Mazie Hirono (HI-SEN)

Mazie Hirono was born in Fukushima, Japan in 1947.  In 1955, her mother, fleeing an abusive relationship, took her and her siblings to Hawaii.  Starting out in Hawaii, her family faced discrimination and hardship, even sharing a single bed in their boarding house room.  To this day, Hirono believes her mother’s struggle to protect and provide for her family fueled her own passion to overcome discrimination and help others through public service.

Growing up in Hawaii, Hirono attended Ka’ahumanu Elementary and Koko Head Elementary Schools, and quickly became fluent in English.  She graduated with honors from Kaimuki High School and attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  After college, Hirono went on to earn her law degree from Georgetown University, focusing on public interest law.

Hirono returned to Hawaii and took a job as a deputy attorney general focusing on anti-trust law.  Soon after, she was elected to serve in the Hawaii State House of Representatives, where she worked to protect consumers and support workers.  And, in 1994, Hirono was elected to serve as Hawaii’s 9th Lieutenant Governer, serving two four-year terms.

In 2006, Hirono was elected to represent Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District in Congress, becoming the first immigrant woman of Asian ancestry to be sworn into Congress. In the Halls of Congress, she’s fought for job creation, quality education, transportation, renewable energy, and a clean environment, for her district 4,500 miles away.  She’s also stood up to protect Medicare and Social Security from schemes that would put the programs at risk.

With Senator Akaka retiring after over twenty years of service, Republicans believe they have recruited a strong candidate in popular former two-term Governor Linda Lingle.  But Mazie Hirono isn’t going to stop fighting for Hawaiians, and we can’t stop fighting for her.  Help us send Mazie Hirono to the U.S. Senate.

Elizabeth Warren (MA-SEN)

Joe Donnelly (IN-SEN)

Tim Kaine (VA-SEN)

Chris Murphy (CT-SEN)

Tammy Baldwin (WI-SEN)

Shelley Berkley (NV-SEN)

Shelley Berkley knows the opportunities Nevada working families strive for, they’re the same opportunities that brought her family to Nevada over 40 years ago. And whether it’s volunteering at a local hospital or becoming the first member of her family to attend college, she knows the hard work it takes to make middle class dreams a reality. In the Nevada State Assembly, Berkley was a champion of consumer rights and cracked down on drunk driving, making Nevada’s roads safer. She served as Vice Chair of the Nevada University and Community College System Board of Regents where she worked to make higher education in Nevada more affordable.

In 1998 Berkley was elected to represent Nevada’s 1st congressional district in the U.S. House. In Congress she’s kept fighting for opportunities for Nevada’s working families. Berkley’s put job creation and housing aid front and center to help those struggling through tough times. She’s fought for education funding that’s allowed the district to hire hundreds more teachers. She’s pushed for high-quality, affordable healthcare and stood tall against attempts to dismantle Medicare and Social Security.

In 2012, with Democrats defending more Senate seats, the GOP will be on the attack, making the few opportunities for Democrat gains all the more important. Newly appointed GOP Senator Dean Heller is vulnerable and he’s voted more than once to support the dangerous Republican plan to end Medicare. Let’s stand up for Nevada’s working families and give Shelley Berkley the opportunity to do the same in the U.S. Senate.

Sheldon Whitehouse (RI-SEN)

Sheldon Whitehouse is a tireless advocate for Rhode Island families. He’s served as both Rhode Island’s U.S. Attorney and Attorney General, cracking down on organized crime, fighting for consumers’ rights, and looking out for children and seniors. In 2001 Whitehouse founded the Rhode Island Quality Institute, a non-profit that strives to improve the quality and value of healthcare for Rhode Island families.

In the Senate, Whitehouse has worked hard to create jobs, launching his “Making it in Rhode Island” initiative, meeting with manufacturers and small businesses to help them get back on track and hiring new workers. Rhode Islanders can be especially proud of Whitehouse’s efforts to protect the state’s environment whether it’s the waters of Narragansett Bay or the air Rhode Islanders breathe.

Before Sheldon Whitehouse was elected in 2006, Republicans had held the Senate seat since 1976, and they want it back. Let’s make sure the champion of Rhode Island’s working families wins another term.

Kirsten Gillibrand (NY-SEN)

Kirsten Gillibrand has only been in the Senate since 2009, but she’d already proven her mettle fighting for New York working families. Before entering the Senate, Gillibrand worked to bring accountability and openness to the U.S. House representing New York’s 20th district. She earned praise as the first member of the House to make her schedule and daily meetings open to the public. Gillibrand also served in the Clinton administration as special counsel to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Prior to that, Gillibrand worked as an attorney for 15 years, often representing clients pro bono because they couldn’t afford a lawyer.

Gillibrand was sworn in to the Senate in 2009 and elected in 2010 to serve out the term of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Gillibrand has fought for equal rights, helping pass legislation to end “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” And she was instrumental in the nomination of Justice Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, the first Latina to serve on the Court and the third woman. Gillibrand has worked especially hard to ensure 9/11 responders and community members have the health care they need to treat sickness caused by toxins contacted at Ground Zero.

New York families deserve to have Kirsten Gillibrand working for them for a full Senate term. Let’s help give that to them.

Bob Menendez (NJ-SEN)

Bob Menendez, the son of Cuban immigrants, grew up in a tenement building in Union City, NJ and attended New Jersey public schools. At the age of 19 he entered public service to fight for education, launching a successful petition drive to reform his local school board. He continued to work for New Jersey families on the Union City Board of Education, as Union City’s Mayor, in the New Jersey Legislature, the U.S. House and in the Senate.

In addition to fighting for quality education, Menendez has become a champion of seniors. In the Senate, he’s stood against efforts to privatize Social Security, helped get property tax relief for seniors on fixed incomes, and worked to lighten the burden on New Jersey families caring for aging loved ones.

Republicans in New Jersey have been emboldened since they took back the governor’s mansion and they want to make Menendez’s 2012 re-election fight his last. Stand with us in supporting Bob Menendez and working families.

Bob Casey, Jr. (PA-SEN)

Bob Casey has worked relentlessly to ensure Pennsylvania’s children have the opportunities they need for a bright future. After graduating from the College of the Holy Cross in 1982, Casey taught and coached basketball at an inner city school in Philadelphia. After graduating from law school in 1988, Casey served two terms as Pennsylvania’s Auditor General and as State Treasurer. In state government he fought to make nursing homes safer, make child care more affordable, and reform Megan’s law to ensure the state’s children are safe.

In the Senate, Casey has continued his work for Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable. During the healthcare debate, he pushed to strengthen healthcare for children, and helped stop an attempt to dismantle an effective children’s health insurance program. Casey knows the importance of creating jobs and helping working families through tough times. He’s led the fight against unfair trade practices that are costing the U.S. jobs and he’s pushed for assistance for workers displaced as a result of unfair trade.

Let’s stand with Bob Casey and working families and show the GOP that in 2012 Pennsylvania’s Senate seat can’t be bought by their special interests.

Joe Manchin (WV-SEN)

Joe Manchin grew up in a small mining town in West Virginia and attended West Virginia University on a football scholarship. He began fighting for West Virginians as a state legislator in 1982 and served in the legislature for 14 years. From 2000 to 2004 he served as West Virginia’s Secretary of State, and, in 2004 was elected as the state’s 34th Governor.

As Governor, Manchin helped West Virginia families weather the tough economy, earning the state praise for its strong fiscal management. In 2010, West Virginians elected Manchin to the U.S. Senate to complete the term of the late Senator Robert Byrd. In his short time in the Senate, Manchin has shown West Virginians the same strong leadership he did as Governor, making job creation his top priority and standing up for service members and seniors.

Manchin’s hard work has earned him the support of West Virginia working families, but we can be sure Republicans and special interests will do everything they can to unseat him in 2012. He needs us to stand with him too.

Ben Nelson (NE-SEN)

Ben Nelson grew up in the small Nebraska town of McCook and won his first election at age 17 as governor in a mock legislature. It may have been that election or something in McCook’s water (it’s been home to two U.S. Senators and three Governors), but Nelson began a lifelong path of public service and helping working families. While earning his bachelor’s, master’s and law degrees from the University of Nebraska he spent his weekends as a minister in rural Nebraska. In 1990 Nelson ran for Governor and won, going on to serve Nebraska families in that office for two terms.

In 2000, Nebraskans sent Nelson to the U.S. Senate. He picked up where he left off as governor, fighting for renewable fuels and Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers. He’s worked to improve the VA system in Nebraska to ensure veterans have the best healthcare possible. In the tough economy, Nelson has stood with working families, voting to raise the minimum wage and backing trade adjustment assistance for displaced workers.

Nebraska is one of the most conservative states in the nation. Republicans are counting on taking Nelson’s seat to retake control of the U.S. Senate. Let’s stand with Ben Nelson and stop them.

Claire McCaskill (MO-SEN)

Claire McCaskill has always worked hard to make her dreams come true. Attending Hickman High School in Columbia, MO she was elected homecoming queen, served as president of the Pep Club and graduated top of her class, while also working in a fabric store. She worked her way through college and law school as a waitress for six years. In 1982, McCaskill was elected to a seat in the Missouri House of Representatves and became the first woman to give birth while serving in the Legislature, balancing the duties of office with the responsibilities of a mother. She would later become the second woman ever elected to serve as Missouri’s state auditor.

In 2006, McCaskill became the first woman elected to represent Missouri in the U.S. Senate. She’s fought for accountability in Washington, not only refusing to request earmarks, but pushing to make the earmark process more transparent so taxpayers know where their money is going. When an exposé catalogued deplorable conditions at Walter Reed Medical Center, McCaskill was there to stand up for our veterans, introducing the Dignified Treatment for Wounded Warriors Act of 2007.

Republicans will do anything to take McCaskill’s Senate seat in 2012. They know they can’t work harder than her, but they’ll spend millions just the same. We need to stand with McCaskill and working families and ensure GOP efforts are in vain.

Amy Klobuchar (MN-SEN)

In 2006, Amy Klobuchar was the first woman elected to represent Minnesota in the U.S. Senate, but her fight for working families started long before that. Klobuchar’s grandfather worked in Northern Minnesota’s iron mines, her father was a newspaperman, and her mother taught elementary school into her 70’s. Their working class values fueled her first campaign to guarantee new mothers and their babies a 48-hour hospital stay. As Hennepin County Attorney, Klobuchar worked hard to keep Minnesota families safe, prosecuting violent criminals and spearheading an initiative to stop drunk driving.

In the Senate, Klobuchar has led the effort to protect consumers from toxic products and has championed health and education benefits for our veterans. She has kept a laser-like focus on long-term economic growth and job creation and has pushed for accountability in Washington. Klobuchar has been pushing to lower prescription drug prices for Minnesota families and has fought price gouging by pharmaceutical companies.

Klobuchar’s efforts for working families have been recognized numerous times, being named “Best in Congress” by Working Mother Magazine and a “woman to watch” by The American Prospect. In 2012, Republicans will try to make Minnesota a battleground, let’s make sure voters recognize her efforts too.

Debbie Stabenow (MI-SEN)

Debbie Stabenow graduated at the top of her class from Clare High School in Clare, MI. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Michigan State University and went to work for Michigan families, teaching children in public schools. She was motivated to run for public office after she led a campaign to save a local nursing home. Stabenow was elected to serve on the Ingham County Board of Commissioners and was elected chair within 2 years. She went on to serve in the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate, where her work to protect children and families was nationally acclaimed.

In 1996 Stabenow was elected to serve in the U.S. House and in 2000 she became the first woman elected to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate. In the Senate she’s worked to bring good-paying jobs back to Michigan, authoring a loan program for manufacturers that’s bringing jobs back from Mexico. She’s been a champion of the auto industry, which employs middle class families throughout the state and she’s passed legislation to promote the production of cleaner vehicles utilizing the latest technology.

While Debbie Stabenow is fighting for working families and to create jobs in Michigan, Republicans and their special interest friends are plotting how to win her seat in the Senate. Let’s support Michigan families and help get Debbie Stabenow reelected.

Bill Nelson (FL-SEN)

Bill Nelson has devoted his life to serving Florida families. In 1972, after serving in the army, he was elected to the state legislature where he helped pass the nation’s first law protecting consumers against computer fraud. Nelson was elected to serve the first of six consecutive terms in the U.S. House in 1978, and in 1994 he was elected to serve as Florida State Treasurer, Insurance Commissioner and Fire Marshal. In that role he protected seniors from insurance sales abuses and worked to lower insurance rates for Florida families.

In 2000 the people of Florida elected Nelson to serve in the U.S. Senate. He’s fought to protect consumers from identity theft, worked to lower prescription drug costs for seniors and has championed veterans benefits and healthcare.

With 2010 statewide victories in Florida fresh in their minds, Republicans are eyeing Nelson’s seat for 2012. He’s fought for working families all his life, he needs our help to keep fighting.

Tom Carper (DE-SEN)

Tom Carper worked his way through college on a Navy R.O.T.C scholarship. After college he served our nation as a naval flight officer for three tours in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. Carper continued to serve in the Naval Reserve until he retired after 23 years of service in 1991. Besides serving our country in the military, he also served Delawareans, first as State Treasurer for three terms beginning in 1976. As treasurer he helped bring Delaware from the state with the worst credit to a AA rating. In 1982 Delawareans elected him to serve as the state’s at-large member of the House of Representatives where he served for 10 years before becoming Delaware’s Governor in 1993.

In 2001, Carper left the Governor’s house for the U.S. Senate. He commutes over 100 miles by train each day to the Capitol and back each night, and still his work for Delaware families is tireless. From his position on the Senate Finance Committee he’s worked to lower the cost of healthcare for working families, while improving the outcomes, and he’s targeted Medicare and Medicare fraud. Carper has also made reducing our budget deficit and debt a priority.

After decades of hard work for Delaware’s working families, Carper’s ready for another 6 years. Let’s help him stand up against special interests and stand up for the middle class.

Dianne Feinstein (CA-SEN)

Dianne Feinstein has stood up when California families need leadership. Her public service began in 1960 after being appointed to serve on the women’s parole board and in 1969 she was elected to the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors. Feinstein became acting mayor of San Francisco in 1978 after the assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. Her leadership helped calm a turbulent city and in 1979 she was elected San Francisco’s first female mayor and would go on to deliver nine consecutive balanced budgets.

In 1992 Feinstein was elected to the U.S. Senate and became the first woman to serve on the Senate judiciary committee. She’s worked to promote clean energy and fuel economy and has protected California’s natural beauty and resources for future generations – from Lake Tahoe to the redwoods of Headwaters Forest. She’s also made keeping California families safe a top priority, ensuring violent crime victims have rights in court and implementing the AMBER Alert system throughout the nation.

Dianne Feinstein doesn’t back down when California’s working families need help and neither should we. $30.6 million was spent to try to defeat California Senator Barbara Boxer in 2010, we need to make sure Dianne Feinstein has the resources she needs to hold off the same surge of special interest spending in 2012.

Ben Cardin (MD-SEN)

Ben Cardin’s grandfather built a successful wholesale food distribution company from the ground up and his father served Marylanders in the state’s House of Delegates, so Cardin grew up knowing how important opportunity is to working families. While still a law student at the University of Maryland, Cardin was elected to serve in the House of Delegates. He was soon chosen by his colleagues to serve as one of the youngest Speakers of the House in Maryland history. He fought for stronger ethics laws and made sure Maryland students got the opportunity they needed through equitable school funding. In 1987 Cardin was elected to the U.S. House and after serving there for nearly 20 years was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006.

Cardin has continued to fight for opportunity for Maryland’s middle class, whether it’s securing dental benefits in children’s health care or helping first-time homebuyers afford their dreams. He’s been a vocal advocate of retirement planning and has passed legislation to help Maryland families plan their futures. Cardin has also spearheaded the effort to clean up and protect the Chesapeake Bay for future generations of Marylanders.

Republicans will their work cut out for them trying to take the Senate seat in 2012, but we can’t write them off or their deep-pocketed special interest friends. We have to shore up support for Ben Cardin so he can continue fighting for middle class opportunity in Maryland.

Maria Cantwell (WA-SEN)

Maria Cantwell grew up in a working-class household and, with the help of Pell Grants, became the first member of her family to graduate college. She became a Washington state representative at age 28 and helped cities manage their finances and fought to protect seniors in nursing homes. She became a businesswoman and helped build a hi-tech company that created jobs for hundreds of Washingtonians.

In her two terms in the U.S. Senate, Cantwell has shown she stands with working families. She’s led the fight to protect the environment and develop clean energy, and has cracked down hard on oil speculation hurting consumers at the pump. In addition, Cantwell has been a staunch advocate for affordable healthcare and education for Washington families.

In 2010, Republicans spent $20 million trying to defeat Senator Patty Murray and you can bet they’ll spend at least that much in 2012. We need to make sure Maria Cantwell has the resources she needs to win to continue working for Washington’s middle class.

Jon Tester (MT-SEN)

Jon Tester flies home every weekend to farm the same land his grandfather farmed outside Big Sandy, Montana. He was compelled to enter public service in the 1990’s after energy companies hiked rates on Montana families. Tester was elected to the State Senate in 1997 and became its President in 2005.

Tester ran for the U.S. Senate promising accountability to the people of Montana, and that’s what he’s delivered. Tester made history by becoming the first member of Congress to post his daily schedule to the public. He’s worked to pass ethics reform, has banned his office from receiving gifts from lobbyists, and has pushed legislation to make Senate campaign finance filings more transparent. His straight-talking, common sense approach has benefited those he fights for: rural communities, veterans, and working families.

The race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in the country. Help us keep Montana’s voice in the Senate.

Sherrod Brown (OH-SEN)

Sherrod Brown grew up in Mansfield, OH and spent his summers on the family farm. Brown earned his masters from Ohio State University and has taught there and in Ohio public schools. In 1974 he became one of Ohio’s youngest state representatives, serving there until he was elected Ohio’s Secretary of State in 1982. Brown was elected to serve in the U.S. House and stood up for workers, leading the fight against unfair trade.

Ohioans elected Brown to the U.S. Senate in 2006, and he’s been a tireless advocate for workers and their families, standing up to Presidents of both parties when trade deals put American jobs at risk. He’s led the fight to help displaced workers and the unemployed. Brown doesn’t just stand for Ohio’s middle class, he stands with them. He refused the Congressional health care plan until Ohioans had access to affordable health care, and he’s fought unfair insurance and pharmaceutical practices that hurt Ohioans.

During the 2006 elections, special interests spent $8.2 million to defeat Brown and they’re sure to spend big again in 2012. Sherrod Brown needs our help to keep standing for Ohio workers and families.