition announced the second slate of federal candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate who have been awarded the ERA Certification Stamp of Approval. Earlier this year, the ERA Coalition launched Elect Equality, a new campaign to provide voters with the opportunity to hear directly from candidates across the country about their position on the Equal Rights Amendment.

“Women will have the power to decide this election, and where a candidate stands on equality will be the litmus test this November,” said ERA Coalition and Fund for Women’s Equality President and CEO Zakiya Thomas. “We launched our Elect Equality campaign to ensure that voters can find and support candidates who openly advocate for sex equality at all levels of government, and today we’re proud to award the ERA Certification Stamp of Approval to the first round of federal candidates who agree that it’s vital we enshrine the Equal Rights Amendment in the Constitution.”

“The Supreme Court changed everything with the Dobbs decision, overturning 50 years of precedent and rights for Americans,” said Senator Ben Cardin, lead sponsor of S.J. Res.1. “I thank the ERA Coalition for identifying the urgent need for more senators and members of Congress who will vote to advance the Equal Right Amendment now. Every vote will bring us closer to certification of the 28th Amendment.”

The ERA Coalition awarded the ERA Certification Stamp of Approval to the following federal candidates:

• Javier Ramos, AZ-05
• Michael Barkley, CA-05
• Michael Kerr, CA-10
• David Canepa, CA-15
• Marisa Wood, CA-20
• Angelica Duenas, CA-29
• Scott Peters, CA-50
• William Sanchez, FL-Senate
• Matt Fyfe, IN-09
• Jimmy Ausbrooks, KY-01
• John Sarbanes, MD-03
• Debbie Dingell, MI-06
• Carl Marlinga, MI-10
• Johnny Dupree, MS-04
• Kristen Radaker Sheafer, MO-07
• Henry Martin, MO-10
• Melanie D'Arrigo, NY-03
• Michael Delaney, OK-Senate
• Annie Andrews, SC-01
• Kathleen Brown, TX-13
• Veronica Escobar, TX-16
• Jan McDowell, TX-24
• Lloyd Doggett, TX-37
• Abigail Spanberger, VA-07
• Don Beyer, VA-08
• Jennifer Wexton, VA-10
• Mandela Barnes, WI-Senate

"Since the founding of our country, women have not been included in the Constitution. Women continue to face obstacles for total equality, including unequal pay, pregnancy discrimination, sexual and domestic violence, and inadequate health care access. The ratification of the ERA is long overdue, would have a positive impact on these fronts, and finally make women equal to men in the eyes of the law," said Rep. Debbie Dingell.

"I am very proud that the Commonwealth of Virginia was the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, but now we must permanently remove the deadline for state ratification and provide an essential legal remedy against gender discrimination. The words, ‘women shall have equal rights in the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex,’ belong in the United States Constitution and I will do whatever I can to make that happen," said Rep. Don Beyer.

"The ERA would be a landmark legislation not just for women, but many members of the LGBTQ community as well. As a working-class Latina woman in California, I've seen how important things like the ERA and affirmative action could be in the workplace. As an HR person, I've seen how crucial the ERA can be for guaranteeing women's rights and treatment. As a working-class Latina mother, I know personally how the law discriminates between men and women. The ERA would codify true equality into the Constitution and remedy that gendered error in our Constitution," said Angelica Duenas.

As candidates respond to the candidate questionnaire, the ERA Coalition will award additional candidates who have shown their commitment to equality the ERA Certification stamp of approval. Voters will have the opportunity to use the ERA Coalition’s interactive tool to stay informed on a candidate’s ERA Certification stamp of approval status before heading to the ballot box at electequality.org. 

Thomas continued, “It’s become increasingly clear that women are not protected in our Constitution, and the only way we can change that is by ensuring our elected officials and those in positions of power are pro-equality. Only when every person can participate fully and equally in our society, politics, and economy will we achieve full equality. We will do everything in our power to elect candidates who share that vision and will push alongside us until the Constitution guarantees that rights cannot be denied or abridged on account of sex.”

To learn more about the Elect Equality Campaign, visit eracoalition.org/electequality.

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The ERA Coalition was founded in 2014 to bring concerted, organized action to the effort to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. The ERA Coalition has a sister organization, the Fund for Women’s Equality, which promotes public education and outreach on the need for constitutional equality. Composed of more than 260 organizations across the country, the Coalition provides education and advocacy on Constitutional Equality. 

While the effort to amend the constitution to include sex equality began nearly a century ago, our renewed efforts are centered on women of color (African American, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Latina, and Native American), gender-nonconforming and transgender women and girls, and nonbinary people – those who are most impacted by systemic inequities.